Obama on Obama and, well, politics

Feb 21, 2026 Letters, The GHK Lall Column

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Hard Truths by GHK Lall

(Kaieteur News) – Former US President Barack Obama broke his silence.  He shared some choice words.  Choice, not colourful.  Though not colourful in the regular sense, they rang with a colour that transcended the shivering that politics induces nowadays.  He was addressing a motion picture called Ape State, Ape Hate, Ape Gate.  Mr. Obama still has it, is a scriptwriter par excellence.

 No, he didn’t employ ‘toxic’ or as I like ‘radioactive.’  Simpler words that were less combustible, but no less corrosive.  “Shame” and “decorum” are now lost in politics.  There is America and to the heights, the White House.  There is how politics has devastated Guyana, up to the elevation of parliament.  It is a low elevation; below sewer level now.  Says much.  Stinks more.  MPs in Guyana’s parliament are sure to know the meaning of shame, but there is doubt that they care not to have anything to do with what is shameful.  When the women in Guyana’s highest house cannot raise a hand and say: Stop.  Enough.  No more.  Then what do they know about shame, how to distance from it?  Some may not incorrectly take offence at me singling out Guyanese women MPs, but there should be none who know more of what decorum means than they.  Not here!  not in this house, damnit!  If that is the standard for their own sons and daughters in their own house, then how about the same in the people’s house?  Surely, their dignity count, and respect for them matter.  Many of the men who went to this school of higher learning and that other university that teaches decency, and came out with distinction, that distinction is now lost.  It was another word that brother Obama use.

Feel his pain.  It’s the 21^st century, this era of Enlightenment, and for him still to be called an ape, has to hurt.  If he, what about his better half, how much more pain?  To reach the top in America, and to be pushed right back to the jungles of Africa (where else?) must be of anguish beyond my vocabulary, of regret above many a tragedy.  “Shame” and “decorum” are now lost.  Those are not taught.  Instinctive they are, with little nudges and glares from momma and poppa, and that village of long ago that spent so many long patient, thankless hours to guide and help grow a certain way.

Lack of shame and lack of personal decorum are overtaken by the love of the crass and titillating, the suggestive and the believed seductive.  There’s a ready audience cheering in wider society.  Just as how sex and violence are bestsellers, so also are crassness and obsceneness, and making a disgrace of oneself.  If from the White House, then there isn’t much hope that Guyana’s parliament and Guyanese could be much more disciplined, decorous, and differently defining.  When distortion is religion, then deviousness and falsehoods are sure to follow.  Independent media.  Medical people from Cuba.  Depraved standards of truth, fairness, justice, prudence, and the absence of what is profound in Guyana and its politics.  Those all provide a trail of testimony that is impregnable, because it is surrounded by the utterly convincing.  When any president or prime minister can turn his or her back on honesty and honour, then what is he or she?  Despite human frailty and foibles, those are feasible.  Be it in America, be it Guyana.

Since shame and decorum are alien presences, I am surprised that more production has not been made of local parliamentary vulgarities.  A selfie in full cry would make for a ton of likes on one’s Facebook page.  It is what the cretins that haunt cyberspace live for, fueled by, thrive on.  Said Barack Obama: “It is important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behaviour deeply disturbing”.  Americans have a saying: going ape-s—t.  Someone somewhere in the White House did.  If only there could be admission, some taking of leadership responsibility.  As much as I look to Washington, I am looking more at Georgetown.  Georgetown here, not there.  Certain things “get attention” works as a “distraction.”  Obama is right again.  And again: “the clown show in social media …and television.”  Excellency Obama spoke to America.  I speak of Guyana.

And last, he said: “there are some people who still believe in decency, courtesy, kindness.”  Hear that all Guyanese MPs.  Hear that, Mr. President.  I do, and I love what all those represent.  (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)  

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• Ape State, Barack Obama, GHK Lall, Politics

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