-No credibility? Integrity?
I am hanging these brief remarks on a journalistic clothesline provided by Adam Harris in his Sunday newspaper, by Stabroek’s editorial of this Monday and by my own observations of the unfortunate.
We are told that revenues earned by the government from our wide array of taxes and other levies are used, in part to finance our protection and security. Reading Harris, I reflected on the varied types of protection we vulnerable citizens need. And have a right to!
We need protection from criminals and their assaults against us; from the police and the courts of law – to prevent, detect, arrest, prosecute and punish criminals and crime; from government ministers, officials and agencies to prevent discrimination, favouritism, nepotism – and poverty. Yes, we the citizens have our own supportive, self-reliant roles to play in our own interests. But elected and appointed officialdom was put in place to serve us, to protect our freedoms and rights and opportunities. Alas! Daily, we see this not happening!
Even when citizens – as employees and taxpayers – contribute to their own job-related, long-term welfare, the social safety-nets are difficult and unreliable. Where then are the constitutional or employment–related or senior citizen protection and security?
In addition to all the above, I declare that these days there are few solid role-models or authority-figures one can look up to with confidence and conviction. The current crop of governmental and opposition politicians won’t really stand up to forensic scrutiny. Our judiciary is hard put to maintain credibility (say the Americans). Business leaders must cheat to survive. Journalists and columnists are either inexperienced, or woefully partisan to some life’s cause(s). You know what level of confidence you can repose in the society’s CEO’s and REO’s. And I suspect the real motives of today’s pastors and pandits.
So if I come off as hopeless, not trusting, or cynical, I am, Frankly Speaking. But I will never claim any high moral ground or status. That’s why, despite invitations and entreaties, I never aspired to any significant representative office.
Our People’s Perceptions
At the risk of provoking some persons’ ire, I can plead guilty to believing that a great proportion of our populace is not equipped to be literate and reasonable, analytical, or even fair-minded. Ignorance and grossness abound. Even the educated – still in schools or recently graduated – never seem either rounded or rational enough to be coolly calculating, in a “judgmental” sense.
Too many believe merely what they are told or what they read. Too many have views foisted upon them. However, there is another side, a mitigation of the ignorance, to all this. It is that, in this place, people have personal experiences, evidence and proof to inform their actual knowledge, beliefs and yes, perceptions. Therefore, both their own perceptions and the actual realities can merge.
For example, as is now being astonishingly revealed by the British print media, there are those who know just how certain local officials enjoy high life-styles that were not theirs just a few years ago. Village folk know whose relatives received the lucrative contracts – and how and why.
When real nepotism – relatives, friends, neighbours receiving unfair preferences – is known, how can negative perceptions about government and its very authority be avoided?
The only worse reality is that there is also the perception that the current administration is callously unmindful of and impervious to both criticism and exposure. So, whether true or not, its officials – too many of them – are perceived to be persons of no esteem; no exemplars of credibility or integrity. I’ll stop short of wondering publicly how our own diminished public purse is treated. What say you?
Ponder…
*1) My main interest in the PNC-reform(ing) is the scrutiny that the remigrant hopefuls bring to the internal “democracy” of the People’s National Congress. Oscar and Robert Herman have to set the example to the nation – and GECOM.
But will Richard “Baby Jesus” Charles succeed where Team Alexander threw in the towel?
*2) The President’s reinstatement of the NCN Top man? Pure Burnham!!!
*3) Minister Rohee would remember me from school days. I’ve admired his Jagan–assisted rise to political significance and yes, I understood his raw emotions at the recent funeral. That’s why I feel free to caution him about off-the-cuff comments publicly. He was in utterly poor form recently. About the attempted prison escape and the lock-ups.
*4) Show me fewer pictures of smiling government officials at functions. The masses are not that fortunate to smile continuously as I used to plead with the PNC top brass when I acted as Chief Information Officer for years. I was ignored. The more things change…?
*5) Independence? I’ve avoided the celebration. The observance of the milestone must be continued, however. A reflective forty-third!
‘Til next week!
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