Over the last six weeks, we have been warned by Ronald Sanders (‘2000-2009: A Decade of Caribbean Decline’), David Jessop (‘It is unclear how the Caribbean will tackle its environmental challenges’), Dr Clive Thomas (‘Norway and Guyana’s rainforest: Santa Claus or Old Higue’), Christopher Ram (‘Economy firewall malfunctions’), ‘Peeping Tom’ (‘A new tag to economic mendicancy’) that a self-inflicted tragedy awaits us in this new decade because of poor leadership, bad governance and delusional beliefs that the World Bank, the United States , China , Europe or anyone else cares a damn about what happens to us. We are a region without power, without influence, without courageous leaders who neither understand global realities nor the rapidly changing dynamics of national self-interest in front of global imperatives.
We in Guyana and the Caribbean are truly delusional at best, extremely stupid at worst.
Here in Guyana, our racial divide and party paramountcy have prevented us from having the type of visionary leadership we could have provided to the Caribbean. A year ago, I wrote a letter entitled ‘Majoritarian rule is the worst form of democracy for Guyana.’ In it I stated: “We in Guyana, like everywhere else on the planet, live by a ‘social contract.’ Today, in Guyana, our social contract, our constitution and our democracy have no integrity, no substance, no legal bearing, and no meaning to the lives of ordinary Guyanese. We have an illusionary contract… Systematic evasion of constitutional checks and balances have become the new modus operandi; illegality and immorality have become the norm; decency has long been discarded and indecency has become the new currency of daily life.”
In that letter, I quoted Sir Arthur Lewis, one of the region’s two Nobel Prize winners, who argued that a consensus view of democracy is especially important in countries like Guyana. He stated: “especially in plural societies that are sharply divided along religious, ideological, linguistic, cultural, ethnic, or racial lines into virtually separate sub societies with their own political parties, interest groups, and media of communication… the flexibility necessary for majoritarian democracy is absent. Under these conditions, majority rule is not only undemocratic but also dangerous, because minorities that are continuously denied access to power will feel excluded and discriminated against and will lose their allegiance to the regime. In plural societies, therefore, majority rule spells majority dictatorship and civil strife rather than democracy. What these societies need is a democratic regime that emphasizes consensus instead of opposition, that includes rather than excludes, and that tries to maximize the size of the ruling majority instead of being satisfied with a bare majority: consensus democracy.”
We have long ignored the brilliance of Sir Arthur Lewis and have worshipped at the altar of the pernicious Westminster system of governance. The reason we were naive about Copenhagen was because of our winner-take-all system. President Jagdeo needed a legacy, he worked hard at it, and he raised Guyana’s profile as a potential leadership nation in the Caribbean. It failed because most of the best brains of all races and political values in Guyana and its diaspora were left out of the development of our LCDS strategy. It failed because Guyana’s permanent self interest was confused with Norway’s permanent self interest.
Today, through daily newspaper articles and political announcements, we are still gearing up for a Westminster winner-take-all elections. The depth of our political depravity seems bottomless. We are in love with conflict. We are in love with debilitating poverty and self destruction. We have learned nothing.
One word on the current debate between Ravi Dev and his detractors. This debate is both regressive and divisive. Who cares about Burnham and Jagan. I don’t. Most Guyanese don’t. We need to be looking forward not backward. The injustices of today cannot be justified by the injustices of yesterday. Ravi has stated (KN January 9) that elections in Guyana are “free and fair.” This is gross intellectual dishonesty. How can an electoral system in a racially divided nation be ‘free and fair” when only one side can win because of an ethnic census? We intellectualize while Rome burns. I am at a great loss for words but not surprised when opposition politicians participate in a competition they have no chance of winning. This is a broken trust with their constituencies. This is an egregious disconnect from reality.
Everyone in and out of Guyana knows what Guyana is about. From Gay McDougall to World Bank country reports, the jury is out. Instead of continuing this meaningless ‘us versus them’ political and racially divisive dialogue, Mr Dev should offer his services to the PPP to help save GuySuCo. His intellect and knowledge of the industry are badly needed there. Sugar must not be allowed to fail. This is the problem Guyana is faced with. Regardless of who is in power, their decisions could damn us all. That is why consultation and inclusiveness are so critical.
Guyana needs to get its house in order and to provide leadership in the Caribbean. Real leadership. Visionary leadership. Climate change will eventually place most of the Caribbean islands under severe threat. Guyana is one of the few places Caribbean nationals can migrate to. North America and Europe will not accommodate them. Lots of land, water and food. The basic necessities of life are all here and we have high ground for a new capital, etc. The Caribbean’s self interest should be Guyana’s self interest and vice versa. The USA and China will determine what happens with climate change and they will not destroy or jeopardise their economies to save the world. Their first, second and third priorities will be at home.
Guyana and the Caribbean are faced with a multitude of dangerous and debilitating national and regional threats. We have not learned any lessons from Copenhagen. Guyanese and Caribbean leaders need to be inclusive to solve the massive challenges facing their societies. Now is not the time for politics as usual. Technocrats need to be involved in problem solving.
Grow your own food. Ensure local and regional food security. Localize your taste and minimize food imports which will eat up scarce foreign reserves.
The time for transformational leadership is quickly disappearing. Guyana needs to provide leadership on climate change of another type. Our low carbon future must begin with the removal of the carbon generated from the “fires of hatred, racism and discrimination” the anti-human rights, poverty-inducing Westminster system has bequeathed us. Changing our political climate in Guyana by a fundamental rejection of any election under a Westminster system will show we understand our perilous future and the leadership role we need to play in the Caribbean to save our generation and Caribbean civilization. We need a Guyanese diaspora conference on our future. Every Caribbean country needs one of their own. Do we have the courage?
Critically, I call on President Jagdeo to leave Guyana a lasting legacy of ‘peace, unity and equity’ by using his last two years to forge a new constitution in which people and not politicians are paramount. Racism and party paramountcy will destroy us this decade because the world will ignore us. If he does this, it will allow Guyana to solve the pressing problems facing the nation and give us the moral authority to honestly engage other Caribbean countries to sit down with integrity and regional unity to plan the way forward.
This type of leadership would surely make him worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.
Yours faithfully,
Eric Phillips
