Ho-hum my friends and readers. Especially you Guyana-born, living-in-Guyana Guyanese.
This contributor tires of both local goings on and the more negative behaviours and aspects of world-wide existence, the Arab, African, European mix of conflicts, slaughter, natural disasters and man-made financial and economic crises.
From any perspective these issues are “vexatious … and depressing … to one’s spirit”. Somehow too the world’s vulnerable majorities – the poor – are usually the sorry victims.
Even though I can appreciate the impact of global crises on the state of the State of Guyana and its peoples, I concern myself briefly today with what my country’s leaders and managers have thrown up and are consistently still presenting to us as the basis for our current, continuous and future existence.
This “sermon” will again be brief today. For it most likely will, to your chagrin and stress, recount that which plagues us and renders too many, especially ambitious even patriotic youth, hopeless! Against my every nationalistic fibre these days, I veer towards helping some youth to escape and exile themselves away from our country’s hopelessness, if I can.
Where is the hope, when…?
Why the national despondency despite assurances and photographs of smiling officials and laughing lotto and “hamper” winners? Because although hope springs eternal in the human breast, in this Big, Beautiful Blighted Land, the majority seems destined to live in hope but die in despair.
For where can hope for a comfortable future be when: Government takes Opposition – and the Assembly really – to Court? When there is no agreement on Linden’s or Hinterland development? When Government and Opposition would never join forces to minimize obvious corruption; when the capital city is held to ransom by one Ministry now bolstered by alleged theft of the few funds at City Hall; when roads collapse weeks after construction; when our National Cemetery is a National and International Disgrace? When the local administration of villages and other rural communities don’t seem to accept imposed personnel? When political “tri-partite” talks yield little or nothing to assure the electorate that put the negotiators where they are? When the President threatens to withhold assent?
Okay, I guess you don’t need more to indicate the horizon of hopelessness. So what is to be done? One aspect of democracy is when you-all periodically choose persons to represent you in government, opposition and Parliament. Those dudes then determine who hold dominion in State corporations, the judiciary, as heads of public service professions and so on. Assess now, dear voters, how they’re all doing to influence your daily existence. Alright, you may factor in bad weather, bad foreign trade and economics, bad local investors and very bad crime. Still, who is to be blamed?
Life without politicians?
They say no critique is ever complete without positive, constructive, corrective suggestions and solutions.
I have little for our national malaise. But I can dream, can be airy-fairy today-in proposing (hypothetical) remedies. (Why?) Because they actually work in other faraway, civilized places.
So I accept, even I, that any society and community need order, some regulation, some law, even – or especially – moral guidance and standards. But what if a society can actually minimize central government, elected officials legislative interference?
Picture vast communities with self-imposed rules agreed upon by all – or most. They purchase their own generators, build their own wells and roads and schools and hospitals; administer, manage and monitor their levels of excellence, as the government merely watches and sometimes collects taxes for leaving people alone?
Oh what a pity our vast communities are not homogeneous enough to agree on such models of non-government prosperity. Our Government is in every aspect of our daily lives – directly or though official influence. Fine Job They’re Doing.
Let’s find some model to inspire some hope, pride, confidence and non-government management of our lives. Why should it be just a dream?
Ponder…
*1) Committees like peas! I’ll teach you more later. About the Parliament’s standing, select and special select committees. In excess of 13! Good job to enhance the Assembly’s functions? Huh?
*2) Why would you want to be Mayor or councillor of Georgetown’s Municipality? Three reasons!
*3) When is President Ramotar going to Brazil? (Have they changed their minds?)
*4) Did the Irish journalist who harassed President Obama recently realize that that President is part Irish?
*5) Bet our “Olympic Officials” have picked their team already. Before the actual Guyana team!
*6) More on Arabs, Syria and the USA-coming.
Til next week!
