Dear Editor,
I am not optimistic.
Yes, there is the need for a new breed of revolutionary intellectual (Frank Fyffe, SN, June 2), but I cannot see him or her appearing in the foreseeable future. No, not for a long agonizing time to come.
This society is too sewn up, too compromised, too lacking in what it takes (principle, patriotism, ideals, character) for such a person to gain first a foothold, and then develop meaningful and sustainable traction. Along the same lines, in this woebegone entity passing for a country, the “abominable silence” (R Johnson, SN, May 12) from certain quarters – many entrenched quarters – will continue. These very powerful people are too contented, too delirious from the proceeds and comforts of their rewarding alignments. They will not be moved. They will not be moved by torture or by corruption, or by maladministration or governmental malevolence. The repugnance of NICIL is all in, and part of, a day’s work; the sordid nature of daily existence is seen as the by-product of the so-called new ethics that is so prevalent, indeed national in scope and reach. Here is the bottom line: business is good; life is good. There is so much money to be made, who should care about police brutality, out-of-court settlements, and procurement obscenities? Why care, when the going is good, so good compliments of a cooperating regime. If they have a concern, it is eliminated by any means necessary. Repeat: by any means necessary. Read my lips. If there is a gathering, larger, or chronic national problem that does not impact negatively and directly, then such is best ignored (silence); but if required, then it will be undermined before any momentum is realized. The resources and will are both available. These are the same nice folks who through the NGO Hydra and civil society octopi successfully diffuse any coalescence and coherence aimed at questioning, at confrontation. And confrontation is what it has to be in some form. Ultimately.
But beyond the diffusion, there is more of the sinister, the crawling insidious nature of how communistic Guyana has become; the dismal reality of how at every level this society is managed and manipulated. Take a closer look.
The prospering class is happy; so what is the problem? The prospering class (and followers) are intimately intermingled with NGOs and civil society through actual presence. Their presence and purpose is to render these bodies comatose from the inception. I should know. Been there, done that. Of course, the government has its ready ears and voices in the deliberations; many times these are some of the same nice people who pretend at these games. I know those, and of those, too.
Here is the question: How can anything – or anyone – go anywhere under such circumstances? I think that whether evolution or revolution, the environment is too inimical, too barren, if not downright rocklike. I see only mutation ahead.
We have been hearing recently what we did see a long time ago. That is, the ways and means used by the House of Israel (and who used it) to disrupt and demolish. Today, the House of Israel’s successors divide and devastate from within and in-the-bosom. They are immeasurably more injurious, more successful. These successors are more; they are more educated, more moneyed, more resourceful, and have access to more resources. They succeed more, too. It is part of the conspiracy of silence.In these circumstances, how can one dare to put on any armour, when there are doubts about neighbours? How does one dig deep to march forward, when it is apparent that his brethren lack heart, or have sold out? And how far in front does one advance (to revolutionize) for fear of friendly fire? Deliberate friendly fire… in the back.
Editor, for all of the aforementioned reasons, and then some more, I am not optimistic about this society lifting itself – or being lifted – out of the clinging morass that imprisons and cripples.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
