American teens, Muslim global presence
Some weeks I do tire over the choice of topics or issues. Partly because one tries to avoid adding to the plethora of lamentations, criticism, “insightful” political analyses, conclusions and predictions (often offered in the wisdom of hindsight and/or hurtful rejection or voluntary dissociation) and the numerous unpalatable issues related to an early political campaigning silly season.
It’s difficult, of course, because you do want to add your voice to issues sometimes. You feel you have another worthy perspective and even when you escape to things cultural, sport-related or creative, you quickly unearth contention in this town.
But my twenty-second year still beckons, so come ramble with me today.
Incompetence? Sinful waste!
Yes, I join in accusing the electoral plurality now ensconced in the offices and corridors of power, of rampant squandermania, extravagance and plain sinful waste of citizens’ finances. In China’s provinces, I hear, officials pay dearly for such economic crimes, when found out.
The daily professional individual and team-oriented letter-writers critical of the PPP/C government never let up with exposures of the squandering of resources. Also leading the charge in this regard, for various reasons, is another newspaper in the land.
If you quantify the billions wasted in poor people’s name, it might be discovered how those folks’ lives, in their bedeviled communities, could have been improved qualitatively had those millions been properly utilised.
You have read it all before; the Amaila Falls road, CCJ beverage penalty, the Marriott hotel which will never recoup taxpayers money spent, the Surendra scandals, roads and stellings poorly built. I need not go on. I suspect incompetence! In the Cabinet, the ministerial offices and boardrooms, either bad advice on consultancies attend or corrupt practices breed poorly-executed decisions and kickbacks for some who fear loss of power. Or both!
My puzzlement surrounds how elected politicians abandon their poor voters. Do authority and power make rulers numb and uncaring? Do you get the impression that Dr Luncheon and Minister Benn care for your welfare, for example? Discuss…
Much bullyism, paralysis…
In the face of executive governmental lawlessness, the opposition – parliamentary and civil – seems vanquished, no matter how robust it tries to be.
I agree that Martin Carter’s paralysis of the spirit has afflicted the major portion of the populace. Many have given up. Many migrate to escape to where other people have created better societies with opportunity and hope.
As a retired “political animal” I marvel at the manner in which this government runs roughshod over the populace – including the opposition. How is this done? In so many ways: not fearing or blunting protest; employment intimidation; recourse to the courts to test and delay legal challenges; bribery, circuses, stress-relief exhibitions and anniversaries; plain blatant use of executive procedures and powers.
One overworked acting Chief Judge needs time to deliberate on opposition legal challenges, then to metamorphose into the sole judge for the Constitutional court. (Remember that?) Still I hope for the Brigadier and the AFC to lead a spirited motivational challenge by an Alliance of the Willing.
I recommend the Gandhian non-violent civil disobedience to demonstrate against the myriad advantage taking. From public servants to private sector to Lindeners and sugar-workers, there must be a few thousand protestors, organised but peaceful, to show the government and the world that the poor and the dispossessed are discontented. And that thousands deserve and demand change.
What? Even the backboneless victims become part of their own problem? Mortgages? Tenure? Fear?
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American teenhood
I venture further afield to shed local cobwebs.
The Aljazeera America Network is airing a series titled “the Edge of Eighteen”. It explores and exposes the almost brutal, trauma-filled pressure American teenagers are being put through just to achieve.
Yes, from grade school young Americans are asked to choose disciplines, careers and colleges. Then the pressure continues in the universities, colleges for them to be successful even as they attend to loans taken.
But the pressure is not merely for personal status. America needs continuous brain power to compete in the global market of trade, economic survival and ideas. Pure pressure! Many teens are succumbing! Results? Mental illness and depression leading to murderous gunplay sometimes.
In Guyana our students go to school in August hustle with numerous lessons after hours to compete. For working-class achievers – to what end?
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The global Muslim presence
A social conscience must stimulate one’s dire concern for the conflicts and their current and long-term consequences in the Middle East.
ISIS or ISIL murderous militants have marauded through the northern portions of Iraq and from Syria to plunder, kill and seize territory. They use Islam to claim the land and its peoples. Their war is un-Islamic however, their methods barbaric.
Governments and numerous rebellious militants both know of the centuries-old conflicts amongst their peoples. Religious and tribal selfishness breeds triumphalism of the greedy as Islam’s factions kill to interpret and enforce their versions of what their Allah teaches. Jihadists seem immune to poor followers’ sufferings and death.
Before and after the Islamist terrorists bombed New York Twin Towers, the Americans, craving the nations’ oil and strategic geo-military locations to preserve some balance of global power, stepped into the conflict-ridden Arab world. We must use the American interventions in the context of Arab complexities. To assess Islamic status and power in today’s world.
And if we are interested enough we should enquire whether the world’s fastest-growing religion – Islam – is responsible for other faiths’ discomfort. From the war-like factions and rich powerful Saudis and Emirates to minority Muslims in Bangladesh and new poor Afro-converts in Sophia, Guyana, what is the influence of Islam in the world’s peace? Discuss…
How do African Muslims use European rights? – Discuss also…
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Ponder…
1) See how the police decide: Minister Singh and Interloper Sooba? No business of ours!
2) Besides those elected politicians, who runs my Guyana? Young journalists, I suggest you do profiles of boards of directors – private and public. And the commissions – who manages?
3) The original Fentys are Scottish. I wonder how they voted?
4) What is the abbreviation of Plenty, Plenty, Plenty Corruption?
‘Til next week!
(Comments? allanfenty@yahoo.com)
