Dear Editor,
The near continuous reports horrify: crime on the attack in an upward, never-ending spiral. Where does it end? When does it? And how does it?
Too many are idle. Too many are lured. Too many already lured are hooked on the rewards. Too many beneficiaries of the still vast, once thriving, underground economy, have too much spare time, searing resentments, vested interests, and a readiness to engage in breaking the law, battering citizens, and thwarting governance.
Much more plastic money is an answer, and so are self-awareness and self-protective measures. Much of this demands a sea change in the mindsets of buyers and sellers. It calls for trust, a really scarce commodity in these parts. But such actions would counter and choke the dirty dollar masquerades, render citizens less vulnerable (at least in the streets), and restrain the trajectory of daylight crimes to some extent.
More police officers can contribute; yet the fear is that the clandestine conspirators, heavy duty powers, and multi-purpose mongers have intentions to intrude through placement amongst the new ranks to sabotage clean policing and developing anti-crime and anti-corruption strategies. Nonetheless, recruitment drives and processes must continue with even more zeal and focused energy. More boots on the ground is an obligatory first step.
Currently, government plans call for extracting the poisonous carbon dioxide from the money supply, through squeezing the enormous dirty money segment. Intricate empires of criminal activity have been inherited; they were the trump cards of yesterday. They still think they are, and should be, the same way today. Because they are not, there are some very unhappy magnates and merchants around. They are no less valuable today in some quarters, despite the handwringing, political braying about crime, and the usual serpentine tears. These friendly people have a purpose. Thus, I read of a “security threat” requiring joint forces operations. The financial status quo has been tampered with, which means onerous strictures across the board. This is neither about CB bandits and opportunistic crimes; this is more and more far reaching.
Editor, think about this: commercial rage blazes in Guyana in certain significant fortresses. The invisible hands (and faces) cannot stand by and let this money laundering haven and heaven fall apart. In addition to the invisible hands, there are empty and available hands (hungry hands) to batter a reeling populace, and to escalate the terror level. The men who were in everything, and now have little to do, are not lounging around watching ESPN or Oprah. The new status quo must be probed and tested, as well as seriously challenged. Thus, there is a security threat hovering. Citizens should get accustomed to this new reality.
Now there are several additional steps I would recommend to government. Just as citizens have to be proactive in recognizing limitations, so too the government through reaching out to outside partners to contain the expanding difficulties. This is not only about arresting domestic crime, but interdicting the flow of product to over there and the cascade of proceeds here; there are linkages.
Additionally, government and official protectors must be prepared to take the offensive through the unorthodox and the innovative, and all within legal perimeters. There is the GRA, the media, and well-wishing expert foreigners, among others. Things have proceeded to a point where I regard the situation to be reduced to a Manichean confrontation. It is a war of wills, and there is nothing cosmic about it. This is a turf war with government on one side and enemies of the people (interpret liberally) on the other. In this duelling for a particular way of life and financial culture, inhabitants find themselves behind shaky barricades in what has transformed into full-fledged fire zones. Still, this battle for the present and the future must be fought, and no quarter should be given to those powers now stymied and very wrathful; these birds of prey who are out and in full feather.
In response, the government should recall a very relevant saying as expounded by General Patton: There are only three principles of warfare: audacity, audacity, audacity. For, at bottom, the crime situation and security threat(s), including all sources, is representative of an undeclared war.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
