Former GDF officers can’t `humiliate’ themselves
I willingly admit, concede that for years I’ve been addicted to the Cable Television Channels such as the BBC, Al Jazeera, Fox News and CNN – among others.
In terms of American politics CNN and Fox News are not unlike partisan Third World media surrogates. But I’m old enough to separate opinion, however subtle or open, from factual hard news reporting. Every national or global issue can attract both treatments from powerfully influenced media.
As I take an unusual break from wholly local issues, I share my – sometimes negatively mournful – take on a few major international developments.
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A global pandemic, a war’s most tragic ending
After one-and-a-half years what new can one say of a devastating virus that has killed about five million people up to last Monday?
The world has endured irreversible loss, continuous suffering – health, economic, social – national disruptions to include development downfalls, even cessation. All societies have had to amend, transform their normal routine national lives to accommodate numerous adjustments; “working-from-home” is now just one of a new vocabulary and practicality. So what “new” could be my take?
Included would be: funerals with grieving loved ones absent earlier last year. President Trump’s influence in fast-forwarding the necessary vaccines – from clinical trials to approvals after production; the politicisation of anti-COVID treatments born of lack of information, misinformation and, sometimes, political mischief. Okay I’m aware that the immediate foregoing is not actually “new”. But in Indonesia, France, South Africa, the UK and yes, the U.S.A the virus has precipitated all the public health, medical and socio-political commonalities now so common in a frightened beleaguered global village. The Corona knows no borders!
A conflict’s conclusion embarrasses! After the second President Bush, three other Presidents including the incumbent realised that they had to end America’s 20-year involvement in Afghanistan. But that basic conclusion was so simple that it was so complex! Why?
Frankly Speaking, whenever American military might obeys its political directorate to intervene then intrude into almost alien “enemy societies” they often seriously misunderstand the nature of both the enemy and temporary friends. Afghanistan is now the latest brutal lesson America should never ever forget.
So President Biden followed President Trump’s decision to leave the Graveyard of Many Powers. But his exit strategy, no doubt based on his promise to be completely out between 31st August and September 11, was/is an embarrassing socio-political, even military blunder! A trillion American dollars could not influence the Afghan Army to fight their Taliban tribalists without American military presence and support. Biden mis-read that along with his Generals. The Arab/Islamic “spirit” was difficult to define. Will Afghanistan really now become a terrorist-haven? To threaten only the US?
Now America must switch to getting Allies’ support to influence Taliban Sharia practices. Poor Afghan women, after 20 years of Western socialisation and dreams, now fear cessation of human rights and education; diverse employment to be replaced by sexual servitude and levels of dehumanisation. From a Taliban Fighter-Government now armed with American weapons and aircraft. And as Russia and China plan their entry-strategy I’m sure that the Americans will now plan their anti terrorism tactics minus actually locating in foreign territories. Except when really invited.
No! CARICOM-member Haiti is not eternally blighted! My late friend Lennox marvelled at Haitian art, craft and creativity when he visited the half of the mighty Caribbean Island Hispaniola that is Haiti. I told him of my appreciation of Toussaint leading the most successful Slave Revolt against colonial France.
But why is poor Haiti continuously beset by natural disaster that hardly hurts its Spanish next-door neighbour the Dominican Republic? Some say it’s because of Haitians’ belief in Vodun – the Voodoo God of Strange Practices. But a people’s belief in something spiritually African couldn’t promote or invite national evil and tragedy so frequently.
So what is it that causes Haiti to bleed? Are Haitians not also Roman Catholic? Assist please CARICOM.
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A Guyanese “American”, from Victoria
Guyana-born, 45-year-old Victor is a legal fully-documented American citizen. He passed his Citizenship exam when he was thirty, having left the land of his birth, the first-ever Guyanese Village of Victoria, ECD; when he was a teenaged seventeen.
This means that Vic never voted in any Guyana election. But for 28 years he loved Guyana from afar. Living among Indo-Guyanese on the East Coast Demerara prepared him for living and working with Asians and Hispanics in New Jersey USA.
He might return to spend long periods in the Rupununi when he retires in New Jersey and is receiving American pensions. America is a Nation of Immigrants. Moreso than India, Zambia, Nigeria or Norway. Victor is a born Guyanese. But a “prouder” American! (Just what is my point?) I just heard that Victor had decided to join the Democrats – Guyana version.
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No “humiliation” for these officers, never!
A Stabroek News Editorial writer attracted my attention – and some appreciation – when the following was written just recently: “But it is not his place to penalise them for their shortcomings by demanding they acknowledge his legitimacy publicly. He knows very well that after all they have told their constituents they do not dare confess to them in any public sense that they were wrong; it would be too humiliating. A later leader may be able to do it at some point, but not the current complement.”
The writer was somewhat scathing in berating President Ali and his PPP for not engaging the PNC Opposition as sometimes demanded by the Constitution.
It then hit me that former top GDF Army Officers and PNC leader Granger and Harmon won’t ever admit that they lost the 2020 polls. It would be too “humiliating”. And no officer should be so politically self-embarrassed (??) Even though their party is now in parliament as an opposition? Ho-Ho-Ho. Poor us. They’ll never admit losing?? Ever???
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A few to ponder…
● 1) The PPP-affiliated fellow advised me: “Fenty yuh en know why dey does ’buse de American Ambassador-lady so? She withdraw dem visa lass year.” I never thought of that really.
● 2) The Linden PNC fellow tried some procedural reason regarding COVID vaccinations: (a) pre-vaccination medical evaluation, (b) free testing, (c) only WHO-approved vaccines, (d) no threats of job-loss. Reasonable? Discuss.
● 3) More protests soon? Why? When? Where?
Til next week!
allanafenty@yahoo.com
