Editor,
Which side of our Guyanese brain does not understand that the present status-quo as it relates to our politics, governance and development will not change for the better unless there is a new political dispensation? There is an abundance of evidence dating back to political independence in 1966 which glaringly reveals the “power drunk”/ tunnel vision nature of political figures who have since dominated Guyana’s governance structure. It does not require muti-million-dollar research projects and/or wide-ranging analyses to recognize this reality. I am certain all right-thinking Guyanese adults are fully aware of the damage that has been done to the country by almost two generations of selfish and greedy politicians, but for reasons known only to them, conveniently choose either to forget or ignore its occurrence.
Since political independence, we as a people, have endured suffering and stagnation, left behind by the rest of the world, simply because we have been lied to and misled into thinking that our enemies are our Indian and African descent brothers and sisters. As a result of our underlying hatred for each we are unable to see our true reality and potential. For 50-odd years we have fought among ourselves, cunningly manipulated and agitated by our politicians who use this in-fighting to achieve and maintain power… their only real interest. We have been and are our greatest enemy. The newspapers and social media are saturated daily with cries for the politicians to change their stripes and to give us some food, shelter, livable wages, reliable basic utilities, health services and security…generally a better standard of living. These cries have been falling on deaf ears for the past 50 years yet we continue wailing but are unwilling to help ourselves by seeking commonalities to improve our lives as a people and break the shackle of mental captivity in which we live.
It seems that both our older and sadly younger generations have resigned themselves to allowing others to control their lives and destiny instead of finding and exercising that power to do so themselves. As long as we continue to be divided between Indo and Afro-Guyanese our positions in life will never change. We need to re-educate, re-orient ourselves and understand that the interest of the politicians is completely different from yours. His goal is to achieve and maintain power at all costs. His aim is aggrandizement for himself, family and friends. Complaining and wailing will do nothing… they are too steeped in their ways and goals…too focused, too obsessed to hear much less budge. They all believe that they have been given the right to lord and master over a meek and divided people. Has anyone noticed how arrogant ordinary folks become as soon as they attain political power/office?
I am not certain how many patriotic, independent, righteous, honest, humble and truthful Guyanese still remain, who understand that the solution to our woes lie in them collaborating as a united front to introduce a new political dispensation in which the welfare and improvement in the lives of all Guyanese are their paramount goals and objectives. The age-old worn-out politics of race has no place in a modern society. It seems as if there are only a handful of people still living in Guyana with integrity, will-power, love for their fellow human beings and country willing to stand up and speak out. The majority, it seems, are either struggling to survive on the edges of survival, or have sold and/or are selling themselves and their souls for a few pieces of silver… Not unlike Judas in the bible story. While we continue to wail we seem unable or unwilling to come together to find solutions to our problems. Are we so distrustful of each other? Is it that so many of us are “on the take” that honest and purposeful collaboration is nigh impossible? Are we so obsessed with the get-rich syndrome that we cannot see the bigger and broader picture that is our future and that of our children?
I urge people speaking of an independent and righteous Third Force, like Dr. Jerry Jailall and others, to persevere. No talking, no begging, no wailing, no academic analyses and proposals will touch the souls of our present crop of politicians into changing their stripes. If we fail to understand the reality of the situation like sheep, we shall be led astray to the destiny that we have allowed others to choose for us. Where are the potential leaders of tomorrow among our young intellectuals? Or are there none? The ball has been and always will be in our court. Only if we can wake up, open our eyes and see. We will never survive as a nation with a plantocracy system. The powerful will never educate the powerless to take away their power. Remember there is only one race…the human race. Peace and Blessings.
Sincerely,
D. Da Costa
