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FM
Former Member

The question is not simply to fight and win

 

Posted By Henry Jeffrey On March 4, 2015 @ 1:05 am In Daily,Features |

I have suggested before that for me, although getting rid of the PPP from government is a necessity at this stage, in our condition it is not a sufficient cause. A political cause that is worth fighting for must also set and hold a direction that will prevent future aberrations such as the ones we have had to live with under both the PPP and PNC. Someone once said “The question is not simply to fight and win but to find a cause worth fighting for”.

The opposition has said or done little so far to secure me in the belief that they truly grasp the gravamen of our present situation and are able to chart a way forward. True, on a daily basis they ply us with vague positions and promises, but some are impractical and/or dangerous.

Indeed, we have heard these promises before and so looking about us, we cannot fail to recognise that such blind faith is unwarranted.

future notesThat said, the reality is that on both sides our political oligarchies know that most of us are imprisoned by ethnicity and that as such the most concrete thing they need to do at elections time is to provide us with a limited number of political manifestoes that few remember and fewer ever read.

 

In my view, the racial/ethnic struggle to hold and maintain political power that has been at the heart of both our politics and poverty for over six decades is not based overwhelmingly on the wish of any group to punish the other, but upon the fear, partly natural but also nurtured by politicians, that the other groups will punish “us”.

Protestations to the contrary, all politicians are forced to live with and manipulate this most punishing political environment and therefore find it near impossible to provide both sides with a single political cause worth fighting for.

 

We must not fool ourselves, it matters not how bad the other side appears to us, when the stark choice has had to be made between them and us, we have historically chosen us.

After three decades of PNC rule, in 1992, that party won some 42.3% of the votes cast: the largest proportion of votes it has ever won in free and fair elections to date.

In other words, notwithstanding the existence of the non-racial alternative in the WPA, Afro Guyanese, who in private were “cussing down” the PNC, flocked to the polls and voted for their ethnic/racial party. Those who did not were branded traitors to the cause!

 

Confronted by this reality today, many “good reasons” are concocted as to why the community then voted overwhelmingly for the PNC. We are told that Desmond Hoyte had begun a process of transformation that deserved to be supported or that a large number of Africans supported the PPP, abstained or voted for the WPA. Political clairvoyance is also in vogue, with many pointing to the “disaster” that the PPP has become to justify their choice in 1992.

On my reading of the statistics, they do not support these arguments. The poor WPA, the party of Walter Rodney, could only muster 2% of the votes in 1992.

 

Today, the PPP having become what it has, many of these same people who flocked to vote for the PNC in 1992, are haranguing Indians as wicked or simply foolish for still supporting their ethnic party. Indeed, they want Indians to put their faith in an African-led essentially African dominated coalition with a motley set of unconvincing and vague proposals when, if their elites are to be believed, they will not put their trust in an Indian presidential candidate in an essentially African-led political arrangement!

 

For the sake of Guyana, I hope that once we properly appreciate our historical positions we can move on and that the opposition does garner sufficient votes to remove the PPP from government. This is not because their praxis has left me with any significant belief that they would be better than the PPP if they were to have such a long stay in government.

It is simply that the PPP regime, rooted as it is in ethnic allegiances, has been in government for too long and this is not and has not been good for our freedoms or democracy.

Two weeks ago, I promised to deal with what I viewed as the four possible outcomes from the APNU/AFC coalition discussions. Number four and the least desirable outcome would have been for the talks to break down and there to be no coalition.

 

Like many people, I assessed that if the political situation had remained the same, with the three parties going to the polls individually, the most likely outcome would be a political situation such as we had prior to the prorogation of parliament. Of course, particularly in the third world, where media scrutiny is relatively weak, political parties tend to make all kinds of outlandish claims and this has contributed to why politicians stand so low in the public esteem.

 

Although no one took it seriously, even the AFC claimed that it could win the coming elections on its own. But in my assessment, contrary to the hopes of some, it has not done sufficiently well to be in a position to take enough votes from the PPP for the PNC to win a plurality.

We have heard a lot about the Nagamootoo effect, but the experiences of the AFC with African support in the 2006 and 2011 elections demand that we be cautious in our assessment.

Normally one would have to see about three elections with the same or better showings, to conclude fairly definitively that the support for a party has substantially increased or decreased.

 

As for APNU, after the disastrous showing (34.0% of the votes cast) of its main component, the PNC, in 2006, its winning 40% of the votes in 2011 was quite a comeback, even if it was less than the 42% it secured in 1992.

 

There has been much talk about low turnout in the African (and I dare say in Indian) communities, but the PNC has never fared better than the lower 40 percentages in elections.

Indeed, for me, the fact that both parties have wisely decided to form an alliance is sufficient evidence that they were uncertain that they could win even a plurality on their own. My third option was what we now have: a coalition led by an African, and I will consider this next week.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Originally Posted by Shaitaan:

I think Jeffrey makes a lot of good sober points here. He seems to be quite dispassionate in his analysis.

What most party ideologues fail to understand is that few Guyanese actually like any of the political parties, even if the AFC fanatics still think that they are seen as being morally superior.

 

They will make a judgment based on the "less bad" syndrome, which is why the AFC has to defend itself against these accusations, by going on the attack.

 

I really don't think that the AFC will survive, and not for the reasons that the PPP cites.  I don't they have the political instincts to survive against the thugs in the two major parties. 

FM
Originally Posted by caribny:
Originally Posted by Shaitaan:

I think Jeffrey makes a lot of good sober points here. He seems to be quite dispassionate in his analysis.

What most party ideologues fail to understand is that few Guyanese actually like any of the political parties, even if the AFC fanatics still think that they are seen as being morally superior.

 

They will make a judgment based on the "less bad" syndrome, which is why the AFC has to defend itself against these accusations, by going on the attack.

 

I really don't think that the AFC will survive, and not for the reasons that the PPP cites.  I don't they have the political instincts to survive against the thugs in the two major parties. 

 

The AFC is poisoned by people who wish to "smart the wuk" so to speak of avoiding the hard, muddy (literally in this case), unglamorous work of building a political party infrastructure. They are acting like the PPP and the PNC but they aren't the PPP and the PNC.

 

Also, the PPP (especially) do their village to village house to house work.

 

The AFC seems to think that electoral politics is won by winning the independent media and all dem bright bais.

 

The real role model (though nothing else) in Guyana for electoral politics is Janet Jagan. That woman went village by village establishing a PPP cell or group. And from that humble party infrastructure we have the PPP of today...an electoral turnkey behemoth.

 

People have to individually "buy in" to the party. The AFC is too goddamn schupid for their own good.

FM
Originally Posted by Shaitaan:
Originally Posted by caribny:
Originally Posted by Shaitaan:

I think Jeffrey makes a lot of good sober points here. He seems to be quite dispassionate in his analysis.

What most party ideologues fail to understand is that few Guyanese actually like any of the political parties, even if the AFC fanatics still think that they are seen as being morally superior.

 

They will make a judgment based on the "less bad" syndrome, which is why the AFC has to defend itself against these accusations, by going on the attack.

 

I really don't think that the AFC will survive, and not for the reasons that the PPP cites.  I don't they have the political instincts to survive against the thugs in the two major parties. 

 

The AFC is poisoned by people who wish to "smart the wuk" so to speak of avoiding the hard, muddy (literally in this case), unglamorous work of building a political party infrastructure. They are acting like the PPP and the PNC but they aren't the PPP and the PNC.

 

Also, the PPP (especially) do their village to village house to house work.

 

The AFC seems to think that electoral politics is won by winning the independent media and all dem bright bais.

 

The real role model (though nothing else) in Guyana for electoral politics is Janet Jagan. That woman went village by village establishing a PPP cell or group. And from that humble party infrastructure we have the PPP of today...an electoral turnkey behemoth.

 

People have to individually "buy in" to the party. The AFC is too goddamn schupid for their own good.

what off-topic nonsense . . . the intractable centrality of race is what Jeffrey's article is all about

FM
Originally Posted by Shaitaan:

I think Jeffrey makes a lot of good sober points here. He seems to be quite dispassionate in his analysis.

somebody need to hang Jeffrey from the nearest tree,one of guyana waste

  

FM

I agree with Malcolm that there is a class of wealthy people in Guyana that have real power.  I do not read anything any more that is writing by Ralph and trusted sidekick Jeff. 

FM
Originally Posted by Wally:

I agree with Malcolm that there is a class of wealthy people in Guyana that have real power.  I do not read anything any more that is writing by Ralph and trusted sidekick Jeff. 

That is the same in any country. Ask yourself an honest question. 

 

Fact about America:

 

"According to an analysis of Federal Reserve data by the Economic Policy Institute, the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans control 35.6 percent of the total wealth of the country -- more than a third [source: Allegretto]. Even more incredible is that the richest 10 percent of Americans control 75 percent of the wealth, leaving only 25 percent to the other 90 percent of Americans."

FM
Originally Posted by yuji22:
Originally Posted by Wally:

I agree with Malcolm that there is a class of wealthy people in Guyana that have real power.  I do not read anything any more that is writing by Ralph and trusted sidekick Jeff. 

That is the same in any country. Ask yourself an honest question. 

 

Fact about America:

 

"According to an analysis of Federal Reserve data by the Economic Policy Institute, the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans control 35.6 percent of the total wealth of the country -- more than a third [source: Allegretto]. Even more incredible is that the richest 10 percent of Americans control 75 percent of the wealth, leaving only 25 percent to the other 90 percent of Americans."

The difference is that America has a middle class and they can live comfortably on their basic salary. Guyana has no middle class. Just a few tiefin all the wealth at the top and the masses punishing to eke out a daily living.

Mars
Last edited by Mars
Originally Posted by Wally:

We should aim to have a more equal country.  We should use Norway as a model economy of equality.

Wally,

 

I am a capitalist. Every man or woman must take financial risks to become wealthy.

 

I never envy the rich or wealthy. The PNC communists are on a mission to destroy the wealthy, just like Burnham did in the past. He killed the Indo Goose that laid the golden eggs.

 

History has a very bad habit of repeating itself.

FM

That is the same in any country. Ask yourself an honest question. 

 

Fact about America:

 

"According to an analysis of Federal Reserve data by the Economic Policy Institute, the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans control 35.6 percent of the total wealth of the country -- more than a third [source: Allegretto]. Even more incredible is that the richest 10 percent of Americans control 75 percent of the wealth, leaving only 25 percent to the other 90 percent of Americans."

The difference is that America has a middle class and they can live comfortably on their basic salary. Guyana has no middle class. Just a few tiefin all the wealth and the top and the masses punishing to eke out a daily living.

Also the poor are assisted by federal,state and other

ngo to have a quality living,financial aids are provided

to poor college students,businesses have to provide

unemployment and workman comp for their employees.

 

What does Guyana provide for the poor a few meagre

hand outs.

Django
Originally Posted by caribny:
Originally Posted by Shaitaan:

I think Jeffrey makes a lot of good sober points here. He seems to be quite dispassionate in his analysis.

What most party ideologues fail to understand is that few Guyanese actually like any of the political parties, even if the AFC fanatics still think that they are seen as being morally superior.

 

They will make a judgment based on the "less bad" syndrome, which is why the AFC has to defend itself against these accusations, by going on the attack.

 

I really don't think that the AFC will survive, and not for the reasons that the PPP cites.  I don't they have the political instincts to survive against the thugs in the two major parties. 

Why is anyone commenting of the failure to of the administration tasked to making a "less bad" argument? Is not a peculiar way of looking at a better argument? The AFC should not be distracted with itinerant political dilettantes as Balram or Yusef. Those fellows have an obligation to say why they think what was formerly their position, ie the PPP were bad has been addressed so they now embrace that party. It is clear the PPP has not changed but worsened.

 

If the AFC has Cathy making a business on the side by doing mailings and messaging what the hell do you think happens in the US? Every campaign manager has a mail house and ad buying company taking 40 percent of that cost off the top. You are living in dreamland if you think the lady should not be paid for her time if she is managing the campaign and messaging and PR. And why is this pittance here problematic when the PPP are pocketing tens of times as much at the AFC entire budget to keep their crooked asrses in office?

 

I agree with jefferey on a necessity to thighten the focus on specific issues. I can list a dozen or so off the cuff where the coalation can formalize a credible attack on the administration because these will make them go to ground. This include the very obvious but emotional and so have bite; suicides, domestic violence, rapes and increased crime in general. They have to clarify a plan here. Then there is the matter of constitutional changes. They cannot be nebulous. Specific areas has to be addressed and illustrating those will consume too many words for me. Then there is the matter of Foreign companies, logging, mining, farming etc. They must make it clear this is a guyanese first option and not an open season for foreigners who simply expatriate funds. They should also not simply comment on PPP transgression. For everyone the list as bad they should address the good of correcting it as they see it.

 

 

FM
Originally Posted by yuji22:
Originally Posted by Wally:

We should aim to have a more equal country.  We should use Norway as a model economy of equality.

Wally,

 

I am a capitalist. Every man or woman must take financial risks to become wealthy.

 

I never envy the rich or wealthy. The PNC communists are on a mission to destroy the wealthy, just like Burnham did in the past. He killed the Indo Goose that laid the golden eggs.

 

History has a very bad habit of repeating itself.

Dumb ass man, Indians are no golden goose. There had been 15 to 20 families who sucked up to the colonials and to Burnham and later to the PPP who were always in the mix. These were not mainly Indians but mixed as well. The rise of crony capitalism did indeed show a flowering of Indian business men under the PPP. Add to that they turned a blind eye to smuggling, drugs and we have the Miami effect where money flowed in large volumes making a few we can tag and label the benefactors of these enterprises. Indians do not have any magical elixir to business success or our dalits ancestors would not be shoveling shit in india for 6000 years.

FM
Originally Posted by Shaitaan:
 

People have to individually "buy in" to the party. The AFC is too goddamn schupid for their own good.

Watch and see how you will be crucified for making this point.

 

1.  AFC leaders need to sleep, so that they can run their law practices during the day and so cannot be caught in all corners of Guyana at 2 AM.

 

2.  The sun in Guyana is hot.  Why do you think that these lawyers should campaign in the heat and the mud?

 

3.  Guyana is the only country in the world where an incumbency will be defeated by people waiting to be crowned King.

FM
Originally Posted by Stormborn:
 

If the AFC has Cathy making a business on the side by doing mailings and messaging what the hell do you think happens in the US?

 

 

 

If this is what Cathy is doing, then why doesn't the AFC simply say so.  Absolutely nothing wrong with outsourcing work to some one who they can trust.

 

But instead they play into the hands of the PPP by not responding to accusations, which I am sure there is a ready answer to.

 

REsult.  Many alienated PPP supporters will then conclude, that the AFC is just as corrupt as is the PPP, that the PNC cannot be trusted, and so they might as well not vote.  This while the PPP gets its assorted bands of racists, or racially insecure supporters, together with the opportunist soup and milk drinkers among the non Indian population.

FM
Originally Posted by yuji22:
Originally Posted by Wally:

We should aim to have a more equal country.  We should use Norway as a model economy of equality.

Wally,

 

I am a capitalist. Every man or woman must take financial risks to become wealthy.

 

I never envy the rich or wealthy. The PNC communists are on a mission to destroy the wealthy, just like Burnham did in the past. He killed the Indo Goose that laid the golden eggs.

 

History has a very bad habit of repeating itself.

who was the indo goose Booker Tate you taking out of your ass

FM
Originally Posted by caribny:
Originally Posted by Shaitaan:
 

People have to individually "buy in" to the party. The AFC is too goddamn schupid for their own good.

Watch and see how you will be crucified for making this point.

 

1.  AFC leaders need to sleep, so that they can run their law practices during the day and so cannot be caught in all corners of Guyana at 2 AM.

 

2.  The sun in Guyana is hot.  Why do you think that these lawyers should campaign in the heat and the mud?

 

3.  Guyana is the only country in the world where an incumbency will be defeated by people waiting to be crowned King.

you need to take your medication  

FM
Originally Posted by Stormborn:
. Then there is the matter of constitutional changes.

 

 

Stormborn, why not focus on winning before you tackle issues that do not excite the alienated, whose main goal is to raise enough cash on a consistent basis to pay BASIC bills?  They are at least 60k of those.

FM
Originally Posted by warrior:
Originally Posted by caribny:
Originally Posted by Shaitaan:
 

People have to individually "buy in" to the party. The AFC is too goddamn schupid for their own good.

Watch and see how you will be crucified for making this point.

 

1.  AFC leaders need to sleep, so that they can run their law practices during the day and so cannot be caught in all corners of Guyana at 2 AM.

 

2.  The sun in Guyana is hot.  Why do you think that these lawyers should campaign in the heat and the mud?

 

3.  Guyana is the only country in the world where an incumbency will be defeated by people waiting to be crowned King.

you need to take your medication  

I will ignore you because I know that you are a simple man, and this isn't your fault.  But don't test me.

FM
Originally Posted by caribny:
Originally Posted by Shaitaan:
 

People have to individually "buy in" to the party. The AFC is too goddamn schupid for their own good.

Watch and see how you will be crucified for making this point.

 

1.  AFC leaders need to sleep, so that they can run their law practices during the day and so cannot be caught in all corners of Guyana at 2 AM.

 

2.  The sun in Guyana is hot.  Why do you think that these lawyers should campaign in the heat and the mud?

 

3.  Guyana is the only country in the world where an incumbency will be defeated by people waiting to be crowned King.

 

No need to worry chap. If the PPP sweeps the polls, the Governor-General (U.S. State Department) is gonna intervene, suspend the Constitution, and appoint them as nominated members of the National Assembly. They might even get a 2/3 majority.

 

The AFC is just a motley collection of political refugees, philosophers, and other out of touch people who have no creativity whatsoever. If the Coalition succeeds, ironically, I place my trust in the Leader of the PNC. Nagamootoo and his Indo coterie give me no cause for comfort whatsoever. Though I like Nagamootoo personally.

 

P.S...With regards to Nagamoootoo, he has almost zero appeal to my generation of Indians. I don't get the older generations fawning over Nagamootoo. Sure he's a nice guy. So?

FM
Originally Posted by redux:
 

what off-topic nonsense . . . the intractable centrality of race is what Jeffrey's article is all about

And of course one that poses huge risk for the AFC.

 

Yet the AFC bawls that the sun is too hot, and that sand flies and mud are so disgusting, so they stay away from the rice fields where tens of thousands of alienated PPP supporters inhabit.  Leaving the poor folks confused as to whether voting APNU means a return of Burnhamism.

FM
Originally Posted by caribny:
Originally Posted by Stormborn:
 

If the AFC has Cathy making a business on the side by doing mailings and messaging what the hell do you think happens in the US?

If this is what Cathy is doing, then why doesn't the AFC simply say so.  Absolutely nothing wrong with outsourcing work to some one who they can trust.

 

But instead they play into the hands of the PPP by not responding to accusations, which I am sure there is a ready answer to.

 

REsult.  Many alienated PPP supporters will then conclude, that the AFC is just as corrupt as is the PPP, that the PNC cannot be trusted, and so they might as well not vote.  This while the PPP gets its assorted bands of racists, or racially insecure supporters, together with the opportunist soup and milk drinkers among the non Indian population.

 

I don't know which electorate in the democratic world would think it's appropriate for a Candidate (Cathy Hughes) and Public & Party Officeholder to have a dual role as Political Consultant. She must be one or the other for the AFC. Not both. At the least, it rubs people the wrong way. It's not the behavior of an brand new Opposition party.

FM
Originally Posted by yuji22:
Originally Posted by Wally:

We should aim to have a more equal country.  We should use Norway as a model economy of equality.

Wally,

 

I am a capitalist. Every man or woman must take financial risks to become wealthy.

 

I never envy the rich or wealthy. The PNC communists are on a mission to destroy the wealthy, just like Burnham did in the past. He killed the Indo Goose that laid the golden eggs.

 

History has a very bad habit of repeating itself.

Yuji22 everyone is entitled to his or her own political opinion.  I do not have a problem with capitalism that provides social programs, respect for human rights and is based on equality.  What I have a problem with is capitalism that leads to a complete class of people who have never worked a single day in their lives and have no education qualifications but live like kings and queens because of the efforts of some great grandfather who they never met.

FM
Originally Posted by Shaitaan:
.

 

I don't know which electorate in the democratic world would think it's appropriate for a Candidate (Cathy Hughes) and Public & Party Officeholder to have a dual role as Political Consultant. She must be one or the other for the AFC. Not both. At the least, it rubs people the wrong way. It's not the behavior of an brand new Opposition party.

If all that Cathy did "wrong" was being a political consultant you are making a mountain out of a mole hill.  That will be AFC business.

 

The only candidate in national elections are the PM and the President.  Every one else is on a list and serves at the convenience of the president.  So a mere MP isn't a real candidate in Guyana.  They can be recalled at will.

FM

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