If this isn’t hypocrisy, then what is?

We are all hypocrites in some way or the other. But of course we are all different in the influence we have over other humans. A labourer’s hypocrisy we may find unpalatable, but he is harmless; his decisions do not impact our lives. It is a different story altogether with people who wield power. A powerful person who is a hypocrite can do things that can severely harm others. What do you make of a US Congressman who participated in legislation against drug use but was found in possession of cocaine? What do you make of a parishioner who is instrumental in getting his church to oppose abortion, but he once secured an abortion for a relative? This is where hypocrisy becomes nasty and nastier when Presidents and Prime Ministers practice it. The Private Sector Commission (PSC) denounced an upcoming parliamentary motion by APNU for a lowering of Berbice Bridge tolls. The explanation was that you are tampering with the rights of the entrepreneur. Few decent people in this country take the PSC seriously. These are business people who are slaves to the profit motive, so they would suck up to the government of the day, even if that government descends to fascist levels. It would be an immense act of stupidity if APNU is deterred by the hypocritical advocacy of the PSC. I think APNU has sufficiently intelligent leaders to know who voted for them and what those voters want. I think APNU has sufficiently knowledgeable leaders who can predict how the leading figures in the PSC voted in the last general elections. This very PSC which is deeply worried about the rights of the entrepreneur isn’t at all perturbed by the infringements of the rights of minibus owners. It is either these very small entrepreneurs are not humans or they are humans, but of lesser value than other Guyanese who invest their money in business ventures. Not a word has come out of the mouth of the PSC when the Government urged West Demerara commuters not to pay a twenty-dollar (by the way that is Guyanese dollars) hike in the fare. Why the silence? Because these minibus owners are not humans. The private people that invest in the Berbice Bridge are. Of course the PSC does not speak for the whole of Guyana (certainly not me and I don’t want that current crop to ever speak for my country, and if even of the current crop should seek electoral office, I would be the first one to spend all my nights and days campaigning against them) but President Ramotar is supposed to be the president of all Guyana? But is he? And does he care to be? And does he want to appear to be such a president? This very president told the media that his government cannot order the company that owns the Berbice Bridge to lower its tolls because it is a private company and government cannot interfere with the functions of a private business. Well fair enough. Christopher Ram said that the President is wrong. The bridge is in fact controlled via majority share by government. But let us leave aside Mr. Ram’s argument and stick with the acceptance of Ramotar’s announcement. How come Ramotar didn’t urge Berbicians not to pay the high toll but his government has urged commuters of West Demerara not to pay the twenty-dollar increase? One is simply over-curious to find out how Berbicians would react to this hypocrisy of President Ramotar and his government. One should be equally curious to find out what explanation Ramotar himself would offer in defence of his contradictory position. But is there any journalist out there that will ask him to explain himself? I don’t believe Ramotar can intellectually find a way out of this hypocritical maze. But he will get away with it, because he will not be asked. As we are on the topic of Donald Ramotar, he is at it again. Ramotar in opening the refurbished Leonora Magistrate’s Court took some swipes at the judiciary. He lamented the length of time for citizens to get their cases tried and for decisions to be handed down. Could a charge of hypocrisy be made again against Ramotar? Is government business conducted with more alacrity than the functions of the judiciary? You have to be dishonest to say yes. But maybe the judiciary’s image could be salvaged. After all, President Jagdeo’s libel against me was heard in court eleven months after the affidavit was filed. I did my checking. That is a record for the courts in Guyana and maybe the world.