I have to say, a man with a plan for nation-building.

I hope Indo-Guyanese make use of this opportunity.

READ THIS FROM ANOTHER SITE:

The previous leadership was excellent compare to burnham days. 

Do you know that guyana finally has color tv and cell phones now.

Guyana was the only country in the world that didn't have tv and phones under burnham pnc.

Do you know that most west indian stores in north america sell I-cee soft drink now. 

Do you know about them brick road all over guyana, no more mud dam now

Do you know them people don't have to rely on banned goods now.

Do you know about the national stadium,berbice bridge,malls,berbice university and new hospital.

I await to see what the pnc/apnu regime will bring

* Well! PNC/AFC bring National Cadet Corps.

Rev

Most of these youths could be voting in the next election.

Now, you're being frivolous. Considering the large number of school dropouts and unskilled youths currently unemployed, cadet corps will be beneficial. They teach employable skills and, most important, discipline.

Gilly, the cadet core is for high achievers.  Basemen was considering but visa arrive and me leff Guyana.  There are other routes for "employable skills".  GNS.

Base, as the saying goes, the Devil finds work for idle hands to do. David Granger knows the extent of youth unemployment and its direct relationship with crime. I reckon he wants to deal seriously with both problems and the cadet corps is a start.

It's a form of national service..  Millions of dollars will be needed and they haven't come up with a plan to increase revenue.  It will be an economic disaster. 

The PPP has left Guyana in an economic disaster with multiple loans from multiple countries, and very little idea of where the loaned money has disappeared into.

Right up your alley, eh uncle Rama? I know Nehru will go off the deep end when he read this in the morning.

So you see that this is a far fetched idea and will continue down the road of economic disaster.

The beginning of National service again.  The PNC is so predictive. 

Nothing wrong with national service. The country is awash with bandits who need taken care of. The current police and army numbers are insufficient to do that.

I do remember using a phone in Guyana in the 60's at the house of one of my uncles.I also remember watching the Rumble in the Jungle boxing match on TV in Guyana. The transmission was from Suriname, but that's a technicality. The fact remains that there were phones and televisions in the country under Burnham. So the Rev posted a bunch of lies without questioning its accuracy. 

Not defending the previous admin, but please provide proof that Guyana is an economic disaster, or loan money disappearing. Like you, I am waiting for all the sordid details to come out in public trials. Wild accusations devalue your contribution to this board.

Rama, I think National Service and the Cadet Corps will be beneficial to Guyana's youth and for the country. Please think positive. 

Just think, in three or so years, few hundred youths who took the opportunity and gained some useful employable skills as opposed to scrounging around or worse yet, turn to crime.

Rama, in all due respect, this is the PPP [micro, myopic] attitude which has Guyana in the moral and ethical morass its in, a lack of nationhood and survival of the fittest mentality.  You may not see it, but this is the attitude which resulted in the demise of the PPP/Indians in Guyana and in the nation in general.  Typical *****-foot "Jaganism".

Actually the Cadet core is not for school drop-outs.  Granger should re-institute a form of national service offering skills based training in a disciplined setting for the youths who were not "high achievers".  It should be voluntary but should also be used as a mandatory alternate for youths who went astray and got themselves entangled with the law, rather than imprisonment.  Before you jump and beat your chest, I refer to non-violent, non-career youthful criminals.

Baseman supports the president actions on this front.

Mr T throw mud to see what stick.  There has been some mis-management and corruption which gave rise to widening gap between have and have-nots, not overall economic collapse.  What is needed is better wealth distribution as "trickle down" hit a "stopper" about 10 years ago.

The thing I like about the ideas of the new administration is that they have been suggesting ideas for different age groups, all the way up to pensioners. It is also striking that they are aiming to improve the image as well as the economy. I often refer to Suriname as an example of an economy right next to us that is buoyant in areas where we can compete, and even surpass them. But only if we make a serious attempt to succeed. They too are ruled by a former army strong man, and a know drug lord at that. But the living standard and satisfaction rating in him is strong. Granger is far more modest and honourable person. I personally have no reason to think that if he gets the right people to pull in the same direction as him, he won't deliver well above and beyond expectations. He is not building castles in the sky as the PPP tried to do. And that's a good sign of prudent economic management.

One of the "very few" positive contributions from Mr T.  Surinaam is not all glory, it also a muddled mix, baseman have connections there.  However, some of the points you raise are valid.

Bai baseman, I have had a lot more connection in the Suriname government and underworld than I would have liked to. A cousin of mine was once defence minister and close friend of Bouterse, and Bouterse is related to my ex-wife. So I know a bit more than I am giving away about things across the border. But I would rather that Guyana could attract the kind of cultural attitude that made Suriname a more racial tolerant place, with arguably the largest middle class income population in the whole of South America (info from various economic sources). Rich Guyanese fled and don't want to come back. Back in Suriname a large contingency of people have been returning now that things are running a lot smoother.

Wow, small world, I have an in-law who lost some relatives to that bushman back in 1982.

I have nothing against a Cadet Corp, but it wouldn't help the youths.

They could also join the Boy Scouts, but I don't see kids breaking down doors to join up.

granger is old school, and that does not work with modern day youths.

instead of summer cadet corp, create summer jobs.  See where kids will flock to.  QC had a vibrant cadet corp, and it died out with time. Kids are not interested in marching and playing with guns or being subjected to authority these days...its a different world. 

Maybe then he should open up free access to video games.  Kids like that these days, don't they.

Old school eh, well what did the PPP "avant guarde" approach brought?  Leh mi give you a lil push start:

Abject poverty

Illiteracy

Selfishness

Illicit drugs

Crime

Alcoholism

Suicide

Indecency

Lewdness/cuss birds

Abandoned mothers/kids

Malnutrition

Corruption

xxx

xxx

xxx

Now, I have to agree, maybe kids are into this these days.

Bai, alyuh funny no ass!  Now I see why the PPP is they way they are.

National Service was a failure, even Granger knows this.

the man is proving himself to be a dinosaur.

video games are great by the way, they are big business, why you think they are so popular?  the youths who wanted change looking for jobs, or so they say, not military training.

Criminals will not join up Cadet Corps, crime is too lucrative.

get real Granger!

Bai, alyuh really funny.  Quick buck is a barometer for anything.

Crime is lucrative eh, is it why it BOOMED under the PPP?

Crime been around since LFSB time. That's when people started grilling up windows and doors. Even police and GDF involved in crime spree.

you think Granger getting rid of crime?  People commit crime for gain, not for politics. I doubt very much the new govt is tough on crime. 

Crime has been around Before Christ!

Ok bai, alyuh tell alyuh kids go play Call of Duty Black Ops, better than the real thing, modern.  Then them Black people join the real "Call of Duty", alyuh turn around staring at a 90% Black army with real guns while alyuh whimpering around with alyuh make-believe "Joy Sticks".

You guys are "clownishly funny".  Go tell the US youths forget the military, we gon dominate the world, take care of security with "Video Games".

The Guyana Telecoms phone directory gave the names and numbers of thousands of individuals with phones in their homes. Some of my relatives were listed since 1968.

Regarding TV, in the early 1960s some affluent homes had them, the high antennas indicating which homes. I remember some in Bel Air Park. I also remember going out with my uncle and his family at night window shopping downtown and seeing TV sets in the glass showcase at Auto Supplies. That was in 1963.

Burnham is ALIVE and WELL!!   THE CHANGE THEY WANTED, BURNHAM STYLE GOVT, THE BEST FORM OF GOVT IN THE WORLD.

JUMPING FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE KIND OF PROGRESS!!!

Setting the foundation for a MILITARY RULE government,The cadet corps will only attract the BLACKS, same old story National Service coming back again.

This is a nice Afro-centric idea from Granger to take care of his people.

Any voluntary program will be OK.  National Service is OK if it is voluntary.

However, programs need to be well thought out and planned.

Granger getting up and announcing things may not be the best way to approach youth policy. There needs to be broad consultations and inputs from all stakeholders.

Address things in the 100-day plan.

When vcr was launched in the 70's lot's of rich indviduals

owned television,later in the seventy's Viera launched

a television station and the influx of tv started to boom

lots of homes in Demerara had television,Berbician's who

had tv were able to get signals from Suriname.

I am an Electronics Technician an installed lots of

antenna in remote areas as far as Wakenaan,Fort Island,

Mahaica river,Mahaicony River.I built converters

and design antennas  for the weak signals in

remote areas,damn i was within the league of

best technicians.

Granger is not proposing anything like National Service which catered for people who have already completed high school. What he is thinking about is what was implemented at QC for many years while it was and still is one of the best secondary schools in the Caribbean. The Cadet Corps at QC enhanced the learning experience of its students. The Cadet Corps is also very successful in many high schools in America in the form of the JROTC.   

Gilbakka:

* Please re-read TI's post above---here it is:

I have nothing against a Cadet Corp, but it wouldn't help the youths.

They could also join the Boy Scouts, but I don't see kids breaking down doors to join up.

 

granger is old school, and that does not work with modern day youths.

instead of summer cadet corp, create summer jobs.  See where kids will flock to.  QC had a vibrant cadet corp, and it died out with time. Kids are not interested in marching and playing with guns or being subjected to authority these days...its a different world. 

* I wish Granger well in his endeavors. We'll get to judge him in the coming years.

Rev

I don't know about Suriname being all of that.   There aren't the direct racial tensions in Suriname because it is more ethnically complex.  Guyana it is a straight Indian vs.  African.  Suriname there are Indians, Creoles, Maroons, and Javanese.  Kind of tough for one ethnic group to think that they can dominate.

Suriname always had a stronger economy than did Guyana, even under colonial rule.  Their bauxite industry was more developed so there was more value added, and in addition the Dutch provided more financial support.

Suriname has its huge Maroon population, which has been completely left out of most modern forms of social and economic development.  This group is the fastest growing, and is now at over 20% of the population.  I don't know how you can describe it as this halcyon place with that ticking time bomb.

And because Indians don't join it should be  scrapped? Well shut down the police force, the GDF, the ambulance, nursing, and all those areas of activity where Indians aren't fully involved.

the number ONE problem Guyana has is its youth.  One cannot reduce crime if 40% of the youth are unemployed, and who knows how "employed" many of the remaining 60% are.

If the cadet corp is some elite thing it isn't needed.  What is needed is a program to assist the youth to gain skills and values that they aren't getting from home and school. 

This doesn't preclude others from joining, as exposure to the full gamut of Guyanese society will be critical if these more skilled cohorts are to play a role in moving Guyana forward.

The original notion of GNS was to provide exposures at two levels.  The main aspect was to help those who weren't served by the educational system, to acquire skills and discipline.  But scholarship awardees were also to be exposed to areas within their field of study, to give them practical exposure to the myriads of challenges that they would face upon their return.

Of course it didn't work out that way, but that doesn't mean that a newer, and fresher approach shouldn't be tried.  Of course on a voluntary basis, though I do think that it should be mandatory for those receiving government scholarships.

National Service OK if voluntary and must be tied to specific educational/vocational goals.  Must be proper planning.

I did National Service having been forced by the PNC govt, but did not enjoy it since it was against my will.

But it's a good concept that is most likely to attract our Afro people. Give Granger his National Service.