…wit in politics
Was a time when wit by politicians was relished by the public and was assiduously practised by the said politicians in their appearances inside Parliament and in their meetings outside of Parliament. But all of that has been wrecked and ruined by the present lot of PNC politicians. Boysie Ramkarran was a famous wag with his folksy comebacks. Like that time in 1982, after Burnham had wrecked the economy and Min of Finance had presented another of what he euphemistically called an “austerity” Budget. Immediately came the retort from Boysie across the aisle: “You mean “ass-tear” Budget?!” Even the PNC benches had to laugh – including the usually grim-faced Hoyte!!
Burnham was no slouch at the art himself. Albeit in his compulsive manner of hanging his learning on his sleeves, and more given to put-downs than bon-mots!! After he had made the PPP totally ineffectual by rigging the 1973 elections and giving the PNC more than two-thirds of the seats, he remarked after one of Jagan’s hectoring, “De mortuis nil nisi bonnum – of the dead speak only good!!” When he wanted to criticise Rodney’s WPA – the Working Peoples Association – he called them the “Worse Possible Alternative”.
In return, Rodney dubbed him “King Kong”, and the reverse “King Midas” – everything he touched turned to “shit”!! In his famous “People’s Power; No Dictator” speech that deconstructed the Burnham dictatorship, he repeated to gales of laughter what an old woman had said of “Fat Boy”: “Burnham mek Satan cry!!” Even Civil Society activists kept up the tradition. Like when Father Rodrigues quipped after Burnham’s grand Mazaruni Hydropower Scheme failed and made the country bankrupt: “We all got hydro!!” And if your Eyewitness has to tell you the good Father meant “Godie” then you aren’t a real Guyanese!!
But we return to the new PNC. They’re all so ponderous and heavy-handed! Burnham must be turning at Seven Ponds!! Imagine the best they can come up with to taunt the PPP Government that threw them out on their ear is to call them, “The illegally installed cabal”!! Really?? Really rolls of the tongue, doesn’t it? Almost as smooth as “antediluvian”!! But the new leader of the PNC – NOT the Opposition Leader! – took the cake when he tried to follow in the footsteps of Rodney. He tried to ridicule Vice President Jagdeo by dubbing him “Demon” – but giving a laboured and lengthy definition and explanation of what’s a “Demon”!! Then giving as descriptions of Jagdeo’s behaviour to show he’s a “demon”!!
He misses the whole point of using metaphors – they’re supposed to be so familiar that they don’t need explanation!!
Like that fella from the PPP who called him “Idi Amin”!!
…art of reading
In your Eyewitness’s estimation, one of the reasons for all this lack of wit we’re witnessing in politics around us – and not only in Guyana – is the death of our once proud culture of reading. Now, some may say that we didn’t read much back then. But if you know our history, you’d know that really isn’t true with our first-generation politicians. Right off the bat, while the Brits made “education” perhaps too simple when they defined it as the “3Rs” – reading’; ‘riting and ‘rithmetic “: note that “Reading” was first and foremost!!
Everyone had to learn to read…and the material of the first “Royal Readers”, then “WI Readers”, then “Caribbean Readers” was carefully curated to give students a pretty wide-ranging exposure. This included poetry that had to be memorised and so could be invoked at the drop of a hat – by politicians. And made their listeners quite appreciative of the allusions. The politicians weren’t talking DOWN to them with strained definitions!!
Demon!!? How pedestrian!!
…the year?
Now don’t tell your Eyewitness about the “end of the year” being nigh upon us. He expects to take it easy till the “12th day of Christmas”! And this ain’t till January 5th”!! So there!!
