Over in Europe, they’re having a “long, hot summer” in more ways than one. The phrase was used in 1960s America, when the ghettoes exploded into violence, looting and mayhem at the drop of a match. Today, the US is still a seething cauldron of violence, but has now added weekly mass shootings on top of the old ghetto riots. But it’s Europe that’s taken centre stage, as temperatures shot past 104*F and brushfires swept Italy and Spain. We’d gotten used to that being another US phenomenon out of California. And, of course, the Ukraine War proceeds apace, with Russia continuing its shelling of Odessa and the West increasing arms’ shipments to Ukraine!! Oooooh! Your Eyewitness can just see the arms’ merchants rubbing their hands with glee!!
So exactly what’s going on?? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Climate Change is kicking in – and kicking a55es in the process!! In case you missed it because you were under attack at some Skeng “concert”, our unending rainfall – reminiscent of the deluge that caused Noah to build that ark – is OUR sign that Climate Change is here, and REAL! Our war is signalled by the protests over in Suriname that some in the Opposition have been desperately hitting their flints together to get that spark over here.
Your Eyewitness really worries that we aren’t taking these two sources of heat – one from the natural world and the other from the social world – seriously enough. Look at all the hotels going up…are their owners being warned that, in a couple of decades, they could all literally become not just Atlantic “beachfront properties” – but BEACHES!??! Maybe a “climate change” tax ought to be imposed to help defray the cost of keeping out the Atlantic?? Those sea walls, rip-rap structures and boulders don’t come cheap!!
But, most of all, we better get going with that new Silica City which the President announced a year ago would be established. Your Eyewitness has said this before, and he’ll keep on saying it till someone listens – LET’S GET IT ON!!! Cause the old people say, “Who na lissen guh feel!!” and he has no intention of feeling the Atlantic battering his deteriorating body!! We should start by moving all the Government Ministries and a new Parliament Building to Silica City – like Brazil did with Brasilia back in the sixties.
Leaders are supposed to be leading by example, and what better way than by our leaders in Government showing the way to our future capital? Yes…we should go the whole hog and make Silica City our administrative capital. It’ll be like the US, where New York’s the economic capital and Washington’s the political capital.
Gotta hedge our bets!!
…a roiled politics
Protests in Suriname have encouraged some in the Opposition, in their year-old efforts to overthrow the PPP Government – which they insist is an “illegal, imposed cabal”!! That the Surinamese are concerned about the rising cost of living (inflation) makes them assume Guyanese would follow suit. Two reasons show they’re having a pipe dream – as in smoking some ganja pipe!! Firstly, the entire world’s facing this threat – proving it can’t be laid at the feet of any one national Government!!
Secondly, and more to the point, the economic and political situations confronting the Santokhi Government are completely different from ours. Our macro-economic fundamentals are absolutely different from Suriname’s. For instance, their growth rate’s a mere 1.5%, while ours is 47% – with over 5% from the non-oil economy. Meaning that more money’s being generated from local job-creating companies. More to the point, Bouterse left a Government that provides 53% employment in the country!! They’ve also defaulted on their Debt, and in an IMF programme!!
Guyana’s the opposite!!
…in Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka Parliament just elected a new President – a fells who was the PM, and has been one five times before. So, the bridesmaid’s finally become the bride?
