In the 1939 classic movie, “Mr Smith goes to Washington”, the idealistic but very naïve Jimmy Stewart wants to do a good deed for his constituency back home after he goes up to the Senate. But the fella he thought was all for the people turns out to be anything but…and Jimmy has to take him on to save his honour and his constituency’s. Well, our young President Ali and his team – including VP Jagdeo – also went to Washington to represent their constituency – the entire Guyana.
But some from our community – some PNC types in the NY metro area specifically – don’t respect the ancient and time-honoured premise of politics – that when it comes to folks on the outside, we bury our internal differences and present a common front to them. We’re all Guyanese, aren’t we? After all, when we put down our political opponents to outsiders do they think more favourably about our native land?? Never!!
Now it’s no secret that the US is rallying countries around them – in what they see is a looming geopolitical High Noon – against a China moving into a more fractious direction. Call it Cold War II or what you will, there’re still some lessons or two to be gleaned from the first iteration. One of which is that there’s gonna be some locals who’ll try to make some personal hay for their ambitions rather than our national good. Burnham wrote the book on THAT frame of mind, didn’t he?? Sold out our country for a mess of pottage and never mind it destroyed our social, political, and economic foundations!!
Now who in their right minds can say that our political leaders – on both sides – don’t think we have to cleave to the side of the US. If for no other reason that we share the same ideal of democratic governance which the US defended for us last March 2020!! All Guyanese should be grateful to the US for this. Now we know the PNC “tried a thing”; the PNC know they “tried a thing” and the US, along with the rest of the world, know the PNC “tried a thing” on the elections. But they were caught with the smoking gun in their hands – with no need to test their hands for gunpowder residue!! Forget the Court challenges – that’s just to save face with their constituency!!
So what’s the point of their overseas supporters claiming the PPP leaders were summoned for a dressing down for all kinds of perfidies committed in Guyana?? They’re the ones in the hot seat!! The US is concerned about energy, our commitment to security in general and food security in particular!!
Gwan da side with the fearmongering!!
…changed the name??
While there’s been a storm in a teacup raging in the media about changing the name of the Police Training Institute (PTI) from “Felix Austin PTI” to Police Training Academy”, everyone’s missing the point. It doesn’t matter WHAT you name the PTI – and your Eyewitness has absolutely no problems with the present name – it’s what you teach in the Institute that’s important!!
And just like fire’s inevitably present whenever you see smoke, the unprofessionalism that typifies the GPF today begins right there in the Institute when those impressionable youths are looking up worshipfully at Police Instructors dropping gems of (police) wisdom!! Your Eyewitness wants to begin with a simple example: How is it that even the greenest of cops speaks to civilians like they were all hardened criminals about to attack them with their shivs? If, for instance, the instructions were specifically to say “yes, sir” or thank you ma’am”, wouldn’t we see some actually two-way conversation with cops??
And let’s not talk about the shakedowns!!
…extend the Building Expo
They say New York’s so nice, they had to name it twice!! New York…New York! Well, seems the International Building Expo at Providence was so nice they had to run it twice!!
Take a bow, organisers!!
