Ideology…

…of power
There are some who claim that Granger, the present leader of the PNC, doesn’t have an ideology like his mentor, Forbes Burnham. They couldn’t be further from the truth!! The question that arises is: “What was Burnham’s ideology?” That is, the body of ideas that both “explained” the world and simultaneously guided him in negotiating that world. The short answer is Burnham’s ideology was encapsulated in one word – ‘power’.
There are, running around, some who’ll want you to believe that Burnham’s ideology was “socialism”, or Marxism, or even “Black Power”!! The last was ironically the closest; since he was black, and wanted power more than anything else in the world! But following Fanon in his explication of “Black Faces; White masks”, it’s quite possible Burnham didn’t even see himself as ‘black”! Burnham’s “black power” was about his personal power – he couldn’t care less about other black people, and saw them only as a means for him to acquire the personal power he craved!!
And this is what Granger’s all about. He’s just as opportunistic about using whatever that’s floating around out here if it would help to get him power. Granger, for instance, is never tired about boasting about how he’s consummating Burnham’s “legacy”. But if, from an economic standpoint, Granger has just adopted the neo-liberal model of the IMF – circa 1980s!! — how could he be consummating Burnham’s “cooperative socialism”?? We all know what Burnham thought about the IMF, don’t we?? He called it an “International Mother F**ker” and threw them out of the country.
Granger’s all about power. If Burnham’s bible – in his own words – was that of Machiavelli’s “The Prince’ – which explained in lurid detail how to get and keep power by any means necessary, Granger’s bible is from his military background – Carl von Clausewitz’s “On War”. As is typical of these 19th century tomes, their philosophy was summarised rather pithily by the author himself: “War is a mere continuation of politics by other means”!
As one analyst wrote: Clausewitz is “the source of the doctrine of ‘absolute war,’ the fight to a finish theory which, beginning with the argument that ‘war is only a continuation of state policy by other means,’ ended by making policy the slave of strategy…” And this is what’s playing out in Guyana’s politics today. Granger will stop at nothing to win what he sees as a “war” against the PPP.
The firing of 7700 sugar workers in just another policy in his total war strategy. The battles over constitutional interpretation (“perceptions”!!) and judicial appointments are just another front of his total war.
It cannot be too soon for Guyanese to understand the Burnhamite ideology of total power – before we’re all consumed by Granger!
…of sell out
Your Eyewitness isn’t surprised at the surprise being expressed by the Georgetown chatterati at the shameless sell-out of our country to various and sundry carpetbaggers, foreign and domestic. He isn’t surprised because they’re all cut from the same pack of cards: people who think you can just sit around in air-conditioned rooms, sign pieces of paper, and – voila!! – the country will develop.
Sorry to burst your bubbles, chumps!! These carpetbaggers come in all stripes and hues, but they all have one thing in common: they’ve come to take you to the cleaners. Most often, this will take the form of tax concessions — which used to be called “tax holidays”, but which today are in much more devious guises. Of course, the PPP had to sweeten the deal for Rusal to come here…but the question that must be challenging the PNC brain-trust is: How was the PPP able to do it WITH SO LITTLE!!!
One answer, of course, is their percentage might just be too high!!
…of brother’s keeper
Back in the days of slavery, one of the slogans was “Am I not a man and a brother?” Seems like one of our big ones has abandoned the homily.
He’s said his brother’s on his own!!