Tragedy and farce

Buxton spite

Speaking about Napoleon and to his nephew Louis who succeeded him, Marx noted that history repeats itself, “the first as tragedy, then as farce.” We’re seeing the truism playing out right before our eyes in the pathetic caricature of Rodney in the form of David Hinds calling for the present democratically elected government to be removed ‘by any means necessary’ by Christmas.
Rodney in 1979 had been battling the PNC and used the phrase to spark an uprising against a PNC regime that had rigged elections to stay in office for decades. He’d promised the longsuffering Guyanese populace, reeling from excesses and a PNC- destroyed economy, a new government by Christmas. Burnham famously declared that he write his will as the PNC’s steel was ‘sharper”. We know where that ended.
This is exactly why even great philosophers like Aristotle had feared democratic governance: it gives loonies like Hinds the freedom to stir up the minority rabble that exists in every society.
Here we have a government that is clinging on by its fingernails after the last elections – with the opposition that includes the WPA capturing a majority in Parliament – yet Hinds calls for it to be removed by force!! This is farce of the highest order.
Hinds spoke at, of all places, Buxton – the scene of murders, rape and mayhem that went on for years against the innocent both from within and without the village. And this was just 10 years ago. What good did those “Freedom Fighters” bring to Buxton? How many businesses were brought into Buxton by the “political sophisticates” who masterminded that attempt to overthrow the government? Hinds actually had the gall to boast: “One thing the Lindeners learn from us is how to barricade roads, how to dig up roads.”
He knows that after blocking those roads people adjudged to be supporters of the PPP were dragged from their buses and cars and beaten and even murdered. In a chilling reminder of the rhetoric from those fearsome times Hinds announced, “These roads belong to us and if this road belongs to us we decide who pass and who don’t pass.”
While the pretentious posturing of Hinds – who calls himself a ‘Rodneyite’ – makes a mockery of Rodney’s legacy, it will not be a farce for those who may be whipped up by his demagoguery. We hope that people like Andaiye and Kwayana will now announce, “not in my name!”

Cowards
After Rodney was allegedly assassinated by an army operative there has been a persistent discussion of why was it necessary for Rodney to personally undertake the testing of a ‘walkie- talkie’? Even the great CLR James raised the question.
After all, while the WPA carried on at great length about co-leaders and all that, Rodney was the heart and soul of the WPA. And the overriding reason for its success. Any sane organisation in that situation would not have their ‘heart’ exposed to such risk.
One widely accepted answer to the conundrum was that the rest of the second tier leadership were all cowards who insisted that they could only mouth off from stages.
The great man had to do it all. He then put his money where his mouth was – and paid the price – the ultimate price. CoP Brummel probably had this on his mind when he reacted to Hinds’ bravado by noting that these fellows were all basically cowards. They ‘rile’ up poor well-meaning persons and then leave them in the line of fire.