Wankers

As an ex-British colony, it is interesting to note the variations in slang in other ex- colonies to denote the same phenomenon. Take the British term ‘wanker’ to refer a bit more acidly to someone who is a real idiot, and which is very common in Australia and New Zealand. The Americans use the substitute “jerk” – like “Romney is a real jerk”, which of course is an abbreviation of literal equivalent “jerk- off”. As Wiki observes dryly, “one connotation, implying egotistical and self-indulgent behaviour (and more analogous to American douche bag) is the dominant meaning in Australia and New Zealand.”

What’s our local comparable expression to describe people like Kissoon, Suspenders, Ramjattan, et al? I’ve been using the term ‘dolt’ up to now, but it just didn’t capture the essence of this new smug breed of poseurs. One U. S. commentator has been popularising the original term ‘wanker’ to describe such charlatans and describes them as follows: “Truly great wankers possess a kind of glib narcissism, the belief that everything is about them while simultaneously disavowing any responsibility for anything… Such wankers are impervious to criticism because they’re always doing battle with straw critics. They never remember what they said last week, and assume you won’t either.”

So we’ll try “wanker”. What brought all of this on? Well take this wanker, Suspenders. When he was the auditor for GuySuCo, no one heard a peep out of him. Yet this was during the period when Booker Tate was running the industry into the ground by focusing of production (on which their commission was based) and not putting a penny into maintenance and training. Is it surprising that after a decade, everything collapsed?

And now Suspenders is its biggest critic. Wanker! And Ramjattan. The wanker wants to cut the budget by billions – and offers nary a rationale as to the rhyme and reason. In fact, he’s such a wanker he wants to cut spending on tourism development – even while his MP Hughes has called for increased spending in this area. This is the kind of narcissistic behaviour that characterises the “wanker” as mentioned above. That his proposed budget cuts will lay-off hundreds doesn’t bother him in the least– even though he complained last week about unemployment! Wanker!

Entitlement Syndrome

Lindeners are protesting. One of the weaknesses of the welfare state is that in its drive for equity it can foster a dependency syndrome grounded in assumptions of entitlement. Take Linden. Years ago, before Burnham nationalised the bauxite industry – and the citizens named the town after him – the workers enjoyed the highest wages in the land. And had free electricity and water to boot. This was when other rural folks drew water from canals and had “bottle lamps” for light.

Burnham wasn’t too sympathetic – he is on record berating the workers for thinking they didn’t have to work because the company was nationalised.

Hoyte agreed for the company to be nationalised – but the new owners refused to provide free electricity. So in stepped the PPP government and subsidised electricity where Lindeners paid three to five US cents per Kilowatt hour while the rest of the country forked out fifteen times that rate to GPL.

OK. Linden had faced hard times. But billions had been poured in under LEAP and LEAF, etc to foster entrepreneurship. Nothing doing. Part of the reason is the dependency syndrome has set in. A bit of tough love is needed at this time. And forget the incitement by the wanker Ramjattan. .

Political wanker

Imagine Freddy Kissoon talking about “charismatic” leaders and putting Burnham ahead of Jagan! “Charisma” is not just being a ‘talk man’, you wanker. Read your Weber. Who commanded more devotion from their supporters than Jagan? Kissoon has to be the paradigmatic wanker. Shut yuh so-and-so mouth, wanker!