Look yuh all, I give up
Cassandra's Candid Corner
* There are several things that I admire about the United States of America (and quite a few that I don't). I am always astonished at the way science can be converted into day-to-day usage for consumers. You remember there was a time when NASA was having problems with their rockets re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The heat generated by the friction caused the re-entry vehicles to burn up. So they developed teflon. Within months, every pot, pan and plate was being coated with this heat resistant, non-stick substance. Another aspect of their society I like, is the ability to seize an opportunity, to take an educated gamble, to utilize expertise even if the latter is camouflaged by specialisation. For example, when the USA wanted to produce the atomic bomb, the greatest group of scientists the world had ever seen assembled at Los Alamos. But who could manage this group of self-centered, genius-grade, scientific prima donnas? An outsider, a non-scientist was chosen, and under the leadership of Robert Oppenheimer the Manhattan Project was completed ahead of time. The rest, as they say, is history. Come to think of it, I am willing to bet that most of the leaders of Fortune 500's biggest businesses are not graduates in Business Administration. The USA understands how to exploit the talents of a good manager, irrespective of the latter's original training and discipline. But here in Guyana, de story different. Too seldom will we find managers being chosen because they have a tested and proven track record of management. Instead, for example, an educator (teacher) is placed to manage a school of over 900 of the nation's cerebral creme de la creme, irrespective of whether that person has the managerial skills or not. Similarly, one would never find a non-scientist managing a research institute here; it does not matter how poor the incumbent scientist may be performing as a manager. And while all this square pegging is going on, top class managers are walking the streets without jobs. You want me name a few? Crazy country, yes? * It is always interesting to see my favourite newspaper in action; bobbing and weaving, being aggressive one moment and totally pusillanimous the next, carrying out a detailed investigation one day and then epitomising superficiality in the next issue. Let's look at a Sunday Stabroek (31.10.99) front page story entitled "Motorcyclist dies in crash with buffalo". The report gave us details about where and when the accident took place, what the victim did before he had the confrontation with the buffalo. Hell, they even knew the dead man's false name. But something was missing. Is who own de buffalo? What de buffalo was doing on Mandela & Homestretch Avenues (not "Home Stretch" as the road sign educates us) at 2:00 am? Did de buffalo have a brand? How many people own buffalo in dis Noah's Ark of a city? Is it the first time buffaloes have physically interacted with vehicles in that same area? Look, "Squashy" dead. Will someone be indicted or will his widow and children be told that it was a case of "contributory negligence." After all, in the unlighted area, he must have been able to see the black buffalo and should therefore have taken evasive action. Sorry, friend, but you are just a statistic now. * Lately, especially since Mr J became President, everybody seems to be talking about youth and age. Many are bellowing to the President to get rid of "de old brigade." Even in the PNC, there are voices shouting for the heads of the old guard (including the Silver Fox's) to be replaced by youth folk to counteract Bharrat. Sports enthusiasts are hollering about giving the youngsters a chance. In fact, nowadays you can be old even when you are young - as Chinsammy, Semple and Seornarine discovered recently when they were axed from the Berbice Inter-County squad (SN 4.11.99). And we are inundated with statistics showing us how young our population is. Well let me tell you that if the PPP ever finds itself in real crisis (as, for example, in physical confrontation with the PNC), the young brigade would almost surely cut and run (abroad) and hide, while the stalwarts would stay and tek de blows (as they have always done). Believe me that there is a lot to be said on behalf of the political wisdom of de old guard, new millennium and new Global Order notwithstanding. As to these neophyte sportsmen, my position is this: Let them beat the old stagers first, before demanding that they go abroad for "exposure". Which youth table tennis player can beat Sydney Christope? Which youth lawn tennis player can beat Andy Wong? Which youth squash player can beat Garfield Wiltshire or even sexagenarian Bud Lee? Gimme a break wid dese yoots men. Oh, by the way, one Carlton Campbell (SN 31.10.99) while suggesting to President Jagdeo not to go overboard in accepting advice to dump old PPP stalwarts, has educated us that the PPP makes collective decisions. Oh really? Since when? Look, I was dere when the paramount leader made his position clear as to whom (Brindley Benn or B.S. Rai) he wanted to be chosen for a particular position within the party. Nothing changed over the years. "Independence Now", "Critical Support", participation in rigged elections, etc. - all those decisions were made by the Boss. Don't you believe otherwise. And over in the PNC, well, that went perhaps a grade further. A personality cult was developed around the infallibility of Mr Burnham. Even in the WPA with its quadrumvirate leadership there was always a primus inter pares. People like a leader, and a leader must lead. This means that all decisions will be made by His Excellency, the omniscent, omnipotent one, the Party Leader. And if Bharat is not the de jure Party Leader now, he surely is the de facto Bossman. Just look at the subservience and sycophancy already being displayed left, right and centre - sorry, up and down, as in the bowing and the nodding and the repeating of the mantra "Yessir" and "Amen Sir" and "you are so right, Comrade Leader, Sir." * The Clown Prince has arrived yet again with the same old song. The Guyana Alliance for Progress has an interesting acronym - GAP. Let Dr Dizzy tell me how GAP is going to bridge the Gap between the rich and the poor, the old and the young, rurality and urbanity, the races. Methinks he will soon recognise that throwing oneself down in front of a Corporation or ranting and raving on Sharma's "Publicity for All" programme does not profoundly impress Guyanese voters. * This I've got to share with you. I gave a lecture to students at a prominent second-rate (aren't they all ?) secondary school the other day, and asked them during the interactive phase of the presentation what was the opposite of "buy". Almost to a man they replied "steal". It must have been obvious from my facial distortion that that was not the answer I expected. One timid but obviously exposed young lady then ventured an answer. "Charge?" she offered. Look, all Yuh, I give up. Enjoy you Diwali, yes. Dat is de only brightness we gun get for a while.
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