by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 14 May 2006)
It would be remiss of me not to take the opportunity to extend my best to the mothers of Guyana today. As a mother, it is comforting to know there is at least one day a year when we are appreciated for all of the hard work we do and the numerous sacrifices we make every single day.
Being a mother is highly rewarding, but it is also emotionally draining. In the last year or so, I have seen my older children strike out on their own. I do not think there are any words to explain the emotional turmoil a mother experiences when her children leave the home.
We want to be proud and we want to offer encouragement, but at the same time our heart is breaking at the thought of waking up the next morning without seeing the face of our precious child. So we act brave and busy ourselves with the details of the move.
I want to give extra credit to those moms who are filling the roles of both parents. For some reason, there are far too many men who think they can walk away from their parenting responsibilities simply because the child did not grow inside their bodies.
Women shun this immature notion and fully accept their duty as a parent – even when they know the father will not be around for support. Single mommas, you are absolutely incredible! I admire your persevering spirit.
Mothers should be honoured for the vital role they play in society. It is often a thankless job. I remember one time about ten years ago, I attempted to count how many times I had cleaned the family toilet without even one “thank you.” Nobody likes to clean toilets, but a mom cannot let her child sit on a dirty toilet either.
Think about how many meals your mother has cooked, how many dishes she has washed, how much laundry she has done and how nice your house always looks. Think about how many times she has said, “brush your teeth” and how she has been there for you every single time you are sick.
Think about how much hoopla she makes out of birthdays and holidays. Think about the traditions she has maintained and the new ones she has established that will be passed down for generations. Think about how good her homemade bread tastes and how she puts a hearty plate of food in front of you before you even mention that you are hungry.
To put this loving care into numeric terms, if she has fixed only two meals a day for six days a week over an 18 year period, that would mean she has made well over 11,000 meals for the family. If she combed the hair of two of her children just once a day until the child is 12 years old, she would have loving groomed her children’s hair 8,760 times.
Now, how many times have you told her how much you appreciate her?
Trust me, a little appreciation and just a bit of your time will make your mother the happiest woman on earth. I received some flowers and chocolates a couple days ago for Mother’s Day. The chocolate was gone in an hour (it is my weakness) and the flowers will be gone in a few days.
I’ll get some cutesy presents from my children and probably something nice from my husband too. However, just having all of my children under one roof at the same time would be the best gift I could get on Mother’s Day - and I bet your mother feels the same exact way.
Women are so much more today than just mothers. We have gone into the work place, the courtrooms and the political circles. Our role in society has grown exponentially in the past few decades. Meanwhile, we still fully function in our role as mothers without missing a beat. How many fathers can say that?
Women have the capacity to make sure the kids have a decent breakfast at 8:00 am, negotiate a peaceful resolution to a family squabble at noon, lead a business meeting at 3:00 pm, have dinner on the table at 6:00 pm and then dress up for a night on the town at 8:00 pm.
Mothers are indeed absolutely incredible beings. If we could only teach more men to be even half as effective at multi-tasking and to willingly assume some household responsibilities so we can have some down time too, then our already fulfilling lives could be a bit less chaotic as well.
However, in my opinion, the most amazing aspect about a mother is her capacity to love. It doesn’t matter how many times she has had her heart broken or how under-appreciated she is by her family, her heart will melt like butter every single time she sees her child asleep in bed.
Your mother deserves to be recognised for every little thing she does each day and today is the perfect excuse for you to show her how much you love her. So why are you still sitting there reading my column? Go spend some time with your mother instead.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Stella Says…Ladies, take the time to nurture your health
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 11 May 2006)
Next week is National Women’s Health Week in the US. I would have never known any such thing existed except that I went searching for news items that would highlight this important subject.
I was recently made very aware of just how different healthcare can be for women and men. Over the past four years I have suffered from severe pain attacks from a mysterious source. The first time it happened, in September of 2003, I was put through a full battery of tests to determine the cause.
After being put through the wringer (I really hate all those tests), the doctors could not find what was causing my pain and said it had to be something like kidney stones, though they found no reason to believe that was the cause either.
The pain attacks happened about the same time in 2004 and again in 2005, and then it started happening more frequently. Each time the doctors could not find what was causing the pain. I have a high pain tolerance, but this kind of pain was off the Richter scale and absolutely unbearable.
The good news is that a new doctor finally pinned down the cause – endometriosis. I had never even heard of the disease before, but it is an issue that only affects women. Now I can finally get the treatment I need, which is simply taking some medication to control certain chemicals in my body to help prevent future attacks and some pain medicine when needed.
What I found most interesting is that this disease affects 5.5 million women in the US and Canada alone, and millions more around the world – yet the dozen or so doctors who examined me could not pinpoint my problem. Although I told every single one of them that the pain was always around my monthly cycle, none of these trained medical professionals – including a Gynaecologist – knew what was wrong.
This fact made me think about the millions of other women around the world whose bodies are racked with excruciating pain on a regular basis. Although medical science has made significant advancement over the last few decades, it seems we still lag behind in the treatment of women’s healthcare issues.
Endometriosis does not kill a woman, but it causes so much pain that there were times when I wished I would die. If we have dentists who can help us with the pain from a mere toothache, then why is it that millions of women around the world are living in such pain from health issues like endometriosis?
Still unknown health issues like this impact the overall quality of a person’s life in so many ways. After these attacks, I would spend weeks recovering because I would feel like a train hit me. It affected my sex drive too. I know men think sex is not important to women, but it is.
I am finally done with the pain and all those damnable tests, but when I read about how many of my sisters around the world could have this disease, my heart broke for each and every one of them.
When it comes to breast cancer, the medical community has done a great job with its worldwide campaign to educate women on how to detect the early signs. However, with endometriosis, it seems like it is the medical community itself that needs to be educated on how to detect it.
I know my body very well and knew the previous diagnoses of kidney stones were not correct. Even the doctors felt like they were just taking a stab in the dark for a lack of any other possible reason for the pain.
Which is why a woman should always go with her instincts on such matters. Women, don’t let your doctor intimidate you. He or she should be working with you to help keep you healthy, not treating you like you’re ignorant of your own body.
I strongly encourage every woman to make an appointment for a medical check-up within the next month if you have not had one within the last year or so. We often get so caught up in taking care of everyone else in our lives that we don’t take the time to take care of ourselves.
However, ladies, if we do not properly take care of ourselves and take the time to nurture our mental, social and physical health, then one day soon our loved ones could be the ones taking care of us.
I don’t know about you, but I want to live to see my grandchildren and even great grandchildren. I intend to be around for a long time and if that means sacrificing an hour or two for one day a year to ensure good health, then I will gladly make that sacrifice to see my grandchildren grow up.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 11 May 2006)
Next week is National Women’s Health Week in the US. I would have never known any such thing existed except that I went searching for news items that would highlight this important subject.
I was recently made very aware of just how different healthcare can be for women and men. Over the past four years I have suffered from severe pain attacks from a mysterious source. The first time it happened, in September of 2003, I was put through a full battery of tests to determine the cause.
After being put through the wringer (I really hate all those tests), the doctors could not find what was causing my pain and said it had to be something like kidney stones, though they found no reason to believe that was the cause either.
The pain attacks happened about the same time in 2004 and again in 2005, and then it started happening more frequently. Each time the doctors could not find what was causing the pain. I have a high pain tolerance, but this kind of pain was off the Richter scale and absolutely unbearable.
The good news is that a new doctor finally pinned down the cause – endometriosis. I had never even heard of the disease before, but it is an issue that only affects women. Now I can finally get the treatment I need, which is simply taking some medication to control certain chemicals in my body to help prevent future attacks and some pain medicine when needed.
What I found most interesting is that this disease affects 5.5 million women in the US and Canada alone, and millions more around the world – yet the dozen or so doctors who examined me could not pinpoint my problem. Although I told every single one of them that the pain was always around my monthly cycle, none of these trained medical professionals – including a Gynaecologist – knew what was wrong.
This fact made me think about the millions of other women around the world whose bodies are racked with excruciating pain on a regular basis. Although medical science has made significant advancement over the last few decades, it seems we still lag behind in the treatment of women’s healthcare issues.
Endometriosis does not kill a woman, but it causes so much pain that there were times when I wished I would die. If we have dentists who can help us with the pain from a mere toothache, then why is it that millions of women around the world are living in such pain from health issues like endometriosis?
Still unknown health issues like this impact the overall quality of a person’s life in so many ways. After these attacks, I would spend weeks recovering because I would feel like a train hit me. It affected my sex drive too. I know men think sex is not important to women, but it is.
I am finally done with the pain and all those damnable tests, but when I read about how many of my sisters around the world could have this disease, my heart broke for each and every one of them.
When it comes to breast cancer, the medical community has done a great job with its worldwide campaign to educate women on how to detect the early signs. However, with endometriosis, it seems like it is the medical community itself that needs to be educated on how to detect it.
I know my body very well and knew the previous diagnoses of kidney stones were not correct. Even the doctors felt like they were just taking a stab in the dark for a lack of any other possible reason for the pain.
Which is why a woman should always go with her instincts on such matters. Women, don’t let your doctor intimidate you. He or she should be working with you to help keep you healthy, not treating you like you’re ignorant of your own body.
I strongly encourage every woman to make an appointment for a medical check-up within the next month if you have not had one within the last year or so. We often get so caught up in taking care of everyone else in our lives that we don’t take the time to take care of ourselves.
However, ladies, if we do not properly take care of ourselves and take the time to nurture our mental, social and physical health, then one day soon our loved ones could be the ones taking care of us.
I don’t know about you, but I want to live to see my grandchildren and even great grandchildren. I intend to be around for a long time and if that means sacrificing an hour or two for one day a year to ensure good health, then I will gladly make that sacrifice to see my grandchildren grow up.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Stella Says…The Dick Morris factor could change Guyana politics forever
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 9 May 2006)
There is a definite renewed buzz in the Diaspora since the announcement of Dick Morris' appointment as campaign manager for the AFC. After months of a pessimistic outlook about the upcoming elections, it seems that at least the Guyanese in the States are becoming very optimistic that there could be a very real possibility of political change.
One thing is for sure; the introduction of a player like this into the game will change politics in Guyana. I am from the Midwest and we are known for being very resistant to any type of change, but even I can see that the inevitable change that could come by this new development is a good one.
I do not think there is anyone who would not agree that almost every aspect of politics in Guyana should change. From the election process to the arrogance of whatever party is ruling during that term.
However, the Dick Morris factor changes one of the most important aspects – if not the most important one – the forgone assumption that the PPP will win the next elections. In fact, this one aspect changes all other aspects and creates a completely new political climate.
It is certainly heartening to see that a third party seems to be taking their contention for governing seriously enough to bring in a proven political strategist. It is events such as this that keeps every single one of us hanging on to the last bit of hope that we have for the future of Guyana.
The fact that so many people, inside and outside of the nation, love Guyana and refuse to give up on her is one of the best indicators that this country will not buckle under the pressure of the criminal-minded drug lords or those leaders who would use the people of the nation instead of serve them.
Up to this point, I am sure there have been a handful of times when the AFC has caused its political opponents to slightly worry that this third party might be THE third party that could upset the political status quo.
However, I think this new development will cause every single PPP and PNC/R politician to really begin fretting over losing a hefty portion of the party's respective constituency. If they are not worried as yet, then it might be wise to start worrying because the AFC has just changed the game completely.
My initial gut reaction was to be suspicious of Morris' ability to reach the deeply rooted fears of the Guyanese people, such as the ongoing racial division perpetuated by the long-standing political dinosaurs. Mr. Morris should know that this issue should be at the forefront of his mind at all times because it is the filter by which almost every Guyanese makes decisions concerning politics.
A visit or two to Guyana will not give him the foundation he needs to understand this vital concern, especially since the daily lives of the two primary races are intertwined and seemingly peaceful. It is not until he is able to have some healthy discussions with citizens from both races about their political fears that he will even begin to have an idea about how Guyanese think about their politics.
I am sure Mr. Morris knows that politicians play dirty. After all, he has been in this field for quite a while and those whom he has represented have had their share of enemies. However, I am not sure he can totally grasp the extent of how lethal politics can be in Guyana. Just look at the recent violent deaths of the good minister and Waddell.
Though I am sure Mr. Morris is no stranger to cut throat politics and although I am sure he has been keeping up on these tragedies as well as the Agricola massacre, I cannot help but wonder if he fully comprehends the motives behind such atrocities or the impact these events have on the public at large in an election year.
Such events are contrived for one purpose alone, to keep the people in as much fear as possible so the ongoing racial division is guaranteed. And it works every time. The people may indeed go on with their lives as normal after these events since they have no other choice, but the effect on their hearts is catastrophic.
With the AFC leadership team tutoring Morris on such intricate details of politics in Guyana, perhaps he will be able to effectively assess the situation and produce a campaign strategy that will once and for all crumble the monopoly held by the PPP and the PNC/R.
This is my one and only hope for Guyana right now – to break up this political monopoly. I do not support any party, but I do support a redistribution of power that will benefit the people of the nation. As long as power continues to toggle between one of the two political dinosaurs, Guyana will continue to be the unwilling pawn in their power struggle.
However, once a third party – any third party – demonstrates the ability to attain strong support and a measure of trust from the people, even the two mainstay parties must then begin to cater to the will of the people. The blame game becomes obsolete and each party then becomes accountable for its lack of performance.
Choice is a wonderful thing. Choice is what will change the political landscape of Guyana forever. If Dick Morris can indeed help to make the AFC a viable option for Guyanese, then the PPP and the PNC/R had better start shining up their halos because this game is about to change in a big way.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 9 May 2006)
There is a definite renewed buzz in the Diaspora since the announcement of Dick Morris' appointment as campaign manager for the AFC. After months of a pessimistic outlook about the upcoming elections, it seems that at least the Guyanese in the States are becoming very optimistic that there could be a very real possibility of political change.
One thing is for sure; the introduction of a player like this into the game will change politics in Guyana. I am from the Midwest and we are known for being very resistant to any type of change, but even I can see that the inevitable change that could come by this new development is a good one.
I do not think there is anyone who would not agree that almost every aspect of politics in Guyana should change. From the election process to the arrogance of whatever party is ruling during that term.
However, the Dick Morris factor changes one of the most important aspects – if not the most important one – the forgone assumption that the PPP will win the next elections. In fact, this one aspect changes all other aspects and creates a completely new political climate.
It is certainly heartening to see that a third party seems to be taking their contention for governing seriously enough to bring in a proven political strategist. It is events such as this that keeps every single one of us hanging on to the last bit of hope that we have for the future of Guyana.
The fact that so many people, inside and outside of the nation, love Guyana and refuse to give up on her is one of the best indicators that this country will not buckle under the pressure of the criminal-minded drug lords or those leaders who would use the people of the nation instead of serve them.
Up to this point, I am sure there have been a handful of times when the AFC has caused its political opponents to slightly worry that this third party might be THE third party that could upset the political status quo.
However, I think this new development will cause every single PPP and PNC/R politician to really begin fretting over losing a hefty portion of the party's respective constituency. If they are not worried as yet, then it might be wise to start worrying because the AFC has just changed the game completely.
My initial gut reaction was to be suspicious of Morris' ability to reach the deeply rooted fears of the Guyanese people, such as the ongoing racial division perpetuated by the long-standing political dinosaurs. Mr. Morris should know that this issue should be at the forefront of his mind at all times because it is the filter by which almost every Guyanese makes decisions concerning politics.
A visit or two to Guyana will not give him the foundation he needs to understand this vital concern, especially since the daily lives of the two primary races are intertwined and seemingly peaceful. It is not until he is able to have some healthy discussions with citizens from both races about their political fears that he will even begin to have an idea about how Guyanese think about their politics.
I am sure Mr. Morris knows that politicians play dirty. After all, he has been in this field for quite a while and those whom he has represented have had their share of enemies. However, I am not sure he can totally grasp the extent of how lethal politics can be in Guyana. Just look at the recent violent deaths of the good minister and Waddell.
Though I am sure Mr. Morris is no stranger to cut throat politics and although I am sure he has been keeping up on these tragedies as well as the Agricola massacre, I cannot help but wonder if he fully comprehends the motives behind such atrocities or the impact these events have on the public at large in an election year.
Such events are contrived for one purpose alone, to keep the people in as much fear as possible so the ongoing racial division is guaranteed. And it works every time. The people may indeed go on with their lives as normal after these events since they have no other choice, but the effect on their hearts is catastrophic.
With the AFC leadership team tutoring Morris on such intricate details of politics in Guyana, perhaps he will be able to effectively assess the situation and produce a campaign strategy that will once and for all crumble the monopoly held by the PPP and the PNC/R.
This is my one and only hope for Guyana right now – to break up this political monopoly. I do not support any party, but I do support a redistribution of power that will benefit the people of the nation. As long as power continues to toggle between one of the two political dinosaurs, Guyana will continue to be the unwilling pawn in their power struggle.
However, once a third party – any third party – demonstrates the ability to attain strong support and a measure of trust from the people, even the two mainstay parties must then begin to cater to the will of the people. The blame game becomes obsolete and each party then becomes accountable for its lack of performance.
Choice is a wonderful thing. Choice is what will change the political landscape of Guyana forever. If Dick Morris can indeed help to make the AFC a viable option for Guyanese, then the PPP and the PNC/R had better start shining up their halos because this game is about to change in a big way.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Stella Says…The President wants you to start a business
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 7 May 2006)
I will wait while you stop laughing after having read the title of my column. I could hardly believe it myself, but it's true folks. The President is holding a summit this week on Private Sector Development. It seems he wants to see more businesses spring up in Guyana.
Whew! I had to laugh a little bit more too. Okay, I think I have control once again, but can you imagine how many jokes that can be created for this summit? It is very difficult to restrain myself from deeming this summit is a joke in itself – though I am sure there are many who have already had this thought too.
I'm sorry, but I just can't resist. I have to tell at least one joke. Hey, did you hear the one about when Jagdeo held a summit to promote private business in Guyana? (I'm laughing so hard and I haven't even created a punch line yet!)
Does His Majesty really think anyone takes this whole charade seriously when the entire country knows that unless you are a PPP loyalist or a drug lord, you cannot even through the first round of red tape before the money well runs dry?
Which makes me wonder if the majority of the participants in this Presidential Summit will be PPP supporters. Or maybe this is a trick and what will really happen if someone shows up thinking this summit is in fact genuine, a clown will jump out from behind a corner and yell, "gotcha."
I read about the summit in the PPP's pure propaganda paper, The Mirror. The article said, "This specific Summit is timely, as the private sector must utilize all the opportunities made available in Guyana in expanding to meet all the challenges facing Guyana."
All the opportunities made available in Guyana?
Since President Jagdeo himself will be delivering the keynote speech, perhaps he can start by listing "all the opportunities made available in Guyana." The language of this sentence makes it sound as if Guyana is bursting at the seams with opportunities.
I can just envision Jagdeo at the summit this week trying to sell people on the notion that Guyana is overflowing with opportunities. He is wearing a newsboy bag and cap as he bellows, "Opportunities! I've got opportunities here!! Get your opportunity quick before they're all gone."
Sure, he has opportunities to pass out, if you cast the right vote in the last elections. (Wink, wink) Speaking of the last elections, I cannot help but wonder how many new businesses have started in the past five years. Better yet, I wonder how many businesses have been successful.
In fact, I would love to see someone try to list 25 substantial business opportunities available in Guyana that can bring in enough money to sustain just ten full-time employees and show an annual growth of only 15 percent.
The guidelines for this list are that the businesses must be legal, the opportunities must be open and accessible to ordinary people and there should be a record of racially inclusive equal opportunity for the past five years.
Oh, I do hope someone takes me up on my challenge. My heart truly wants to believe the best about this summit, but my sceptical brain tells me that this is just another way for the PPP to justify the nation's poor economic state.
After all, if they are holding workshops on how to run a successful business, then the lack of such entities in the nation cannot be their fault. It has to be someone else's fault - like the PNC/R or even the people – and Jagdeo can rest easy at night while he tells himself that he really did try to help people start businesses.
Meanwhile, back in reality, bureaucracy prevents the average Joe and Jill from starting a business and crime and corruption runs the already existing businesses into obscurity. From where I stand, this does not look like a very friendly investment environment at all.
The summit is a nice thought though. It would even be laudable if I thought for one second it was credible. However, the only way the President can get up this week and face those expectant faces of his fellow countrymen and women without being embarrassed is if he can also say that his administration has indeed followed up on his speech from last year's GuyExpo.
During the expo he said, "We have made historic progress putting in place many of the necessary building blocks – better, more transparent laws that protect business from political interference and establish greater accountability of both Government and business; a stable macro-economic environment that allows businesses to plan and make sensible business projections; an open economy that supports the competition that is necessary for business success."
It is because of statements like this that makes me laugh. The PPP is promising transparent laws to protect businesses from political interference? They are instituting greater accountability? Guyana has an open economy?
Unless the President has found a way to implement these promises since his last September speech, then his presentation at the summit this week will be nothing more than a joke. But the joke is on the people – and it is not funny anymore.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 7 May 2006)
I will wait while you stop laughing after having read the title of my column. I could hardly believe it myself, but it's true folks. The President is holding a summit this week on Private Sector Development. It seems he wants to see more businesses spring up in Guyana.
Whew! I had to laugh a little bit more too. Okay, I think I have control once again, but can you imagine how many jokes that can be created for this summit? It is very difficult to restrain myself from deeming this summit is a joke in itself – though I am sure there are many who have already had this thought too.
I'm sorry, but I just can't resist. I have to tell at least one joke. Hey, did you hear the one about when Jagdeo held a summit to promote private business in Guyana? (I'm laughing so hard and I haven't even created a punch line yet!)
Does His Majesty really think anyone takes this whole charade seriously when the entire country knows that unless you are a PPP loyalist or a drug lord, you cannot even through the first round of red tape before the money well runs dry?
Which makes me wonder if the majority of the participants in this Presidential Summit will be PPP supporters. Or maybe this is a trick and what will really happen if someone shows up thinking this summit is in fact genuine, a clown will jump out from behind a corner and yell, "gotcha."
I read about the summit in the PPP's pure propaganda paper, The Mirror. The article said, "This specific Summit is timely, as the private sector must utilize all the opportunities made available in Guyana in expanding to meet all the challenges facing Guyana."
All the opportunities made available in Guyana?
Since President Jagdeo himself will be delivering the keynote speech, perhaps he can start by listing "all the opportunities made available in Guyana." The language of this sentence makes it sound as if Guyana is bursting at the seams with opportunities.
I can just envision Jagdeo at the summit this week trying to sell people on the notion that Guyana is overflowing with opportunities. He is wearing a newsboy bag and cap as he bellows, "Opportunities! I've got opportunities here!! Get your opportunity quick before they're all gone."
Sure, he has opportunities to pass out, if you cast the right vote in the last elections. (Wink, wink) Speaking of the last elections, I cannot help but wonder how many new businesses have started in the past five years. Better yet, I wonder how many businesses have been successful.
In fact, I would love to see someone try to list 25 substantial business opportunities available in Guyana that can bring in enough money to sustain just ten full-time employees and show an annual growth of only 15 percent.
The guidelines for this list are that the businesses must be legal, the opportunities must be open and accessible to ordinary people and there should be a record of racially inclusive equal opportunity for the past five years.
Oh, I do hope someone takes me up on my challenge. My heart truly wants to believe the best about this summit, but my sceptical brain tells me that this is just another way for the PPP to justify the nation's poor economic state.
After all, if they are holding workshops on how to run a successful business, then the lack of such entities in the nation cannot be their fault. It has to be someone else's fault - like the PNC/R or even the people – and Jagdeo can rest easy at night while he tells himself that he really did try to help people start businesses.
Meanwhile, back in reality, bureaucracy prevents the average Joe and Jill from starting a business and crime and corruption runs the already existing businesses into obscurity. From where I stand, this does not look like a very friendly investment environment at all.
The summit is a nice thought though. It would even be laudable if I thought for one second it was credible. However, the only way the President can get up this week and face those expectant faces of his fellow countrymen and women without being embarrassed is if he can also say that his administration has indeed followed up on his speech from last year's GuyExpo.
During the expo he said, "We have made historic progress putting in place many of the necessary building blocks – better, more transparent laws that protect business from political interference and establish greater accountability of both Government and business; a stable macro-economic environment that allows businesses to plan and make sensible business projections; an open economy that supports the competition that is necessary for business success."
It is because of statements like this that makes me laugh. The PPP is promising transparent laws to protect businesses from political interference? They are instituting greater accountability? Guyana has an open economy?
Unless the President has found a way to implement these promises since his last September speech, then his presentation at the summit this week will be nothing more than a joke. But the joke is on the people – and it is not funny anymore.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Stella Says…Is Guyana going to follow Bolivia back into nationalisation?
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 4 May 2006)
It is official folks. Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia now officially stand united and promise to be a real headache for those darn capitalists in America. Over the weekend, Bolivia’s new President, Evo Morales, signed a trade agreement with Cuba and Venezuela and upon return to his country, immediately set out to nationalise his country’s foreign-owned gas and oil reserves.
The Times online reported that Morales claimed energy is just the beginning, “because tomorrow it will be the mines, the forest resources and the land.” No doubt Morales has been emboldened by his new friendship with Castro in Cuba and Chavez in Venezuela, but this trend is definitely catching on in Latin America.
In a statement sent to me by the Cuban Embassy in Guyana, Morales pulled no punches when explaining his reasoning for joining forces with Chavez and Castro. The first line of his statement said, “Recognizing that the implementation of neo-liberal plans and policies has led to the proliferation and deepening of dependence, poverty, the pillage of our natural resources and a state of social inequality within our region…”
This type of language is bound to upset some Americans. However, to some extent it is encouraging to see these Latin American countries taking steps to try to help themselves and each other during financially trying times. Quite frankly, since America has all but forgotten its economic promises to Latin America, who can blame the nations for employing such drastic measures?
What did the Bush administration expect? For Latin American countries to just sit around and die a slow economic death while it ran off to the Middle East to fight an unprovoked war in Iraq? Instead of being a good neighbour, America is acting like it is and island unto itself. So the U.S. has no one but itself to blame for Morales’ decision to turn to Castro and Chavez for help with the economic security of Bolivia.
Certainly capitalism has been successful to a large degree in the U.S. (not completely though because the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen exponentially). However, capitalism has not worked for Latin America for many economic and political reasons. One reason is because of widespread corruption.
Likewise, this leftist move in Latin America toward nationalisation will fail as well because of corruption. Guyanese remember, all too well, their days of nationalisation and what it meant to the country. Today, many from Guyana have a bad taste in their mouth when they hear the word “nationalisation.”
When Burnham kicked foreign investors out of Guyana, the previously stable and/or thriving industries started to collapse and left the country with but a shell of its former self. So although I like to see countries like Bolivia make drastic moves to try to pull itself out of economic distress, I cannot help but show my scepticism of nationalisation.
What kind of impact will this shift to populism in Latin America have on Guyana? Is Guyana heading toward nationalisation again? Jagdeo has a chummy relationship with Castro and the PPP has clearly made its feelings about certain issues well known. I have very little doubt that if the PPP returns to power after the elections that Guyana would soon after toss out what little foreign investors it has left.
The current administration has not been friendly toward foreign investors. Hell, they are barely even friendly to national investors, especially if those investors are not PPP loyalists. Yet at the same time, the administration seems to be unable to offer any viable economic initiatives to financially grow the nation.
Given the unfriendly nature of the current administration, it is no wonder foreign investors shy away from Guyana. And now they must also consider the fact that the leaders of Latin America are more prone than ever to seize their private assets. Morales seized 56 oil and gas fields on Monday and the investors have no say in the matter whatsoever.
Therefore, when foreign investors see Jagdeo flirting with Castro and Chavez, they no doubt run in the opposite direction. There are plenty of safe Caribbean nations that are opening their doors wide for these investors and even taking extra steps to entice these investment dollars to their shores.
Sure, Guyana is beautiful. It has natural resources aplenty and no doubt people would pay a hefty price to catch a bit of this raw tropical paradise (under safe conditions). All Guyana has to do is clean up the crime situation and open her arms to the tourists to see the world start flocking in.
I truly believe this nation could one day be the hot spot for vacationers – under the right government. I believe the potential for Guyana is limitless. There are so few unspoiled and pristine landscapes left in the world today, which is why Guyana’s beauty is worth so much.
However, I also believe a turn toward nationalisation is a sure way to slam the door on this promising future. While many Caribbean nations thrive economically because they opened their doors to the world, Guyana continues to hobble along and shy away from the very investors who could help with the nation’s economic recovery.
Therefore, when the people finally get to cast their votes, they should be well aware of the future ramifications of their votes. Given Jagdeo’s chummy relationship with Castro, will Guyanese willingly vote to possibly re-embrace the nationalisation that failed the nation under Burnham?
Actually, I cannot help but wonder where the opposition parties stand on this issue. Do they support nationalisation or would they open the doors of Guyana to the world? I wonder what the AFC thinks about Bolivia’s economic move.
This is a vital issue to consider before going to the voting booths and the people should be completely informed on the national economic plans of each party so they can make an educated decision.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 4 May 2006)
It is official folks. Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia now officially stand united and promise to be a real headache for those darn capitalists in America. Over the weekend, Bolivia’s new President, Evo Morales, signed a trade agreement with Cuba and Venezuela and upon return to his country, immediately set out to nationalise his country’s foreign-owned gas and oil reserves.
The Times online reported that Morales claimed energy is just the beginning, “because tomorrow it will be the mines, the forest resources and the land.” No doubt Morales has been emboldened by his new friendship with Castro in Cuba and Chavez in Venezuela, but this trend is definitely catching on in Latin America.
In a statement sent to me by the Cuban Embassy in Guyana, Morales pulled no punches when explaining his reasoning for joining forces with Chavez and Castro. The first line of his statement said, “Recognizing that the implementation of neo-liberal plans and policies has led to the proliferation and deepening of dependence, poverty, the pillage of our natural resources and a state of social inequality within our region…”
This type of language is bound to upset some Americans. However, to some extent it is encouraging to see these Latin American countries taking steps to try to help themselves and each other during financially trying times. Quite frankly, since America has all but forgotten its economic promises to Latin America, who can blame the nations for employing such drastic measures?
What did the Bush administration expect? For Latin American countries to just sit around and die a slow economic death while it ran off to the Middle East to fight an unprovoked war in Iraq? Instead of being a good neighbour, America is acting like it is and island unto itself. So the U.S. has no one but itself to blame for Morales’ decision to turn to Castro and Chavez for help with the economic security of Bolivia.
Certainly capitalism has been successful to a large degree in the U.S. (not completely though because the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen exponentially). However, capitalism has not worked for Latin America for many economic and political reasons. One reason is because of widespread corruption.
Likewise, this leftist move in Latin America toward nationalisation will fail as well because of corruption. Guyanese remember, all too well, their days of nationalisation and what it meant to the country. Today, many from Guyana have a bad taste in their mouth when they hear the word “nationalisation.”
When Burnham kicked foreign investors out of Guyana, the previously stable and/or thriving industries started to collapse and left the country with but a shell of its former self. So although I like to see countries like Bolivia make drastic moves to try to pull itself out of economic distress, I cannot help but show my scepticism of nationalisation.
What kind of impact will this shift to populism in Latin America have on Guyana? Is Guyana heading toward nationalisation again? Jagdeo has a chummy relationship with Castro and the PPP has clearly made its feelings about certain issues well known. I have very little doubt that if the PPP returns to power after the elections that Guyana would soon after toss out what little foreign investors it has left.
The current administration has not been friendly toward foreign investors. Hell, they are barely even friendly to national investors, especially if those investors are not PPP loyalists. Yet at the same time, the administration seems to be unable to offer any viable economic initiatives to financially grow the nation.
Given the unfriendly nature of the current administration, it is no wonder foreign investors shy away from Guyana. And now they must also consider the fact that the leaders of Latin America are more prone than ever to seize their private assets. Morales seized 56 oil and gas fields on Monday and the investors have no say in the matter whatsoever.
Therefore, when foreign investors see Jagdeo flirting with Castro and Chavez, they no doubt run in the opposite direction. There are plenty of safe Caribbean nations that are opening their doors wide for these investors and even taking extra steps to entice these investment dollars to their shores.
Sure, Guyana is beautiful. It has natural resources aplenty and no doubt people would pay a hefty price to catch a bit of this raw tropical paradise (under safe conditions). All Guyana has to do is clean up the crime situation and open her arms to the tourists to see the world start flocking in.
I truly believe this nation could one day be the hot spot for vacationers – under the right government. I believe the potential for Guyana is limitless. There are so few unspoiled and pristine landscapes left in the world today, which is why Guyana’s beauty is worth so much.
However, I also believe a turn toward nationalisation is a sure way to slam the door on this promising future. While many Caribbean nations thrive economically because they opened their doors to the world, Guyana continues to hobble along and shy away from the very investors who could help with the nation’s economic recovery.
Therefore, when the people finally get to cast their votes, they should be well aware of the future ramifications of their votes. Given Jagdeo’s chummy relationship with Castro, will Guyanese willingly vote to possibly re-embrace the nationalisation that failed the nation under Burnham?
Actually, I cannot help but wonder where the opposition parties stand on this issue. Do they support nationalisation or would they open the doors of Guyana to the world? I wonder what the AFC thinks about Bolivia’s economic move.
This is a vital issue to consider before going to the voting booths and the people should be completely informed on the national economic plans of each party so they can make an educated decision.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Stella Says…So you say that you want a little heaven on earth?
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 2 May 2006)
As I read over the Kaieteur News article about the AFC and Raphael Trotman in Sunday’s issue, I was struck by the notion that Guyana would do well to have another party or two to break up the political monopoly the PPP and the PNC/R have maintain for so many decades.
However, as I read over the columns of the same issue and saw the many opinions held by the various voices of Guyana, I was reminded of a very different type of group – the religious group.
I realise my apprehension to religion probably leads many people of faith to think it comes from ignorance of the subject. However, I have studied religion quite a bit. I was raised in a profoundly religious environment, went to a seminary type of school for a year and subsequently studied the foundational beliefs of various Christian sects with their leaders from the respective groups.
Aside from all of this class study, I have also studied on my own about the rise of various religions and the history of Christianity. One era of Christianity that I found to be interesting on a personal level was The Reformation led by Martin Luther.
Luther had no intention of breaking away from the long-standing Catholic Church. A whole new sect of Christianity simply developed when the Church refused to reform it’s less than “holy” practices. Then came another section, and another, and another, until today when there are too many sects to count and it seems like a new one pops up everyday.
Centuries later, mankind can look back at the 15th Century and pinpoint the splintering of Christianity into thousands of pieces. Before Luther nailed his Theses of 95 accusations against the Catholic Church to the doors of Wittenberg, Christianity was one entity under the Catholic Church. Therefore, if you did not believe like the Catholics believed, then you simply were not a Christian.
On one hand, this was a sad turn of events because it is easy to see in retrospect that the purity of the religion was lost at the same time, although many would argue that the Church lost its purity under the rule of the Catholic priests – and I would not argue. Even so, Christianity will never again be joined in a unified belief system.
However, is this a bad thing? With all of the various sects in just Christianity alone, not to mention all of the other religions in the world, it seems like there should be a belief to fit every person on the planet if they want to believe in a supreme being.
I know full well that most religions state that a person can only be saved through their religion and by their god, but I cannot help but feel that the reason there are so many religions, and so many sects within each of those religions, is because different people want to believe differently about their god.
Likewise, even though the people of Guyana are being told they must still believe in the long-standing political parties, it seems many are turning to other parties. A rise of new parties with a healthy support base is the best indicator of this phenomenon.
According to the aforementioned article from Sunday’s issue, “Kaieteur News was reliably informed that the recently commissioned poll showed that the AFC could win the equivalent of 16 seats on Parliament. This means that the vote in Parliament could split at least three ways, with the PPP/C and the PNCR taking up the majority of the other votes.”
The poll maintained that the AFC could garner up to 25 percent of the vote if elections were held right now. When the Catholic Church would not clean up its act, the people chose to find a religion that would. Now it seems that since the long-standing parties cannot get their acts together either, the people are choosing to find a party that will.
You have got to love democracy.
Mankind has a drive to see justice and to live in peace. It is often the rulers who decide to drag the people through a proverbial hell against the wishes of the people. Further, in time the people often choose to discard those stubborn rulers and replace them with other leaders who will be more compliant and trustworthy.
Guyana is no exception to this rule. They have given both of the long-standing parties a fair chance to prove they can run the nation. However, since both parties have instead run the nation into the ground and the people are ready to see a little heaven on earth within their lifetime – it seems like it is out with the old and in with the new.
This change will be good for Guyana. Can you imagine how controlling and manipulative religion would be if there was only one belief system from which to choose? The same holds true with political parties.
In short, the more choices people have, the better equipped they are to choose a party. When the other parties realise the people have a choice, they are more likely to submit to the will of the people.
I do not support any particular party, but I do like the fact that there are more choices for the people. I am certainly happy to see this new spirit rising in Guyana and I could not agree more with the results of the poll to mix things up a bit.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 2 May 2006)
As I read over the Kaieteur News article about the AFC and Raphael Trotman in Sunday’s issue, I was struck by the notion that Guyana would do well to have another party or two to break up the political monopoly the PPP and the PNC/R have maintain for so many decades.
However, as I read over the columns of the same issue and saw the many opinions held by the various voices of Guyana, I was reminded of a very different type of group – the religious group.
I realise my apprehension to religion probably leads many people of faith to think it comes from ignorance of the subject. However, I have studied religion quite a bit. I was raised in a profoundly religious environment, went to a seminary type of school for a year and subsequently studied the foundational beliefs of various Christian sects with their leaders from the respective groups.
Aside from all of this class study, I have also studied on my own about the rise of various religions and the history of Christianity. One era of Christianity that I found to be interesting on a personal level was The Reformation led by Martin Luther.
Luther had no intention of breaking away from the long-standing Catholic Church. A whole new sect of Christianity simply developed when the Church refused to reform it’s less than “holy” practices. Then came another section, and another, and another, until today when there are too many sects to count and it seems like a new one pops up everyday.
Centuries later, mankind can look back at the 15th Century and pinpoint the splintering of Christianity into thousands of pieces. Before Luther nailed his Theses of 95 accusations against the Catholic Church to the doors of Wittenberg, Christianity was one entity under the Catholic Church. Therefore, if you did not believe like the Catholics believed, then you simply were not a Christian.
On one hand, this was a sad turn of events because it is easy to see in retrospect that the purity of the religion was lost at the same time, although many would argue that the Church lost its purity under the rule of the Catholic priests – and I would not argue. Even so, Christianity will never again be joined in a unified belief system.
However, is this a bad thing? With all of the various sects in just Christianity alone, not to mention all of the other religions in the world, it seems like there should be a belief to fit every person on the planet if they want to believe in a supreme being.
I know full well that most religions state that a person can only be saved through their religion and by their god, but I cannot help but feel that the reason there are so many religions, and so many sects within each of those religions, is because different people want to believe differently about their god.
Likewise, even though the people of Guyana are being told they must still believe in the long-standing political parties, it seems many are turning to other parties. A rise of new parties with a healthy support base is the best indicator of this phenomenon.
According to the aforementioned article from Sunday’s issue, “Kaieteur News was reliably informed that the recently commissioned poll showed that the AFC could win the equivalent of 16 seats on Parliament. This means that the vote in Parliament could split at least three ways, with the PPP/C and the PNCR taking up the majority of the other votes.”
The poll maintained that the AFC could garner up to 25 percent of the vote if elections were held right now. When the Catholic Church would not clean up its act, the people chose to find a religion that would. Now it seems that since the long-standing parties cannot get their acts together either, the people are choosing to find a party that will.
You have got to love democracy.
Mankind has a drive to see justice and to live in peace. It is often the rulers who decide to drag the people through a proverbial hell against the wishes of the people. Further, in time the people often choose to discard those stubborn rulers and replace them with other leaders who will be more compliant and trustworthy.
Guyana is no exception to this rule. They have given both of the long-standing parties a fair chance to prove they can run the nation. However, since both parties have instead run the nation into the ground and the people are ready to see a little heaven on earth within their lifetime – it seems like it is out with the old and in with the new.
This change will be good for Guyana. Can you imagine how controlling and manipulative religion would be if there was only one belief system from which to choose? The same holds true with political parties.
In short, the more choices people have, the better equipped they are to choose a party. When the other parties realise the people have a choice, they are more likely to submit to the will of the people.
I do not support any particular party, but I do like the fact that there are more choices for the people. I am certainly happy to see this new spirit rising in Guyana and I could not agree more with the results of the poll to mix things up a bit.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
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