By GHK Lall-Guyana has produced and nurtured a rare genius. Guyanese didn’t know it; grasp the fullness of his greatness. In Excellency, Pres. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Guyana has gifted freely to the world a true champion of democracy. Democracy for Venezuela, as parachuted in by America. Democracy for Gaza, compliments of the muscular hands of the US. And, now democracy for Cuba, and again with the USA pushing the levers. Throughout all this, there is Guyana’s warrior leader, a fighter for democracy. Wunderbar! Awe strikes; blows me down in total conversion, surrender. Ali! Ali! Ali!
Dr. Irfaan Ali was called to Florida to pounce and pronounce on Cuba. A hopeless case. Dead. The first blow involved doctors; now the whole country abandoned going under. One day Cuba is a good friend; next day, it is yesterday’s garbage (sorry to offend Cubans) to be discarded. America has its interests, impose them on the weak, and gets them to spout like geysers about democracy. What are the interests of Guyana? What does Excellency Ali stand for, is made of at the core? Eddie Murphy made a splash with Coming to America. Meryl Streep did the same with Out of Africa. Last came Dr. Irfaan Ali who made amateurs of them.
From Cuba libre to Cuba going. Washed down the drain. I recall that crafty Roman Pontius Pilate washing his hands of a touchy matter. With Irfaan Ali in charge, Guyana washes its hands of Cuba. It has turned out to be one hell of a summons (disguised as invitation). Havana gone. Guyana’s Pres. Ali part of the giving away matrimonial train.
With friends like Guyana, enemies have no significance. Poor Cuba: one day brother and vendor to the world, giving from matchsticks to medicine men to men with machineguns. Today, it is reduced to the doormat that America pushes Guyana to spit on, walk on. Peed on, too, if that procedure didn’t lead to some exposure.
I discern recognition due to the world’s richest country. First, Guyana is an honored guest. Then, a poodle that’s dragged around. Last, for special occasions, Guyana’s remade into a superpower football. Guyanese should know how poodles are groomed, and the role reserved for footballs, be they political or physical. Thus, there is this pot of (you know what) trash that is redressed in the finery of democracy for Cuba. Democracy must qualify as the most abused, misused, word since its founding. Democracy: the slick spin. Democracy, the big farce. Democracy, the new all-purpose attack dog. In democracy’s name, the poultice that cures. It has a thousand faces.
It impresses that Excellency Ali rose to his full height, boldly let the word democracy flow so easily out his mouth. In Guyana, his version of access to information is whoever fine it, tek it, mek wha deh waant of it. Access to information causes a profusion of contortions. But Guyana is a democracy. Though democracy’s oxygen is sucked out. Thinking independently, speaking frankly, has seen from baby to the elderly strangled ruthlessly. But Guyana is a democracy.
In Guyana, where freedom of the press is under constant attack, and critical thought and expression are savaged by Irfaan Ali’s own PPP Govt agencies, the leader of this country goes to another country and expounds on democracy for still another. Guyana’s democracy is from the same triplet litter, of which Cuba and Venezuela are the other two, and Pres. Ali still anoints himself regional spokesman for democracy. A global one probably, if given space to perform. To repeat: only extraordinary honors fit a leader with the sticky attributes, the nifty prowess, of Pres. Ali.
A rare genius, indomitable champion, a warrior is Irfaan Ali, where democracy is concerned. Ali, a modern wonder, in a class by himself, when the bright, smiling face of democracy has to be sold. I am sold. He stands at the helm of a country, that lives with the long underbelly of democracy-scaly, prickly, smelly, and sickly-and still he waddles and wades through with his clever sales pitch about democracy.
Guyana’s vital institutions from public to civil to spiritual are now mostly in pitifully impotent states, and the chatter and prattle are still about democracy. Democracy for Cuba. Before Havana, there was Venezuela. Charity (democracy) begins at home, Mr. President. The Shah was America’s best friend with golden toilet seats, his SAVAK Palace Guard, was America’s best friend. Until he wasn’t. Beware, Excellency Ali. The bell tolls.
