Joe Biden is President-elect of America. Half of the American electorate is breathing a sigh of relief. Despite polling which suggested a landslide for Biden and the Democrats, the election went down to the wire. Political analysts and other pundits continue to misunderstand the political sociology of America. They ignore the role that Race and American Exceptionalism play in the formation of political behavior. In the final analysis factors such as Social Class and Gender give way to those larger considerations. That Donald Trump could command the support of 47% of the electorate speaks volumes. And that support includes 20 percent of Black Men.
Understandably, for Guyanese, the question of the meaning of Biden’s election for our country’s immediate future looms large. It is now popularly known that the USA played a major role in regime change during the just concluded Guyanese election. Will the incoming administration address and possibly halt official USA support for the domestic aggression of the PPP government? The answer to that question to my mind lies in the capacity of Guyanese organizations at home and in the diaspora to lobby the new government in that regard.
Unlike countries like Guyana, American Foreign Policy tends to have more than a small dose of continuity. Regime change in Guyana was part of a larger policy of change in Venezuela. So, on the face of it. I think what happens in relation to Guyana would depend on the Biden attitude to Venezuela. But even as I say that, I think a case for modification of the overt and covert support for the PPP government must be made. For the sake of Guyana, in particular African Guyanese, the new American government must be apprised of the injustice meted out to this country earlier this year.
And that work must not be left to the PNC. I don’t think that party is up to the job at this time—there is no appetite for that kind of work. And the party is badly wounded—something that dulls its instincts. The Black Organizations and the Diaspora groups must step up. There is need for all hands on deck. In the end, the over-reliance on the political party must be addressed and halted. It has hurt the constituency– for when the party falters, we are left naked.
The time has come for a new approach. If there is one thing African Guyanese can learn from African Americans is their capacity to stay the course and to organize in movements. There is need for a movement in Guyana that transcends our differences. It must be a people’s movement that demonstrates the strength of the community in concrete terms. It must not be controlled by the party. Not because the party is evil, but because we are more than the party.
The times are grim. The PPP is in its worst domination mode. We have cried a lot since August. Now is time to wipe the tears away and fight back. Power concedes nothing without a demand, said Frederick Douglass. Nelson Mandela said, “The time comes in the life of any nation when there remain only two choices – submit or fight.” Forward.
More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
