As I mentioned in a previous article, Guyana became a failed state after independence, and that downward spiral continues up to present day, with the exception of a few spikes here and there.
This is largely due to what is referred to as the “brain drain.” Needless to say, intelligent people are needed to run a successful country, but after Burnham and Jagan chased the Europeans out, so to speak, the once booming civilization was left without the cerebral mechanism to function.
The ambition of the average Indo Guyanese man back in the early days of colonialism was to imbibe in a good bottle of rum with loud music and some company – after a hard half day’s work at the Estates. The rum was readily furnished to him through the grinding sugar estates. And the ambition of the average Afro-Guyanese man, after slavery had ended, was to lie down with his hands folded on top of a lofty tree limb – after having enjoyed a hearty meal of cookup rice and beans. This is not to say there were not exceptions to the rule.
As a result of the lack of technical expertise, poor marketing skills and a government now comprised of laymen, the economy started to crumble. Estates started to become dysfunctional and unprofitable. This only compounded the existing problem of a lack of human resources. As many Guyanese fled to other nations seeking a better life, those with some amount of “schooling” were given better options in terms of finding a job overseas with better standards of living.
For these reasons, Guyanese parents encouraged and gave their children every opportunity to acquire a “sound education.” With a sound education, these young people could be admitted to college in the United States, Canada or England – giving them a chance to escape the stagnated economy and harsh life in Guyana.
Canada particularly opened its door to skilled workers in addition to academics, and continues to do so to this day. Consequently, with a few exceptions, Guyana has been left with the remnants in terms of human resources – compounding the economic problem and further facilitating the downward spiral of the country.
It is no surprise then, that the Guyana Parliament is comprised of mostly dunderheads. This was clearly demonstrated in the recent case where the APNU/AFC government went all the way up to Caribbean Court of Justice, using millions of taxpayer’s dollars, to try to prove that 33 is not a majority of 65. Then there is the case of an attorney by the name of Neil Boston talking about “discrepTancies” during a court hearing which was being streamed live. And last but not least, there is the mayor of Georgetown who said “you cannot put ail in people’s hands who already ailed.” Decode.