Opinion

“He who controls the present controls the past.  He who controls the past controls the future.”  That was George Orwell in his timeless masterpiece1984.  The mighty can sift arbitrarily and select capriciously to manage minds to direct a specific outcome.  This is not about appearances, or speculation of what might be happening here in Guyana.  It is the cold, irrefutable ...

It is said that the youth vote will be one of the deciding factors in the upcoming elections.  While there is little dispute that youths form a sizable voting segment, two questions are raised: What is an approximation of the numerical size of the group?  Secondly, and more importantly, if it is a potentially key voting constituent, will it actually ...

By Dr. David Hinds We should not allow the evil of racism, Guyana’s frustrating politics and the political dinosaurs in the PPP to drive us to border on demeaning or denying some uplifting aspects of our identity. Identity is complex; it is partly who we say we are and partly how others perceive us. Identity is also a historical phenomenon ...

It is all in the numbers, and numbers don’t lie.  Guyanese know that talk of numbers during an election season is talk of race.  When the numbers were comforting, and a solid cushion of confidence existed, there was no need for any appeal of any kind at Babu John; or anywhere else for that matter.  Or to identify the ruling ...

Tonight (Tuesday) Guyana has crossed yet another dangerous line. A mere 48 hours after a former Head of Government and State publicly suggested to his successor that governance in Guyana should include “kicking some asses,” an activist known for his anti-government protest was shot dead while walking the streets of his community urging his fellow citizens to come out and ...

Can this society rid itself of the race albatross?  Or heal its leaking, hurting, crippling race wound?  It can do this May what it has never come close to doing before. The year 1992 heralded a fresh start after decades of despair and loss.  Many black Guyanese were in the thick of the struggle for change; disgusted, conscientious and patriotic ...

There is guarded hope for progress in this society; it resides with David Granger.  The reasons for this growing belief are manifold; a few are shared. Amidst the tumult over coalescing or not coalescing he was the picture of unruffled calm.  During the swirling, at times intemperate, public discussion of who should be what, he remained imperturbably cool.  It is ...

by Dr. David Hinds Although I remain skeptical about the coalition strategy, I do welcome the compact between the two parties as a reflection of a hitherto elusive political maturity on the part of the leaderships of the APNU and the AFC. The leaderships of the APNU and the AFC should be commended for this brave step, in particular the ...

The Public Service Commission and the Commissioner of Police have promoted Sergeant Lall regulation number 14526 and Constable Dulai regulation number 19028 to the rank of Inspector and Corporal, respectively.  The promotion of these two ranks has resulted in much public commentary. Background Sergeant Lall and Constable Dulaiwere the subject of an investigation that resulted in criminal charges being instituted ...

By Dr. David Hinds My letter, “After 23 years African Guyanese are being asked to vote for an Indian Guyanese Presidency,” published in the January 27 edition of the Stabroek News, has drawn varied responses from several quarters. This is to be expected. The central issue I raised in the letter has been and will continue to be the proverbial ...