THE beautiful anecdote, ‘The Sword of Damocles’ shall forever ring true as long as there is life and human organisation on earth. It speaks to the imminent peril and ubiquitous worry that comes with power and responsibility. Damocles was a submissive servant in the Court of Dionysius 2nd of Syracuse, a tyrant in 4th Century BC Italy. Damocles pandered to the King and praised him for his grandeur and magnificence and wished to be like him.
He was persistent and requested a chance to be in the seat of power. On a trouble-filled day, the King became fed up with the incessant petition by this servant and offered him a chance to sit on the throne for one day; Damocles excitedly jumped at his long-sought opportunity; however, a deadly condition was attached to this offer. The King instructed that a huge sword should hang above the throne, held at the pommel by a single hair of a horse’s tail. This was demanded by Dionysius to demonstrate to the naïve and excited servant that fortune is fraught every single day by clear and present danger from enemies and more. After several hours on the seat of power, Damocles declined the offer and no longer wanted to experience this privilege.
Juxtapose the above mentioned story to the scenario of the modern inexperienced critic, who might have honourable intentions for his/her country, but is completely oblivious to the intricacies and demands of governing. So they tear down every policy decision, shout that the government is incompetent and has no idea what they are about. There is banging on the table, and passionate rejection of all strategies proposed by the state to resolve issues that might be decades old in their existence. Connoisseurs, Jacks and Jills of all trades, self-made experts, pundits, caricaturists, commentators, arbiters, annotators and expositors who are sophomoric, will baulk at every policy formulated to address a situation, completely devoid of a clue about that at which they bark. Allow me to distinguish them from the experienced constructive critics who know exactly what they are talking about and whose views are sometimes very valuable.
What would it look like if these apprentices have their day in the chair of responsibility? How will they react when they find out that Georgetown is not Guyana and there are 10 regions with diverse socio-cultural, economic and geographic realities? How will they fare when the documents of intractable problems land on their desks for immediate resolution? Would they be humbled by the fact that governance responsibilities are fraught with huge self-sacrifice and a complete abandonment of some cherished private indulgences? When the headaches of managing human affairs visit them every day, will they stay in the chair? When the enemies — within and on the outside — line up in droves and begin to fire arrows at them, will they stay in the seat or beg to exit like Damocles?
