THE analysis in this column does not include the opposition PNC. Opposition parties have a one-dimensional agenda both at the theoretical and practical level. They are electoral competitors and their raison d’être is to criticise the incumbent to make the incumbent appear weak, foolish or incompetent in the eyes of the electorate.

Their raison d’être is to win government. All opposition parties in the world as a reflex action just criticise for the sake of criticising. That is their business. Here in Guyana, there are dimensions to political activism that go beyond the function of opposition parties. There are NGOs, civil society groups, the private media, members of academia whose activism is more nuanced than those of opposition parties.

These are people who operate at a deeper ideological level involving deeper instincts of class, colour, culture and eugenics. They are a more dangerous threat to democracy in Guyana than any energetic opposition party because they have greater reach in society and fantastic resources.

The most pyrotechnical example is the gargantuan sum of dozens and dozens of millions spent on court cases against the oil industry in order to weaken the government. The main opposition, PNC does not have such money to spend on court trials. Both anti-government private newspapers – Kaieteur News and Stabroek News – are owned and controlled by moneyed people.

I have written extensively on these aspects of post 2020 activism in Guyana, and I mean extensively. I have researched the words and action of these non-mainstream anti-governmental cabals and have provided enough evidence of their predetermined commitment to weaken the ruling party because, unlike the mainstream opposition parties, they have an endemic dislike for the composition of the ruling party which goes back to early 20th century entitlement beliefs.

The rejection of the post 2020 PPP government carries with it uncontrollable emotions which go back to the psychological horror that the Indians whom they thought were defeated permanently in 2015, have risen from the ashes in 2020 and with colossal sums of money coming from oil revenues, are likely to be in government for a long time to come.

What these non-mainstream entities have done is to invent a methodology of binary politics. This methodology is barefaced and degenerate, but it is also seriously destabilising that only counter-narratives can vitiate it. I see the large amount of columns on these people that I have done plus this one as a part of the counter-narrative

For a reply to my work on these groups, please see the articles of Professor Percy Hintzen in the Stabroek News page entitled, “In The Diaspora.” Dr. Hintzen actually sees these formations as an alternative to the PPP and believes that the civil society group, “Red Thread” holds the key to salvaging Guyana’s democratic direction. Please see my rebuttal of Hintzen in three parts from September to October last year.

The invention of binary politics takes the form of pro-government mentality versus the independent mind. The former are surrogates of the PPP who are pure propagandists. The latter are people with democratic instincts who are independent and are the guardrails preventing PPP dictatorship.

This binary politics is an obfuscation of anti-government instincts. There is no binary of pro-government versus independent. The fact is that there are Guyanese and foreign people who see the government and the Ali presidency in a positive light. And there are those masquerading as independent minds but are angry and frenetic anti-government actors.

The anti-government actors cannot be placated. Red Thread, Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, the usual suspects, the anti-oil lobby, the Mulatto/Creole intellectuals cannot be reasoned with. If you are from a foreign government or you are a foreign academic, once you speak favourably of the Ali presidency, you are a PPP supporter.

A good example is the co-owner of the Stabroek News. Here is what, Mr. Andrew Bauer a global expert on Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF) wrote about Guyana’s SWF legislation: “A very detailed document. There’s some parts of the law that I’ve never even seen in any law that are so detailed and innovative that I think will really help Guyana.”

Bauer has not been to Guyana and is not familiar with Guyana but found the legislation to be almost perfect. But co-owner of Stabroek News said that Guyana’s SWF legislation is authoritarian thus making Guyana a flawed democracy. Nothing can please these people because they are anti-government with the false claim that they are independent.

Congressman, Jonathan Jackson, son of global icon, Rev. Jesse Jackson came to Guyana last. He said he trusts the leadership of President Ali. What will be said of Jackson? You can anticipate it. Either he is naïve, or he was fooled or he ain’t “ready yet.”

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.