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Kaieteur News
Thursday September 05, 2019
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
The cesspool of hate
T
he USA Today headline of August 5 served up yet another confirmation. There is “A ‘direct correlation’ between rise of hate on social media and attacks, says SPLC.” Some extracts should help to shed more light on the rising anxieties over this and help to highlight the appropriateness of enhanced and continuing vigilance in this country. That dangerous ‘direct correlation’ is emphasised, because, “Despite efforts from major social media companies to try to weed out hate groups…the reality is they are still all over the networks, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center advocacy group.” “There is a direct correlation between the rise of hate groups on social media and the frequent attacks,” like the El Paso and Dayton weekend killings, says Keegan Hankes, a senior research analyst for the SPLC. This is troubling in general, and should be even more so in Guyana, which struggles with a longstanding racial problem that has degenerated inner and outer hatred, existing in casual and chronic ways, now taken for granted. The hate is taken for granted; while the attacks (so far) have been limited to the verbal. With increasing access to social media platforms and the mainstream media itself, in the local arena, there is growing danger of the transformation of generational racial prejudices to more hate-filled cyber rantings, that incite harder in-the-face sentiments in the daily intercourses of life. In an already vexatious elections season, social media is a convenient soapbox from which to stir the local cesspool of hate. This has been seen with the instantaneous reactions on anything and everything related to the turbulent elections season: there is the quick, unthinking, reckless connection of race and bigoted motives to the political process, the work of GECOM, the decision-making of its chairwoman. It is a poor place in which to be; or in which to function with so much as a difference of opinion. It is not easily addressed nor readily received. For not too long ago, a leading local politician denounced a watchdog agency’s flagging of alleged “broadcasting violations” of rising to the level of ‘censorship.’ Indeed, it can be a fine line that means different things to different beholders. But if left unchecked, then the worst instincts take off and hurt those unlucky to be on the receiving end. Regard and observance of what is lawful is highly spoken of; but rarely manifested when interests are challenged. For its part, the USA Today article continued, “In 2019, Facebook, Twitter and Google-owned YouTube have taken stands against conspiracy theorists.” It appears to be the proverbial losing battle and struggling to contain the many heads of a monster that keeps growing relentlessly. Taking aim at a divisive figure, the SPLC’s Hankes is tougher on Twitter, President Donald Trump’s social media platform of choice, calling it an “absolute cesspool” of hate. “Twitter does one of the worst jobs of content moderation.” Content moderation must begin with the originator in a temperate, responsible manner: get point across assertively, without feeling it necessary to resort to the vulgar and the wounding. Mr. Hankes describes Facebook as a “work in progress… but is still a platform of choice by hate groups.” Facebook is where birds of a feather flock together; it has proven to be fertile hunting grounds. All of this means that the social media giants must “do more to combat hateful conduct on their platforms…through greater enforcement of anti-hate policy.” There are policies, but the required follow-up action leaves much to be desired. Twitter’s stated anti-hate speech policy says it is not allowed because “it creates an environment of intimidation and…may promote real-world violence.” For its part, Twitter says that it bans participants who “promote violence…or threaten other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender….” and more. So when examined carefully, all of the social media
Venting frustrations in the wrong direction DEAR EDITOR, Co-Chairman of the American Chamber of CommerceGuyana (AMCHAM-G), American Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch cautioned against the Guyanese push for a local content policy that is too heavy and could deter investors as it “may send a signal that some investors as well as the employment and know-how benefits they bring may not be welcome here”. This statement evoked a knee-jerk response from Georgetown Chamber of Commerce Vice-president Timothy Tucker who said “We are the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and we have to do what is best for Guyanese businesses and that is why the Chamber has always been supportive of local content because it is what is best for Guyanese businesses,” “We
all see that her President [Donald Trump] is very prolocal content to his country, so we are very well on track with our local content to be pro-local content,”. I am of the firm belief that Ambassador Lynch, Mr. Tucker and the GCCI are venting frustration in the wrong direction. Editor, it is the Granger administration’s failure to create any local content policy in the four years and four months since the announcement of the discovery of oil in commercial quantity offshore Guyana that is causing widespread discontent and malcontent nationwide. The task is the remit of Department of Energy head Dr. Mark Bynoe. Bynoe has done everything else but provide a local content policy and supporting legislation. David Granger has not reacted to this non-
performance in any way and Bynoe continues to operate in la-la land, holding talks with schoolchildren of all ages to explain future benefits of ‘Christian oil’ …whatever that is. On the 25th August 2019, Dr. Bynoe release the eagerly awaited policy, which began with the disclaimer that “ this policy is limited in its scope to the upstream petroleum sector and currently is not intended to address directly or in their entirety the following policy areas: Mid and downstream petroleum sector opportunities, other policy issues related to the upstream petroleum sector— such as health, safety, security, environment, community impacts, tax and fiscal matters and other petroleum-related national issues, such as national development and planning” . This poorly constructed policy led to members of the
business community venting frustration. The American Ambassador responded and now we are in a tit-for-tat misunderstanding. Guyana is years away from having capabilities for basic monitoring and verification of offshore activities, we will need many foreign firms to assist us, the more complex tasks will take even longer to master. We cannot afford to succumb to xenophobic protectionism, similarly, foreign companies must be made to understand that we are not subservient, merely going through a phase of gross neglect and incompetence with the Granger administration at the helm. Patience Madame Ambassador Lynch, Mr. Tucker et al. we will get through this soon enough. Respectfully, Robin Singh
CORRECTING LINCOLN LEWIS’ FACTS ON SUGAR DEAR EDITOR, GTUC General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis in his column appearing in the September 01 Kaieteur News Edition, among other things, spoke about the sugar industry as he continued his public disagreement with Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo. While we are aware that Messrs Lewis and Jagdeo have for some weeks now been caught up in a war of words regarding opinion and approach, the GAWU, at the same time, finds it necessary to correct some of the inaccurate statements made in the GTUC General Secretary’s column. Mr Lewis charges that Mr Jagdeo, during his time as President, closed Diamond
Estate. This, however, is not true. The Diamond factory was closed in 1985 and a significant section of the estate’s cultivation was retired. It was ironic that the factory was identified for closure in the first place having been upgraded just prior to its closure. In fact, the Diamond factory has the distinction of having the first punt dumper installed in the industry. It appears that the closure of Diamond, like the recent closure of sugar estates, was not thoroughly considered but premised on whims and fancies. The columnist also charged that the Diamond workers were represented by
leaders - Facebook, Twitter, and Google - are quick to state that hate speech is not allowed on their networks. Each points to their immediate efforts: “We remove content promoting violence or hatred against individuals or groups.” That is helpful, but after the fact; damage is long done and not contained. A better standard would be to go beyond the identifiers of flags and block such incendiary material from seeing the light and spreading the contagious diseases of hate and violence. And blacklist them, so they are known and red-flagged by all platforms in the social media universe. The networks must take more prohibiting action. Also, there must be closer collaboration with law enforcement to track serial abusers and inciters. In the current local climate, all right-thinking Guyana media watchdogs must be more than vigilant; they must come down hard and unsparingly on those individuals and groups that seek to divide and inflame toward still greater hatred. Behind the care, polite words in public, there are the infernos of animosity. This society is already tormented by the sights, smells, and sicknesses of many cesspools. Why add or condone a brimming, poisoning social media - one that could overflow at the slightest encouragement? Leaders and groups may think they possess the stomach and capacity to absorb and overcome whatever is hurled their way in the never-ending battle for supremacy. The reality is that things are clearly not so. The cesspool of hate could easily and quickly transform into a cauldron of the uncontrollable.
now Minister Khemraj Ramjattan in order to receive their severance. This too is not correct. It was the GAWU that approached the Courts for its intervention after the GuySuCo did not wish to respect the workers right to severance. In fact, Minister Ramjattan, at that time, indicated to a Union leader that he could not find in the law the relevant section which supported the workers right to severance pay. Our Union later withdrew the Court action, after the then Government intervened in 2011 and ensured that the relevant law was upheld. Moreover, many of the affected workers were offered employment at Wales Estate and continued to work there until that estate was closed at the end of 2016. Our Union has drawn attention to these facts on several occasions now. Of course, Mr Lewis would well know that the incumbent Administration ignored the very section and forced the Union and the workers of Wales to approach the Courts for justice. As we well know, justice prevailed and the Court ruled in the workers favour which saw them belatedly receiving their severance payments. Similarly, the workers of East Demerara, Rose Hall and Skeldon estates had some of their severance entitlements wrongly withheld. It was judicial intervention initiated by GAWU that saw that wrong being righted. The GTUC General Secretary said too that Mr Jagdeo “…closed down LBI estate. Thousands of sugar workers
were put on the breadline”. Again, this is not an accurate statement. In 2011, a decision was made to close the LBI factory. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the improvement of the Enmore factory and the construction of the packaging plant which yielded a higher price for the sugar produced. Of the workers affected by the closure, some were retained at LBI to work in the enlarged workshop that was created while the others were transferred to work in the Enmore factory and the newly constructed packaging plant. There was a small number that opted for early retirement instead. We hasten to point out that in April, 2016, the Corporation actually closed the LBI Estate, under the guise of consolidation. In so doing, LBI Estate ceased to exist and a number of workers were shown the door. At that time, the Corporation contended that the decision was taken to safeguard the future operations of East Demerara Estate. As is now well-known, just mere weeks after that decision, the Corporation and the Government announced its intention to fully close East Demerara Estate and put thousands out of work. We hope that this serves to bring clarity to the reality of the situation at Diamond and LBI Estates and will assist fellow trade unionist Mr Lewis in his future writings on the matter. Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU