Apparently India listened

Louis Farrakhan advised African Guyanese to learn skills of economic empowerment from Asians Friday, December 14th 2007 Dear Editor,

At his presentation at the university of Guyana in the early 1990s, Minister Louis Farrakhan advised Afro Guyanese to master mathematics and learn from Asians skills of economic empowerment, as a basis to be or remain competitive in the society and the world. He illustrated that Africans are still at the sentimental level of narrating that "the cow jump over the moon", while others are trying to land on it. By mastering mathematics, he means mastering the foundation of logic, reasoning and rationality. To learn from Asians, is to understand and practice their attitudes and habits of frugality, collaboration, and investment.

Sri Aurobindo, one of India's most celebrated thinkers, in discussing India's caste problems and cultural deficiencies, admitted that even though India has been a major contributor of spirituality to the world, it was stagnating itself by sentimentality and traditionalism which cost it over 500 invasions of its territory. He argued that Europeans are ahead of the world, and might remain so because they mastered the scientific methods of thinking and doing things. Apparently India listened, for a few years from now, it may be classified as a competitive scientific power...

A major problem of this country is that we do not intellectualise enough. This is evident in the conduct and performance of all institutions of this country and the quality of discussions we normally have, especially in context of analysis, forecasting, planning, implementation, and evaluation. We tend to be more driven by impressions, sentiments, prejudice, and pettiness. Thus creating more problems than we solve.
But I am accepting Mobibo's invitation to engage him at "fleshing out our rights". Permit me to add here that rights are not void of responsibilities. A primary responsibility of the Afro community is to ensure that its leaders are people of integrity. He who lacks integrity could never protect your rights. Secondly, by democratic principles, one's rights should never be pursued at the expense of the rights of others. If he so does, the other must be compensated to the extent of the injury caused. Or in extreme cases, his rights become forfeited to the extent of the hurt caused. So, for instance, he who murders also forfeits his right to life. In a democracy, the State is responsible for protecting and regulating one's rights and procedures to address grievances. The laws of Guyana are very clear on issues such as torture and police brutality, for instance. But none of that would persist without the complicity of Afro Guyanese leaders/administrators within the armed forces.
I worked there and I know. My suggestion to Mobido now, is that while it may be convenient to attack the PPP government he should never blind himself to the fact that no aberration in governance is possible without collaboration from Afro Guyanese within the state system. So let's talk about the purification of the State according to democratic ideals. Yours faithfully, Lin-Jay Harry-Voglezon