Being idle (whether enforced or not) does have its advantages such as being able to spend time in the National Library. Libraries all over the world attract the strangest kinds of people and Guyana's is no exception. Whilst browsing through some yellowing copies of the Guyana Chronicle one was distracted by a furtive greasy?haired man who was snuffling around in the English Literature section and whispering not very softly "Communist Pigs". A closer look revealed the man to be a disgruntled former minister.

Anyway the Chronicle of August 1983 made for some very fascinating reading. This was the time of the PNC's 5th Biennial Congress at the newly built Congress Place for which a theme song had been especially composed: "Fight the National Battle for Survival/We must have a general revival/We will cut and contrive/To show the will to survive and /Win the National Battle for Survival." The Chronicle's headline for the opening day was quite balanced and modest in keeping with good journalism: ' Arise ..Triumphant...Glorious." Revolutionaries from around the world including the Sandinistas in dark glasses and Cubans in battle fatigues had flown into G/T for the occasion. Our own Cde Fenty is clearly seen hosting a press conference and speaking frankly on the path of socialism.

Later that month the PPP Food Motion in the National Assembly proposing the importation of certain dangerous items namely split peas, wheat and fats was soundly defeated. Look! There is a picture of Cde Hamilton Green resplendent in a tartan shirt-jac stating how such imports would jeopardise the country's road to self?sufficiency. All part of Operation Fight Back.

Meanwhile Paul Fung A Fat looking exactly the same as he did just last week, was admitted to the bar; no coincidence but there was a cigarette shortage at the time; black sage was to be commercialized as a toothpaste; a wind powered triamaran was to be used in the fishing business; coal burning cookers were about to come on the market: and a woman's movement was giving lessons on how good it was to cook with rice flour. In what was to be a very effective initiative, new legislation was being introduced to stamp out corruption by public officers and Yes! there really was a seven year plan for agri?development which included milk production to feed the whole nation. The headline was "Complete self sufficiency in milk in five years." How strange 18 years later that a $130M project has just been launched for the same purpose.

Finally copies of the hefty eight page Chronicle were now themselves part of the black market, selling for twice the cover price. A stern reminder warned that persons caught selling it for more than 50 cents would be prosecuted. If only they had those worries now!

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36 hours of Hot Air
The budget debates are over and the MP's have patted themselves on the back for their high level of discourse and their digestive capacities. Every one of them can take a big yawn, go home and happily contemplate on how little they have achieved for the country.

What is more disturbing is the new Zeitgeist sweeping the political marshlands. The opposition leader Mr Hoyte on Friday talked about "a fresh start". Reepu Daman Persaud hoped 'for an environment of stability." The people's worst fears are being realised ...the two parties are actually going to work together. The country is surely doomed. If they could both separately wreck it in 35 years what will they achieve when they join forces?

The newspapers and other media are surely to be blamed for this new spirit of cooperation. All those countless editorials about burying hatchets for the good of the nation have finally had their disastrous effect. Circulation and ratings will now quite rightly plummet. After all who wants to read headlines about "bipartisanism" and other dreary sounding words? Much more enjoyable are stories about fires, walkouts, sitdowns and "put up or shut up." It is now time for the press to work back in the other direction and look to cause as much discontent between the two parties as possible. Editorial headlines could read "The scourge of cooperation", "Too close for comfort" and "Dig up the hatchet."

Meanwhile we can only hope that the politicians are just paying lip service to these ideals and will soon resort to their wicked ways .

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