Bookshelf Politics
Aug 03, 2026
(Kaieteur News) – Dem boys seh Guyana got a new national institution. It’s called Facebook Live University. Every day, somebody does go live to educate the nation on politics, governance, economics, corruption, development, democracy and everything else under the sun.
But dem boys notice something else. Plenty of these Facebook professors does position demself carefully in front of a bookshelf. And not just any bookshelf. A bookshelf packed tight with books—big books, serious books, books with titles that sound like they could make a man develop a headache just by looking at dem.
Dem boys watching and wondering who does arrange the set? Because de bookshelf does look like it got more qualifications than de person sitting in front of it.
Now dem boys not saying the person never read none of dem books. God forbid. But dem boys would like to know: How many of dem books actually pass through dem man eye?
Because some of dem books looking brand new. Spine straight. No crease. No fingerprint. No dog-ear. Not even dust disturbance.
Dem boys remember one fella who used to work in a government office. He decide that he needed to look important, so he put up shelves all over de place and fill dem with trophies.
Problem was, he never win one of dem trophies. Dem trophies never represent achievement. Dem was strictly decoration. Dem boys call that ornamental excellence.
And that is how some of these Facebook Live broadcasts looking.
Man sitting in front of 300 books, talking like he personally authored 250 and reviewed the other 50.
“Good afternoon, Guyana. Today I will be discussing constitutional reform.” Behind him: The Constitution of the United States, The Federalist Papers, International Law, Comparative Constitutionalism, Political Philosophy, Democracy and Development.
Dem boys say, “Well boy, we ready!”
Then five minutes later, the man quoting something he see on Facebook yesterday.
But dem boys have a solution.
Before anybody allowed to go live in front of a bookshelf, de nation should ask for a book audit. Pick any five books from behind you. Tell us the title. Tell us the author. Tell us what page 137 says.
If you pass, proceed with your national lecture. If you fail, dem boys recommend plain wall.
Because sometimes a blank wall does have more intellectual credibility than a bookshelf full ah book nobody ever touch.
Talk half. Leff half.
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