Dear Editor,
A socialist leader requires a socialist state - in Marxist-Leninist terms, a state that has abolished capitalism and is moving towards communism. Examples of socialist states are the old Soviet Union, as was, and today Cuba, Guyana, Venezuela, many Caribbean Islands, Suriname, and Zimbabwe.
Socialism is defined as social organization advocating public or state ownership and administration of the manufacturing and distribution of goods. One of the first premises of a socialist state is the re-distribution of wealth throughout the population. A key to the re-distribution of wealth is the nationalization of industries, unfair levying of taxes (over- taxation) so the state is in control, and everyone becomes equal - equally poor.
Have you not noticed how many times in any debate or speech the National Alliance used the word "social", "empower" or "wealth re-distribution"?
Just recently in an interview, the finance commissioner clearly stated that most people own two cars, including a big SUV, and they should pay more taxes. They are getting ready to tax you out of your wealth, so they can keep you poor and dependent.
The Alliance and their comrade spin-doctors are also spreading false information and misinformation in defence of the proposed new Dutch Caribbean guilder by ones who obviously just do not have a clue and are twisting the facts.
Here are some of the obvious facts: The Dutch Caribbean guilder will be pegged to the US dollar. So in effect we will still be dollarized. However, the one per cent foreign exchange tax will not be enough to cover the cost of operating our central bank, printing our own currency, paying high salaries to central bank executives and having enough left over to put in the government's coffers.
They will have to increase the one per cent foreign exchange tax to whatever they wish to, in order to force us to save and spend the Dutch Caribbean guilder. Since no one will want to, they will have to do like Aruba and many Caribbean countries and limit the amount of US dollars one can take out of their own bank account to go on vacation, and/or to buy imported goods.
Some of the NA's candidates are on nightly radio programs preaching price and strict monetary controls. These socialist or communist principles will lead to the shortage of goods and the flight of capital. Just ask your Guyanese friends what happened to Guyana after these above polices were implemented there. They may be some of the ones that took their US dollars (after saving it under their beds) out stuffed in car wheels.
Definitely not a comrade,
Peter Gunn
