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Norman Browne: An AFC Embarrassment

Aug 29, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
Readers were subjected to a comical little response to my ‘AFC in a Pickle’ from someone hiding behind the name of Norman Browne. The man insinuates that he is a qualified Spin Doctor and that his expertise can be truly ascertained by his own spinning for the AFC.
Spin Doctor Norman Browne advises that “[s]pin should be slick not obvious and insulting to people’s intelligence.” Fair enough. Let us take a look at how ‘slick not obvious’ spinning should work according to Browne. Here he is – “We want them to tell us when we will be able breathe freely as a nation without, wanton murders in our towns, without criminal enterprises and drug lords in bed with elected representatives.” I challenge this AFC spin guru to reconcile his own advice with the formulaic vitriol above. I would spare him the more difficult task of reconciling ‘slickness’ with expressions such as the – “…the wimp of spin.” But there is more. I myself would never respond to an “undeveloped, myopic, and embarrassing” letter unless provoked. The obvious question is why is it the AFC found it necessary to respond to my – “AFC in a pickle.” I’ll tell you why.
The AFC knows, for sure, that I have actually exposed a fundamental flaw in the join opposition thing in which they are currently involved. They know for sure that Guyanese must be asking how is it that the AFC can ignore the avalanche of complaints that came out of Sophia. They know that independent thinkers in Guyana, as well as people from the diplomatic sector must be asking – how will the AFC get out of this dilemma? They know that people in the Diaspora must be saying – the AFC is being used by the larger party in the joint opposition. They must also themselves be worried that if they stay too long in the joint protest opportunity affair, they might be trapped. I ask you today Norman – what is the exit strategy of the AFC from the joint opposition?
The AFC is in a specific dilemma. Let me spell it out.
If the AFC is not in the joint opposition the PNC will runaway with the militancy ratings. During 2011 the PNC would then rightfully say that the AFC was absent during the protest, and that it is a party of two lawyers.
If it stays in the joint opposition but leaves too early, it would be accused of not the having courage to apply ‘mo pressah’ – ‘real pressah’. Some columnists might write article with headlines such as “AFC gives up struggle!”
If it stays in the joint opposition too long, it would be unable to exit ‘the joint’ without accusing the PNC of a canter load of vile things.
If and when the AFC files for divorce from the joint opposition the divorce would have to be public, and the PNC would (rightfully) turn around and apply ‘real pressah’ on the AFC itself.
If the AFC files for an amicable separation it would concede all the accumulated point on militancy gained though the joint protest opportunities, and this would only strengthen the PNC. Given the current vitriolic rhetoric of the AFC itself, the party would look like a wimp if it tries to switch back to the ‘pretty boy’ image that it had hitherto nurtured. Please see Norman Browne’s letter for current instances of AFC vitriol.
Listen – I am not an adviser to the AFC. Norman Browne should be the one pointing these things out to the party. My ‘AFC in a Pickle’ was intended to send a little signal. Norman Browne, who is obviously a very young student, did not understand this.
I have one final comment. It concerns the Opposition-Media Complex. Kaieteur News refused to publish the ‘AFC in a Pickle’ article, but gave a huge headline to Norman Browne’s criticism of the same article.
Randy Persaud

Editor’s Note:
Your letter captioned, “AFC in a pickle” was published in our edition of August 25, 2009, on page 23. In future we advise Mr. Persaud to go through our publication more thoroughly, before making accusations.

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