Myth and lie are enemies of truth

Mar 12, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I respond to the false demagoguery dished out by Prem Misir titled, “Selective Observations and over Generalizations” (Kaieteur News March, 9, 2011) his harangue tells us that the enemy of truth is a myth and not a lie, and proposes his lie “that Guyana is democratic and free, and, indeed, constantly on the move toward consolidating democracy.”
Even though I read these pages daily, I’m not one known to be a contributor, but continually reading the putridity penned by Mr. Misir which he tries to pass off as academic and intellectual truisms, I’m moved to respond, so that young people who read these pages will not buy into these vain imaginings of Misir, who is the paid head of the propaganda department of the Office of The President.
I also vow to continue writing as long as Misir continues to spin, twist and cloud the facts.
The smallest child knows the age old adage, that, “he who pays the piper, calls (dictates) the tune” and if Misir stops singing the tune of his dictator and pay master, he too like Navin Chandarpal will be kicked out of the lofty seat from which he now pontificates.
Children also know that when somebody is paid to say something that he must not be trusted and Mr. Prem Misir knows well that paid pundits are not well regarded in academic circles.
He quoted a 30-year old writing and used an old event and personality to make his juxtaposition and studiously avoids modern writings and findings.
The reason why it’s a misnomer to apply Hitler’s analysis to the Guyanese context is that the playing field in Hitler’s time and the state of world affairs are much different to the one we have now.
During Hitler’s reign there was no United Nations or countless other international trade and governance structures, no human rights organisations as exist today. Of those organisations that predated Hitler’s rule (such as ILO) did not have as many rights-protecting conventions and signatories and there wasn’t any mass broadcast agency the likes of CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera, no GPS capabilities and certainly no internet.
This new dispensation came about to ensure no beasts like Hitler will be allowed free reign, not even in the most obscure parts of the earth.
This fact renders Misir’s pontifications fully out of context and wholly irrelevant. Because people are more informed and they are so many extra-national bodies keeping an eye on leaders, one who wish to be a dictator must use other means to perpetuate their dictatorial attributes on the society since Hitler (Prem’s fixation) type of dictatorship will not survive anywhere in the modern world.
This breathes new forms of dictatorship, and lead modern academics such as R. D. Congleton (2001), S. Galam & S. Wonezak (2000), R. Deacon (2003) and Fareed Zakaria (2003) et al, to redefine conceptualizations of dictatorships.
Among these is the concept of ‘elected dictatorship’ a term the ‘Misirable’ one is avoiding like the plague.
If Prem’s is so fascinated by Hitler then let’s examine him a bit and we will find that there are many similarities that the Jagdeo presidency shares with the rule of Hitler:
1. Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers Party was controlled by a small majority called the Central Executive Committee. Hitler ran for party leadership against Drexler and coerced the central executive to vote by a show of hands.
2. Hitler first came to power not by direct elections but by manipulation of the chancellor/president position and was subsequently elected into power by an ethnic majority (he often demagouged on their racial anxiety).
3. Hitler had no children and lived with a woman (Mimi Reiter) who he called his wife, he threw her out of his home with no earthly benefits, (she later committed suicide) later he lived with Eva Braun.
4. Lothar Machtan in his book, “The Hidden Hitler” alleged that Hitler had homosexual tendencies. Hitler’s trusted lieutenants were accused of widespread sexual fetishism and unnatural sexual odyssey.
5. His ministers and trusted lieutenants and their kids were a law unto themselves they could gun-butt, knock down, and imprison whomever they choose and destroy the property of others without reprisals.
6. Hitler’s ministry of information was in his own office, he had a hired propagandist and ‘spinner’ he controlled how many media houses were allowed to write, openly attacked the independent paper at the time (Freie Presse) and urged his supporters not to read it. He banned certain types of Christian religious programmes and employed a special Bishop to organise joint religious programmes to try to appease both Catholics and Protestants.
7. Hitler routinely locked away political opponents and charged many for treason. He sanctioned secret killing squad who killed many ordinary citizens and authorised his police to “shoot to kill”
8. Without public tender or direct purchase, Hitler and his ministers selected prime public property and constructed mansions for themselves.
Prem’s romanticism with Hitler is no surprise; he is so enamoured because he sees these same traits in his pay master for which he desperately try to cloak. If given similar conditions, indications are that Jagdeo could become a dictator of the worst order. Let me ask you a direct question Prem, do you think Hitler possessed the requisite humility to consult with an opposition leader to have the office of Chancellor of the Judiciary properly filled or appoint an Ombudsman?
I’ve spent my entire adult life under PPP rule, first under the Jagans, I cannot say that either of the Jagans were dictators but I must confess that I was a bit uneasy with their Marxist postulations, since history has shown that most avowed Marxists leaders eventually embraced dictatorship after they became settled into their positions. I am however, convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jagdeo is a dictator, like so many other young people, this is my living experience and no amount of web spun by Prem can change this.
Incidentally, the writer Robert Deacon, professor of economics at the University of California in his 2003 findings concluded that dictators in office usually do not give the citizenry value for money spent on public projects, lets examine a few:
Thirty-two million dollars spent on a new stelling ramp, two days after that it was condemned as unfit because it broke under the pressure of loading vehicles, incidentally the New Amsterdam, Rosignol, Vreed-en-Hoop and numerous other ramps which existed many years before my birth are still in operation today, now that’s value for money.
The beautiful CARICOM Secretariat building only got disability access after protest from other CARICOM heads and one year after its construction the Secretariat started renting a property across the road to the tune of millions per month, conversely the Bank of Guyana building (for example) after more than 35 years still meets the demands for which it was built. Now that’s value for money.
The railway embankment road, constructed in 1997, by 2000 had developed huge cracks, parts have sunk lower than the original level and the bridges are dilapidated, less than six months after the construction of roads in Parfait Harmonie it has completely collapsed; on the other hand the Corentyne and Linden/Soesdyke Highways, the Rosignol-Georgetown road and numerous others were at least 20 years old and in mint condition when PPP took office, now that’s value for money.

Dear Prem, I could continue, but I will truncate to allow space for other writers, but please be reminded, that both myth and lie are enemies of truth.
Sincerely
Lenno Craig

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