Fascism does its pre-election dance

Oct 04, 2011 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I wasn’t in the least surprised at the suspension of CNS channel 6. This writer has used the classification of fascism five years ago to describe the direction of the governing cabal in this land. On this page and in interviews, I have polemicized that the descent into fascism takes Guyana beyond the traditional autocracy practiced by Forbes Burnham.
Mr. Ravi Dev has chastised me for using this evaluation of the Jagdeo regime. He said it has inflammatory potential. Simply put, Devi is saying that if you call the Government fascist, it can incite detractors to attack symbols of power. I have used the term since January 2005, and onto now, Dev’s prediction is yet to come true.
Far from galvanizing the citizenry to go on the attack, Guyana remains a placid lake where all types of fascist manoeuvres by State agencies go unprotested.
Dev should not detain us further because his recent political conversion is well known. But it would be interesting to hear his take on this latest manifestation of fascism. Or maybe he will ignore it and concentrate further on my application of the concept to what Mr. Jagdeo just did to CN Sharma.
What interpretations can the analyst put to this horrible and horrific decision? There are varying theories that will emerge as the news soak in. First, the PPP is out to do something pretty bad that it hopes will create confusion and anger that may trigger demonstrations and this will provide them with a strategic advantage for the elections. I don’t think this suspension will be that occasion.
The PPP is testing the water. The Sharma punishment will not lead to protest for one, largely conspicuous reason – the combined opposition knows that the PPP is baiting them and they will not use the Sharma victimization to take to the streets.
The combined opposition will feel that it is not the type of do or die situation to warrant a confrontation at this time.
Secondly, the PPP stopped Sharma out of election fear. CNS Channel 6 beams to greater Georgetown and to the lower parts of the East Coast and East Bank. The signal goes to a huge area of Demerara. But it is highly doubtful that in stopping Sharma, the PPP will dent whatever success his critical stance achieves in order to win votes.
The people who are influenced by CNS Channel 6 will not vote for the PPP. In curtailing Sharma, all the PPP has done is to invite more scorn upon itself. As stated above the suspension of the channel is “a thing” the PPP is trying. If people get so agitated and take to the streets then the PPP scores an astounding victory.
Fear will run rampant, the PPP will say the opposition is planning violence as is their natural habit and Indian will vote out of insecurity.
The suspension is the beginning of the “trying a thing” stratagem. There are going to be much more to come. The distressing thing about this insidious, invidious, incendiary indulgence is that the PPP cannot lose in the game. If the next thing doesn’t bring an opposition reaction, then another victory is scored.
Let me explain. The object is to assault the process of democracy and to curtail freedom and liberties in the hope of creating national instability in order either to win votes or postpone the election.
But each time a violation or a curtailment of freedom or an assault on democracy is made and there is opposition inaction, then there is a further loss of rights and the PPP’s power is strengthened. A graphic example is the Sharma case. There will no demonstrative action by the opposition and political rights groups. And Sharma is no more. Looked at from any angle, the President wins. How do you deal with this monster?
From today onwards we have to look for the concatenation of fascist inventions that will test the faith of the opposition. Can we anticipate what’s inside the concatenation? I suspect the Kaieteur News and the Stabroek News will be targeted. More oppressive methods will apply to the Kaieteur News. Capitol News and Prime News or HBTV Channel 9 may get a visit.
There could be a drastic measure taken against the TUC. My greatest fear is physical attack on strong critics that could include opposition figures themselves. That of course could be the triggering mechanism and the PPP will laugh; it got its way.
I repeat what I have opined on this page before and have spoken of in interviews – the PPP cannot afford to lose the election because of the legal prosecution that will follow. The worse is yet to come.

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Fascism does its pre-election dance

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