Intelligence and keeping things simple

Mar 10, 2012 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
Diane Rehm on civility: “Civil discourse is our ability to have conversation about topics about which we disagree, and our ability to listen to each others’ perspectives.” She commented further that, “Civil dialogue and civil discourse begin at home.”
I just finished reading the letter captioned ‘Intellectual Deceit and Simplistic Analysis’ by M. Maxwell published in the Kaieteur News of Friday March 09, 2012. I am a trifle thrilled to be considered by M. Maxwell as having the capacity to intellectually deceive, as it assumes some amount of intelligence exists on my part.
My father always taught me the importance of keeping things simple and my letter dated Monday March 05, 2012, demonstrated in simple terms for all Guyanese to understand how, using guidelines under the U.S. Electoral system, Brigadier David Granger would be the President of Guyana.
I apologize for leaving out New Jersey as the 11th State; this extra State would allow the presidential candidate to have the votes to be elected President. I hereby emphasize winning just eleven of the fifty states that comprise the United States of America would determine who is elected the President and who would have the power to select the cabinet.  Thus, winning just 22% of the States (11/50) is enough to win the Presidency, while when a party such as APNU wins 30% of the Regions in Guyana there is no Presidency, no cabinet and the attendant appointment of diplomats and general control of the Executive for APNU.
M. Maxwell, bear in mind that my letter is a pure observation on the electoral system in the U.S. and the attendant consequences if applied in Guyana, based on facts that are easily available on the internet. My underlying point really is that the lack of political power vested in APNU after winning over 52% of the Regions does not lend to representative democracy by any stretch of the imagination.
With the United States viewed by many as the mainstay of democratic values and people representative systems, I thought alerting the Guyanese electorate that Brigadier David Granger would be President under US guidelines provides for a better understanding of the predicament and influence of APNU, and why it is very important that changes are made to our electoral system.
Now I will extract some statements and references in your (M. Maxwell’s) letter that amount to extraneous bits and pieces and pure misrepresentations when considered in the context of my simple letter regarding the implications for a U.S. type Electoral System in Guyana and the very likely results.
1. The US operates a complicated electoral system.
2. Who in their right mind would compare the US electoral system to the electoral system in Guyana?
3. State and National Elections are dissimilar to our Regional and Top up System.
4. Presidential Elections and Congressional Elections are different – as my budding colleague in another section of the media would say Dicta! Dicta!
5. The point where Tomfoolery was mentioned is the exact point I made in my initial letter
6. Winner take all per State is the core of my letter so your reference to California makes my point.
7. Please review your belief that Regions in Guyana do not conduct elections that are separate and apart from elections in other regions when determining Regional Seats.
8. The paragraph with Wyoming is good for comedy when considering my core points.
9. The PPP/C wins and the APNU loses in smaller regions – how this makes sense when APNU already won the Regions 4, 7, and 10 is mystifying.
10. As acknowledged earlier I left out New Jersey (now 22% of the States) which would give the party winning the eleven states the presidency.
11. Lumping Democrat and Republican States – The Math is what matters and it reflects the population and the intention in a democracy for the states with the larger populations to have more say in determining the Presidency
12. Brigadier David Granger short of the votes – Clearly misleading and wrong as APNU won 52% of the votes on a Regional basis.
13.  M. Maxwell needs to make a distinction between simplistic and simple or have a better understanding.
14. Admittedly APNU could get more seats and the PPP/C could get less in a U.S. Electoral system – Thanks; please add Presidency to be honest.
15. In the fourth to last paragraph the equation is void when New Jersey is brought into consideration. Also APNU won 52% of the Regional Votes.
16. Your third to last column makes no sense when we are operating under the U.S. system
17. The penultimate paragraph is far from the truth.
18. Your final paragraph makes my point again that APNU would control the Presidency and the cabinet under U.S. Electoral guidelines.
Nigel Hinds

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