The PPP in 2020: This is my philosophical view of life

Jun 29, 2018 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I have an inflexible position about crime and punishment. It is a deeply cherished philosophical embrace that I would never flinch from.
I was at the cashier’s counter at the Budget Supermarket on Sheriff Street, last week, when standing behind me was a businessman who once owned a cambio (Blue Flame) on America Street. I changed money there that my brother sent for my mom back in the late eighties.
I taught his niece at the time at UG, so I turned around and asked him what became of her. He said she migrated, then, I asked about his money-changer. This was one of his employees who used to perambulate America Street soliciting you. I knew him very well, so I gave him my patronage. This street worker, who ran up to you to change your foreign currency, later became a big PPP hatchet man in the public service. He then turned up at the Council of the University of Guyana, where he demanded my dismissal.
One night at a Council meeting, he stood up in the face of Vice Chancellor, Lawrence Carrington and exclaimed’ “Freddie Kissoon’s appointment must be rescinded no later than tomorrow.” And it did happen the next day. I knew this fellow when I was a student at UG. I was always on friendly terms with him. But he was now a power player.
And so it was that I came to ask what had become of him. The businessman told me he is seriously ill. I said that I was glad he was in that position.
The man, whose Regent Street store I still patronize, said, “No, no, Freddie, don’t say that man.” I got a tiny bit angry and defended my ungenerous sentiments. Then I pointed to the cashier and I told him that she got a baby last year and works to support her child, and it would be a tragedy for the child if someone was to take away her employment.
We both went outside, and I began to tell him what his former money-changer did to me at UG, and informed him that at the time my contract was terminated, I had a daughter that depended on me.
My philosophical view in life is that when your deliberate cruelty as a power possessor, it devastates innocent persons, you devastate the loved ones that depend on them, and consequently you should be held accountable. You cannot destroy the physical and mental world of other people and go on as if nothing happened. You should pay for your crime. That is the basis on, which the continuation of civilization rests. If humans in this world – whether in power display or in criminal conduct – harm other humans, then they must be answerable to society.
I simply cannot imagine a situation in which a person can just shrug their shoulders and say; “Well, he robbed the man of his property but forget it; that was a long time ago.” What nonsense is that? We must never say that. Humans have rights and those rights are inviolable. Violators must not be allowed to get away with their wrongdoing.
It is against this philosophical context, I will briefly examine (to develop the theme in another column) who should be the next presidential candidate for the PPP in 2020. It should not be from among the cabals that nurtured and expanded the morbid, authoritarian, semi-fascist reign of Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP leadership, the likes of whom include Roger Luncheon, Donald Ramotar, Gail Teixeira, Clement Rohee, Indra Chandarpal, Komal Chand, etc.
We must always remember Botha had his henchmen helping him enforce apartheid. Hitler had his gangs that preserved his rule. Stalin had his guardians killing people for him. The military fascist leaders in Africa, Central America and South America had dirty people like themselves that helped them.
Denis Chabrol asked for my view of one particular candidate who, now alienated from Jagdeo, gave decades of service to the PPP, including the Jagdeo presidency, and who once wrote a Chronicle column suggesting Jagdeo was a better leader than Cheddi Jagan. I dismissed his candidacy in seconds, based on what I know.
I see one young PPP bigwig has already thrown his hat in the ring. I was giving an academic presentation for the Guyana Historical and Research Society at the National Library when this man barged in with a group and disrupted my talk. This was his way of showing what he thought of free speech. He wants to be president of Guyana. I wonder if he has the decency to offer me an apology.

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The PPP in 2020: This is my philosophical view of life

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