Political dynamite loaded with terrifying and horrifying brutish consequences

Jul 20, 2020 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
Vincent Alexander’s letter of Saturday July 18, published in three of the dailies is indicative of the strategic thinking by the three plus seven cabal.
By now, Alexander’s letter must have set off alarm bells in certain quarters nationally and internationally.
If it didn’t, then it means we have become so numbed and traumatized by a combination of elections fatigue and the vagaries of the COVID-19 timorous lockdown, that we have either failed or are not alert enough to recognize the coded message Alexander’s letter is telegraphing to the nation
The first and last paragraphs of Alexander’s letter is as scary as it is portrayed in the macabre and terror-filled work of Edgar Alan Poe’s ‘Tales of Mystery and Madness.’
Published on July 18, the day the world observed ‘Mandela Day,’ Alexander’s letter stands out in stark contrast to what this South African giant of a man sought to instill in the thoughts and actions of mankind;
“It is not our diversity which divide us; nor our ethnicity, or religion or culture that divides us…there can only be one division amongst us: those who cherish democracy and those who do not.”
Mandela’s message to humanity is relevant to Guyana’s present day situation. There is no need for further elaboration.
Addressing the editors of the three dailies, in the opening paragraph of his letter, Alexander reveals his disdain for freedom of expression and public opinion; ‘I find no comfort in discourse in the Letters’ Column since it is often used to personalize issues as well as to spew dogma and subjectively pontificate.’
I concede that Alexander is entitled to his view on this particular matter but that doesn’t mean he’s right in categorizing the letter columns is such a nasty way as he did.
Alexander’s comments are not only disparaging of letter writers, they are the antithesis of freedom of expression and smacks of an open resentment of letter writers.
In the circumstances, we are reminded of Nelson Mandela’s words of caution;
“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it would kill your enemies.”
Since Alexander in my view, finds the letter columns boring, what he should have committed himself to, rather than berating the contents, he should seek to liberate, as it were, the letter columns from the imprisonment of what he labelled as dogma, subjectivity, pontification and the ad hominem issues, by following in the footsteps of his colleagues, unless he considers them just as guilty of dogmatism, pontificating, subjectivism and the personalization of issues.
Alexander’s resentment of letter writers aside, the most troubling in his letter is to be found in the last paragraph where he wrote: ‘There is a song sheet out there that reminds me of the Weapons of Mass Destruction that was the reason for the invasion of Iraq. Alas, no such weapons were found or evidence of their existence.
But regime change was achieved; thousands were killed and Iraq is yet to return to stability and civility.’
This is a case of both the message and the messenger. The two are inextricably linked.
We know messenger, he has long been established as the boundary marker for the APNU+ AFC at GECOM.
And the message/narrative here is clear; no electoral fraud, call it WMD, has been perpetrated by the ruling coalition administration. Therefore, the call for regime change viz; for the Granger led coalition administration to ‘step aside’ is misguided.
Thus, as Alexander’s narrative goes, any outside intervention; read statements and visa restrictions, aimed at bringing about regime change in Guyana, if successful, would come at a heavy price, resulting in ‘thousands killed’ and a loss of ‘stability and civility’ read Guyana, instead of Iraq.
This gloomy and implicitly destructive vision of Guyana’s future, were the APNU+AFC not be allowed to get away with the rape of democracy in Guyana, should be viewed of a declaration of strategic intent by one of the more vocal and high profile representatives of those who doggedly cling to state power in Guyana.
The cabal of three plus seven must not be allowed to ridicule Vox populi so transparently manifested in the count at the place of poll and the recount at the convention center.
Alexander’s threat of what would befall the nation were it not to bend and allow Granger to be declared the President of Guyana, should be considered political dynamite loaded with terrifying and horrifying brutish consequences, with a wick that is as long as twelve months and as short four months.
Yours faithfully,
Clement J. Rohee

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