Dear Editor,
As I peruse the contents of the historical exchanges between one of Guyana’s most enduring patriots Kaieteur News Columnist Frederick Kissoon, and the army of PPP apologists and sycophants in whose side his truths have become annoying and discomfiting thorns, the chorus from the lyrics of Michael Jackson’s ‘Man in the Mirror’ keep filtering through my head. Jackson sang quote “I’m starting with the man in the mirror, I’m asking him to change his ways, And no message could have been any clearer, If you wanna make the world a better place, Take a look at yourself and make a change”. The totality of Freddie Kissoon’s commentary can be summarized in the context of that chorus. All he is asking of them is to take a good long look at themselves in the context of their Nation’s political and social history, and to work to end the pattern of “abee time now” political attitudes and behaviours. To them, unfortunately, he has become a veritable Thomas Beckett to their King Henry 11 political collective. And the gist of their deceitful and venomous missives that target Kissoon represent modern day replicas of the frustrated cry attributed to the King in the face of his Archbishop’s obstinacy in facilitating the widening of his powers.
The latest attempt to silence Kissoon by resurrecting a 39 year old episode involving library books would be laughed off the pages of any newspaper in any other Nation but Guyana. There can be no more obvious example of what an intersection between desperation and wickedness will produce. The “powers that be” and those for whom its status continuance represent heady and rapturous inverse proportional satisfaction, are determined that discourse on Guyana’s history and present must be confined in a tunnel of convenient truths. The pattern is to organize facts and truths according to the Gospel of the PPP, and to inundate the various dissemination outlets with these missives. It requires no great or expansive deductive prowess to discern the pattern, or to figure out why the writings of Freddie Kissoon elicit such animosity from those quarters. They represent disequilibrium in the status quo for the Political Scribes and Pharisees, in a manner of speaking of course, for whom objective truths have become burdensome inconveniences. These pundits and opinion shapers seek to impose an information utopia in Guyana in which their political and social constructs become the primary beneficiaries. They crave the privilege of absolute power to determine right and wrong according to how each event affects or impacts upon their hold and association with political power. It has always been universally recognized and accepted that Objective Truths tend to become the first and major casualties in political and social conflicts.
Martin Luther King opined that “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy”. When that principle is applied to the positions and opinions of many of Freddie Kissoon’s critics they are found to be severely wanting in moral and ethical consistency. During the two plus decades when the PPP’s political status was confined to that of the opposition, a period that can be described as challenging and controversial for them and Kissoon, the current critics of Freddie Kissoon stood toe to toe with him as he filtered his criticism of the establishment power through the prism of ethics, morality, truth and objectivity. Today however, now that the PPP’s political status is that of the establishment power, and Kissoon continues to filter his criticisms through the same prisms, those who once praised and stood toe to toe with him are outraged. Kissoon’s commentary points to, among other things, the monopolization of the state media, the abuse and corruption that litter the landscape in the halls of power, the two tier system of justice and dispensation of resources, unequivocal evidence that the state in Guyana is still one of challenge and controversy. However, to those for whom the serendipitous change in the political status of the Party they support is more important than inconsequentials like principles, like positions and views that are obvious and blatant reflections of unadulterated hypocrisy, it is a time of comfort and convenience. Go figure.
Yours faithfully,
Robin Williams
There are always things to criticise. Nobody, or a government is perfect. Words are cheap. Challenges like cerain statistics , can be twisted and overplayed for one’s own agenda. The overall context, in that Guyana continues to progress and develop, is convenienly “forgotten”.
Shock columinists like Kissoon are a dime a dozen, as the Americans say, in papers in the USA and Canada. The tabloids love them because they add “variety” . KN management are not supid.They are the press equivalents of the shocks radio jocks. Their topics have to be outrageous, bending the truth with rumours, innnuedoes,comedy and, in Kissoon’s case, ignorance of political science and overdoing it (the “Indians stupid for voting PPP” horse has been long flogged to death and buried) . This is all aided by the appaling lack of serious application of libel laws in Guyana. Look what’s appearing in SN and KN. The management of these papers would be out on the streets looking for jobs following court cases in other countries….
Kissoon has been acussed of certain thins. Folks, isn’t it automatic hat he would now come with something at attempts a damage control.Yaaawn..
Mr. Williams, get real…
Yawn..Yawn..same silly comments. Those silly comments are exactly what Faria would say. Get your ideas to make sense and stop selling the Pee-Pee-Pee spin. They have destroyed the fabric of Guyana and devasted a nation with the corruption and fraudlent activities.Time for new leadership and new ideas.
You are a braver man than I, Reddy if you braved through all of Mr Williams verbal flatulence. Uncle Freddie is an irrelevance. End of story.
Yawn yawn , ppp gat nuff time to waste……
Very succinct. Is it time now that this Freddie matter be put to bed. The book issue was silly – no one with an ounce of intelligence will allow that to cloud their sense of fairness.
Rush Limbaugh’s drug use was an issue becasue he was unsympathetic to those who suffered from drug addiction. The ACLU, an organization that Limbaugh spoke vehemently against, came to his defense. The connection is this, Kisson likes to portray himslef as holier than thou. He is not. And that is why the book issue is important. If Kisson is going to piss in the wind he has to expect to get wet.
Truth:
When has Freddie portrayed himself as a holier than thou person? Freddie has no problems calling a spade a spade, and that’s why you guys are so bothered. You have nothing else to grab onto so you’re grasping at this straw in hopes it will shut Freddie up.
I like your last sentence.
And thats the whole Truth!
“Truths tend to become the first and major casualties in political and social conflicts” Mr. Williams and Freddie is speaking to themselves, they cannot see one positive in the PPP/C hence their gripe. I agree with Mr truth… piss in the wind and get wet.” The fault lies not in our selves but in our stars.”
It should be: “The fault lies not in our stars but in ourselves.”
It is quite humorous to watch the big powerful government go all out to try and embarrass Freddie Kissoon.
They make him out to be the biggest villain in the country accusing him of everything in the book including theft of books when the man was a youngster. Adding to the fun Freddie owns up to his indiscretions but no one and I say no one in the PPP owns up to their nasty and treacherous actions.
Did anyone admit to aiding and abetting drug traffickers within the PPP yet?
Has the PPP admitted that they cannot account for billions of dollars missing under the PPP per the auditor general?
The PPP cannot even come to grips and accept that they have mismanaged every aspect of the country from a social, political and economic points of view. When Freddie points out these facts the govt goes after him with vicious attacks.
What the government has failed to get is that the people will always root for the small man and Freddie as he has said many times has very little to lose. The PPP in this game has everything to lose. They cannot ignore freddie and they cannot seem to come to grips with being humble and contrite and accept that they have some serious short comings.
Keep it up boyz ahhhhhh gots to say ahhh loves the humor and irony.
He reader Freddie and his stooges should take a good look at themselves first.If they have no blemish, they can proceed.
garr garrrr garrrrr garrrrrrr more scrapings from the PPP groupies.
Caesar tek ya own advice.
Freddie’s Unmitigated Gall.
Freddie Kissoon keeps praising Walter Rodney.
Let us take a few moments and reflect this.
When Walter was assainated in 1980 and we protested on U G grounds where was Freddie Kissoon?
Ask my buddies who spear headed the protest excerises, Rishi Parsram Kerstyn, Reggie Bhagwandin and Foster.
Freddie was no where in the crowd.
Another who takes credit[ He writes letters and quotes Walter's name] The good attorney Vic Puran was tied to congress place.
Now they are conveniently Walter’s comperes.
If Walter was around , he would shame them!!