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FM
Former Member

Lessons from Paris and the implications for the independent media in Guyana

 

By Paul Sanders Caribbean Daylight, NY, January

2015

In the end, twelve people lay dead. Killed - in cold blood.

What happened at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris last week looked like a blockbuster script

for a Hollywood production. It had all the ingredients for an action flick.

Precise. Messy. Barbarous. Military marksmanship. Eerily written, this screenplay was

apocalyptically formulated thousands of miles away, cultures away, from location set. Credits to

Guyana's attorney general, the very honorable Anil Nandlall, a member of the upper caste -

traditionally known to be associated with military affairs.

Ya think? Well, here's the deal. Let's reconverge to the scene: the obscenity of this man's prose in

the infamous telephone exchange with Kaieteur News last fall. And what you are hearing is the

tonality, quite familiar, to the madness of an Islamist militant terrorist, steeped in extreme brutality

and gore.

What the massacre in Paris did is to provide the graphics, the moving images of Mr. Nandlall's roaring

rant. Far-fetched, right? Then tell that to the people at Kaieteur News; they've been there before.

That eventual evening of the summer 2006 still gives the jitters. And the casualties of the Charlie

Hebdo newspaper is yet another traumatic reminder. And forewarning!

Now let us not get ahead of ourselves. In Guyana, the ruling oligarchy does not have the most

cordial relationship with the independent press. Or even independent thinking, for that matter. Do

recall in 2011, President Bharrat Jagdeo, in his heyday as a certified A-Hole with his trademark

flamboyant mix of impatience and casual viciousness, described the media as "vultures and carrion

crows."

This is the same man, who at that time, was the virtual Minister of Information. This is the same man

who signed the Declaration of Chapultepec, signaling his support for press freedom and freedom of

speech.

Then what happened? It was all a set of ruse and plenty of fluff. The president, like all despots

before him, went about the business of transforming the state-owned media entities into

mouthpieces of his party. Like they did in the Soviet republics. And in North Korea.

Once he tightened his grips on communications outlets, he then directed his hostility toward

Stabroek News, Kaieteur News, and all those who exposed corruption, or were critical of his

government. With a fan club of zealots, hatriots, freaks and weirdos, Mr. Jagdeo quickly developed

the art of manipulation, deceit and belligerence.

He also attracted critics. Many, many critics. Eloquent. Intelligent. Upstarts who were readily

available to take him down in the polemics. But Mr. Jagdeo was least interested in dialectics; he was

already honing in on his Stalinist impulses; he sharpened his crankiness, descended into some sort of

bi-polar derangement. He raged against his detractors.

Cuss-downs were his trademark smackdown at press conferences. No need for diplomacy. Less

respect, more lunacy. No need for enlightened retort. Just cuss-downs, pure and natural.

Unarguably, the best thing since Mel Gibson in the department of the bizarre. His toxicity registered

across the political grid. Just Dr. Yesu Persaud; he knows first hand what a jerk President Jagdeo is,

especially when you yanked his chains.

All of this pugnacity was the build up to a sickening obsession with dissidents, combatants and

guerillas found abundantly - where else - in the private media. Scathing editorials with cogent point

of views; cartoons lampooning witless political figures; news stories uncovering nepotism, cronyism

and betrayal of public trust; letter columns with persuasive language challenging the sensibilities of

the administration - they all sum totaled to an army of villians the PPP regime love to hate. And they

do. By default.

Which brings us to another philistine. A jackass. Clement Rohee. This very bright man who heads

the Ministry of Home Affairs had to speak again. On New Year's Eve. Oh God!

Here's the drivel. In a recap of the year 2014, the minister submitted that it was a "relatively

successful year for law enforcement agencies"..... and "that peace and good order in our society

prevailed." Word. But don't pewk. Not yet. You can consider that rant a zinger in the light of a

recent report that explained how Guyana is fast becoming the murder metroplois of the world.

You just can't think of a funnier or more perfect takedown of this man's idiocy. Then Mr. Rohee got a

little freakier. The prodigy began bitchin' that "huge profits" will be benefited by the media for

painting his ministry in a "bad light."

This man is definitely a fruitcake. Can somebody "slap" him for being ..... "stupid?" Pleeeeze!

It seems like Mr. Rohee is not only bent on specializing in talking crap; he has also developed a flair

for the dramatics: he knows how to fine tune the histrionics of a media conspiracy aiming to

desecrate the works of his good government.

Well, this is not the first instance of Mr. Rohee's love affair with the media. Back in 2008, he told

parliament about the conspiracy between the opposition and the media in giving a bad image to

state officials. Last October, he even called for a media regulatory body to curb the excesses of

Kaieteur News. Hmmm.

Think about it. Mr. Rohee has the luxury of being Guyanese and to carry on with his slum theatrics;

were he in the island of Jamaica, he would have quickly learned to appreciate the fact that curried

goat is quite a staple...... Just saying!

Where does that leave us? Going by the delusional theories of these frightwing folks, it means that

the state-owned media entities, controlled by the ruling cabal, are the good guys while the

indepedent press are the thugs. Doesnt it sound like a "Soviet" line of reasoning?

It is also an admission that the Guyana Chronicle, Mirror, NCN, and their acolytes are incapable of

measuring up to the surmounting deluge of bold ideas, information, accuracy and level of discussion

disseminated from the private media. That independent journalists are getting to the essence of

their stories, and are building credibility, and a cult following called the Guyanese nation.

And don't forget about social media. Facebook is an empire of countless anti-PPP bloggers.

Be reminded, too, of the reasons why President Jagdeo wanted so bad to strangulate Stabroek News

out of advertising revenue. Stabroek News was delivering extraordinary coverage and provocative

commentaries on the most topical issues.

Similarly, Demerara Waves was taking shots at the regime and was accused of slanted reporting.

And who can forget, or even forgive, the incident in which PPP hooligans attacked activist/writer

Freddie Kissoon with a bucket of toilet sludge? Then there was the blacklisting of journalist Gordon

Moseley.

So what is this all about? It's about the PPP's mantra of the "restoration of democracy" after 28

years of dictatorship. Yeah, a nightmare "democracy" looking like a daydream.

Like the Charlie Hebdo newspaper, the threats start trickling in with bits and pieces of intemperate

language, intolerance, and political manuevers. Then the libel suits commence with the intention to

distract or slow down or intimidate critics.

This is the Guyana situation. We see a steady progression and an acceleration of the hostilities from

the ruling autocrats. We have witnessed first hand how the rhetorics of President Bharrat Jagdeo,

and his underlings upped the decibels of their antics, and promoted the vile stuff.

In this collaboration, we have also heard from Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira in her reckless

juxtaposition of the independent media in Guyana to the Rwandan media's role in the 1994 genocide

in that country.

Sheer madness in the tradition of oppressive rule.

In a shamess epilogue of the Charlie Hebdo slaughters, a bottom feeder in the swamp of parasitic

party apparachicks was waxing philosophy in an uneasy blend of didacticism and juiced up Pravada-

style propaganda. A wingnut in his own right, party execuitve, comrade Hydar Ally, was pitching his

usual grotesque take in a Stabroek News letter column last week, omitting of course, contextual

significance to Guyana under his ruling party.

Now for the paradoxical. On Tuesday this week, the maestro of explicit language spoke out, lending

support to the people of France, and condemning the attack on free speech, and defending Islam.

No cuss down. No vulgarity. No nastiness. Just the right amount of righteousness and godly

sincerity.

You heard it right. Guyanese living symbol of sleaze, Attorney general Anil Nandlall, gave a lecture on

the Prophet Mohamed at the CIOG in Georgetown in their celebration of the birth of Prophet

Mohamed.

The guy sounded like an imam; never like an infidel.

There is hope, after all. Maybe his Rambo Chat-3 poster will be front page hit in the next edition of

Charlie Hebdo.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Originally Posted by HM_Redux:

Lessons from Paris and the implications for the independent media in Guyana

 

By Paul Sanders Caribbean Daylight, NY, January

2015

In the end, twelve people lay dead. Killed - in cold blood.

What happened at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris last week looked like a blockbuster script

for a Hollywood production. It had all the ingredients for an action flick.

Precise. Messy. Barbarous. Military marksmanship. Eerily written, this screenplay was

apocalyptically formulated thousands of miles away, cultures away, from location set. Credits to

Guyana's attorney general, the very honorable Anil Nandlall, a member of the upper caste -

traditionally known to be associated with military affairs.

Ya think? Well, here's the deal. Let's reconverge to the scene: the obscenity of this man's prose in

the infamous telephone exchange with Kaieteur News last fall. And what you are hearing is the

tonality, quite familiar, to the madness of an Islamist militant terrorist, steeped in extreme brutality

and gore.

What the massacre in Paris did is to provide the graphics, the moving images of Mr. Nandlall's roaring

rant. Far-fetched, right? Then tell that to the people at Kaieteur News; they've been there before.

That eventual evening of the summer 2006 still gives the jitters. And the casualties of the Charlie

Hebdo newspaper is yet another traumatic reminder. And forewarning!

Now let us not get ahead of ourselves. In Guyana, the ruling oligarchy does not have the most

cordial relationship with the independent press. Or even independent thinking, for that matter. Do

recall in 2011, President Bharrat Jagdeo, in his heyday as a certified A-Hole with his trademark

flamboyant mix of impatience and casual viciousness, described the media as "vultures and carrion

crows."

This is the same man, who at that time, was the virtual Minister of Information. This is the same man

who signed the Declaration of Chapultepec, signaling his support for press freedom and freedom of

speech.

Then what happened? It was all a set of ruse and plenty of fluff. The president, like all despots

before him, went about the business of transforming the state-owned media entities into

mouthpieces of his party. Like they did in the Soviet republics. And in North Korea.

Once he tightened his grips on communications outlets, he then directed his hostility toward

Stabroek News, Kaieteur News, and all those who exposed corruption, or were critical of his

government. With a fan club of zealots, hatriots, freaks and weirdos, Mr. Jagdeo quickly developed

the art of manipulation, deceit and belligerence.

He also attracted critics. Many, many critics. Eloquent. Intelligent. Upstarts who were readily

available to take him down in the polemics. But Mr. Jagdeo was least interested in dialectics; he was

already honing in on his Stalinist impulses; he sharpened his crankiness, descended into some sort of

bi-polar derangement. He raged against his detractors.

Cuss-downs were his trademark smackdown at press conferences. No need for diplomacy. Less

respect, more lunacy. No need for enlightened retort. Just cuss-downs, pure and natural.

Unarguably, the best thing since Mel Gibson in the department of the bizarre. His toxicity registered

across the political grid. Just Dr. Yesu Persaud; he knows first hand what a jerk President Jagdeo is,

especially when you yanked his chains.

All of this pugnacity was the build up to a sickening obsession with dissidents, combatants and

guerillas found abundantly - where else - in the private media. Scathing editorials with cogent point

of views; cartoons lampooning witless political figures; news stories uncovering nepotism, cronyism

and betrayal of public trust; letter columns with persuasive language challenging the sensibilities of

the administration - they all sum totaled to an army of villians the PPP regime love to hate. And they

do. By default.

Which brings us to another philistine. A jackass. Clement Rohee. This very bright man who heads

the Ministry of Home Affairs had to speak again. On New Year's Eve. Oh God!

Here's the drivel. In a recap of the year 2014, the minister submitted that it was a "relatively

successful year for law enforcement agencies"..... and "that peace and good order in our society

prevailed." Word. But don't pewk. Not yet. You can consider that rant a zinger in the light of a

recent report that explained how Guyana is fast becoming the murder metroplois of the world.

You just can't think of a funnier or more perfect takedown of this man's idiocy. Then Mr. Rohee got a

little freakier. The prodigy began bitchin' that "huge profits" will be benefited by the media for

painting his ministry in a "bad light."

This man is definitely a fruitcake. Can somebody "slap" him for being ..... "stupid?" Pleeeeze!

It seems like Mr. Rohee is not only bent on specializing in talking crap; he has also developed a flair

for the dramatics: he knows how to fine tune the histrionics of a media conspiracy aiming to

desecrate the works of his good government.

Well, this is not the first instance of Mr. Rohee's love affair with the media. Back in 2008, he told

parliament about the conspiracy between the opposition and the media in giving a bad image to

state officials. Last October, he even called for a media regulatory body to curb the excesses of

Kaieteur News. Hmmm.

Think about it. Mr. Rohee has the luxury of being Guyanese and to carry on with his slum theatrics;

were he in the island of Jamaica, he would have quickly learned to appreciate the fact that curried

goat is quite a staple...... Just saying!

Where does that leave us? Going by the delusional theories of these frightwing folks, it means that

the state-owned media entities, controlled by the ruling cabal, are the good guys while the

indepedent press are the thugs. Doesnt it sound like a "Soviet" line of reasoning?

It is also an admission that the Guyana Chronicle, Mirror, NCN, and their acolytes are incapable of

measuring up to the surmounting deluge of bold ideas, information, accuracy and level of discussion

disseminated from the private media. That independent journalists are getting to the essence of

their stories, and are building credibility, and a cult following called the Guyanese nation.

And don't forget about social media. Facebook is an empire of countless anti-PPP bloggers.

Be reminded, too, of the reasons why President Jagdeo wanted so bad to strangulate Stabroek News

out of advertising revenue. Stabroek News was delivering extraordinary coverage and provocative

commentaries on the most topical issues.

Similarly, Demerara Waves was taking shots at the regime and was accused of slanted reporting.

And who can forget, or even forgive, the incident in which PPP hooligans attacked activist/writer

Freddie Kissoon with a bucket of toilet sludge? Then there was the blacklisting of journalist Gordon

Moseley.

So what is this all about? It's about the PPP's mantra of the "restoration of democracy" after 28

years of dictatorship. Yeah, a nightmare "democracy" looking like a daydream.

Like the Charlie Hebdo newspaper, the threats start trickling in with bits and pieces of intemperate

language, intolerance, and political manuevers. Then the libel suits commence with the intention to

distract or slow down or intimidate critics.

This is the Guyana situation. We see a steady progression and an acceleration of the hostilities from

the ruling autocrats. We have witnessed first hand how the rhetorics of President Bharrat Jagdeo,

and his underlings upped the decibels of their antics, and promoted the vile stuff.

In this collaboration, we have also heard from Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira in her reckless

juxtaposition of the independent media in Guyana to the Rwandan media's role in the 1994 genocide

in that country.

Sheer madness in the tradition of oppressive rule.

In a shamess epilogue of the Charlie Hebdo slaughters, a bottom feeder in the swamp of parasitic

party apparachicks was waxing philosophy in an uneasy blend of didacticism and juiced up Pravada-

style propaganda. A wingnut in his own right, party execuitve, comrade Hydar Ally, was pitching his

usual grotesque take in a Stabroek News letter column last week, omitting of course, contextual

significance to Guyana under his ruling party.

Now for the paradoxical. On Tuesday this week, the maestro of explicit language spoke out, lending

support to the people of France, and condemning the attack on free speech, and defending Islam.

No cuss down. No vulgarity. No nastiness. Just the right amount of righteousness and godly

sincerity.

You heard it right. Guyanese living symbol of sleaze, Attorney general Anil Nandlall, gave a lecture on

the Prophet Mohamed at the CIOG in Georgetown in their celebration of the birth of Prophet

Mohamed.

The guy sounded like an imam; never like an infidel.

There is hope, after all. Maybe his Rambo Chat-3 poster will be front page hit in the next edition of

Charlie Hebdo.

 

FM

'Jagdeo a freak...

Rohee is freakier...'

 

Good piece that describes the PPP well.

It is interesting that Sanders did not say much about Ramotar following Jagdeo's policies, nothing has changed.  

The increasing threat to Kaieteur News, in desperation, might create another  Charlie Hedbo incident. It happened before with five murders.

Tola
Last edited by Tola
Originally Posted by Tola:

Hea Spongy Sponty,  did you go to school to write sentences.

You know... like one word after the next.

Or did you ever GO to school ?

How about the alphabet, there is A, den B, den C....den Santa Clause.

I tool..u,

I was hoping for battles of intelligence, but you appear to be unarmed, handicapped and wearing your cap in the handâ€Ķâ€Ķ

go to school and In the meantime I’m watching the game NE vs. Coltsâ€Ķ.

FM
Originally Posted by Spontaneous emission:
Originally Posted by Tola:

Hea Spongy Sponty,  did you go to school to write sentences.

You know... like one word after the next.

Or did you ever GO to school ?

How about the alphabet, there is A, den B, den C....den Santa Clause.

I tool..u,

I was hoping for battles of intelligence, but you appear to be unarmed, handicapped and wearing your cap in the handâ€Ķâ€Ķ

go to school and In the meantime I’m watching the game NE vs. Coltsâ€Ķ.

 

Bhai

 

You are going to hurt the already crippled Tola. Dem AFC boys got shytings these days.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by yuji22:
Originally Posted by Spontaneous emission:
Originally Posted by Tola:

Hea Spongy Sponty,  did you go to school to write sentences.

You know... like one word after the next.

Or did you ever GO to school ?

How about the alphabet, there is A, den B, den C....den Santa Clause.

I tool..u,

I was hoping for battles of intelligence, but you appear to be unarmed, handicapped and wearing your cap in the handâ€Ķâ€Ķ

go to school and In the meantime I’m watching the game NE vs. Coltsâ€Ķ.

 

Bhai

 

You are going to hurt the already crippled Tola. Demi AFC boys got shytings these days.

And Yugi lapping it up.

Mitwah
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by yuji22:
Originally Posted by Spontaneous emission:
Originally Posted by Tola:

Hea Spongy Sponty,  did you go to school to write sentences.

You know... like one word after the next.

Or did you ever GO to school ?

How about the alphabet, there is A, den B, den C....den Santa Clause.

I tool..u,

I was hoping for battles of intelligence, but you appear to be unarmed, handicapped and wearing your cap in the handâ€Ķâ€Ķ

go to school and In the meantime I’m watching the game NE vs. Coltsâ€Ķ.

 

Bhai

 

You are going to hurt the already crippled Tola. Demi AFC boys got shytings these days.

And Yugi lapping it up.

Hence the shit breath he has.

cain
Originally Posted by cain:
Originally Posted by Mitwah:
Originally Posted by yuji22:
Originally Posted by Spontaneous emission:
Originally Posted by Tola:

Hea Spongy Sponty,  did you go to school to write sentences.

You know... like one word after the next.

Or did you ever GO to school ?

How about the alphabet, there is A, den B, den C....den Santa Clause.

I tool..u,

I was hoping for battles of intelligence, but you appear to be unarmed, handicapped and wearing your cap in the handâ€Ķâ€Ķ

go to school and In the meantime I’m watching the game NE vs. Coltsâ€Ķ.

 

Bhai

 

You are going to hurt the already crippled Tola. Demi AFC boys got shytings these days.

And Yugi lapping it up.

Hence the shit breath he has.

Mitwah
Originally Posted by Spontaneous emission:
Originally Posted by Tola:

Hea Spongy Sponty,  did you go to school to write sentences.

You know... like one word after the next.

Or did you ever GO to school ?

How about the alphabet, there is A, den B, den C....den Santa Clause.

I tool..u,

I was hoping for battles of intelligence, but you appear to be unarmed, handicapped and wearing your cap in the handâ€Ķâ€Ķ

go to school and In the meantime I’m watching the game NE vs. Coltsâ€Ķ.

Don't do too much now, you might hut you head.

What make is your lathe ? 

Tola
Originally Posted by Tola:
Originally Posted by Spontaneous emission:
Originally Posted by Tola:

Hea Spongy Sponty,  did you go to school to write sentences.

You know... like one word after the next.

Or did you ever GO to school ?

How about the alphabet, there is A, den B, den C....den Santa Clause.

I tool..u,

I was hoping for battles of intelligence, but you appear to be unarmed, handicapped and wearing your cap in the handâ€Ķâ€Ķ

go to school and In the meantime I’m watching the game NE vs. Coltsâ€Ķ.

Don't do too much now, you might hut you head.

What make is your lathe ? 

Too much space between his ears. Lots of hot air bouncing around. Watch out for the liquid spontaneous emission.

Mitwah
Originally Posted by Tola:
Originally Posted by Spontaneous emission:
Originally Posted by Tola:

Hea Spongy Sponty,  did you go to school to write sentences.

You know... like one word after the next.

Or did you ever GO to school ?

How about the alphabet, there is A, den B, den C....den Santa Clause.

I tool..u,

I was hoping for battles of intelligence, but you appear to be unarmed, handicapped and wearing your cap in the handâ€Ķâ€Ķ

go to school and In the meantime I’m watching the game NE vs. Coltsâ€Ķ.

Don't do too much now, you might hut you head.

What make is your lathe ? 

Spent Anus aint gonna ketch dat.  I lef a lil hint hehehe

cain
Last edited by cain
Originally Posted by cain:
Originally Posted by Tola:
Originally Posted by Spontaneous emission:
Originally Posted by Tola:

Hea Spongy Sponty,  did you go to school to write sentences.

You know... like one word after the next.

Or did you ever GO to school ?

How about the alphabet, there is A, den B, den C....den Santa Clause.

I tool..u,

I was hoping for battles of intelligence, but you appear to be unarmed, handicapped and wearing your cap in the handâ€Ķâ€Ķ

go to school and In the meantime I’m watching the game NE vs. Coltsâ€Ķ.

Don't do too much now, you might hut you head.

What make is your lathe ? 

Spent Anus aint gonna ketch dat.  I lef a lil hint hehehe

Banna..you sharp like ah canecutta 22

Tola

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