…on corruption claims
Now what kinda news outfit calls itself “Vice News” when they know that “Vice” represents all behaviour society finds seriously disgusting?? For shock effect? Contrarian? Or plain sensationalism based on digging up dirt – -and if they can’t find it, throw dirt and hope it sticks?? Anyhow, the interview that Vice – a news outfit from up north that’s been in a freefall for the last three years and is desperately seeking relevance – answered those questions in its interview of VP Jagdeo at the beginning of this month.
Realising that he’d been sandbagged, Jagdeo decided to bring the matter to the public’s attention by posting the video on his Facebook page for all the world to see. He also held a press conference to clear up any lingering ambiguities. So, what was it all about, Alfie? Very simply, the reporter tried to lull Jagdeo into a false sense of security by asking some innocuous questions on our new economy and oil. Then out of the blue, she asked him bluntly whether he’d taken bribes for securing contracts from Chinese investors and businesses. Yup! Specifically Chinese ones!!
Now right off the bat one could smell a rat. As the VP pointed out, investors from all over the world have been beating a path to Guyana after Exxon struck black gold! So why didn’t the reporter ask about “taking” bribes in general? Well, she knew if she mentioned US firms she has to take the evidence to the authorities there since offering bribes is a crime there!! Secondly, as the VP also pointed out, by invoking China, the reporter knew she was raising America’s present strategic bogeyman and this would immediately precipitate a whole lotta clicks!!
Thirdly, as the VP further told the reporter, her snarky question’s premise was that developing countries –- to call them “third world” isn’t politically correct anymore, even though Trump revealed that “shithole” countries was their real assessment – are by definition corrupt. Even though countless instances of corrupt politicians in the States are unveiled daily, they are Teflon coated!! She then pulled out what she clearly thought was her haymaker – the name of a Chinese businessman, Su, a tenant of Jagdeo, who she claimed told her that he was the middleman for Chinese businesses to get Guyanese Government contracts!!
So her question to Jagdeo could be boiled down to “Have you taken bribes from Chinese companies to give them contracts as Su told me?” And this is what we call “begging the question”!! Meaning that the conclusion (taking bribes) is asserted to be true because its premise (that Su’s claim, if he did make it) is assumed to be true!!
And Su’s now said he never said so!!
…on the China Card
But the bribe allegation wasn’t the only ambush the Vice Reporter (Vice for short) tried to pull on Jagdeo. While US foreign policy at the moment is focusing on Russia (over Ukraine), Vice knows that China is the strategic conundrum that’s really transfixing the American public. So Vice rather transparently tried to paint the VP and Guyana as favouring China rather than the US in awarding contracts!!
Challenged on this wild assertion, Vice made some ridiculous illustrations – like a contract for the Schoonord-Parika Highway which hasn’t even been mapped out yet!! But Vice’s line of attack illustrates the dancing between the raindrops that Guyana has to be engaged in as she tries to navigate between the elephants fighting it out over world dominance. While Vice is just hoping for a few more clicks to staunch the bleeding of its bottom line, for Guyana, it could mean a repeat of the horrors of the 1960s.
Guyanese patriots should condemn Vice’s incitement.
…on Macron’s Mission
After France’s President Macron huddled with European leaders on a common stance over the US-Russia Ukraine standoff, he met Putin.
Was the 15-foot table between just the two of them a signal they were miles apart?
