…and gas lighting by the PNC
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo hit out in frustration after the CCJ vote, when Granger told supporters he’s insisting on new house-to-house registration, because, otherwise, thousands of youths would be disenfranchised. Jagdeo bluntly protested, “This is a total lie! It’s beneath the President to so flagrantly lie to the people of our country. It’s a flagrant lie; so this is to stir up anger among young people who are not going to be on the list, are going to be disenfranchised, et cetera.”
But Granger wasn’t lying, he was bullshitting; and that’s a crucial distinction we Guyanese will have to appreciate in this “post-truth” era of politics the PNC has plunged us into. As your Eyewitness mentioned several times over the last four years, the Princeton philosopher Harry Frankfurt originally made this distinction between lying and bullshitting: You lie when you know the facts, but you misstate them to score “points”. Bullshitting, however, is when you don’t give a damn about what you are saying; you just speak for effect! As Frankfurt showed, bullshitting is worse than lying, especially with people in authority; because of the possible consequences.
Granger’s speaking just for effect; the same effect that Jagdeo noted in this instance: anger, but more than that. Anger is only one of many emotions that bullshitters in politics — like Granger — strive to evoke. In sum, they’re actually “gaslighting” their followers, convincing them the reality and truth they’re experience isn’t REALLY so! Their followers end up doubting their own sanity and believing something’s wrong with THEM.
Take the CCJ ruling on the cases the PNC and Granger brought: every supporter of the PNC KNOWS to their soul that the argument of 33 not being the majority of 65 was pure bullshit! But Granger and his myrmidons (look it up!!) spread the bullshit so thick that those supporters started disbelieving what they knew from Lil ABC – that 33 is greater than 32!! That’s gaslighting!! So now those supporters are angry at the PPP for “winning” a case which should’ve never been brought!!
Ditto on the unilateral appointment of Patterson, a poseur and charlatan of the first order, who claimed his pen had “slipped” when he wrote on his resume that he’s been Chief Justice of Grenada!! Which Guyanese didn’t know the constitution was amended so that presidents couldn’t, like Burnham, choose the GECOM Chair on their lonesome!! And even after Patterson proved he was Granger’s myrmidon par excellence, those PNC faithful now FEEL they wuz robbed! Bullshitted and gaslighted!!
The bullshitting started from the moment the PNC convinced the AFC they’d share power with them!! Nagamootoo is still thoroughly gaslighted!!
Bullshitters bullshitting bullshitters!!
…and house-to-house registration
Now, what’s the scoop on house-top-house (HtH) registration, apart from the PNC’s bullshit? This came out of the insistence by the Opposition back in 1992 to have a new list instead of the one the PNC had rigged from for years. But, in the new dispensation, this was changed to CONTINUOUS REGISTRATION, as was the norm in other democracies. The ACT No. 15 of 2000 ELECTION LAWS (AMENDMENT) ACT 2000, under section 3.0 THE REGISTRATION SYSTEM, declares “Registration of persons in Guyana is conducted continually through the process of Continuous Registration”.
It was to this piece of legislation that GECOM’s legal counsel had referred when she pointed out that the legislation (sec 7 (1) referred to the list being “revised” through additions and deletions using existing data. Patterson, of course, chastised the counsel for her input!! But it’s for these reasons that the Constitution could, in Art 106 (6) and elsewhere, prescribe that elections could be held in 90 days!!
So what was GECOM doing since Dec 21st? Bullshitting, that’s what!
…on squatting
OK, James Patterson may’ve puffed his CV on his Chief Justice claim, but we know he was a Judge. So how come, after the CCJ declared he was ILLEGALLY appointed, he now says he doesn’t know what to do??
More BS to squat??
