Examining…

… the horror

In Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella “Heart of Darkness”, the protagonist Kurtz’s dying words after he has committed unimaginable atrocities in the jungles of Africa – “The horror! The horror!” – are a final, chilling judgement on his life, human nature, and European imperialism!! Kurtz was responsible for the deaths of countless thousands!! The chilling tale reflects a grim awakening to what lies inside every person when social rules, laws, and restraints are stripped away. As the narrator Marlow observes, Kurtz was “hollow at the core”, and the wilderness whispered harsh, irresistible truths to him!!
Your Eyewitness thought of this judgement on human depravity as he read the reports on the beheading and dismembering of six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran by his own father – according to the Police! Charged and remanded, the father allegedly has fingered a local “Pujari” – one of these charlatans found all over Guyana who prey on the weakness of some to fall for alleged “powers” conferred by occult forms of worship, to malevolent forces!! In the case of Kurtz, it was European imperialism – here it’s some mumbo-jumbo created by warped readings of some religious texts!! We’d seen one instance in the movie “The Exorcist” where a priest purported to be able to exorcise the “Devil” who “possessed” a girl!!
In this case, the mother and father of Orlando had both been dealing with a “Pujari” – one who claimed to communicate with the “beyond” by chanting utterances from Hindu texts!! The parents had separated due – according to the mother – to domestic abuse, and she’s (strangely!) agreed that the father should take custody of four children – including Orlando – and she’d provide child support. Now this is quite unusual in Guyana, and your Eyewitness is still waiting for an explanation of why the mother evidently didn’t even have visitation rights – and hadn’t seen her children in two years!! Something ain’t kosher here!!
But back to the father who’s the Kurtz, who initially said he committed this unspeakable horror because the “see far” Pujari told him Orlando wasn’t his child!! Now, while the Pujari was providing the “authority” – as imperialism had done for Kurtz – this means that the father was ultimately “hollow at the core” and bereft of any tinge of humanity to participate in murdering a six-year-old child so viciously!! It’s a sign of his own weakness that sought to satiate his own lack of perceived masculinity in being told that someone else had fathered the child!! It suggests the kind of tensions that would have permeated his abuse of his wife when they were together!!
While the Police should continue their investigations to determine whether the Pujari actually participated in the murder, the father has gotta face the horror of his own hollowness!! The horror!!

…false equivalence
One of Sanction Man’s sissies – the one who unilaterally appointed herself Director of Political Affairs for his WIN party – has raised a most intriguing question. Looking at the upcoming visit of King Charles, she wonders how the latter’s safety would be assured when “the same national security establishment expected to coordinate with British royal protection personnel is facing serious questions about the conduct of one of its most senior intelligence officers”!!
Well, your Eyewitness has a very simple answer: those in charge of the King’s security here in ole Mudland should just NOT have the King do what Sanction Man did which led to his outrageous gaslighting claim that he was set up for an assassination!! Meaning just don’t drive him slowly past the “most senior intelligence officer’s” house at midnight and then double back to repeat the manoeuvre!! Especially if the King had earlier said in court that he’d felt threatened by Sanction Man’s actions towards him and his family!!
This just illustrates the fallacy of false equivalence!!

…competing international bids
The Amalia Falls Hydro Electric Project is again on the cards. Bids have been received from Chinese and Indian firms and the US. Your Eyewitness believes this will be a test of who’s serious about our business!!