…is finally off
In discussing David Granger’s character over the last five years, in an effort to understand his actions, your Eyewitness has had to grapple with the dichotomy between the words the man would utter and the reality that was staring him in the face. The dissonance could’ve been explained in two ways: either he was a “bullshitter”, or he was a “liar”.
The bullshitter, we explained – using the philosopher Henry Frankfurt’s famous formulation – just says whatever comes to his mind, just for effect. Doesn’t matter to him whether the statements are true or false. The “liar”, on the other hand, knows exactly what’s the truth, but deliberately dissembles to have people ACT on the lie.
Your Eyewitness gave Granger the benefit of the doubt, and pronounced him a “bullshitter”, because he wanted folks to believe he was this nebbish, avuncular Churchman in whose mouth butter wouldn’t melt. “Unctuous” like Uriah Heep, your Eyewitness pronounced him. On matters political, he insisted he was “following the constitution” and the law, and was careful to always use a legal fig leaf – no matter how small – to cover his indiscretions. 33 wasn’t the majority of 65?? Well, there was that colourable argument about whether we were discussing “absolute” versus your ordinary, garden variety majorities. Sounded like bullshit, but it was always possible that he believed it. It was an arguable opinion.
After the elections, he maintained his mantra about obeying the Constitution, even as his underlings went stir crazy with their allegations of “irregularities” in the elections process. They incredulously maintained that there was a conspiracy of tens of thousands of persons – including their own elections agents and all GECOM staff – to rig the elections for the PPP. Giving Granger the benefit of the doubt – like your Eyewitness did – CariCom Chair Mia Mottley speculated that there had to be “forces” in his government who were undermining him.
But on Friday night we discovered it was all one big, fat, nasty lie: Granger had led us all down the garden path. He’d unctuously insisted from day one, after he proposed the recount, that he would go along with whatever the GECOM Commission – actually, the Chair – pronounced. But on the eve of CEO Lowenfield’s report being presented for the Commission to declare the results of the recount, Granger’s mask came off. He insisted that he agreed to the recount only AFTER irregularities in the process – such as the dead and migrated voting etc – were discovered. Imagine that!!
We know this to be a lie because these “irregularities” were alleged by his party only AFTER the recount began on May 6 – but he’d agreed to the recount on March 14 – after the CJ’s ruling on Mingo’s malfeasance!!
And he’s still saying he’ll abide by the Constitution!! Liar…liar!!
…and “power sharing”
Some folks are saying that the PPP’s being a bit stiff- necked for refusing to share “executive power” with the PNC and Granger. This, they insist, will bring peace and bliss to Guyana. Maybe…but at what cost?? Do these people really believe that this PNC, which has shown that its leadership – from top to bottom – will lie, cheat and steal to hold on to power, will suddenly lie down with the lambs once they’re allowed into the pen?
As your Eyewitness has pointed out time and again, Granger has been suckled on a Machiavellian conception of power by his mentor Burnham.
In this paradigm, there’s no legitimacy to holding power outside of force. And in Guyana, Granger knows that he and the PNC have the loyalty of all the organs of force in the state.
The PPP would be stark raving bonkers to give them AUTHORITY in the Executive to use that force!!
…and Caricom
In addition to insisting he’d follow the ruling of GECOM Chair Claudette, Granger has emphasised the role of the Caricom Observer Mission. Even after the bitch slaps from Ralph Gonsalves and Owen Arthur!!
But who can believe a pathological liar?
