…versus the unbiased
Eerily reminiscent of Freddy Krueger, the local branch of “Transparency International” (TIGI) just gleefully announced, “We’re baaaaack!” They, of course, had all but disappeared from the scene during the five years between 2015 and 2020, when the PNC had slipped into office. Your Eyewitness had wondered whether it was a case of two “man-crabs”, not being able to co-exist in the same hole, or that there wasn’t a need for a transparency watchdog since the PNC coalition was crystal clear.
Like, say, when they immediately gave themselves (Ministers) that 50% salary raise. After all, Harmon had transparently “explained” that it was to keep them from being tempted by bribes. But shouldn’t they have weighed in when that Minister fella solicited those million-dollar bracelets from his own Ministry’s agencies? Surely, that should’ve raised some transparency eyebrows?
Anyhow, your Eyewitness was a bit taken aback by TIGI’s snarky tone when announcing being back. They went after some group – no name mentioned, to satisfy your Eyewitness’s curiosity! – they dubbed a “council of wise men (COW), who’re responsible for the propagation of certain narratives of politics, law, and development.” Now that’s rather sexist, ain’t it – excluding women from this “cabal” – and supercilious to the men for implying a “cow-like” stolidity? Seems this bovine collection of Guyanese teed off TIGI for saying the latter have been “selective” in subjects to scrutinise for their transparency factor. More specifically, they claimed they’re unfairly maligned as giving the PNC a free pass on the opaque shenanigans they pulled during their term of office.
TIGI explained this charge couldn’t possibly be true!! And how did they do this? After all, the record conclusively proves their studied absence from the press with any “opacity” charges against the PNC – as opposed to their volubility during the PPP’s years. Well, seems that at a 2018 Regional TI dinner in T&T, someone threw shade at the TIGI rep for suddenly “surfacing”. Nothing about any critical comment made by them was mentioned! But hey…that’s conclusive proof of their evenhandedness, ain’t it?
In contract to the omniscient “COWS”, TIGI announced unctuously, “TIGI has a policy not to jump headlong into matters it knows nothing about. We do not hold ourselves out as experts on everything.” For instance, they said they didn’t take a position on the PNC’s NCM fiasco, because “both sides (PNC and PPP) were claiming to be right”. But isn’t this the case with Article 13, which TIGI’s now decided to champion?
Haven’t the PPP claimed that they’re inclusive but the PNC say they ain’t? And more to the point, wasn’t Art 13 around when the PNC were in office?
Cat got their tongue then?
…on COVID-19
Your Eyewitness must say that the propagandists on both sides of the COVID-19 hesitancy divide seemed to have come to a Mexican standoff: both sides have their weapons drawn, and the question is, who’s gonna blink first? Now your Eyewitness understands the dangers of “scientism” – total belief in science providing all the answers – so he’s been willing to listen to the claims of the “hesitants”.
There’s the one that vaccines will create “the mark of the beast”, and when the day of judgement arrives, they’ll be cast into hell. Your Eyewitness did nod off sometimes in Sunday School, but wasn’t belief in Jesus Christ a guarantee to pass through the Pearly Gates? Then there’s the more mundane point that all the hesitants for this reason have been all vaccinated for mumps and measles etc, when they were babies. Will one more mark make a difference?
Then, after one poor and ailing 65-year-old security guard collapsed and died at work, one person claimed she’d been vaccinated with “Gramoxone”.
Not overwork?
…and Police killings
After the unfortunate slaying of the Essequibo businessman Orin Boston, anti-government conspiracy theorists are having a field day.
Shouldn’t we just demand a quick enquiry, and then criticise if it’s not transparent?
