HERE are the words of the Stabroek News (SN) in an editorial of August 10, “The state media is used to bludgeon and intimidate critics”. I hardly if ever look at television so I do not know if NCN bludgeons and intimidates critics.” I do not tune in to radio stations so I do not know if the state-owned radio does that.

I can only write about the Chronicle where I have daily column space. For the Chronicle to “bludgeon and intimidate critics,” the sources of that “mayhem” in the Chronicle have to be the editorials, columnists and letters. I read the Chronicle and the editorials highlight the achievements of the government. There is hardly, if ever, any attack on anti-government critics and if there are it will be the run-of-the mill criticism of the opposition.

The letter pages do carry criticism of anti-government critics but the subjects are always the PNC, the AFC, WPA, the anti-oil lobby etc. All the criticisms against critics of the government that the Chronicle publishes are seasoned people that do not succumb to condemnation at all.
I am over-curious to know who are these critics that are bludgeoned and intimidated? Let us use a phrase that is common street lingo, “run the ward.” Let us run the ward to see if we can pinpoint these bludgeoned and intimidated folks. Let’s rule out the PNC, AFC and WPA, ANUG immediately. The people in the leadership of those parties do not buckle when faced with commentaries directed against them.

Surely, it cannot be the Guyana Human Rights Association GHRA). Since when the GHRA is afraid of criticism? Surely, it cannot be Red Thread. The women in that organization are not afraid to say the most nonsensical things about the government. Surely, it cannot be Transparency International – Guyana Chapter. They are eager to voice their disagreements with the government. Surely, it cannot be the anti-oil lobby. They are relentless in their scandalous attacks on the government’s oil policy.

Surely, it cannot be The Usual Suspects. They write a monthly letter castigating the government for everything under the sun and they publish their names. Surely, it cannot be the Stabroek News itself. That newspaper is the new Daily Argosy, a throwback to the 1960s when the Daily Argosy was so filled with hate against the PPP government that it was more of a violent propaganda organ of a political party than a newspaper.
Surely, it cannot be the Kaieteur News and Demerara Waves. There is no need to add anything here. Surely, it cannot be some of those frenetic anti-government personalities like David Hinds, Tacuma Ogunseye, Lincoln Lewis, Sherod Duncan, GHK Lall, Travis Chase, Gordon Moseley, Rickford Burke, Eric Phillips, Christopher Ram, etc…

Surely, it cannot be the anonymous columnist, Peeping Tom. Presidential advisor, Dr. Randy Persaud says there is more than one Peeping Tom. For now, I will simply say that he is wrong. There is only one Peeping Tom. Let me stop here from going further before people think I know who he is and start asking me for his identity. And even if the government knew who Peeping Tom was, he has not been bludgeoned and intimidated because he is still writing his unmitigated hostilities against the government.
Guyanese in and out of the land must be curious to know who the anti-government critics are that have been bludgeoned and intimidated? This is one type of curiosity that tantalized me when I read that editorial and still tantalizes me. I confess that given the nature of my work as political analysts, I really would like to know who these people are that have been bludgeoned and intimidated.

What I find interesting is the SN’s use of the word, “bludgeon,” To say that the commentary has bludgeoned an anti-government critic is painting a picture of extreme verbal violence directed to the detractor to the point where the recipient of the verbal assault has been reduced to trembling victims. When you are verbally bludgeoned, you are so pulverized that you look over your shoulder all the time.

Here is my interpretation of what SN wrote. It is all nonsense, propaganda and anti-PPP hatred. No critic has been bludgeoned and intimidated. What day was the editorial published? Saturday of course! I have spent about four columns pointing out that the person who pens the Saturday editorial in SN is a person driven by hatred for the PPP based on colour and class.

That man (he is a man) has penned more cultural and racial prejudice against the PPP in his Saturday wildness that it outmatches anything the PNC and the AFC have said about the PPP. The press can be a danger to democracy. We are seeing it in Guyana.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.