Are Dr. Alissa Trotz and Stabroek News not ashamed?

I HAVE done several columns condemning the unprofessional approach to journalism by Dr. Alissa Trotz of Canada who edits for the past 10 years, the column in the Stabroek News (SN) titled, “In The Diaspora (ITD).”
This is a weekly feature in SN and to date it has not carried even one writer that takes a positive position on the Guyana Government. Imagine that, after 10 years, there has not been one scholar identified by ITD to do a column that puts the Guyana Government in a positive light.
Surely, there has to be an interpretation as to why Dr. Trotz behaves like this and why the SN editors have not intervened, and the SN management should intervene because of these words on the masthead of ITD: “This is one of a series of weekly columns from Guyanese in the diaspora with an interest in issues related to Guyana.”

It is simply incredible that Dr. Trotz and SN could pen those words. Let me repeat a section of that quote above so it can soak in: “with an interest in issues related to Guyana.” Isn’t this a shameful saga? There has not been one column, I repeat, not one column on the election disaster yet this lady and SN tell us that ITD is about issues that Guyanese are interested in.

The latest selectee to do a commentary for ITD is Dr. Bertrand Ramcharran. His piece appeared last Monday. Owing to choice, I ask Dr. Trotz and SN if they aren’t ashamed. Dr. Ramcharran is a weekly columnist in SN and he makes unbridled condemnations of the Guyana Government which he describes as autocratic. It is so simple to read the collective mind of Dr. Trotz and SN. Since Ramcharran is on an anti-government roll, why not give him more latitude.
That is exactly the reason why he was chosen to do a piece last Monday. As usual, Dr. Ramcharran’s analysis is saturated with arid theorising. I quote a manifestation of his mediocrity: “with its ethnic structure, so far Guyana, Guyana’s political class seem to have opted for competitive party politics each of the two main parties believing it can win a majority.”

Why is this poor scholarship? Five reasons can be given. One- competitive party politics is normal in the world as the perennial grass. Two- India and the US each has a larger ethnic structure than Guyana’s and they have vibrant, successful competitive party politics. Three – which country in the world does not have an ethnic structure? The homogeneous West that we knew in the 19th century is gone.
To win elections in the UK, Sweden, France, Canada, Italy, just to name a few, political parties have to be conscious of the ethnic make-up of the population. An Indian/African woman was one of the two main presidential contenders in the recently concluded American election. She is the Vice-President of the US.

The predecessor to the current British Prime Minister was an Indian. The leader of the British Conservative Party is an African woman. In Canada where Ramcharran lives, the leader of the second largest opposition party is an Indian Sikh. Ramcharran needs to tell Dr. Trotz and SN why only in Guyana the ethnic structure is dangerously poised.

Four- the two main political parties in Guyana cannot win a national election by race sermons. If they preach race, they stand to lose substantial crossover votes. There is no African or Indian majority. Between the two major race groups, the percentage is between 66 or 67 per cent. That means slightly over 30 per cent of Guyana is not African or Indian.
Scholars like Trotz and Ramcharran and others of their ilk are lost in time when it comes to Guyana’s sociology. The two gigantic, traditional parties cannot incite racial fears and hope to win votes. In doing so, they will lose substantial votes. People like Trotz and Ramcharran have to stop seeing Guyana as PNC versus PPP.

The final and fifth reason for citing Ramcharran’s output as mediocre is that he keeps embarrassing himself with his obsession with the SN’s interpretation of the Guyana Government. His latest piece on Monday is yet another reminder of that. He kept referring to what the SN carried.
We are nearing a general election and ITD is going to go full out against the government. All the invited writers will be anti-government or favour the parties running against the PPP. Neither Ms. Trotz nor SN will be deterred. Ms. Trotz has not been deterred the past 10 years. Why would she be now? They certainly are not ashamed of the political tag they wear on their shirt sleeve.

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.

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