A LETTER in the press yesterday, (Tuesday) caught my eyes because it sails on the waves of moral confusion that has dogged philosophy centuries ago. I will come to Kartel in just a moment. Way back in 2005, in a debate with one-time columnist of the Kaieteur News who was a friend, Stella Ramsaroop, (“What is moral judgement?” Sunday, November 6, 2005) I told her that setting out moral criteria by which humans should live is virtually impossible, though it should not be.

Stella was adamant that moral principles dictated that Sheila Holder, Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael Trotman resign their parliamentary seats from the WPA, PPP and PNC respectively. She argued because they have each left their party to form an organisation of their own (the AFC), the morally right thing to do was to give up the seat.

I did not disagree with her, but since I knew how ubiquitous double standards and convenient moral rules are in Guyana, I wanted to be provocative and quote some of the great names in philosophy to prove to her that defining moral values in a Sisyphean task. I quoted from Immanuel Kant, David Hume and Jeremy Bentham.
I cannot think of any philosophy textbook that has adequately defined what moral values are. It is a minefield and as someone who has drunk deep from the great philosophy texts going hundreds of years back , I would urge people to be extremely careful what moral criteria they use to disagree with the actions, beliefs, opinions and behaviour of other humans.

Don’t let me get readers annoyed, so I will come right to the point. I quote from the letter written by an anonymous writer. I have a policy I adopted 36 years ago when I became a columnist, I would never reply to people who write about me in the newspapers and sign fictitious names. I have made an exception for Peeping Tom in the Kaieteur News, because I know who he is. He knows I know. Because of that fact, for the last 20 years, Peeping Tom has not mentioned my name even in passing.
My reply here to the Tuesday letter writer is an understandable one because he/she did not attack me. Here is the quote: “This cavorting of CARICOM heads of state with Vybz Kartel (first Saint Vincent and the Grenadines now Guyana) is an insult to the sensitivities of decent-minded citizens of the region. The people of CARICOM deserve leadership that upholds the highest moral standards.”

This is an expression that is so very easy to demolish, based on the evasive nature of moral standards. I don’t know what the writer means by “the highest moral standards.” I would love to hear from him/her what is meant by that. The presence of Vybz Kartel in the Caribbean pales into obscurity when you think of the presence of others from foreign lands whose moral standards can be questioned.
I hope for God’s sake (though I am not a believer) that the anonymous person did not pick on Kartel because he is Black. Bill Clinton came to Guyana last year. Mr Clinton abused a very young girl by enticing her to have sex with him when he was the sitting president of the US. The sexual act occurred in the Oval Office.

Mr Clinton was impeached but did not resign. After the act and the impeachment he went on to rule the US. The victim, Ms Monica Lewinsky, said in an interview last week that she thought he should have resigned. She said more damning things about him in her memoir. Mr. Clinton was a huge influence in the ruling party under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Vybz Kartel is an infinitesimal footnote in the world of wrong-doing when you look at sinners, murderers and moral perverts who grace the halls of power around the world. Dr Henry Kissinger ordered the overthrow of many leaders in the Third World and thousands died because of those orders, including the then President of Chile, Salvador Allende who was murdered along with his family in the presidential mansion in 1973 (please see the brilliant movie, “Missing” about the coup and Kissenger’s role that starred the inimitable, Jack Lemmon).
After his retirement from politics, Kissenger earned hundreds of millions over a 40-year period as guest speaker at the most powerful American companies and the most prestigious US institutions. Roman Polanski is wanted in the US for sodomising an underage girl. France has refused to extradite him. Polanski lives in Paris where he is welcomed in the company of the French establishment. Please leave Mr Kartel alone. There are more dangerous ones out there in the world.

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.