On big egos and small minds…

By: Mike Rudon Jr.

Conventional wisdom dictates that if somebody is spending a lot of effort trying to insult you and bring you down, the best response is to ignore it. Theoretically by reacting to the taunts you give that person credibility and a reason for existence. That’s conventional wisdom, anyway. A newspaper called the National Perspective has been spending a lot of effort and a lot of resources and a lot of time maligning the leadership of the People’s United Party. Last week’s attack in the Friday issue of that paper was possibly one of the most venomous and focused – a clear attempt to destabilize the leadership of the PUP. Big egos and small minds are funny things, aren’t they? The persons in the PUP leadership being attacked don’t give a damn, really, for reasons I’ll get into a little later, but since I’m known as a little bit of a wild card I decided to hell with conventional wisdom …let’s talk about the National Perspective!

See, to my mind the National Perspective is not so much a newspaper as an instrument of confusion being wielded by a few persons with big pockets and big dreams. Did I mention big egos and small minds? As the equation goes, those big pockets et al have attracted a small corps of persons who have applied their every ounce of energy pandering to said egos and said pockets and criticizing and raining fire down on all else. It’s no secret who is being pampered and promoted in the paper, and it’s sure as hell no secret who is being bashed. From the ads which populate the paper it is easy to deduce who one of the biggest backers is, and from the list of writers who appear in the paper, it is no far reach to arrive at a certain conclusion as to affiliation, is it?

Yup, that’s right –  all fingers, toes and every other appendage that can, point to the old guard. Politically naïve as I am I would like to believe the leaders of the ‘old guard’ when they say that they have absolutely nothing to do with the National Perspective. So then where does that leave us? One version of the story is that there’s an unguided missile, a real ‘renaissance’ man backing the newspaper who just cannot be controlled by anybody. Okay, fine, but to what end. Just what is the purpose of the National Perspective? Another version of the story is that there’re a couple disgruntled PUPs like Henry Charles whose mouths have been forcibly removed from the bubby and so they continue to bleat and moan in sporadic bursts. Okay, fine, there’s some evidence of that. But then where is the money coming from? It sure ain’t from ads or from street sales! So who is bankrolling the National Perspective, and to what end.

Personally I enjoy the writings of G. Michael Reid and even Nuri Mohammed. The rest of the National Perspective, to me, is quite simply rubbish – a hodge-podge of cash-influenced nonsense with a dash of irrational and erratic emotionalism and a sprinkle or two of expressions by a really bitchy woman trapped in a man’s body – yes, Gordon Smith, I’m talking about you. See, if you’ve got something to say, I always think you should come right out and say it, and then don’t be afraid to put your name right up there in big, bold letters. Why hide behind a pseudonym? Anyway, that was my one jab at that particular writer and I feel much better now.

Today I was speaking to a man I consider a friend. We were talking about the National Perspective. His take on the matter is that the newspaper is a last ditch attempt by a small clique of old guard loyalists and ‘bubby-holics’ (you like that) who can’t let go of the past and are moving full tilt toward a dream which will never materialize. This friend is convinced that former Prime Minister Said Musa will never actively re-enter the political fray, and he is similarly convinced that current PUP Deputy Leader Francis Fonseca will not seek to contest leadership of the PUP. Mmmmm, okay, let’s just say that for the time being the cynic in me has decided to go along with that train of thought and just wait for the bubby/delusion of the moment to wear off over at the National Perspective.

With that said – my friend mentioned, and I concur, that those over at the National Perspective are not PUPs in any form or fashion. The reasoning is simple…so simple even an idiot can understand, Gordon. Try to follow the logic. The UDP has embarked on a course of self-destruction. The PUP is poised to win upcoming elections (just listen to people out there). Thus, attacking the UDP means that the PUP will win and be able to serve its people to the fullest once more. But what do the morons over at the National Perspective do – they attack the PUP. So they don’t want the PUP to win, so they’re not really PUPs. Get it. Those that have eyes to see…see – my name’s written right at the top of this article.

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