Eulogy of a professional loser

by Dr Richard A Byron-Cox

I intended to start this series of several pieces in January – Searchlight permitting – as I believe we should celebrate Christmas submerging (if not forgetting) our party-political differences, and light the seasonal candle of peace, joy, love and goodwill to all men. Party politics can wait. But Arnhim Eustace’s unwarranted public misbehaviour and being a societal nuisance compelled me to pen this piece now.{{more}} His unchristian ethics of fostering political decisiveness this yuletide meant that his irrationality must be exposed urgently before this danger metamorphosed into a blood bath, resulting in his misled supporters being reduced to cannon fodder.

Dress it up as the result of the uncouth language/behaviour of his wife, or the black-skin-colour political nonsense of his daughter, or the ease at which he is manipulated; the truth, the whole, and nothing but the truth is: losing for Arnhim is not a habit, but a learned skill. Bluntly speaking, he is a professional loser, having perfected the art in almost two decades of practice. So without any scruples he barefacedly clings to NDP leadership leech-like fashion, sucking what little “bruised blood” it has left, when decent statesmanship requires that he “packs his bundle and go” in the interest of SVG, democracy, and the NDP. But no, he must lead in the absence of all moral authority so to do!!!

Arnhim could be mistaken for an escapee from the mental asylum running around spouting unadulterated rubbish that NDP won the elections. This is causing social confusion with poor and ignorant people, oblivious to the damage they are self-inflicting, ending up as collateral damage of this, Arnhim’s infantile disorder. Limbs and indeed lives could perish!! Vincentians turning on Vincentians in all-out war must be abhorred by all. This is why Arnhim MUST be controlled!!

His casus belli, the product of irrationality, is the false notion that the Commonwealth, OAS and CARICOM observers as well the supervisor of elections and her entire team are all liars, fraudsters and common thieves!! This reflects the psyche of all mad people, “I am sane; it is the world that is MAD!!” Further, it stands to reason that should he become PM all elections hereinafter shall be held without the interference of these “fraudsters.” Do you understand the threat this self-styled Napoleon represents to SVG’s democracy? But worse still is that this confirmed professional – as distinct from habitual – loser, wants to run the country! Now what will become of us? After almost two decades of Arnhimism the NDP is stuck and rudderless. It now resorts to hitman-style politics, using from lies, slander and libel to intimidation, confrontation and thuggery in a desperate attempt to remain relevant. This is the result of Arnhim’s stewardship. It petrifies me to simply muse about him being PM.

As implied supra dictum, Arnhim’s NDP is a “fish rotting from the head downwards.” The party lacks the will to remove this obstacle, accepting that a man who made failure the culture (learnt behaviour) of the organization should remain le Grand Patron. With the rise of Camillo Gonsalves, Luke Browne inter alios, and with ambition-consumed Anesia Baptiste forcefully elbowing herself into the arena, the undertaker could shortly knock at the NDP gates. A reality check reveals that Linton was savaged by Camillo; Patel and Nigel escaped by the “skin of their teeth;” and baby Luke showed Arnhim’s armour to be but cardboard. And look at the disdain the Community College dished out to him and justly so. Generally, the students dismissed Arnhim as mere arrogant annoyance. This is hugely significant, as they are electors; possible party members, candidates and leaders. Here Arnhim shot the NDP in the foot!! His final appeal for the 2015 elections bordered on disaster. And to cap it all off he went all the way to Central Leeward and with a band of riot-ready hooligans, all but declared war on Straker. God’s mercy prevented bloodshed!! If Eustace is not a clear and present danger to the NDP then tell me who or what is?

And Eustace is a danger to himself. I wrote elsewhere – furnishing evidence – that he is politically and morally bankrupt. It’s terribly sad that a man James Mitchell once declared “a well-chosen leader” and who was dubbed “Mr Clean” now seems the Capo of a gang that replaces discourse about policy and programmes with lies; that harasses good and decent people, including Mrs Sylvia Findlay Scrubb; and that damages public property in an effort to create bedlam. Doesn’t Arnhim care about his legacy, how he will be remembered? And from my vantage point (which is not the best) Arnhim seems to have suffered clinically/medically. It is indisputable that his speech is affected and there are his serious memory lapses. Stress, strain and age are taking their toll. In the interest of his health he needs to chill.

In closing, I wish to underline that none of the foregoing was said with malice or hate. I know there are those who cherish their little boxed fraternity over the all-embracing circle of national patriotism and would therefore lambast me. However, not Dr John, with his excellent Shakespearian pen, not Dr Fraser, with his constant angling to defend Arnhim, and not the cricks-dry humour of clown artist and resident comic of Searchlight Bassy, can deny the truth that Arnhim is washed up and washed out. And even if they did, it changes not the fact that losing and then throwing childish tantrums are perfected arts of Arnhim’s. These are the hallmark of a professional loser! Arnhim is politically dead! The party must bury him or dig a mass grave!!