Barbados Election Campaign Turning Nasty As The Government’s Fear Becomes Palpable
The following article was written by a BFP reader and sent to us anonymously. It warns and gives evidence about government supporters creating vile, filthy anti-government YouTube videos in an effort to discredit the opposition. We at Barbados Free Press have seen this with our printed edition where government supporters at BFPE threatened to create a vile newsletter under our banner.
The Barbados election campaign hasn’t even started and we now have death threats against opposition writers, shots fired at the home of a DLP candidate, arson and threats to rape the wifes of citizen journalists.
Welcome to Zimbabwe West, folks. The Barbados you knew is gone.
I always knew that the upcoming elections would be the vilest and nastiest in modern history, simply for the fact that those currently in power and enjoying the sweets of their position while the average Barbadian suffers with the crumbs would do any and everything to maintain that power.
I also always knew that any gains made by the opposition would be met with the swift election machinery of the ruling party in an attempt to maintain the “lead” in the elction race.
With the advent of technology, blogs, internet access and distribution of information has become commonplace.
Thanks to BFP, BU, email, google and our own local sites and search engines the average Barbadian has been able to come from the dark in a position of ignorance regarding how our leaders lead and how our money is spent, to a position of knowledge, enlightenment and where necessary discernment.
Sadly each coin has two sides and we are now faced with the prospect of some people using the same media that has served us so well in terms of information dispersal, for their own wicked means.
Tonight a poster by teh name of crazymiike033 linked a youtube video named “DLP Barbados – Hardwood Story”, identical in name to the more popular David Thompson spoof. This video was vile in nature, disgusting in content, and absolutely horrid in its attempt at humor. Anyone viewing this video would assume it was a DLP attempt at humor and political gain. One could not be further from the truth. As it turns out crazymiike033 has criticised the DLP, and David Thompson and praised the BLP on another youtube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WyGI11adeg.
He mentions web sites for Mascoll and Hardwood which don’t exist. His position is clear.
If there was ever an example of someone supporting government and creating material puporting to be from the Opposition in an attempt to discredit them, here it is. I suspect that this is a sign of things to come.
I say this to say to all my fellow internet users and bloggers that discernment is key, intellect is vital, and a critical questioning eye is crucial to the process of knowledge attainment.
We have a responsibility to the average person who views these ages to point out indiscretions and abuses where ever we see them.
We should be aware that access is a double edged sword, and in the same way that some of us see errors and poor practices in our leaders and government, so too will those poor practices creep into our cyber world.
I hope for the day when BU and BFP aren’t needed to expose the wrongs in society and the corruption that obtains. I hope for accountability in public office, private office nd even our own homes. Until that day comes may all of us B, D or whatever continue to use every media possible to probe and question, reveal and enlighten and criticise and xtole, for that truly is the embodiment of freedom of speech and respect of opinion. And to all those who would choose
to use these same media for their vile goals and objectives, may your conscience (or lack of) be with you.A BFP Reader
14 Comments
December 11, 2007 at 4:10 pm
My friends this merely the beginning of the threats, the smut, the verbal attacks, the physical attacks, the slime, that is the plan of a desperate ruling party on its last legs and facing the reality that sooner rather than later they will be forced to face the courts of this island for fraud, bribery, stealing, corruption and misuse of taxpayers monies.
What we have to realise is that, this gathering of politicians are the most dishonest bunch ever gathered in the House of Assembly and they themselves know what they have been doing in terms of their extent of the stealing that they have been part of.
They have a real reason to try to fight for power like never seen before in this country, for failure will lead to full exposure of their dishonest actions and by extension their destiny with a date at Dodds.
December 11, 2007 at 5:19 pm
David Thompson said this would be the mother of all elections two years ago. There are people in the BLP who cannot afford for this government to lose. They cannot afford the investigations. They cannot afford to lose their perks and kickbacks. Watch it unfold!
December 12, 2007 at 12:26 am
the desperation is palpable!
the tricks will be dishonest, dirty and diabolical.
the opposition will need to be inside the polling stations and counting votes with addressess on the way out. International NGO vigilance will be a necessity.
December 15, 2007 at 3:53 am
I saw that youtube clip and it was an obvious attempt by someone to confuse viewers into believing that it was posted by the same person who posted the Harwood Housing Factory spoof on David Thompson.
For BFP to arrive at the conclusion that it was posted by a BLP supporter is beyond belief, especially when I go to DLP public meetings and hear the personal attacks being launched from that platform. I really was hoping that the DLP had finally gotten its act together, but I have been deeply disappointed in the quality of its platform so far. All fluff, nuff cussing and very little substance.
Just so you know I have been attending political meetings in Barbados since 1971 and in all that time the only time I have seen the DLP this desperate to win an election was 1976.
It is therefore no surprise to me that the only three comments preceding my own are from three known DLP hacks. You doth protest too much to fool me that the offending video was not a failed attempt by the Dems to discredit crazymike033.
December 15, 2007 at 5:59 am
I am ashamed of Arturo Tappin jnr. Stay above the fray boy if not you might get hurt!
December 15, 2007 at 1:57 pm
The source of the video is very traceable my friend and if BFP has stated it was a ploy by the blp it was a ploy by the blp simple and plain.
December 15, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Anon, you’re really stretching here. The video was from the same person that did the Hardwood video. It had the same name as the Hardwood video. It was posted by the same person’s youtube account. It “seemed” to be attacking Mascoll, and HHFL, and it purported to show that web sites for the two were connected. Any average person would assume that it was an “opposition” video and therefore link them with the horrid content. Crazymike IS a BLP supporter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WyGI11adeg). nuff said.
As for the “personal attacks launched from the platform,” dare we mention the personal attacks launched in Parliament by none other than Liz Thompson during said debate?
December 15, 2007 at 5:01 pm
I listened to the BLP speeches at Mia’s nomination. Owen Arthur is a blatant hypocrite. I once heard him in a rum-shop in Pile Bay say that his children could not live in a Barbados run by the liikes of Mia Mottley because of “her lifestyle”. I agreed with him.
But listen to his hypocritical statements on Sundy evening. He is a political animal. It is shocking.
Anon, as a BLP supporter you too must be hurting but for different reasons. Sunday night in Bayland it was the St. Peter Development Fund cheque used by Owen to bail out his brother-in-law from prison. The audience was shocked. I walked away from that meeting with a BLP supporter who is currently down on his luck and he alluded to Owen’s lack of scruples.
On Wednesday night it was the revelation by David Thompson about the role of the DPP in relation to Hardwood and how he felt his hands were tied when the girls from Hardwood gave information to him.
The hush that descended on the audience spoke volumes not to abuse or character assasination, but to the reality of Barbados. It is the Prime Minister that sets the political standards of morality and integrity in a country. I left that meeting with another BLP supporter who said that if what David Thompson said was true Barbados needed change. I agreed.
You have your views, but the people – not the Dems – are desparate about this election.
There will be a landslide because there has never been change without one.
December 15, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Sometimes I ask myself, why do people concoct lies or innuendos to substantiate statements. I just read Leviticus submission, and within it you can see he create impressions that are questionable.
The first was with Owen.
“I once heard him in a rum-shop in Pile Bay say that his children could not live in a Barbados run by the liikes of Mia Mottley because of “her lifestyle”
The second was a Bayland DLP meeting
“I walked away from that meeting with a BLP supporter who is currently down on his luck and he alluded to Owen’s lack of scruples”.
The third was coming from the Independence Square meeting
“I left that meeting with another BLP supporter who said that if what David Thompson said was true Barbados needed change”.
Creating impressions do not solve problems with governance, it open a gap for doubts, not only with this corruption that is going on with this Government, but also for any new Government. Remember, oppositions create critics and what goes around, definitely comes around.
I find pleasure in deciphering people’s comments.
December 16, 2007 at 2:57 am
Leviticus
i have nothing to do w the video.please stop trying to link me to them w your lies.
December 16, 2007 at 1:26 pm
The ELECTION date will be revealed at Owing’s nomination later today.
December 16, 2007 at 3:26 pm
Frankology, “create impressions”? I thought he was expressing other peoples’ impressions. But what is an impression?
Facts/statements were made at the meetings which are uncontradicted by the government or the persons against whom they have been made. What do you think about that?
In other words was Sinckler’s statement true? If so, Owen is a dishonest man. Simple.
Was Thompson’s statement about the DPP true? If so, we have gone so far that people no longer know right from wrong. That is sad for all of us.
Is an opposition to conceal facts that the public should be aware of? Just because the merry go round will come their way? I say no. Never.
December 19, 2007 at 2:54 am
- Anon, you’re really stretching here. The video was from the same person that did the Hardwood video. It had the same name as the Hardwood video. It was posted by the same person’s youtube account. –
If the video clip was still up you would be able to see that it was posted by Crazymiike033 spelt with (2) i’s. You can fool some of the people but not me.
December 19, 2007 at 1:11 pm
you seem to be very knowledgeable about the video Anonymous which is interesting since youtube had it pulled after an “anonymous” complaint THE VERY SAME NIGHT!
AND, a check of crazymike’s account on THE SAME night showed the original hilarious DLP Hardwood Story as another submission from Crazymike (i don’t think youtube is so grammatically challeneged that they put crazymike’s videos along with crazymiike). It’s on this video that one can see his comments critical of the opposition.
He tried, but clearly not hard enough. You’re trying too, but not convincingly enough.
A+ for effort, F for credibility.