By E. Glenford Prescott
Leader of the Unity Labour Party Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves sees nothing wrong in addressing his critics as “Internet Crazies” or a “wutliss (worthless) dutty dawg (dog)”, even as he has been criticised for what some have described as the use of degrading language in response to his opponents.
“Internet crazies”, one of his latest coinages, is used to describe persons who use social media and the Internet, generally, to express their opposition to Gonsalves.
Gonsalves was asked in a recent exclusive interview with I-Witness News to explain his reasons for addressing persons as he has done.
“I am not in any way disturbed by the persons who would oppose, but it has a small group of people who spew the divisiveness and defamation on an on-going basis and from the time you scan through the article, it’s just an on-going tirade. Now, they are completely mad. I am not saying certifiable mad; … not to be committed to any asylum or anything like that, but just mad in the way we use madness in our ordinary parlance,” he said.
They are just irrational. It’s a kind of irrationality that would lead you to think that on this subject they are completely crazy.”
Gonsalves has been accused of being a major contributor to the divisive nature of local politics, with some of his critics accusing him of fuelling the divide through some of his comments on the rostrum or the airwaves, an accusation that he vehemently denies.
“Anybody who will hear me when I speak, ninety per cent of what I speak about is on policy issues … I have a storehouse of language … from the vernacular and I’m able to use them in a way which will make people laugh and people repeat them and they are said for humour and to pinpoint sets of circumstances,” Gonsalves said.
Gonsalves was asked to explain his description of pharmacist and one-time supporter Mathew Thomas as a “wutliss dutty dawg” and commentator Bassy Alexander as an “NDP dawg”.
He responded by saying he was not sure which comments were being referred to in the case of Thomas.
But regarding Alexander, he said:
“The one that Bassy spoke about in 2005 when I said at a winding up rally on a Saturday night, I say what Bassy had been saying — he had been pretending as if he was independent and all of a sudden he is spewing this bile against Ralph, and I say this is what you would call a dirty dog.”
Gonsalves was reminded that he actually said and “NDP dawg”.
“Yes, an NDP dawg — D-A-W-G. But that would be something said in an ordinary parlance,” Gonsalves explained.
When further reminded about his comments about Thomas, Gonsalves spoke instead of comments Thomas made on radio, which Gonsalves says are defamatory of him.
“I’ll tell you something, Mathew Thomas has defamed me several times on radio and I have only sued him twice,” Gonsalves said.
Asked if he thinks his comments were justified, Gonsalves, seemingly annoyed, responded:
“Mathew has defamed me on several occasions with outright falsehoods and I have sued him twice.”
Gonsalves has accused persons with “a hate Ralph agenda” of being party to the divisive nature of politics in SVG, but said he believes Vincentians are generally a loving and forgiving people.
He also said he does not think that politics in SVG today is as divisive as in the late 60s and early 70s under the late Ebenezer Joshua and Milton Cato.
“What magnifies our divisiveness now is social media and talk radio,” Gonsalves said.
So those Internet Crazies who have no other option but to voice their opinion on social media & news sites for fear of serious retribution if it’s done in public, are “completely mad”.
This only goes towards my premise that he just doesn’t know right from wrong. He is supposed to be an example setter not a character destroyer. Its his very behaviour that brings out negative reactions towards him.
Talking about crazy people, some may stand back and describe him as crazy, telling lies cannot be an act of decency, can it?
There are no Ralph haters only Ralph behaviour haters. If he would only behave like he would like others to behave, he would not get the negative reaction towards him.
This man should have his head check, i think he has lost his mind.
BEAR in mind that Mr. Matthew THOMAS was the GENERAL SECRETARY, MOVEMENT FOR NATIONAL UNITY, of which political party-pressure group Ralph GONSALVEZ was POLITICAL LEADER and Cecil “Blazer” WILLIAMS the deputy leader.
What is this Marxist-Leninist advocate SAYING, did he or did he NOT call his FORMER POLITICAL COLLEAGUE, EXECUTIVE MEMBER, and General Secretary SUCH A NASTY, ‘WUTLISS’, “DUTTY” NAME?
The ole creature getting more and more INCOHERENT AND DISCORDANT, everytime. Could it be that a few political or ideological ‘nuts and bolts’ may be MISSING?
Hahaha. Tell them Comrade! and if they don’t want to hear give them another perfect middle finger, that would drive the message home.
Guys, after reading the above article, I wish to ‘umbly say that SOMEBODY MAD – – – SOMEBODY IN ST. VINCENT IS APPARENTLY CERTIFIABLY MAD . . .
Being a Prime Minister he should be ashamed of himself. He has no manners – maybe he is the twin of Toronto’s millionaire Rob Ford […].
The political joker and ideological fraud MAKES Mayor ROB FORD look like an innocent comic. This RED ONE in SVG poltico-ideologic TAKES THE CAKE FOR LACK OF CLASS anytime.
Besides, remember that Rob is an ancestral and collateral cousin of we Vincy FORDS.
AT LEAST, we know what Torontonian Rob FORD “smoking”, politically speaking. Ford even practices some substantial free-market policies and clearly declares for a conservative free-enterprise entrepreneurship.
Its a good thing the eyes of the world are not on SVG for any reason right now. I would hate for this type of rhetoric to be relayed as what constitutes a speech from a Prime minister.
Kenton what are the links “Gonsalves explains wutliss dutty dawg statement – Black in St. VincentBlack in St. Vincent”
I never open links that take me somewhere else unless I know where I am going. Kenton is this part of your organasiation or are you allowing a third party to take us on a trip?