Dear BP,
By any objective measure, the Bahamas is on an economic roll not seen in generations. Employment is up, unemployment is down, all companies doing business in the Bahamas report profits, and numerous multi-million-dollar projects are either starting or have had many heads of agreements signed. Many islands are getting long overdue airport redevelopment, and all of these PLP initiatives bode well for the future of all Bahamians, no matter their political persuasions.
Yet, every day, the FNM and their biased, demonic media lap dogs are trying to convince us otherwise. They want us to unsee all of this progress and believe their lies. In other words, they are attacking our mental health by gaslighting us. To some extent, they have been successful because some Bahamians are so invested in denying Bahamian progress that they willingly go along with the FNM’s false narratives.
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation where someone makes another person question their reality, memory, or perceptions. It often happens in relationships, workplaces, or even broader societal contexts. The term comes from the 1944 film Gaslight, in which a husband manipulates his wife into doubting her sanity by secretly dimming the gas lights and insisting she’s imagining it. So, how are they doing this?
- Denial: Insisting something didn’t happen when it did. We know that a $825 million project is slated for Freeport, yet they deny this and want the government to produce details of the agreement. Bahamians are supposed to forget that, despite the FNM holding three of the five Grand Bahama seats and having cabinet ministers to boot, they could never achieve any economic progress for Grand Bahamians if that was their intention in the first place. Now that the PLP has done this, they want us to question what we see. The FNM and its Bahamian deniers can’t take yes for an answer.
- Trivialising: Making someone feel like they are overreacting to good economic news. Ever since the Freeport signing, this coven of FNM’s so-called financial experts has been picking the agreement apart. I find this strange. What and why are they picking this agreement apart? After all, they request details, so they have no information to pick apart.
The answer lies in the FNM’s penchant for stopping, reviewing, and cancelling projects initiated by a PLP administration. Indeed, the FNM foreshadows its intent to kick all PLP projects into touch if it becomes the government. This has been the FNM’s mantra and modus operandi: destroy all PLP progressive projects and walk away from the economic and social dumpster fire they intentionally created.
- Shifting blame: Despite being the government for fifteen of the last twenty years, the FNM continues to try to blame the PLP for any problem in the Bahamas, callously ignoring the apparent fact that they were instrumental in creating them.
- Contradiction: Changing facts or denying previous statements to create confusion. The FNM is a master at this gaslighting tactic. Obviously, with no achievement to point to, their foreign handlers and financiers have instructed them to confuse us by throwing all sorts of lies and revisionist narratives into the public and social media spaces.
· The FNM attempts to reshape historical events to fit their agenda, making it harder for voters to discern the truth by denying previous statements or actions.
Bahamians know they were perhaps the worst, most vindictive, incompetent government in our country’s history. Yet they deny responsibility for wrecking our economy, treating Bahamians like dogs, thus making voters doubt their memory.
Gaslighting can have profound effects on your mental health, leading to anxiety, self-doubt, and even depression. Gaslighting can be subtle, but there are clear signs to watch for. The FNM and its minions want us to be in constant doubt, frequently second-guessing ourselves and our decisions. This is what Adrian White’s slur about “sensible Bahamians” voting for the FNM was all about.
PLPS can protect themselves from doubt and craziness by following the advice of the Party Chairman and stopping reposting anti-PLP memes and postings, which only spread lies and are against their interests. PLPS should also remember that the local media are hostile to the party. Their attention-getting headlines catch your eye, but their content usually bears no resemblance to the story. Parliamentarians should be especially vigilant when fielding questions from the media.
If your presser is about, say, oranges, why on earth would you answer a “planted ” media question about nuclear reactors? Stick to your script. And finally, never forget that throughout their almost fifteen years of maladministration, the FNM has planted its operatives in virtually every ministry at every administration level. These operatives’ brief is to misinform, frustrate efficient operations and leak sensitive PLP documents. The FNM have lost but still seeks to manage our affairs in the shadows.
Please don’t allow them to persuade you to think otherwise; that in itself is pathological gaslighting.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Brown
