Demagogy or demagoguery (Ancient Greek: δημαγωγία, from δῆμος dēmos “people” and ἄγειν agein “to lead”) is a strategy for gaining political power by appealing to the prejudices, emotions, fears and expectations of the public—typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and often using nationalist, populist or religious themes.
Given the vanity of Dr. Brown, many people chuckled at the corporate-style movie “Prescribing for a Nation” that has appeared on the Internet polishing the Premier’s image as a popular leader. It is an advertisement, pure and simple.
The immediate question is: who paid for it? I suppose the slick film is no surprise: in my opinion, a large number of Bermuda Government initiatives in recent years have centred on marketing Dr. Brown rather than marketing Bermuda or sustainably providing Government services to the Bermudian community.
The “mockumentary” is similar to what BP might undertake to restore its image after the debilitating Gulf oil spill. It is an attempt to “pre-package” the legacy of Dr. Brown rather than letting public opinion shape its own judgement. Quite simply, it leaves the viewer shaking their head at the audacity of it.
And to be sure, Bermudian public opinion of Dr. Brown is very low. If you judge his time in power dispassionately, the facts show a troubled track record: ethical issues, massive over expenditure, structural deficit, crippling debt, exotic international travel, misguided vanity projects, and a constant circus of strife around his “me me me” personality.
I suppose that Dr. Brown and his spin handlers hope that, with the passage of time, the facts of his failed leadership will fade in public memory but the slick film will remain in circulation trying to shape the way he’s remembered. The film is just another example of the PLP’s fixation with “spinning the narrative” rather than focussing on accountable and transparent Government.
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