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Dear Editor,

Since the PLP has come to power, it's critics have tried to attack its leader, falsely claiming that it was only the leader that was the problem, not the party. It's an old divide and conquer trick.

They've done it as far back as Dr. Gordon in the 40s and continue to do it today with each successive PLP leader being called in to resign. In reality it has nothing to do with the leader per se, it has to do with control. The critics of today were the powers of yesterday, the Royal Gazette, the UBP, parts of the business community.

Today because they are not in the traditional seats of government power they try to exercise power in other ways, like trying to choose who leads the PLP. Jennifer Smith and Alex Scott for all of their pluses were clearly transitional party leaders. Dr. Brown, whose background and professional successes, is obviously a leader with a vision which scares the powers of yesterday because it threatens the status quo. The status quo means everything stays the same; the money stays in the same hands, the best property stays in the same hands, the best business stays in the same hands, the financial benefits of the multi billion dollar companies that succeed because of our tax laws remain in the same hands.

Dr. Brown is a leader who has learned from institutions like Howard University that we do deserve success no matter what has been ingrained in us.

Today the press in Bermuda which speaks for the ideas of yesterday when Black men had to stand outside of places like Swizzle Inn and drink rum out of tin cans in the alley because they weren't allowed to sit inside like white Bermudian citizens.

The calls for Dr. Brown to step down is not without design, is not powered by simple anger - but by something more insidious. It's about long term destruction.

Not long ago TIME magazine did an exhaustive article on why India is succeeding and Pakistan is failing considering that they were both "born" at the same time.

The main reason was that India began life with one leader who was there for an extended period (almost 20 years) allowing the new govt. of India to weather its growing pains with the stability of one leader. That consistency bred success.

Unfortunately Pakistan's first president died soon after Pakistan was created and the power vacuum that was created caused Pakistan to fall victim to constant leadership changes which continue to this day.

Today India's economy is booming and it is a solid democracy while Pakistan is mired in poverty and sectarian violence.

The press and the old powers know that if they demand for visionaries like Dr. Gordon to be removed and Ottie Simmons and Dr. Browne to be removed that the PLP will be in constant turmoil and will never cement its power.

Today they call for Paula Cox to be Premier but in actual fact they are calling for more chaos and instability. It's an old trick - don't fall for it. Again.

Ron Foster

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