In the playbook of modern political strategists, the tactic of “misdirection” – to deflect the populace from missteps (or worse) of political leaders – looms very large. The present unfurling of “Pradoville 2” as front page dramatic headlines in the State and Government-friendly media is a classic case of misdirection – in this case, away from the obscene 50 per cent pay hike awarded to itself by the Executive, while grudgingly conceding a five per cent for Government’s salaried poor – which is threatening to cripple the Government.

Misdirection is the paradigmatic stock in trade of the magician or (more familiar to us in Guyana) the three-card hustler. Their premises are that the eyes of the spectator ( the “mark&rdquo will look where their eyes are looking; they will use a sweeping movement to cover the motion they want to hide and finally, to keep you occupied with wisecracks and patter to direct your attention away from what they want to conceal.

So right now, the Government’s entire strategy is to make sure Guyanese not think about the miserly salary raise they received versus the millions they are directing into the Executive’s pockets. They know people will follow what the media puts out and therefore they want to ensure the media has something else to focus on – something “juicy and salacious” – to grab the attention of the citizen (the “mark&rdquo.

Guide the media away from their sins towards another with another broad and dramatic movement is the rule. In this instance, the outrageous claims about the President and several Ministers became blazing headlines on the state Chronicle and also the Government aligned Kaieteur and Stabroek News. This is the patter, which must be spewed incessantly and emphatically. We can expect for the next few weeks, for the “Pradoville Affair” to be expanded and embellished. Most of the patter will be fabricated: for instance a President cannot be jailed for acts done while occupying the presidency, the movement of the National Communications Network tower could not have cost more than $10 million, the land was swampland that has to be filled in; the market value cannot be compared to developed properties, etc. But the point is to keep the “mark” occupies, away from the real action – the unforgivable and unjustifiable salary hikes that has infuriated the Government’s supporters.

One tactic of the three card hustler would be to make the “mark” fearful: here, if he is not careful, the People’s Progressive Party will get back into office. Even if they are doubtful of the claim, fear will get them into line. The hustler Government will make broad sweeping generalisations – “Jagdeo, former Ministers face criminal charges!,” blared the KN. They will conceal the real information about what they are hiding by dragging in red herrings. What does the Chronicle’s claim that the past three Presidents’ salaries are $6.3 million prove? The present President now has a higher salary than each of them and three times his salary over $7 million.

Even if the Government was not as close to the three aforementioned newspapers, the fact that all media has to attend their media briefings means that their story will be spun: this newspaper had to carry the story because it covers “all the news” – even if manufactured. The manufactured story does not have to be true – merely plausible because of a few true facts. For instance it is true that the named individuals bought house lots at Pradoville 2. But so did many others who are not named. We can expect, as we said before, for the story to be kept going – until the citizens forget the salary increase. The hustler knows that the people at the three-card hustler’s table generally suspend their beliefs – and even if initially skeptical of the spiel, will gradually go along if there is no alternative unmasking of the truth.

Which for both the hustlers at cards and in politics, is to part the people from their money and get it into their pockets.