The Clifton Review
The Clifton Review is a tri-weekly column that examines the question of the Clifton project along with the evolution of the war between two billionaires. We covered the start of this war with articles describing the battle over easement rights, the mysterious burning of a home, the blocks to rebuilding, and countless questionable court filings.
While the 2018 series salutes fashion mogul Peter Nygård’s Golden Jubilee detailing his rags to riches story, his incredible business success over these past fifty years and an inside look at how he did it, The Clifton Review will also continue to address current affairs as they relate to the good of The Bahamas.
A Hodgepodge Of Incoherence
By P.J. Malone
Once again, Richard Coulson is spouting off in his favorite daily, but this time in a mixed up and confusing sounding letter to the editor.
He appears to be trying to castigate fashion mogul Peter Nygard while degrading Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) leaders for enjoying Nygard’s hospitality when thanking him for his contributions to Bahamian youth.
In that letter, Coulson also talks about political contributions and environmental offences; he attacks several PLP membersand makes reference to “attempts to resurrect the PLP by citing its past virtues”.
He ends his letter with attempting to make the point that he is non-partisan, and that he criticizes Dr. Minnis when necessary for “his rash unsubstantiated claims about the financial costs of PLP corruption”.
It’s all quite confusing, actually.
It’s unclear what the point of Coulson’s letter is other than to cast aspersions on Peter Nygard and attack him for a supposedsmear campaign.
The only thing Coulson has succeeded in doing is to soundmore like a roving idle mind than like an individual with any coherent or sensible views on a subject.
There are two challenges to any point he appears to be trying to make:
First of all, Coulson himself is participating in a spear campaign without citing the facts. It is obvious he is attempting to smear Peter Nygard and others. He states that Nygard was engaged in a “libelous and malicious campaign”and describes his character as “mendacious”.
In a previous article, Coulson attacked Mr. Nygard when a young man wrote how “Peter Nygard and his family havebeen a blessing to The Bahamas”. In his article, Coulson denigrated Mr. Nygard’s family, called another writer “star-struck”, who was writing about Nygard’s contributions to Stem Cell research, and belittled Nygard’s contributionscalling it “hype”.
Coulson went on to attack Nygard’s “brawny arm”, his home, and individuals associating with Peter Nygard. Then his attacks on Nygard appeared petty, cruel, and almost borne from jealously. In another article he criticized Nygard for “pretty girls admiring his bronzed torso.” I don’t know about you but sounds like jealously to me.
Even now though, there appears to be no logic to Coulson’sattacks.
Secondly, this supposedly objective man, as Coulson describes himself, is not pointing to the smear campaign that Save The Bays has launched against Peter Nygard even though there is sufficient evidence of the efforts to smear Peter Nygard.
All Coulson needed to do is look back at all of Save The Bays’ full page advertisements in his favorite daily excoriating Nygard; and he only need review Save The Bays’numerous attacks against Peter Nygard for doing the same things they themselves have been accused of doing.
Coulson writes as if he is in possession of all of the facts to which he speaks. But in essence, there are missing facts along with a bunch of really confusing statements—more of a hodgepodge of a mess.
If Coulson wants to be taken seriously, we’d advise conducting more research, including more facts, writing more objectively about everyone involved, and most importantly, arguing more logically, and presenting his statements more coherently.
Otherwise, it will always be seen as the disjointed ramblings of an idle mind.
