Daily Nation Newspaper

SHISHUWA OBSTINACY

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SHISHUWA Shishuwa should have left us alone.

We have never commented on his insalubrio­us, nonsensica­l diatribe which he wants to pass for intellectu­al discourse.

There is absolutely nothing intellectu­al about Shishuwa Shishuwa’s obstinacy. It bears all the hallmarks of vacuous arrogance, built on a narcistic psyche.

We really have no time for people who thrive in the cesspit of human depravity, people who judge and view the world from their jaundiced and self opiniated spectacles.

What is most shocking is Shishuwa’s level of temerity which knows no bound. He writes for example

“Lungu must tell Zambians when the electricit­y shortages will end – these have brought the economy to its knees and are inflicting painful and unbearable suffering on the masses. Lungu must explain why he wants to continue to be president when he has more than proved that he has no clue about how to resolve the historic crises his party has saddled Zambia with.”

How can an educated person, a person teaching at the highest level of education make such an asinine demand, when it is common knowledge that the country is in economic crisis on account of the result of climate change which has hit the region in the most deleteriou­s manner possible.

“I retain that intellectu­al integrity of one who, though not lacking in urging their own opinions, is both respectful and willing to abandon their point of view if its weaknesses could be shown. Embedded in me is a love of learning, the pursuit of ideas and the power of reason in achieving consensus.” Shishuwa says.

Academic rigor demands thoroughne­ss, consistenc­y and adherence to truth. It demands causal analysis, meaning that the root cause of a problem must be establishe­d instead of parroting symptoms.

The purpose of causal analysis is trying to find the root cause of a problem instead of finding the symptoms. Causal analysis is essential in any field of study, argumentat­ion or indeed discourse.

Politician­s somehow enjoy the license of liberal manipulati­on of facts, but not academics, certainly not a university lecturer.

A typical example of Shishuwa’s farcical and absolutely nonsensica­l argumentat­ion goes as follows “It is the fact that while a poor Zambian is sent to rot in jail for stealing K6 in order to assuage hunger, those who are well-off like Amos Chanda are left free by state investigat­ive wings that are supposed to question them for fear that they might implicate some in the higher echelons of power.”

A few days ago Shishuwa mounted a torrid tirade against against Patriotic Front (PF) spokesman Sunday Chanda accusing him of the sin of waxing “ad hominem”, against him.

Shishuwa should be the very last person to complain about the fallacy of ad hominem argumentat­ion, because his own arguments are nothing but a reflection of a negative mindset that has no redeeming value because it does not see beyond the nose.

Shishuwa and his friends have absolutely no inkling of statecraft, all they see is the President. There is more to Governance than the President. Each and every citizen has a duty and responsibi­lity to develop this country.

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