As I was saying, Mad Marc Edge continues his assault on anyone in Fiji who had the temerity to challenge his Napoleonic ego. Now safely out of the country after being sacked from the University of the South Pacific – where he was facing charges of misconduct -Dr Edge’s fingers trip across the keys in his frigid Canadian bolthole, spewing forth the venom of a “brilliant” journalist-educator scorned by lesser beings. Here’s what he has to say about me:
Graham Davis is the lowest of scum
Imagine if emails you and others wrote were regularly published by a Bully Blogger in another country who used them in howling for you to be sacked from your job. Imagine if these blog attacks were then published across full pages of the next day’s editions of a newspaper in your town. Imagine if these attacks went on for days and months. Imagine if you were criticised for something and the reasons advanced for your actions had nothing to do with what actually happened, yet as a professional you were ethically prevented from discussing the case publicly. Imagine if another person then launched a vile blog attack against you, and you were again enjoined from responding to its feeble logic.
How low can you go?
Imagine if this Bully Blogger criticised you for advocating for press freedom, insisting that a more government-friendly form of journalism was the only appropriate model for your host country and region. Forget for a moment that you had studied for years at a top journalism school and that you had not only earned a doctorate in the subject but had also taught international journalism at universities in several countries. This blogger was convinced that he knew better and that because you were an outsider you didn’t have the right to advocate for what you believed was the best type of journalism. And imagine that you were forced to endure threats of not only violence but even death posted by anonymous commenters on this blog. And that those who dared to support you were attacked by others, who even posting their names and threatened that they would never get jobs in their chosen field.
Now imagine if your blogging bête noire admitted that he was a paid propaganda agent of an American public relations company hired by the dictator who had taken power in your host country, and that its specialty was engineering social media smear campaigns against regime critics. And that you did a bit of research on these spin doctors and posted on your own blog some information that was easily found elsewhere on the Internet, only to have the government complain and order you to apologise and delete the blog entry. And imagine that you told a joke about this propaganda outfit at an event, only to have the regime and the blogger complain about that as well. And finally, that you forwarded a funny email ridiculing both blogger and regime, which brought not only more complaints that it insulted the Glorious Leader, but also threats that your work permit could be revoked at any time.
And imagine if, unbelievably, this blogger-cum-propagandist actually held himself out as a reputable journalist in his own country and even hosted a weekly public affairs programme on national television. (How long do you think that is going to last?) And that he had won journalism awards and helped to review the journalism code of ethics in his country.
It all sounds a little bit unbelievable, doesn’t it? Well, that is the nightmare I have been living for the past few months. Mercifully, it is now over. But the counteroffensive has only just begun.
Go for it, Marc. Unfortunately there are far too many people in Fiji who know the real story, plus a lot of your academic colleagues abroad as well.
You bullied journalism students in Fiji who had the temerity to challenge your views. You played favourites with some and tried to destroy the futures of others. You were party to fundamental ethical breaches of journalistic practice. You attacked reputable people in academia whose only crime was to challenge your warped views. You are the subject of several formal inquiries into your treatment of students at USP. You are the subject of formal complaints by other academics alleging misconduct on your part. While preaching academic freedom, you tried to suppress journalistic freedom by threatening lawsuits against your critics. Your services have been duly terminated.
So is that the best you can do? To turn your bile on me? Why don’t you explain to your readers the real reasons you had to leave Fiji? You can’t because the shame is too great. It had nothing to do with me and everything to do with your own behaviour. But the sociopath in you will never see it. I live in Suva – not in another country, as you keep saying – and I hear the stories. The same ones that the USP eventually decided made you unfit to teach its students.
Marc Edge says
Wrong, wrong and wrong. So many incorrect statements of fact. The problem is that you seem to believe every story you hear.
Graham Davis says
Well, go on, which ones are wrong. The student complaints, the staff misconduct charges? Precisely why have your services been terminated? Release the relevant correspondence and prove me wrong.
Very happy former journalism student says
“You bullied journalism students in Fiji who had the temerity to challenge your views. You played favourites with some and tried to destroy the futures of others.”
You are spot on Graham.
if not for grubsheet students will still suffer because head of school Sudesh Mishra is useless and USP is very slow in this matter. You are a hero to us students who were bullied. Marc had a lot of power because he was favourite of Sudesh Mishra and he was protecting him. When Marc screamed at a student for putting something on facebook, I witnessed it. It was very scary and unprofessional. It was complained to Sudesh Mishra. Marc Edge should have got a warning, But nothing happen, not even reprimand. So he became very brave and continued his behaviour because of a weak head of school who is out of touch with students and take their complaints lightly. Sudesh Mishra should be next to go because he was ineffective and the situation escalated under him. A better head of school would have solved this the first time but mishra had no problem solving skills – useless, and he got USP into disrepute.
WE are fully behind Graham Davies.
Colonised says
Sounds like professor Mishra needs to decolonize his mind.
tom says
With all due respect, I think the rest of Fiji has moved on from this subject.
Graham, Cyclone Evans is come and gone, the Constitution has been handed over to the President, but little to no postings on that- you return from a 2 month blogging hiatus, the first 2 posts you write is on Edge.
Put this issue behind you before it permanently consumes both of you.
Happy New Year.
Graham Davis says
My apologies, Tom. But it’s actually a month-long hiatus. And it’s been brought about by two things: my increased commitment to working in Suva for Qorvis and something of an existentialist crisis about where the boundaries of that association lie. I’ve made a choice to become part of the action rather than being a mere observer. And that involves a period of reflection about what I can and cannot do, in my interests and those of my readers.
I only blogged today when I read a Fiji Leaks posting that Marc Edge had left the country. I’d picked up bits and pieces but this was new information for me. Believe it or not, I don’t spend my entire time worrying about Marc Edge. You’re right. I’ve spent too long on all of this. He’s gone and it’s time for everyone to move on. I promise to address this in the New Year.
coolfijidude says
@ tom
Brother iam interested in hearing marcs version of his termination…I don’t see how he justifies torturing students mentally justifies his actions..I wud have though since he claims to be an academic who has taught at several universities justify locking students out of classes. My question is what would have happened to him if he had done the same in one of his universities in Canada?
If students come late to tutorial classes, a tutor can mark them down. They don’t have any right to lock students out. Especially if they are paying you/ur employers to be in that room. And he calls himself a professional. Come off it mate. You would do something like that to kids who are in primary school, not university students.
So go ahead Marc please enlighten us.
Lesley says
Is Marc Edge involved with Coup 4.5? He and that blog sound like each other.
Vincent says
@tom
True, some things come and go,some takes longer, this war is still rageing,one battle was won,ie, marc got his go home stay home ticket, now he is countering to try and justify that what happened to his being kicked out was wrong,and by his salvos, he has taken on the whole Gov’ of Fiji too, there is a lot of open questions put forward to him but the looks of it, his bamboo gun has no kerosene in it, and as far as bambooooo guns go, it’s only hot air, so marc, fill your bambooooo gun and make our day,as far as this Gov’ goes, it’s the best Gov’ that ever happened to Fiji compared to ALL the past Gov’ put together and thats the FACT, it’s true too that this Gov’ had to make some very heavy changes that the FAT RATS did’nt like, but all in all, this Gov’ positivness out weights it’s negativness from what I see on the ground and that counts better then lip service like the past Gov’ did.
Lighthouse says
So Dr. Edge wants blood ……………
Oh dear ……………. I really hope he doesn’t drown in it.
Imagine if people asks you how your stint in Fiji was and you will then repetitively bore them with all your stories of your bad experience.
Imagine when discussing with your co-workers and friends and then suddenly the subject changes to your bad experiences again. It ruins your friendship mood and people then trying to flee from you.
Imagine when being interviewed and then you have to bring up the subject again. Trying to convince……………
Imagine checking out Grubsheet every second day to see any new posts by Graham so you can discredit him. And then the arguments break loose again.
Imagine being drowned in this bitterness and hatred and going the extra mile for the wrong purpose.
The costs of being in pursuit of this in my view Dr. Edge is not worth it. You have lost the initial rounds and the chances of winning in the next in my view is very slim – especially when Davis will be at your back again and again.
I think it would be better to pursue peace, goodness and happiness – you will gain more from that – and live a happy man with a happy family.
Gavin says
Well said Lighthouse. A life of revenge and bitterness and C 4.5 is no life at all. Only unhappy people draw strength from trying to cause misery to others. Plus, like pornography, hatred is addictive.
losalini says
“hatred is addictative”. spot on. one copy of the draft consitution was given to the president and 600 copies shredded and burnt with kerosine. and the fiji press have been muzzled.
Graham Davis says
Losalini, your claim – on the information I have been given – is simply not true. The 599 copies of the Draft Constitution taken by the police from the printers are said to be intact and are being held by the Commissioner of Police. None have been burnt, despite reports to the contrary.
Think about it. They are huge inch-thick bounded copies. You simply could not burn them with kerosene in the manner that’s been described. If there was any burning at all – and Professor Ghai’s account is hotly disputed – it was of printer’s proofs, not the published constitution.
The Government’s position is that Professor Ghai was not authorised to print or distribute anything more than the copy he handed to the President last week. The President will hand that Constitution to the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly when he or she is chosen in the New Year. It was not for public dissemination before then.
It’s an issue of maintaining the integrity of the process. Yash Ghai’s job was to formulate a Draft Constitution and give it to the President, not insist on handing it around for public consumption in the way that he did. However you view this, he clearly exceeded his brief.
kathy says
Graham,
I find it rather disturbing that Yash Ghai would stoop so low as to ‘leak’ copies of draft constitution (if indeed he did) before he handed it to the President.
Why would he engage in such behaviour that is totally outside his brief?
Why also print and distribute copies of the draft, another act totally outside his brief?
Why also engage in negative reporting on both of the above in overseas media?
Yash Ghai has tarnished the integrity of the Commission and also his own reputation by engaging in such underhand tactics.
Marcy says
Marc Edge was both pushed and pulled out of USP but the real question is, why did he finally throw in the towel? There’s a certain belle at the University that Marc has been trying to woo for a while but sadly these advances were turned down…even when praising Madam Belle in public, Marc never got a chance to play Cassanova with Madam Belle. We saw the way he was acting towards her but sadly, his advances were turned down. So you see, our dear Marc has really left the country in hope of mending a broken heart! That my dear friend is what finally broke the camel’s back!!! lol!!!!
what’s even more pathetic is that Madam Belle has been sharing this story with a few ‘friends’ here and as usual, we Fijians just cant keep a little secret to ourselves and keep our big mouths shut!!! lol
Romeo says
Well, well, well, thanks Marcy for the update, what more can we say?
Jukebox says
The Edgee Shitbag is history now. Thak God for that. But its all not over yet. Two more scum bags are still hanging their rotten srotums at USP. They (Missus Mishra and the “phantom” VC) have to go very soon to purify the USP.
It’s got to happen pretty fast.
By the way folks……. do you all know that as of tomorrow (01/01/13) just a little over 1,000 employees of the Fiji Roads Authority won’t have a job anymore !!!!!!
OMG !!!,,,,,, What’s gonna happen to those poor souls? Their families? Their children? their financial commitments? Their bills? Their status in their individual communities? And………………….. above all …….. their lives? Whats gonna happen? How are they gonna survive in this ever so changing planet?
Ok……….. some might say that they got a package. That is true !!! But… how much package did they get?
One weeks wages for every number of completed year of service to the government is all they got.
So……… on average….. an employee got about $1,800.00 after tax.
What a joke.
Hello…………… What about “Pillar 8” of the People’s Charter?
Fiscal Edge says
“…..By the way folks……. do you all know that as of tomorrow (01/01/13) just a little over 1,000 employees of the Fiji Roads Authority won’t have a job anymore !!!!!!
OMG !!!,,,,,, What’s gonna happen to those poor souls? Their families? Their children? their financial commitments? Their bills? Their status in their individual communities? And………………….. above all …….. their lives? Whats gonna happen? How are they gonna survive in this ever so changing planet?…”
Mate, an overwhelming majority of these “poor souls” you allude to are the biggest slackers Fiji has ever produced. Clearly you either do not drive (else you’d have experienced firsthand the handicraft of your “poor souls”, with a pothole every odd foot, and others of every conceivable size and shape per 20 square meter) or you’ve got a bad case of myopia.
These “poor souls” were so lazy, that there is a national joke that is making its rounds for the last four decades: that of one man pushing a shovel and five others supervising, and another due boiling tea. Before a road section (after completing the mandatory month-long waiting) was attended too, the billy boilers would arrive and set camp, light a fire (on the damned pavement of all places!), set the tea up, boil the tavioka before even the first dusters would arrive.
Your “poor souls” are part of the reason for the shoddy work, and not to mention the other long-running joke: that the work is only of sufficient quality to ensure a return job else there’ll be no work.
You may weep for your “poor souls”, but these lazy twits had all the opportunity to demonstrate productivity, but chose not to! The nation is better off without these fools.
The minority that did work hard will be hired by the contractors. Read the news/
Gavin says
@losalini.
Yes hatred is addictive, and the speeding of false stories designed to whip up further hatred is also addictive and irresponsible. If you saw the burning yourself, good. If you didn’t you are spreading gossip and inciteful hatred.
R.Madhwan is getting bored says
This blogging is getting to a stage where I can liken it to kindergarten kids having a fight.
My personal opinion.
Gavin says
And now even the political parties believe the burning of the constitution story. Without questioning Ghai’s version. Bad reflection on Ghai and bad reflection on the politicos.
Skyfall says
Marc
It’s extremely concerning that an academic of your supposed qualifications resorts to such childish and petty behaviour. You take no responsibility for your own part to play in what is becoming a very dreary saga.
What I find incredulous is that you believe that one man’s blog is the only reason you lost your job. You seem to dismiss the concerns of your students and that of the faculty, you seem oblivious to how your own performance played a major factor in your dismissal from the USP. But then perhaps this is the core root of the problem – you fail to have taken all facts into consideration in your own situation, so how can you possible teach budding young journalist to see a situation from all sides and be impartial, you have broken the cardinal rule of journalism, you are not the story.
And to make matter worse you fail to show any level of professionalism or maturity on your exit. Most adults would exit with a degree of decorum and accept the situation for what it is and lick their wounds in private. However not you, Instead of departing like a man, you unleash a level of vitriol that only a teenage boy can muster – ‘it’s not my fault, everyone is picking on me’
My final words on what I can only describe as shameful behaviour is you have have jumped on the convenient bandwagon of anti government supporters who like yourself have lost all touch with reality.
The difference here is these people do not care about what happened to you they simply appreciate the noise you make every time you throw your rattle out of the pram.