Dear Sir,

I was bemused by the opinion piece by Robert Stewart as published in The Royal Gazette on May 6, 2015.

It purported to link together the thinking of Karl Marx with the almost global recognition of May 1 as “International Workers Day” and much else besides.

After labouring through the text to find the link, and finding none, I concluded that Mr Stewart was possibly a student of a form of alchemy rather than logic and scientific method.

The text was opinionated, unsubstantiated, emotive and in many instances lacking in historical accuracy.

On this last point, for example, there is no historical link at all between Marx and the commemoration of May 1 as a watershed moment for unions.

In a nutshell, the opinion piece would fail to pass muster in serious debate on the subjects raised.

I am happy to offer assistance to Mr Stewart to raise his game.

There is an excellent work that was written by Karl Albrecht entitled Brain Power. It was published by Prentice Hall Press in 1987.

The book offers guidance on how to improve one’s thinking skills.

It discusses the importance of fact-finding and facing facts, using logic, intelligent conversation and much more.

In my view, it is a book that is so helpful to clearer thinking and reflection that I recommend it for inclusion in all home libraries.

One of the most important sections in the book, in my view, relates to “outgrowing opinionitis”, which “probably afflicts more human beings that all known physical diseases put together.

“Strong opinions, uncritically arrived at and doggedly clung to, confuse more people and create more alienation and misunderstanding than perhaps any other causes”.

The author points out that many people afflicted with opinionitis seldom say “I don’t know” or “I haven’t thought about it.”

The author’s prescription for the cure to “opinionitis” is: “Try to keep all of your opinions on probation, all the time.”

Mr Stewart should take note.

D SCOTT