More than half our population did not experience the ravages of the 1988 International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) intervention. This group likely does not pay attention to the news reports on the Article IV consultations. They do not know that the Public Services Association’s 1988 membership was savaged and subsidies were …

We all know the idiom “chickens come home to roost”, which means the consequences of wrongdoing always catches up with the wrongdoer. In the past two weeks, this expression has materialised in our country. The new spate of crime witnessed is the fruit of our actions over several decades. Passions …

In the long-running comedy series, Seinfeld, the phrase “yada, yada, yada” became popularised. Marcy, a character, used the expression to hide important details, while George used it to avoid speaking about an unpleasant incident. When they discuss their use of the idiom, George discovers that Marcy is a shoplifter. The …

On 30 May 2015, the then Prime Minister, Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar said: “Without education and training, you are doomed to remain at your same level. That is why my government provides so much money for educating the young people.” This high-sounding statement masks the reality of life and promotes the …

“Kill everyone!” was the instruction Dole Chadee gave Joey Ramiah, who then murdered four members of a single family. How could people be so heartless and cold-blooded? It was a long time in coming. Nothing was ever done to dismantle the networks that brought cocaine to our shores since life …

Misunderstanding is an old human problem. All of us have experienced being misunderstood at some point in our lives. Sometimes it is funny, as in sitcoms; they love to create misunderstandings or have characters lie for a laugh. But we know what it is to share something with someone, expecting …

I support the decisions of the parents of the Nelson Street Girls’ RC Primary School children who agreed with the school administration not to take this year’s SEA examination. You, too, should concur based on the dramatic decline in the national results from 2020 to 2022 (a whopping 26% decline …

All nations tell stories about themselves. These narratives tell us where we came from, who we are and where we want to go. Consequently, they change as the storytellers provide contesting viewpoints. The thread is twisted by grief, sentimentality, pride, or shame. Bare facts form only part of the saga …

These days I feel like Marvin Gaye, the singer of the 1971 Billboard hit “What’s going on?” Confronted by the incessant kangkalang, his lyrics become most relevant. Mother, mother/ There’s too many of you crying/ Brother, brother, brother/ There’s far too many of you dying Father, father,/ We don’t need …

“When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.” Ecclesiastes 8: 11 Last week’s avalanche of news robs any politician of the right to criticise any citizen for being cynical. It was like a hit parade list of things that can go wrong. The …

As a people, we have dreamed that our lives would be better than those of our parents—and that our children would live even better lives. The harsh reality was exposed with the 2017 MFO Economic Sentiment Report. It showed a decline from three-quarters of our people who felt that life …

As a young boy, I learnt that Buckley’s cough syrup was the cure when your cold turned into a cough that wracked your chest. It tasted awful, but it worked! The makers were making a product that cleared up your congestion and colds. They were not interested in creating a …