Dem old people and dem does say: ‘when yuh neighbour house on fire, wet yuh own’. So I trying to wet mine, with this open rant to Lasana Liburd and my not-so-secret crush Dr Sheila Rampersad. Because we Trinis doh learn, we doh like to connect things and we love to live …
Read More »Dear Editor: Why Cudjoe’s linkage of ‘unpatriotic’ Venezuelan stance to race is ‘sloppy’ and ‘poisonous’
“Attributing the Opposition’s awful stance on the Venezuela question to them being Indian is race-baiting, plain and simple. In the Caribbean, colluding and conspiring with foreign powers are hardly the sole preserve of Indians. “[…] Consider again the case of the late Prime Minister of Dominica, Eugenia Charles, who made …
Read More »Noble: Are we all equally at risk? Or are some of us better than others?
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in his opening remarks to his economic recovery team said: “…Covid-19 has unmasked the inequalities that exist in the economy and at the wider societal level…it has also demonstrated that all segments of the society are at risk.” These sentiments are in line with those …
Read More »Rowley: T&T media have interests to protect! PM pushes back on Venezuela narrative
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley launched a scathing attack on the local media today, which he accused of trying to paint him and his government as ‘liars’ with regards to its narrative on the visit of Venezuela vice-president Delcy Rodríguez and her contingent in March. In today’s …
Read More »Claude’s Comments: When CIA plotted to remove Dr Williams; and how USA is violating Rio Treaty
I couldn’t resist beginning by paraphrasing from calypsonian Bally’s 1987 masterpiece ‘It’s party time again’: five years nearly done, so let’s ramajay… if you see ram goat, join the bacchanal, just to get your vote. I intended to sit this one out, but for the statement by US Ambassador Joseph …
Read More »MSJ: The problem with the Rio Treaty; and how gov’t, opposition and media got Venezuela imbroglio wrong
“[…] Central to this entire issue is the United States’ agenda with respect to Venezuela. If the US had not imposed sanctions on Venezuela there would be nothing for the government to explain about a visit by the vice-president of Venezuela, nothing to explain about the sale of fuel by …
Read More »TTUTA asks Education Ministry to postpone CSEC/CAPE exams, ‘counsel’ SEA students
The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) will ask Minister of Education Anthony Garcia to propose the postponement of the CSEC/Cape examinations until no earlier than four weeks after the re-commencement of school in September. The decision was taken at a TTUTA General Council meeting, which was held virtually …
Read More »Noble: Church in time of Covid-19; ‘giving out of extreme poverty that extends into generosity’
HG Wells (1945) summed up our perception of the present times, “a jaded world devoid of recuperative power…ordinary man is at the end of his tether”. More than half of us are feeling great uncertainty. Both the business community (90%) and the general public (75%) believe that the economic challenges …
Read More »Demming: Fare thee well, Le Hunte; minister’s departure is loss for WASA and T&T
“What is your miracle wish for WASA?” I once asked a former Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) CEO. “To convert my consumers into customers,” was the response. More than 15 years later, another well-wisher bites the dust because of his desire to do the same thing. Both instances occurred under …
Read More »Water more than flour; Le Hunte quit as minister after Cabinet row over WASA
Robert Le Hunte’s shock resignation as minister of public utilities allegedly followed a row with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley over a proposal for major restructuring at WASA. Although, according to informed sources, the quarrel was one-way traffic. Le Hunte, who is also deputy chair of Rowley’s post-Covid-19 economy recovery team, …
Read More »Noble: Embracing the future; T&T economy is being sold short by ‘outdated’ ideas
“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by our responsibility for our future.” — George Bernard Shaw. To accept the virus-induced lockdown was, for the most part, a no-brainer. To exit is not. Indeed, the public comments of the major business organisations show us more …
Read More »Demming: Methinks thou doth protest too much! Three reasons to doubt Venezuela explanations
After managing the Covid-19 pandemic so well, why did Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley score this own goal with the high-power Venezuela meeting? His team was doing well. Couldn’t his handlers advise him to duck this one and move on to the good news of opening up the country? Instead, …
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