View Point

“It is my understanding that when you accept public positions you are under the scrutiny of the media, political opponents and ‘john public’; your character should be unblemished and, of course, devoid of any past infraction with the law. Any perception that your character is dubious or that you have …

‘Discipline guarantees success’ has been a tried-and-true maxim, but no matter how disciplined you are, if your operating context is chaotic, you are unlikely to succeed. At all levels, Trinidad and Tobago exhibits a lack of discipline, which is facilitated by the absence of enforcement of the rules. From captain …

“At issue is the widespread, pernicious and fundamentally racist belief that the hair and hairstyles of African people are not suitable for formal settings and are intrinsically messy, unkempt, unhygienic and even disruptive. The insidious nature of this deeply ingrained idea encapsulated in the popular phrase ‘bad hair’ guarantees that …

On the eve of the 2007 general elections, Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar quoted the famous Marley lyrics ‘no woman, no cry’ as she dug in against the treatment from the men in her party. When she later won the internal elections and appointed Jack Warner as Chief Whip, Roodal Moonilal and …

Much of the discussion about the introduction of the polymer $100 bill conflates the evil of ‘dark’ money with persons who have been shut out of the banking system. The persons who deal in ‘dark’ money have self-selected to operate outside the system; but there are those who are unable …

The attention on the 40 scholarships won by Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu School and on them winning the president’s medal overlooked the mind-boggling consistent performance of the St Augustine Girls’ High School that copped 28 open scholarships, which is 13 more than their closest rivals. The Greater St Augustine area, defined …

“[…] Caribbean people tend to be so ‘familiar’; they seem to think that they can say what they want to you, however they want. Also, I’ve noticed while travelling with other carriers that passengers aren’t as demanding and difficult to the North American or foreign crew members. “Something that I …

Stuck between a growing social revolution here in Lebanon and our annual floods brought about by rampant  political corruption—which gave rise to the aforementioned unrest—I had little time or interest in watching the recently concluded Miss Universe Beauty Pageant. My interest piqued of course when I saw on BBC World …

“The Central Bank is committed to providing updates and public education about the new TT 100 dollar note while the TTPS has given the assurance that officers are on foot and mobile patrols around the banks. “[…] The new note is part of a national security measure which will assist …

“We are of the respectful view that the impugned legislation contravenes a citizen’s constitutional right to the enjoyment of property and not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law. “While it is accepted that a bona fide change in the form of legal tender may serve a …

I am very grateful to both Earl Best and Cliff Bertrand for their extensive comments on my earlier piece. Because their input raises important points, and because I am indeed a passionate democrat (as Earl described me), it is befitting that some response be provided. It is also important to …

“The very public and pejorative characterisation of the report as ‘unusable’, and words to the effect that the methodology used by the Committee resulted in the denial of natural justice, callously sacrificed the professional credibility, competence, and reputation of anyone who served on the Committee, including myself. With every public …