Superhero comics were created to boost the image of whites as the world’s progenitors and purveyors of justice, peace and security. Likewise, Hollywood has earned its reputation as the quintessential flagbearer of American cultural imperialism for well over a century. The two cultural agencies have had a long, intimate relationship. …
Read More »People power and a new, just society! NJAC celebrates 48th anniversary of historic 1970 march
“The desire for a new and just society, therefore, could only be achieved by replacing the old institutions with new ones. The generation of the 1970s thus saw its mission as the removal of these alien impositions and the mobilisation of our population for the building of a new foundation …
Read More »Best movie I’ve never seen! Jan-Michael defends Afro-centric reaction to Black Panther
“So I have to ask the question: is this a coincidence? And why now? After scrolling through social media and seeing that many people believe that a lot of Trinis only dressed in their African garb for the ‘likes’ and the attention, I’m forced to ask another question. However, this …
Read More »Daly: Justice must be open to scrutiny; Law Association should continue Archie probe
For many months, I have been commenting on the likely damage to the Judiciary first as a result of the fiasco of the appointment and purported resignation of Marcia Ayers-Caesar as a High Court Judge and, shortly after that, separate allegations about the conduct of the Chief Justice. Somewhat belatedly …
Read More »Why pave Paradise? Govt should leave Curepe for greenhouses and put houses elsewhere
When I read last Sunday about the government’s intention to build a housing development on lands allocated to the St Augustine Nurseries, it upset me greatly. In the days that followed, I became privy to the Acting Housing Minister’s full statement on the matter as well as the Minister of …
Read More »Daly Bread: The Helon standard; why T&T society desperately needs Change
These columns have regularly lamented the failure of leaders in all sectors to think innovatively, act with empathy and set minimum standards for conduct in public life. My heart therefore soared to hear in song: “Who set the standards in my T&T? I really wish somebody here could tell me. …
Read More »Found in Translation! (Pt IV): Mosaic Law weak and beggarly; remember Jesus’ Greatest Commandment
I must apologize, I forgot to share the etymology of the word “sodomite.” Etymology is getting the backstory on how a word came to be what it currently is and to mean what it now does. A local example is when we trace the history of the word “doubles” back …
Read More »Found in translation! (Pt III); how the lesson of Sodom and Gomorrah was twisted in more ways than one
There is nothing in the Torah, Old Testament, Talmud or New Testament that says the Canaanite cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because the men were all homosexual. Remember the medical definition of homosexuality we are sticking to is extra-biblical, 19th Century, medical terminology for sexual orientation. It would …
Read More »Dear Editor: Pratt and Morgan rubbish? Let’s recognise legal limits of landmark ruling
“This does not mean that hanging cannot take place; it merely means that the entire judicial process needs to take place and be completed within five years. So, it is rather disingenuous of Mr Ragoo to blame the ‘foreign architects’ (Privy Council judges) for the incompetence demonstrated by successive governments. It is …
Read More »Dear Editor: Ole mas, dissent, decency and the dangerous descent into meaninglessness
“For the large masses of working people in Trinidad, Carnival, particularly Jouvert, was always about subversion, defiance, sarcasm dressed up in deceptive hilarity. It was one of the very few avenues by which they were able to openly express how they felt about the unfairness of their lives, the hypocrisy …
Read More »Not Condemning: Sexual harassment is no bad skylark; it’s high time we changed our tune, T&T
John Lennon had already said it back in the last century. And when earlier this year Jimmy Fallon converted Bob Dylan’s old 1964 lyrics into a 2018 message “Your silence speaks louder than those who condone,” Trinidad and Tobago, you needed to be listening; Messrs Lennon and Fallon/Dylan were speaking to …
Read More »Dear Editor: Afro-Indian unity? Never happened! Granger, NJAC bungled 1970 March by ignoring “Baba”
“Most of us Indians didn’t like Eric Williams and his PNM and would be glad to see them go. But we had no interest in seeing the Eric Williams black gang replaced by another black gang led by Granger/Daaga and company. “[…] Once Williams had got the news that a …
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