The final visit from the trio of Christmas ghosts takes Ebenezer Scrooge to a future—his possible future if he maintains his current pattern of behaviour. While Charles Dickens depicts this particular spectre as the most dreadful of the lot, it is actually the one who really represents the most hopeful …
Read More »Noble: ‘Greed and selfish living result in social instability’—T&T needs more financial transparency
The autocratic nature of our politics is most memorably captured in the sordid 1962 episode featuring Dr Patrick Solomon, minister of Home Affairs in the People’s National Movement (PNM) government—with responsibility for the police service. His stepson was arrested and incarcerated for throwing missiles in a public space. Solomon allegedly …
Read More »Noble: Truth, HCU and Karen Nunez-Tesheira—the lady doth protest too much
“What is truth?” retorted Pilate at Jesus’ trial (Luke 18:36). The Greek word for truth is aletheia, which literally means unconcealed and implies sincerity and factuality couched in reality. Mrs Karen Nunez-Tesheira submitted that my column on campaign financing was based on innuendo. Nunez-Tesheira indicated I painted “Johnny O’Halloran, presumably …
Read More »Noble: All ah we tief—money, conflicts and whose interests do elite serve?
“If you don’t have unity, we can’t fight. There are fresh people who call themselves leaders. You can’t be leading, and when it’s time to stand up for people, you don’t know how to stand up. “The authorities have to take crime-fighting seriously; otherwise, there would be more chaos and …
Read More »Noble: The Rich, The Poor and Crime—do our chambers see corruption as criminal?
“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” Late US president John F Kennedy. This quote comes from Kennedy’s inaugural 1961 address. He had been gripped by the poverty he saw while campaigning. In his first official act, he …
Read More »Noble: Lack of integrity scares me—does Mr Harford think crooks wouldn’t jook him?
“Look for three things in a person: intelligence, energy and integrity. If they don’t have the last one, don’t even bother with the first two.” Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. As a young child, I used to hear scary stories. La Diablesse, Socouyant and Douen were staples. Telling scary …
Read More »Daly Bread: Practiced detachment from the killings
Last week’s column was forced to return to what I assert is the government’s unwillingness to take any responsibility for the prevailing rampant killings, particularly for the easy passage of guns and drugs into our island for well over a decade. If not government agencies, who else is expected to …
Read More »Noble: The Gangster and the Gentleman—an East Port of Spain bandit tale
MENDOZA: I am a brigand. I live by robbing the rich. TANNER: (promptly) I am a gentleman. I live by robbing the poor. Shake hands. George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, 1903. This interplay reveals the nature of men: one is a gangster bent on restoring “social justice,” the other …
Read More »Noble: When money became a problem—how T&T wasted three “oil booms”
In September 1973, we, as a nation, were blessed with a bonanza from new offshore discoveries and a sharp rise in oil prices triggered by the Yom Kippur War and the new militancy of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In what was said to be an unguarded moment …
Read More »Noble: Understanding poverty and greed; two sides of the same coin
“Poverty is hell, and the angels are in Paradise/ Driving in their limousine, where everything is nice and clean…” Shadow, the calypsonian. Shadow sets the stage in his opening lines: one cannot understand poverty without appreciating the wealth on the other side. Poverty and greed are two sides of the …
Read More »Noble: The problem with Roget’s fixation on criminality of ‘urban youth’
“In my 50-60 years, I have never heard so much corruption in my land as in the last few days… People are stealing money as though they invented it. It seems almost as though the rich have taken a vow to thief, thief, thief…” Ambassador Makandal Daaga, the then leader …
Read More »Noble: Are we all living pipe dreams, like Mahal, while T&T suffers?
Mahal was the walking legend in Trinidad from the 1930s to the early 60s. He pretended to drive a car while he, in fact, walked or trotted. He made hand signals and blew his horn as though he had a car. An anecdote reflects us in Al Ramsawack’s story on …
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