The tragic circumstances surrounding Andrea Bharatt’s abduction and murder have shone a light on our society’s sensibilities toward a number of issues. And whilst our attitudes toward the value of women, the pursuit of justice, crime and punishment and scepticism of authority are by no means monolithic, the discourse surrounding …
Read More »Protesting Dissonance: “While race is certainly a factor, class is the true divider here…”
The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) has investigated 150 fatal police shooting incidents resulting in 258 deaths from 2011 to March 2019. According to their statistics, the average annual number of police killings between 2013 and 2019 works out to about 34 deaths per year. Across the same time period in …
Read More »Jabz Hassanali: A very Messi prediction; four reasons why Argentina can win the 2018 World Cup
I want Argentina to win the World Cup. But I wanted them to win the last World Cup too and we all saw how that turned out. By all objective criteria, the team has regressed significantly since 2014. What’s more, other perennial favourites have noticeably strengthened within that same period. …
Read More »Why pave Paradise? (Pt II): Govt needs thoughtful, collaborative approach to fix T&T; and the odd maxi taxi ride
Now believe me, Madam Minister, I understand the pressure you are under to be seen to be delivering the goods. And as far as PR and Photo Op visibility in our society goes, few events rank higher than a ribbon cutting or key distribution ceremony. The honeymoon period is well …
Read More »The art of ‘tiefing a wine’: Hassanali on bumpers, bumpees, bad behaviour and wine tiefers
It takes a lot of balls to wade into this issue all willy-nilly. But I miss Carnival and I feel for a challenge. Hopefully I won’t offend and the feminists won’t skin me alive. But if I do unintentionally lapse into ‘mansplaining’ when offering my perspective, I apologize in advance. …
Read More »Criticism vs Critique Pt 2: Hassanali takes a stab at the fuel subsidy debate
I am no hypocrite. So before someone, having read what I have so far written, attempts to stick that label on me for not practising what I preach, let me have a stab at elevating the fuel subsidy debate. I totally agree with the sentiment that the subsidy in its …
Read More »Criticism vs Critique Pt 1: Colm, the crowd, critics, commentary and keeping it constructive
Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced an increase in fuel prices with immediate effect. Cue outrage from all quarters in the immediate aftermath. “Cheap Fuel is the bedrock of our society!” they clamoured. “Raise the cost of transport and everything else goes up! It’s common sense!” As tired as these arguments …
Read More »T&T must make marijuana move now or risk losing our piece of the action
“Once the UN does make the necessary adjustment, the floodgates will open and the rest of the world—including major bandwaggonists Trinidad and Tobago—will all of a sudden see this as a non-issue. So if we take the risk now, where, realistically, in the Western Hemisphere would the diplomatic backlash come …
Read More »How pro-active approach to marijuana can offer big boost for T&T tourism and agriculture
“If we were to go all the way and legalise marijuana for both medicinal and recreational purposes, think about the effects it could have on boosting and differentiating our basically still-born tourism product… The potential to revitalise the local economies of rural villages hardest hit by our recession is obvious. …
Read More »Dear Editor: T&T’s building dilemma: to plan or not to plan? An activist answers in the affirmative
“If I were to tell you that the Town and Country Planning Division (TCPD) is perhaps the most critical state agency in addressing [your daily life], most of you would probably chuckle disdainfully or shrug your shoulders with indifference. “Town and who?” And the funny—or tragic—thing is we’d both be …
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