“[…] Dr Eric Williams was referring to people who preceded Basdeo Panday that were moving mountains to divide the country in an obscene manner to get the support of the East Indians at home and abroad–all in the quest for political power based on race. “[…] When Panday talks about …
Read More »Daly Bread: Into the political hereafter; as Opposition Leader shows up Govt response to Privy Council
There is a new example of political truth being stranger than fiction. It is that it takes two very wobbly Attorneys General to make a distrusted Opposition look good. When it was not trying to pretend that the outcome of the recent case in the Privy Council (the PC) was …
Read More »Daly Bread: Was AG looking for VAR? At least, Prime Minister responded sensibly
As football fans know, VAR stands for Video Assistant Referee. This is the additional refereeing team that uses technology located immediately adjacent to the field of play to assist the match referee to review, when necessary, certain match-changing decisions. These decisions include goals, penalties and direct red-card incidents. I thought …
Read More »Dear Editor: Home invasion laws need upgrading, and PNM and UNC MUST work together on crime
“[…] Both parties have now dug their heels in, and would regard any compromise on this matter as a sign of weakness and incompetence. They are playing to the gallery. “Where does the national interest feature in this soap opera? […]” The following Letter to the Editor on the need for …
Read More »Dear Editor: I support Kamla’s call for 25-year sentence for home invasions; and the PM should too
“[…] Please Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, do not let this opportunity go to waste. Accept without hesitation the proposal of Mrs [Kamla] Persad-Bissessar at the minimum. “[…] We are at war with the perpetrators of violent crimes. This is no time for partisan bickering. Drastic measures are required to …
Read More »Daly Bread: Many Emperors, no clothes—T&T suffers from decades of poor governance
During an Easter Sunday break from my column, I was forcibly struck by the disconnect between the official messages about Easter from those clothed with high constitutional authority and the grim reality on the ground. Many persons would have been engaged in pleasurable activities over the Easter weekend. However, the …
Read More »Noble: When will we hold accountable those “honourable” members who lead?
“When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.” Ecclesiastes 8: 11 Last week’s avalanche of news robs any politician of the right to criticise any citizen for being cynical. It was like a hit parade list of things that can go wrong. The …
Read More »Daly Bread: Disgusting politicking with human trafficking undermines public trust
A disgusting exchange of sly political innuendos erupted and similar exchanges between politicians continued all last week over the possible identity of “senior government officials” allegedly involved in human trafficking activity in Trinidad and Tobago. The highest level of leadership in the two main political parties—PNM and UNC—participated in these …
Read More »Noble: The problem with vilifying Christine Kangaloo; and how it makes us poorer
Over the last two weeks, we have witnessed an unceasing commentary on Ms Christine Kangaloo’s supposed lack of fitness for the presidential office. At first, there was the sentiment that there was no need for a president. This position quickly got corrected when the legal ramifications of the post were …
Read More »Daly Bread: Deny, deflect, denigrate; T&T damaged by political default mode
The arts and culture milieu is my ground and grounding. By that I mean it is both my happy place and helps to keep me “reel”—best translated, I suppose, as the opposite of becoming a blinged-out, undiscerning and indifferent poser. And so it was that, on the first Saturday of …
Read More »Noble: Our Presidential Journey, and lessons from T&T’s history
“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.” Aldous Huxley, English writer. In the present furore about selecting a new president, it appears that we, as a nation, and our leaders have rubbished our history. We …
Read More »Dear Editor: Parliamentarians and senators should snub Kangaloo and find consensus on next president
On 20 January 2018, women in this country were extremely happy when the electoral college unanimously elected our sixth president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Madam Justice Paula Mae Weekes, who was our very first woman president. The mood was one of excitement, hope, and optimism. It was …
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