“[…] The entitlement, indiscipline and misdirected priorities of some lawless citizens who inconvenience and endanger law abiding citizens will not be tolerated anymore. No discipline will be met with no tolerance. “No one will sway me from cleaning up this lawless dump to benefit citizens who try to live decent …
Read More »Dr Lutchman: Enforcing rules is not ‘uncaring’—T&T must undo ‘lawless’ mindset
“[Critics] suggest that a caring state relies on education, while a punitive state relies on force. This binary view, however, obscures the reality of how safety and civil order are actually maintained. “[…] The assertion of law is not an abdication of care. On the contrary, it is often the …
Read More »Dear Editor: Health care is not a privilege—it is a right
“[…] Ordinary citizens know the challenges all too well: waiting lines that stretch for hours before a doctor can be seen; appointments pushed months into the future; shortages of essential medicines, forcing families to search from pharmacy to pharmacy at unaffordable prices. “Equipment is outdated or broken, leaving patients without …
Read More »Gabrielle: Why T&T must go beyond divisive rhetoric to find our best selves
A PEOPLE’S aspirations can never be defeated. This is the lesson of our history. I started with aspirations here to articulate my own position about regional relations within Caricom. Regardless of what governments do, an aspiration to regionality is the tidalectics of the Caribbean. We value our connectedness whether in …
Read More »Dr Harris: Why we need more hope in 2026—T&T must break cycle of decline
“[…] We are losing hope in the ability of our economy to provide good jobs for us. A smaller share of the working age population has been participating in the labour market. “[…] The decline is largely driven by falling male participation from above 80% to just above 60%. Female …
Read More »From sister of murdered policeman: ‘I grieve Dale—but the system failed his killer’
“[…] Dale’s death forces a hard truth… I’m grieving. “But I also feel sorrow for Ishmael’s family. Because the system failed him long before he failed himself…” The following post on the sentencing of Ishmael Clarke for the murder of police constable Dale Mayers was submitted to Wired868 by Mayers’ …
Read More »Serina: We’re all arrivals—what invasive, rogue vine, ‘kunduri’, can teach us
On most maps, Trinidad and Tobago is a small smudge near the mouth of the Orinoco River. In real life, it is a place of astonishing biodiversity, and a place that bigger powers have long treated as useful. Empires, oil routes and warships have passed along this coast, rearranging both …
Read More »Vaneisa: Fear and loathing—T&T under high anxiety
I don’t recall ever seeing such a high level of apprehension in our space. Do you? It’s coming from a multitude of shadowed places, so many that it is difficult to put a finger on any one thing as the root. Armadas and squadrons loom on our horizon. Conflicting reports …
Read More »Vaneisa: Is patriotism overrated?
Thinking about the issue of belonging, I have been wanting to return to the subject of patriotism. I came across this column I had written in September 2021. Essentially, it was what I have wanted to say. So, here is a version of it. In the seventies, my large group …
Read More »Daly Bread: Govt’s revitalisation goals must include socio-economic reform
However the intended and laudable “revitalisation” of Trinidad and Tobago may proceed, the long standing need for socio-economic reform, accountable governance, and massive bureaucracy busting cannot be evaded. It is an essential part of any revitalisation. I therefore fully support the statement in a recent Trinidad Express editorial that “in …
Read More »Dr Harris: Survival of the shameless—T&T will pay heavy price for surrendering shame
“[…] Rachel Price made this observation reflecting on social media: some things that may have been deemed shameful a mere 10 years ago, are now common behaviours in order to solicit ‘likes’ and ‘shares’. “[…] Historians have longed recognised the role of shame in keeping groups in check. In the …
Read More »Dear Editor: “Evidence-based decision-making” can transform T&T from “underachievers’ paradise”
“[…] Now, Trinidad and Tobago is a shadow of its former self, undermined by a lack of innovative leadership, perceived corruption, crime, poor infrastructure and most of all, a culture that has transformed itself into rewarding mediocrity rather than excellence. “[…] Evidence-based decision-making is critical in achieving service excellence… [For …
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