In death, as in life, he straddled the world like a colossus. All the major international news networks suspended regular programming to pay homage to Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer ever, the supreme sporting figure of the 20th Century, the defiant one who sacrificed a successful career on the altar …
Read More »You can’t shame the shameless; why Integrity Commission is a waste
When constitutionally-independent institutions in the country seem to be collapsing, when holders of the highest offices seem confused about their roles and perplexed about their powers. And when the law publicly proves to be the proverbial ass, then, Trinidad and Tobago, we have a problem. A very serious problem. Many people …
Read More »Sex and the geriatric preachers: why we should look past dirty Harrypersad
It is amazing, though not surprising, how easily our people can be distracted from the important issues that we face as a nation, currently galloping crime and an economy in crisis. Last week, everyone—from captain to crook—was consumed in debate over a rather stupid statement that Harrypersad Maharaj issued on …
Read More »Gap between intelligence and action: why SSA probably won’t help war on crime
Really, it does not bother me that the Strategic Service Agency (SSA), or any other State intelligence agency, from the AIA to the ZIA, might want to peep through my back door, monitor what I am writing now, check my email before I do, or listen in on my telephone …
Read More »Maybe America deserves Trump: Raffique Shah muses over US presidential campaign
So what if Donald Trump wins the race for presidency of the United States next November? He won’t be the first fool to occupy the highest office in the most powerful country on earth. Nor will he be the stupidest president ever. Bear in mind that if he does make …
Read More »Call for reformation: Why Archbishop Joe’s petition spells trouble for hardened criminals
Archbishop Joseph Harris’ initiative to petition Government to free from prison petty offenders who have remained on remand for an inordinately long time is laudable and deserving of support. However, if it’s accepted and implemented in its current form, it would deal an unjust blow to many more accused persons, …
Read More »All ah we dead: Raffique Shah says citizens caught in crossfire between police and thief
I had planned not to address crime in my columns; to waste space on an issue that, while it grows grimmer by the day, is seemingly intractable. When last I tackled it, I admitted to having become inured to the barbarism into which the nation has descended. Decapitation, mutilation, suffocation …
Read More »Battle against be-suited bandits: Raffique wades into price-gouging groceries
I find it almost amusing that some grocers who are caught dipping their greedy hands deep inside consumers’ pockets, cry foul when their names and outrageously high prices are exposed through advertisements posted by the Consumer Affairs Division of the Ministry of Trade. In immediate response to being named as …
Read More »T&T’s future lies in family farms: Raffique points way forward for agricultural industry
Trinidad and Tobago will never achieve full food security. We could, however, substantially increase the production of foods and fruits that we are good at growing. But first we must convince the majority of the population that we should eat what we produce. Even if we reverse our addiction to …
Read More »Descent into imports-dependence: How colonialism affects our diet, even today
What I established last week was that Trinidad and Tobago, like most small island states that were once colonised by imperial powers, relies heavily on imported foods for its sustenance. All our staples—grains (wheat, rice, maize), dairy products (milk, cheese, butter), sugar, edible oils, white potatoes, beans and pulses—come from …
Read More »Doomed to importing foods: Raffique points to economic risks of our diet
Recently, there has been much noise over Trinidad and Tobago’s capacity to produce the foods that we eat. I use the word “noise” instead of discussion or debate because so much of what is said and written is uninformed. With the economy in full-blown recession and foreign exchange inadequate to …
Read More »Waste worse than corruption: Raffique Shah points out cost of our nasty ways
A recent World Bank report ranked Trinidad and Tobago as the country that generates the most “municipal solid waste”, on a per capita basis, in the world. Every man, woman and child in this country, on average, every day, generates—according to the World Bank data—a mind-boggling 14.4 kilograms of garbage. …
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