We laughed a lot that last night. Mostly about the absurdity that Trinidad can be. On that cool night, with the air floating in and out of the open door of the Lloyd Best Institute, Raf Robertson was choosing to laugh instead of cry, to grin instead of grumble, his …
Read More »Sending the wrong signals: Why Raffique is wary of ‘Santa Colm’
If “Santa Colm” assures the populace that their Christmas will be bright, not blue, then we have no reason to doubt the man. After all, Acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert is the substantive Minister of Finance, in which capacity he has access to data and information pertaining to the state …
Read More »Change and foreign exchange: Rowley’s Gov’t must lead economic adjustment
The great howl that goes up with every significant decline in foreign exchange income betrays the country’s dogged refusal to even entertain the option of adjustment until forced by the IMF. Led by some of the most powerful forces of the business community the instinct is invariably to press the …
Read More »The last ‘pahalwan’: T&T says farewell to era of maximum leaders
The battle for leadership of the UNC has ignited a discussion on leadership in a broader context, with the party’s founder, Basdeo Panday, weighing in on the issue. According to my columnist colleague Sheila Rampersad, Panday told her that Indians tend to seek a “pahalwan”—Hindi for warrior or strongman—to lead …
Read More »To whom will UNC turn? Sheila Rampersad reviews a party at a crossroad
During an interview for the Industrial Court’s 50th anniversary publication, Journey to Gold, Basdeo Panday told me that ‘Indian people’ tend always to search for and support a pahalwan—a wrestler, gladiator or strongman—to fight on their behalf. ‘Bas’ himself was finely suited. He was a real wrestler donning the presidency …
Read More »Boors will be boors: Raffique Shah wades in CHOGM controversy and fireworks furore
I address two issues of public importance today. First is the emerging controversy over this country’s attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting to be held in Malta next week. And second, I join the chorus of frustrated voices crying out for something to be done to curb …
Read More »The battle against ISIS extremism and why T&T should care
Of all the photos following ISIS’s horrendous assault on Paris, among the most moving are those of the long lines of people waiting to donate blood outside hospitals where the wounded had been taken. There’s a good chance that among them were persons of Islamic faith standing in line to …
Read More »Stop Trinis from joining ‘Jihad?’ Raffique Shah says charter a plane for them!
I cannot understand the national outrage over the video posted on the Internet that shows several Trinidadian Islamic “jihadists” somewhere in Syria, dressed in combat gear, firing rifles on what appears to be a range, and inviting their Muslim brethren to join them in holy battle in “Hijra”, wherever that …
Read More »Soharee and Steelpan: Sunity explains how they can lift T&T’s self-esteem
Over and over, the deep-seated self-devaluation lurking deep inside the Caribbean psyche keeps tripping us up. At every opportunity to step forward and declare ourselves boldly to the world, the degenerative disease of self-doubt bites hard and forces us back. No, we can’t. Not we, insignificant sardines in a world …
Read More »Chickens coming home to roost: Millette’s murder must be a tipping point
In 1963, Malcolm X referred to the assassination of President John F Kennedy as a case of “chickens coming home to roost.” He had made this statement in response to a question after a speech delivered in December of the same year. He was suggesting that the failure of the …
Read More »The party’s over: Raffique weighs in on UNC’s internal catfight for leadership
Choosing a leader to take the United National Congress forward, backward, sideways, or keep it stagnated, is the business of members of the party. It is not for me, who never belonged to any party other than the original United Labour Front, and that very briefly, to tell UNC members …
Read More »Feeding the spirit of the place: PoS needs protection from more than wreckers
In an interview with i95.5’s Dale Enoch last week, Mr Gregory Aboud, the President of the Downtown Merchants Association (DOMA), was once again lamenting the state of his city besieged by wreckers. He seemed convinced that business in downtown Port of Spain has fallen victim to a wrecker conspiracy driven …
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