“[…] Where is the music to ‘turn a woman’s body into jelly’? Where is the fun? The celebration? The ‘Spirit of Carnival’? (Fun fact: that actually used to be a judging criterion in Calypso). “Long gone are the days when a calypsonian could win with a rum song paired with …
Read More »Ula: How two T&T deaths will test legal boundaries of US kinetic strikes in international waters
“[…] Advocates of this strategy contend that traditional interdiction efforts intercept only a fraction of maritime drug trafficking operations, whereas the systematic destruction of vessels and the targeting of personnel establish a more robust deterrent effect. “The strikes have implications that extend beyond the immediate legal proceedings. Critics contend that …
Read More »Demming: Crime is not a community problem—it is a national failure
“Trinidad and Tobago could only progress if Laventille does,” Winston Dookeran said in May 2010. Have we moved beyond this idea? Have we accepted that crime is not a group problem? It is not an “Afro problem”, an “Indian problem”, or a “PNM problem”. Crime is a national problem, and …
Read More »Beyond the bacchanal: Why cancel culture cannot dismantle our colonial legacy
In the rhythm of life in Trinidad and Tobago, and across the wider Caribbean, we know the power of a good “bacchanal.” One moment, a public figure—or perhaps a private citizen caught in the crosshairs—commits a transgression; the next, the digital hive mind descends. On Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram, …
Read More »Dr Harris: Trust me, if you can—why Trinidad and Tobago is poorer with societal distrust
“[…] Trinidad and Tobago has very low levels of reported trust given its GDP per capita… Most people do not trust the police. Most people do not believe justice is meted out fairly… There is even mistrust in the Road March competition with year-on-year allegations of the ‘Soca Mafia’. “[…] …
Read More »Kamla: Business as usual in T&T; Venezuela chaos has nothing to do with us
“[…] What happened in Venezuela has nothing to do with Trinidad and Tobago. Citizens, just like myself, went about our normal business. We are not involved, so citizens have no need to be bothered. “[…] Trinidad and Tobago does not covet Venezuelan property—we never have and we never will…” The …
Read More »Kamla: T&T was NOT participant in Venezuela attack; Opposition, civil society respond
Kamla Persad-Bissessar: “[…] Trinidad and Tobago is NOT a participant in any of these ongoing military operations. Trinidad and Tobago continues to maintain peaceful relations with the people of Venezuela.” Pennelope Beckles: “[This is] a matter of serious concern for Trinidad and Tobago, Caricom, and the wider Caribbean… We place …
Read More »Dear Editor: Pan’s biggest problem is a lack of imagination—not state funding
“[…] It is time that pan (read Pan Trinbago, or PTB) involves itself in some long-term policies, strategies and actions that have the long-term goals of sustainability of the pan and benefits to the thousands of panmen who continue to play for free, simply for their unenviable love of pan. …
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 »Dear Editor: T&T should be wary of ‘friendship’ with USA, and implications of Venezuela conflict
“[…] It is clear that this Administration, having outsourced its decision-making with respect to relations with Venezuela, has not learnt from or are not aware of Henry Kissinger’s warning—though uttered in a different context—that: ‘it may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.’ “[…] …
Read More »Dear Editor: Home Invasion Bill is practical evolution of existing law—not ‘political comfort food’
“[…] Critics may dismiss the [Home Invasion] Bill as mere ‘political comfort food’. Its purpose is practical: to bridge gaps between legal theory and public understanding. “This places justice not as an abstract theory but a lived reality focused on offenders causing death during violent crimes like home invasion [and …
Read More »Dear Editor: Why Home Invasion Act is legal equivalent of political comfort food
“[…] The Home Invasion Bill does not expand rights for householders. It does not reshape murder elements… What it does do is reassure the public that the law stands with terrified defenders. Again: courts already did that. “So why does the Bill exist at all? The honest answer is the same in every …
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