View Point

For those who might have wondered about the absence of my column last week, the Express has decided that it only requires my offerings fortnightly. I had already begun writing when I was told, so I continued. I’d listened to three episodes of the Corie Sheppard Podcast on Carnival Tuesday. …

Following Carnival 2026, there have been the usual self-congratulatory comments from officialdom about its success and economic benefits. See for example the declaration of the Minister of Culture in the Trinidad Guardian of 22 February 2026 that the $137 million that the Ministry spent on the season was “well spent”. …

“[…] There is often a misconception that MPs are exempt from the strict rules governing civil servants. The legal reality is the opposite. They are unequivocally public officers and a trustee of the people. “Because MPs wield immense political and legal power, often with very little daily oversight, the law …

“[…] What is perhaps most instructive from the data on Trinidad and Tobago’s national culture is our incredibly low score on long-term orientation (17 out of 100 vs 77 out of 100 in China and 50 out of 100 in the US). “It demonstrates a low propensity to sufficiently consider …

“[…] 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 …

“[…] 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 …

It isn’t something I do—but when Alta, the Adult Literacy Tutors Association, contacted me to ask if I would write something to bring some attention to their Readings Under the Trees event, I could not refuse. Their annual event, held at the Royal Botanical Gardens (I am surprised that it …

For Panorama semi-finals, two weeks ago, I had probably the best listening position I have ever had. Through the kind courtesy of panyard acquaintances, as well as through our bonding at my Carnival Days’ lime, I spent nine hours in row two of the Grandstand, right behind the judges with …

Someone suggested rather irately that I write about how the rich and powerful operate with a different code, with such impunity that they get away with behaviour that is abhorrent to the moral masses. Several people have been raising indignant voices, and the air is vibrating with their vehemence. I …

“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 …

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, …

There is reason to be concerned about current trends towards the promotion of authoritarian rule in Trinidad and Tobago. The Commissioner of Police (the CoP) vehemently sought to dilute accountability for the fatal police-involved shooting of a citizen seen in a video emerging from a crashed vehicle after a chase, …