Marshall McLuhan, Canadian educator and philosopher, published work in 1964 which became fundamental to understanding the media in the electronic age—even though electronic communication, as we know it, had not yet been invented. He created the famous phrases ‘global village’ and ‘the medium is the message’. McLuhan posited, in summary, …
Read More »Demming: We need to fix the system, not subvert it to suit our friends
The perception that if you are within the inner circle of the government, you can get anything you want was solidified in my mind with the recent announcement by the Prime Minister. Clarence Rambharat, former agriculture, lands and fisheries minister, we were told, is coming back into government and will …
Read More »MSJ: Workers and poor people can’t afford to pay more for transport, withdraw fuel hike
“[…] Minister Colm Imbert said that the $1 increase is so that the burden of adjustment can be equally shared between the Government and people. This is utter rubbish. “The real issue is how is the burden of adjustment to be shared between the rich and the poor—between those who …
Read More »Orin: Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana need ‘reset’ from lingering political animosities
“[…] When the incumbent David Granger administration tried to stop the party of Bharrat Jagdeo and Irfaan Ali from taking office after an election they’d won in March 2020, some in that party felt that Dr Keith Rowley was soft on Granger, in contrast to his Barbadian and Vincentian colleagues …
Read More »Daly Bread: T&T stuck in no-man’s-land; things fall apart long time
Negative characterisations are not liked by our rulers and their satellites when they are on the receiving end although they frequently abuse us. ‘Do so eh like so’ has resulted in a flurry of attacks on the vice-president of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, for saying last week that ‘things in Trinidad …
Read More »Noble: Brer Anansi stories; Dr Rowley’s Guyanese minefield
All Caribbean children (from Jamaica to Guyana) learned about Brer Anansi. Brer Anansi is one of the most significant characters in Caribbean folklore. ‘He is admirably clever as he is greedy, selfish and reckless. In a place where there are no standards and anything goes, Anansi holds a cherished place …
Read More »Early Bird: Absence of malice, presence of mind and our women’s false sense of security
Fo’daymorning. There are three of them, walking side-by-side. From 30 or 40 yards away as I stride southwards along my street, I see them going west towards the park. I pay no particular attention. My mind is far. Moments before leaving home at 5.30am, I saw an overnight WhatsApp question: …
Read More »Early Bird: Lyricsing in Parliament; how Rodney Charles’ Mia Mottley remark resurrected Explainer
“Have you seen the ad everybody on Facebook seems to be talking about?” “Yuh want to spoil my morning!” Bobby grumbled, making a long face behind his mask. “Too early to be talking about Facebook, bro! And anyway, I’m not on Facebook! “And I want to talk about serious business. …
Read More »Daly Bread: Connecting the dots; was Al-Rawi’s fall linked to Griffith’s?
Owing to pressures on my time, I was unable last Sunday to join in the commentary on the Prime Minister’s confession that he was the high official present at President’s House in August 2021. He was not there to meet the President, as he frequently does, but to meet …
Read More »Demming: Order in the House! Is Prime Minister Rowley a tone-deaf role model?
“Order!” shouted the Speaker of the House Bridgid Annisette-George. “Order!” “Prime Minister,” the Speaker had already said three times while on her feet. Ignoring her, the Prime Minister continued his rant in response to what seemed to me to be a reasonable question from Naparima MP Rodney Charles. The Speaker …
Read More »Missing the Faris for the trees? Mr Live Wire gets another political lecture from a mysterious man
(Scene: A dapper gentleman examines a humble lodging with notable admiration.) FAR: I love the more intimate office space, boss. I can get from one end to the next far quicker than at my last office, which is bound to make me even more less-dynamic. The decor is more than …
Read More »Dear Editor: If PM did not instruct or intimidate PolSC members, how is what he did interference?
“[…] The obligation of the PM was to share the information with the PolSC as soon as possible, and leave it to that institution to deal with the matter on its own “[…] Are our memories so shallow that we have forgotten the attempted coup in 1990?! At the time, …
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