There are three shocking characteristics displayed by some of our rulers and their satellites whom we have had to endure during the last two decades. These are disrespect for accountability, scorn for ordinary people and an absence of humanity. Last week, these characteristics combined in a manner as cruel as …
Read More »Noble: Central Gov’t in its present format doesn’t work—oh, gorm, man! Lead, nah!
Disappointment and impatience cloak our land in the run-up to the Local Government elections. Oh, Gorm Man! When will we get serious about our life, children, and future? A Lloyd Best quote captures our dilemma, which is the appalling lack of imagination and gravitas to tackle our nation’s problems: “[…] …
Read More »Noble: Considering the PDP’s collapse, the PNM Convention’s shuffle, and Volney’s passing
What a week! The events that tumbled over each other added to the exhaustion and frustration of the long road from 2020. Do we, as a country, have a clear path to success? Let us consider a few of the incidents. Firstly, the THA’s Chief Secretary announced that he and …
Read More »Noble: What empty Budget chatter reveals about T&T’s future and leadership
“Words are the clothes thoughts wear” — Samuel Beckett, Irish writer. The Budget debate and its fallout sent me scurrying to recall Beckett’s writings. He is the author of “Waiting for Godot”—a play the late James Lee Wah introduced to me in the early 70s. The state of play on …
Read More »Daly Bread: An absence of humanity; Paria officials were cruel to family of deceased divers
“How sleep you now, unfeeling kings? Does one human feeling creep through your hearts’ remorseless sleep?” These were the words of the poet Percy Shelley challenging suppression of the working class. There are no words strong enough to condemn the cruelty of the management of Paria Fuel Trading Company …
Read More »Noble: Paria’s plight is rampant in T&T—First World salaries without First World leadership
Stephen R Covey, the American author of First Things First, said: ‘We are free to choose our actions… but we are not free to choose the consequences of these actions.’ As a nation, we need to contemplate this as we mourn the loss of the four men in a recent …
Read More »“Irrational, erratic, disrespectful, accusatory and unreliable!” Dr Rowley’s alleged issues with then CoP Griffith
“[…] I consider your correspondence a threat and as such since you refuse to be guided and assisted and advised, I am to advise you that I will report this matter to the Minister and the Commission for their urgent attention. “You are now a person out of control and …
Read More »Daly Bread: Going out with a bang! AG’s fireworks ‘solution’ exacerbates the problem
Cabinet members Stuart Young, Clarence Rambharat and Marvin Gonzalez are to be commended for taking a public stand on legislation regarding the sale and use of fireworks—in disagreement with the proposed legislation with which the Attorney General is taking centre-stage. The AG has again gone out on a limb, unaccompanied …
Read More »Noble: Living in a Netflix movie; so much for myth of ‘magic-making’ lawyers in govt
In my former life, I used to be a marketing guy. A product like Netflix, therefore, intrigues me. While most persons only see Netflix’s dominance, I see the brand’s aspirational benefit ‘escape from reality’. The brand connects people with stories, providing fast, easy entertainment. It taps into your feelings as …
Read More »Tye: T&T’s governance model ‘breeds deep mistrust’—as such, ‘forced vaccinations’ would be a mistake
I certainly empathise with the government as they are navigating difficult decisions in the management of the economy and society during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, the issues facing the society are mostly not due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but deeper social issues that have never been properly addressed by …
Read More »Dr Hinds compares Covid crisis to raging fire, as Dr Rowley announces new restrictions
Principal medical officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards today pointed to the stark data from Trinidad and Tobago’s current grapple with the novel coronavirus, as the government announced its third set of restrictions since the Easter weekend. Two hospitals, the Couva Hospital and Augustus Long Facility, were at 98% and 100% capacity …
Read More »Noble: The riddle of Khan, Young, and Hernandez; and what it says about our desired leaders
‘Dislike of an individual is material in politics. Someone with an unlikeable persona may be unelectable in a diverse national contest… by contrast, good governance requires honest treatment of the business issues…’ (Martin Daly, November 2020). This Daly quote is relevant when considering the recent cabinet reshuffle in the light …
Read More »