By Raffique Shah
November 23, 2020
“…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights…whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers…”
Like Samuel Johnson’s proverbial scoundrel who seeks refuge in patriotism, I fall back on the American declaration of independence, especially its “unalienable rights”, and in particular the right, nay, the civic duty it imposes on citizens, to rebel with force to remove a government that is trampling their rights.
These injunctions that emanated from the fertile minds of a phalanx of philosophers, and from some very ordinary thinkers who existed during the Age of Enlightenment, and others who would emerge thereafter, often as lone voices of reason in the cacophony of savages, come to mind when, in today’s complex world, we find ourselves facing a kind of primitiveness we thought had gone extinct with the demise of dinosaurs, but who, sadly, remain alive and breathing fire and brimstone, seemingly bent on reversing the technological wizardry that are the only things we have to present in defence of our epoch, as if to say to those who query our existence, here, look, these are scientific devices that we invented, that are evidence that not only did we walk on Earth, but we reduced it to a much smaller space than it ever was, bequeathing terminology such as virtual conferencing and digital classrooms and offices, our contributions to the rich lexicon we inherited from giants and geniuses who romanced the spoken and written words and works of wonder in languages that enriched a truly multicultural world.
And then, along came Trump, first name Donald, a human being like no other we had encountered in generations, and nothing that you’ll remember except for his dominion of ill-repute, his constant lying that rendered him into a new-age robot, thousands of which had been invented to do chores like switching on and off the numerous electronic devices that have all but taken over the running of our homes, work places, communities, travel, and so on.
What was alarming about this Trump fellow is not what he preached: we had heard it all before, those of us who had lived the biblical three-score-and-ten years as promised by Jah. We had lived through the horror that was Hitler, if only as babies born when that bogey-man was being buried in the bunkers he had built to last the Third Reich a thousand years. That they barely survived ten, and crumbled on him, ending his empire in ruins, hardly deterred his devout disciples who still live in hope of a revival of national socialism, and the return of Hitler.
Post-Hitler, we endured the more insidious types, such as Jim Jones, a pastor who somehow penetrated the minds of thousands of Americans (always the easiest to fool), got some 1,000-plus of them to relocate to the jungles of Guyana, where, to cut a long story short, Jones and his followers drank some very potent poison and ended their miserable lives in pursuit of a promised land of milk and honey that turned out to be Kool-Aid and death.
It is something in that vein I am seeing in this Trump fellow, he and the close to 70 million Americans (them again!) who voted for him, and who may now think nothing of going along like lambs to the slaughter, bleating his oh-so-transparent lies that they are too blind to see for what they are, and in the process turning America into a cauldron of confusion, maybe mass deaths…who knows?
What I worry about is not what happens in the USA, although, given our closely-connected world, that must be a concern. My concern is the “Trumpettes” we have among us, political leaders and their followers, who believe this man is God.
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her non wavering-toxic sidekick Roodal Moonilal, have all but identified themselves as Trump devotees. When the US president was promoting Juan Guaido as their man to remove Nickolas Maduro from office in Venezuela, this duo complied, called on the Keith Rowley government to do likewise, and virtually begged Trump to impose sanctions against our government for not complying with the dictates of Washington.
More than a year later, Guaido remains “little boy lost” as I wrote then, and many who embraced him are embarrassed today. There are others in the Caribbean, and elsewhere, who admire Trump for reasons that remain unclear. It may well be they are impressed with his bullying-style of governance and his erratic foreign policies—withdrawing from the WHO and wavering on NATO.
Whatever their reasons, we need to stay alert. Trump will be history in a few weeks. We have an economy to rebuild and a country to resurrect.
Stay focused.
“Whatever their reasons, we need to stay alert. Trump will be history in a few weeks. We have an economy to rebuild and a country to resurrect.“
When a leader loses the party still remains a force to be reckoned with. Whenever the PNM loses embedded in their DNA is how we can regain power. Roget was part of the partnership and as soon as Manning lose Roget engaged in war of attrition against KPB doing all he can to cut up and destroy the coalition. He almost succeed but Prakash Ramadhar stood firmly with KPB. Today Roget has been heavily “manners” like the lil boy who wet his pants and was told a number of time to stand at the back of class. He cheekily grin and stand at the back.
As for building back the economy. The PNM today is focus on the 1% and the party faithful. They intended to paupuarize an already poor population by introducing more tax and spend measures. It was back in the 80s the PNM told their supporters to have at least 4 to 5 children per family. They knew that the 60,000 islanders brought in the 1960s given prime government jobs, housing and other perks were the future of their party. With the property tax mostly poor Indians who refuse to give their children a sign on their land will see the State grandfathering that land to PNM supporters. It is the perks of power where the few decides for all. With government housing and the crab in a barrel opposition mentality they are embedding themselves to create the rich and poor structures for future Statism. You have today but twill be gone tomorrow….
The most dangerous Trumpettes do not reside in T&T. They are Americans and they are not his “Jim Jones” followers, they are people of color.
Kamla and Roodal are insignificant if in fact, they are Trump devotees. There are more powerful world leaders today who are more convincing examples of Trump devotees.
This article is way above your head per knowledge of American history. Now, tell me Bro Shah, which former US President was different to Donald Trump? as a post European tribal war( world war) incarnate, your knowledge of real history have practically left you in the dark, and as a commentator, a lot of hit/miss and regurgitating stories seems to be the Mantra sleeping next to you on your sick bed . Bro Shah, your hands are ladened with what Trinidad, not Tobago, have decayed into. History tells us, Lincoln’ vice president Jackson, after his assassination or murder, reversed all the post slavery policies, and implemented Jim crow. In Trinidad, we put 11yr olds on a SAT pedestal, swelling their heads, only to never hear of them again. Trumpism as it is doctrined, have always existed in all of its forms in Trinidad, living and becoming a man on the flat plains, have left you Bro Shah, outside looking in. your contact with Trinidad Trumpism, seems to be very limited. Trump minded European descent Trinidad, made sure, that there will be a place and space for the South Asian of your kind. Most times, we tend to look for the HORNERMAN, not realizing that, the very same man is right in the midst at the diner table. Trumps’ 70+ million voters are greater than most populated so- called Democratic Nations, England, and Franch included, plus all the pockets of demented RACISTS the world over. Ms Kamala Harris, when one looks at her straight up, you see an AFRCAN woman, the way India have gravitated towards the DOUGLA , trying to make her one of” US”, should open the eyes of all the RACIST recalcitrants and Mis-Educated. In Guyana, the 900+ poisoned deaths, were mis-guided and Mis-educated African Americans beleiving that jim Jones was the will and way. In Trinidad, mem-Baghai, the narrative is that the PNM is an African political party, a BIG LIE. As Trinidad politics continue to unravel, we see that the UNC (predominant south Asian ) is the precursor of all Trinidad’ political ills. Sandhurst’ Colonial and Empirical education, a CRIMINAL one at that, is all you and Gary Griffith have to show for y’all journey. Today, we have 2 Kamala/Kamla’, one thoroughly educated, the other, Colonial enriched and mis-educated, leading a devisive political party, endeavoring to make Trinidad great again, and like Trump, she has the people needed. In the SINS/vices of Wo/Man Christ is Crucified.
I already had my double Sunday vodka so my mind is well lubricated. Moving to the facts at hand. Trump is history so any ink spent on him is a waste of time.
It is well established that Mr Shah by his writings is a anti-UNC hater. A convicted traitor who made a livelihood by milking his participation in a failed army rebellion.
In a small place like T&T race triumphs over reason. All the existing problems in T&T ( runaway crime, collapsing economy, poor infrastructure etc) can be directly blamed on PNM mismanagement since they have been in power for 50 plus years since independence. What does the future hold? More of the same unless those who value their lives, their patrimony and their heritage consider a more unified nationalist government instead of a repeating cycle of tribalism where the PNM and it’s supporters take all over and over.