By Raffique Shah
August 19, 2015
Amidst the din of election campaigning—hundreds of ‘Kamla has a plan’ ads on all television stations during prime time, DJ music systems scouring the country daily, public meetings broadcast nightly on almost every radio and television station, more ads popping up every time you click on the Internet, assaults via phones and emails—I have yet to hear one frontline politician tell the people of this nation of the grim times the country faces if oil and gas prices keep tumbling, as they have done over the past two months.
I may have missed out on some responsible persons pointing out that the good times will not roll on forever, that revenues are declining even as the politicians promise more milk and honey, or, in these modern though not necessarily wholesome times, more fast foods, laptops, tablets (both IT and medical), hospitals, houses and so on.
After all, I am no glutton for audio and video punishment, so I hardly tune in to the electronic media outside of news time or sports coverage in which I have an interest. So I don’t want to be unfair to any courageous soul who may have tried to alert the population: Danger! Rough seas ahead!
I doubt it, though. Our politicians may be dubbed ill-informed, liars, misleaders, tricksters and a host of other derogatory names-but no one can call them foolish. And it would take a real fool to tell the masses, even as he or she seeks their support, that whichever party assumes office on September 8 will be forced to cut back on much of the freeness successive governments have doled out over the past 15 years or more.
The Financial Times (FT) calls it the ‘new oil order’, reporting that all the oil majors (Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP and more) saw their profits and share-prices tumble by up to 60 percent, announced further slashing of tens of thousands of jobs worldwide, and shelving some US $200 billion in new projects globally.
Oil companies and traders, the FT said, are now bracing for several years of low crude prices, as WTI slipped closer to US $40 a barrel last week.
And that’s just one item of bad news. As if the gods are conspiring against us, global food inflation rose to 9.7 percent in June, spurred by rising costs in poultry feed. In the face of a severe drought almost throughout the Caribbean, unless the weather changes dramatically, we in “chicken country” can expect price increases, which have already kicked in with eggs.
Factor in the Greek debt tragedy, market and currency convulsions in China, and the imminent return of Iranian oil on the global market to add to the glut.
Oil producers and exporters from tar-sands Alberta though the shale-fields in the USA and neighbouring Venezuela that loses US $700 million a year for every dollar decline in prices, are howling bloody murder. Bear in mind that the tar-sands and shale-oil and gas producers partly triggered the production glut and prices slump: it has boomeranged to hurt them badly.
In less than one year, the mighty Saudi Arabia which calls the shots in global oil, drew down some US $70 billion from its reserves that stood at $800 billion in mid-2014. FT reports that the Saudis plan to return to the bond market to raise US $27 billion by year-end.
Now, considering the sea of woes I outlined above, affecting companies whose assets are larger than our GDP and countries much bigger and richer than ours, do you believe that T&T’s economy stands solid as a rock, alone in an ocean of turbulence?
The Prime Minister and ministers of finance and energy tell us that the economic fundamentals are sound, that there will be no cutbacks in spending or tampering with subsidies should they be returned to office. Are these people mad? Or are we, the population, the biggest fools in the world to believe we can spend, spend, spend in the face of plunging revenues and no significant diversification of the economy?
In 2008-2009, when oil prices plunged from US $140 a barrel to $30, earnings from oil (and gas) plummeted from TT $30 billion to $15 billion. Since the energy sector contributes 80 per cent of foreign exchange (and around 50 percent of revenue), is it any wonder that there is a shortage of foreign currencies?
With oil prices on a slide, no hint of rebounding, and gas prices falling in tandem, it is grossly irresponsible for any politician to ignore the harsh realities and promise the people lavish spending on prestige projects and never-ending freeness.
That’s like partying away while the SS Trinidad sinks: history will never forgive the captain or forget the crew.
People understand that GONE are the glory days. Its Corruption, Greed and Self, Large Corporations and Conglomerates is in the business of squeezing the Middle & Poor class both to Poverty & Survival Levels.
Only GOD and I say only The Almighty One Can turn this around
Raffi
No problem. The ship has no passengers.
A country of 1.3 million with 800,000 cars registered says a lot. Would these owners listen to any politician who calls for tightening of belts now in preparation for the rainy days ahead, much less for floods for sinking SS Trinidad? Readjustment is inevitable, but at the same time do you expect any government politician to politicize doom and gloom on election campaigning platforms. No, this is supposed to be fodder for the Opposition politicians, are they doing such right now? Set aside the woes of Greece, Japan, China and some of these oil giants, we trinis, need to look at ourselves and see how some of our thoughts are infused in our cultural practices. Let me explain, when Indarsingh and Panday called upon Caroni workers to oppose the closure of the company how many of the workers stood up? All they saw in front of them was settlement packages. When we focus on the US and Canada and their energy woes, you must keep in mind those countries have sustainable agricultural policies in place which can be employed to feed themselves in harsh times. We on the other hand import so much food right now we are not far behind Russia that is burning all food imports because of the sanctions imposed upon them by EEC countries including the US. So maybe we can look at Cuba and see how they survived harsh economic sanctions for 50 plus years yet they have excelled in the fields of health and Education globally. Reference can be made to this book by Susan George of which she earned a PhD at the University of La Paz. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Other_Half_Dies
The economic fundamentals and economic readjustment are 2 separate entities and what is required for us is to remove ourselves from reactionary policies but employ proactive measures on a transitionary phase such as subsidies on fuel are reduced in relation to the downward sliding of energy fuel costs. Panic and despair do not help and the leaders maintain cool and level heads in effecting such.
The following is an excerpt taken from C News on Tuesday May 20, 2014, as C News spoke to Mr. Gold on what prompted his team to feature Trinidad and Tobago’s dark side.
“The Financial Times had a big article on the really high rate of murders that happen in Trinidad the first week of the year. So I started digging more into it, reading a few books, calling a few people who worked in Trinidad before and after that bust in Virginia, it really sort of put things in place and I said I need to go down there and tell the story.”
What is chilling about Mr. Gold’s statement is what he gave as reason for taking an interest in the crime situation is Trinidad and Tobago “that bust in Virginia, it really sort of put things in place”. While most citizens were bombarded with the taunts of people like Roodal Moonilal, urging Jack Warner to go to the United States to face ‘Loretta’, as he likes to call her. It would appear that there is a much bigger ‘fish’ or ‘fishes’ in Trinidad and Tobago causing greater concern than FIFA corruption on the minds of crime fighters in the United States. What Mr Gold is talking about is the $110M drug bust discovered in Virginia, U.S.A found in the cans of goods manufactured in Trinidad and Tobago, for which our local crime fighters are as yet to shed light on. While Moonilal and company make much of Jack’s troubles, it is nothing compared to the value that the United States puts on drug dealers that uses it’s borders to peddle their illegal drugs. This! I’m sure is much higher on ‘Loretta’s list’ than Jack Warner. And this too, is what Moonilal and company has to be worried about. Unlike the politicians of Trinidad and Tobago, the United States law enforcement operates more like a viper snake than a barking poodle. When they hit, it is deadly and with a great deal of accuracy. The PP government has done a lot to convince us that that our crime problems in Trinidad and Tobago is gangs and low level drug dealers. They even passed laws under former AG, Anand Ramlogan dealing with higher penalties for such low level criminals but we need to ask the question, is this where the real problem lies? Mr. Gold seems to have enlightened us by asking a pertinent question, when he belabored the point by emphasizing ”
But gang violence is merely a symptom of a bigger problem. Trinidad has become an important stop for drugs headed to West Africa and the United States. Many observers point to “the big fish” – the nameless political and business elites who are behind drug trafficking and the culture of endemic corruption and murder that come with it. They are accused of turning a country rich in oil and gas deposits into their own personal narco-state, fostering impunity through a web of bribes and murders. Unlike the profits from the energy industry, however, this phenomenon trickles all the way down to the street level.”
Mr. Gold’s assessment of our crime problem seems to have a more poignant and accurate reasoning than anything emanating from the corridors of government and local media. Issues of crime is treated by the media with simple reporting of murder, drug busts and criminal activities. No investigative or in-depth analysis is ever undertaken to grasp the enormity of this situation. The police may report a bust of drug find but there usually no ‘big fishes’ attached to the find. The closest acknowledgement of an analysis is when the Acting Commissioner of Police said recently that on a forum on crime that 82% of crime can be linked to our porous borders. Speaking of our porous borders, why hasn’t the media delve more deeply into the effects of events such as the canceling of the OPVs in 2010? Why haven’t they looked closer to the firing of Brigadier Joseph as head of the SIA or SAUTT? What haven’t they looked closer into the appointment of Reshmi Ramnarine? What haven’t they looked at at the staffing of the new security arrangements? Why haven’t they done more analysis on the myriad of white color crimes involving drugs, guns and ammunition? With all this kind of questionable criminality and possible involvement of people in authority, the United States have more reasons to be concerned than the extradition of Jack Warner. Unless there is a big development in solving this problem, crime will continue to be a big drawback on economic progress and resolution of social and moral issues.
P.S. TMan, in your reply, please make sure you read and reply in context and not conjecture. Happy reading!
http://www.guardian.co.tt/business/2015-08-20/karim-labour-shortage-has-eased
These lying,disgusting bastards!
Since almost no new Trinis, have been employed in this stagnant economy,just where the hell, did the supply of labor come from folks,the 125,000 illegal immigrants,that slipped through the Trini porous ,border corridors,over the past 5 years?
Let me guess ,in their quest to hold on to power,Kamla ,and her ultra corrupt,PP power mongrels,would be next,taking credit for ending Global warming,and raising the price of oil to $ 200,per barrel?
Enough with these clowns! May good sense prevail,come elections day,and efforts can begin ,to return our underachieving country,to a part of sustainable development,si?
Kick Sound bites- Kamla ,and her PP goons out!!!!
I am looking at a list of the achievements of the Minister Fazal Karim and the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training and can only describe it as phenomenal. No one would have imagined that so much would have been achieved in a mere five years to boost tertiary education to provide the opportunities for our youth to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This certainly is proof of the the statement of PM KPB that “no child would be left behind.”
More that 20 learning centers have been been developed by Minister Karim including the South Campus, the El Dorado Nursing Academy and a Drilling School.
Here is a list of those learning centers:
MIC Institute of Technology:
• Tobago Technology Centre
• O’Meera Technology Centre
• Penal Technology Centre
• Diego Martin Technology Centre
NESC
• Debe Campus
• Point Lisas Industrial Apprenticeship Programme
• Drilling Academy
• Woodford Lodge Campus
UTT
• Scarborough Education Centre
• Knowledge TT
Costaat
• El Dorado Nursing Academy
• Sangre Grande Campus
National Training Agency
• Jobs and Career Coach
• New OJT Head Office
ACCT-The Accreditation Council of T&T
• Signing of MOC with UK NARIC and CAEL at ACTT’s 1st International Conference
• Institutional Accreditation Status conferred on TTHTI and MIC
YTEPP
• Public Access Learning Systam (PALS)
• Toon Boom Animation
• Diego Martin Centre
And soon to be opened would be the following:
Ministry of Tertiary Education Headquarters at Chaguanas; UTT Aviation Campus at Camden, Couva; COSTAAT Main Campus at Chaguanas and UWI South Campus.
THIS IS PHENOMENAL! EDUCATION is the GREATEST AND BEST GIFT THAT A GOVERNMWNT CAN GIVE TO ITS CITIZENS!
@Kian
The United Nations has estimated in 1995 that the value of the illegal drug trade is USD 360 billion.
This is larger than the economy of Trinidad and Tobago.
That is one reason why we haven’t been able to apprehend Mr. Big.
Yeah,yeah Natty dread,and in 1995 ,Basdeo runny nose daughter ,was still a naive virgin ,and running around Couva ,in cro cros bag underwear.
Kamla ,was still in -African leaders created- law school , learning how to put a coherent sentence together ,so who cares ?
It’s 2015,and in essence 5 years ,since fake -change agent Kamla ,and her PP goons acquired power,and due to our porous borders -caused by them scrapping the OVP ships- illegal drugs ,weapons,and numerous criminal immigrants,have entered T&T.
The precarious state of your country ,must be viewed through this lens.
The real problem is ,that each time we law upholding blokes ,attempt to apprehend Mr Bigs,he runs bawling ,like a constipated dog,to the UN,boring the global community,about phantom, racial prostitution.
Remember,Ex Chief Justice Sharma,Basdeo Panday,and his two UNC financial pals ,Ish ,and Steve,and the AG criminal called Annand Ramlogan?
You heard it here first,as to why none are in jail clothes.
Just make sure you and fellow comrades ,are registered,so that you can do de right thing ,come September 7th,Scene?
Keep hope alive Naddy dread,for authentic changes are coming.
Some of those points are valid. But they all miss the elephant in the room.
Have you noticed that neither political party has been able to stem the tide of illicit drug trains-shipments?
This is not a PNM issue. This is not a UNC/PP issue.
This is bigger than both of them.
USA LOVES THE DRUGS WE SEND THEM. THEIR ONLY FEAR DOWN THIS PART OF THE WORLD WAS CHAVEZ AND HE IS DEAD. IF THE DRUG TRADE WAS OF ANY CONCERN OF THEIRS SOME NAVY SEALS WOULD HAVE TAKEN THEM OUT A LONG TIME AGO. THE USA IS MAKING TOO MUCH MONEY OFF OF IT….IT IS LIKE THE IRS TAX MONIES IN USA. THEY LOVE THE DRUGS MAN….TO BE ON THE MOVE 24/7 IN USA YOU NEED THE DRUGS…THEN THERE IS SEXUAL ACTIVITY…MUSCIANS, SENATORS, ETC. THEY LOVE IT MAN …EVEN WHEN IT COMES IN ORANGE JUICE.
YES Shah the T&T Ship is sinking UNC Kamla knows that. Have a read….
Dear Sir:
In a scenario where one has to choose between the PNM and the UNC which is the best option for 2015? That is the question that every undecided voter has to contemplate. The UNC have made the campaign to be one of Kamla versus Dr Rowley.
letters_icon.jpg In so doing they have taken some decisions that say implicitly that they are not relying on the PP government track record or the performance of the ministers as a basis for making their case for re-election. It seems that their strategists have decided to maximize the female attraction of Kamla and position that image against Dr Rowley, who they hope will emerge as so tainted and unattractive that voters will gravitate to the UNC regardless of performance.
For the strategists there seemed to be nothing sacred in unleashing their anti-Rowley campaign. He is no longer respected as Dr Rowley, for the UNC he is Rowley. The undecided voter can either be caught up in the Rowley vs Kamla campaign or focused on who is likely to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. There are more than enough indicators to determine which political party and leader is best suited to manage Trinidad and Tobago for the next five years.
Let us examine the facts. The PP government has been in the service of Trinidad and Tobago for the last five years. One of the most important and common impediment to progress for most governments is finance. That was not a factor under the PP government. The government has during the last five years spent more money than any other government in the history of Trinidad and Tobago.
What is the impact of that spending? There have been contractors, lawyers and business personnel who have been supporters of the government that has emerged as multi-millionaires during their reign. In the meantime, there continues to be a shortage of drugs in the hospitals, patients complain about no access to beds and critical surgery is subject to lengthy delays due to inadequate access to health care.
The wealth of sectors of our society has allowed an average of 30,000 new cars being added to the nation’s roads each year without a corresponding addition of new roads and streets or an alternative transport system independent of the nation roads (a rail system). The Beetham highway is perhaps the most unsightly major roadway in the Caribbean, as tall grass grows uncontrolled along the sides of the roads among the mounds of garbage and scrap metal.
Our nation’s capital city is a haven for the homeless, rats and criminals as faeces and garbage mingle in flooded streets after any heavy rainfall.
At almost every pronouncement of progress the members of the government point to box drains, the Children’s hospital and the highway to Point Fortin. Perhaps it is wise to look at what another UNC government did with much less money available to determine whether this PP government performance compared to any other government in service to Trinidad and Tobago.
The UNC under Basdeo Panday was faced with major infrastructure challenges, especially the distribution of power and water. With limited finances they built a new power plant (Incogen), they facilitated the construction of a desalination plant to augment the water supply, they built a new airport, resurfaced most of the nation’s roads, built bridges throughout Trinidad, instituted a “water for all” project that allowed communities access to water for the first time, they formed a national steel orchestra and built major sporting facilities in many communities at a standard that allowed for international competition and was the first to introduce low cost access to tertiary education through the “dollar for dollar” initiative that became the antecedent of the GATE program. Their list of achievements can go on and on.
Critical to the sustainability of the nation’s economy was the initiative regarding the emphasis on gas rather than the reliance on oil. An evaluation of the Manning PNM administration will indicate similar levels of achievement, among which were major construction initiatives like the waterfront project, NAPA and SAPA cultural facilities, industrial complexes and major lighting initiatives for the highway, streets and sporting grounds.
It is the evaluation of the performance of the PP government that must be the determining factor as to whether Kamla is more palatable than Dr Rowley. There are advantages to being a woman. Almost every commercial advertisement is headlined by women. From power tools to cars, the image of a woman is powerful. It is that image that is foisted upon the electorate against that of Dr Rowley.
One wonders whether previous legal professionals that become prime minister like Panday and Robinson could have escaped unscathed by facilitating the title of senior counsel to themselves. Similarly, whether any other male prime minister could have had any popularity after the failure of so many Cabinet ministers and allegations of mismanagement.
To the personnel that will determine the outcome of this 2015 general election, it may be wise to note that the fate of our nation lies in our ability to look beyond the hype and evaluate the substance of those seeking our votes.
God Bless Our Nation.
Steve Alvarez
Political Leader of the Democratic Party of Trinidad & Tobago
The SS, KPB UNCOP ,Ship have already sunk.
It is very unfortunate that the politics and campaign IS NOT ABOUT ELECTING THE BEST PEOPLE FOR OUR PARLIAMENT but rather using mass media to fool and inundate the people with demagoguery. While the Kamla campaign is acceptably annoying with ads running every two minutes, the supplemental and cunningly supporting campaign is every bit as devious. One of the cunning campaign is the one run by the media. That includes this news blog, Trinidad and Tobago News blog, Trinidad Express, The Guardian and Newsday. What all of these media houses are in fact doing is to print news in a way as to have the Opposition PNM answer the questions, with the government the PP government asking them. In normal campaigns, the government in power is responsible for accounting for their performance, the Opposition proposes alternatives and their proposals are debated for voter consumption. Recently Kamla’s outburst was that the PNM had no plan. At the time of her announcement, the PPP itself had no announced plan either. So, when Dr. announced the plan for the rail and highway from Valencia to Toco, all of a sudden KAMLA had a plan to build a bridge from Toco to Tobago. But back to the media. The way news are printed by the media is to report on the attack by the PP government on the PNM and say little or nothing about PP proposals. I hope that I am not alone in that discovery. Each item of reporting seems to use that tactic of writing the PPs criticism of the PNM proposal and not the other way around. The effect of that kind of reporting is a subtlety of support for the PPs point of view whilst subverting the Opposition’s. Another noticeable commission is the media’s blackout of Jack’s ‘bussing the marks’. This omission is definitely not by accident, it is clear and conscious policy not to do anything that might appear harmful to Kamla buy will not hesitate to say anything about Dr. Rowley. This is my observation and I’m sure that I’m not the only one.
Kian:
Thank you for that very insightful read of the situation.
I would add just two remarks:
One is that some of the “reporters” have a barely disguised party agenda. Clearly they are paid propagandists for the party they obviously support. The Express annoyingly, and unfairly, keep referring to Jack Warner as the “corruption accused”. One wonders if the Express management is paid to do so.
Clearly, fairness would dictate that if that descriptor is used for Jack Warner, the same should apply to every politician for whom there is some prima facie case to answer. That would include Kamla Persad Bissessar.
As far as I can see there is far more credible evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors against her than against Warner, including documentary evidence — affidavits, tapes, cancelled cheques, proven wire fraud, missing money, etc.
Those high crimes and misdemeanours victimize the people of T&T, and go directly to her suitability for re-election. Certainly they are not less relevant to the people of T&T than the accusations against Jack Warner.
Second: the issue of corruption is minimized by the media, when this is to my mind the critical issue.
There is always corruption in Government, because human frailty being what it is, there are always those drawn to public service precisely for what they can get out of it, not what they can give.
The difference with this UNC Government is that the corruption attaches to the very top. Persad-Bissessar usurped the Government — Cabinet, Parliament, and President — for the private purpose of giving Ish and Steve a get-out-of-jail-free card. And the evidence shows that part of the quid-pro-quo was $8.3 million worth of pieces of silver. There are two sworn witnesses to this. On this basis, it means the entire Government has been put up for sale. This is the critical issue.
It disqualifies Persad-Bissessar from further service, and indeed the UNC. For a Government so motivated can do nothing to address the pressing problems: it cannot solve the problem of crime, if the Government itself has been usurped by a private criminal enterprise; it cannot solve the problems of the economy, because the minds of the economic managers are pre-occupied with their private schemes to rape the Treasury; and they can only exacerbate the sectarian divisions in the society, to the extent the private criminal enterprise running the Government shows racist favour to its own.
In other words, the issue of corruption is sufficient to disqualify Persad-Bissessar and her UNC party from any consideration by any sensible voter. Inexplicably, that critical issue is set to one side by what appears to be a suborned media.
Instead Persad-Bissessar and the UNC are engaged on policy promises and questions as if they were a legitimate and honest contender for power.
Fortunately, most of the people are not fooled. And I want to believe that despite the cravenness of the mainstream media, Persad-Bissessar and her UNC will be consigned to the dustbin of T&T history as it deserves to be, such is the moral stench emanating from them.
May the Most High continue to expose the wicked, protect the innocent, and have mercy on His people here in this land.
Shalom.
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies …” (Romans 1:21-24)
Yoruba, there is a video newscast by one Nicholas Thompson, reporting for 4TTNEWS out of Canada on the failed plan of the so-called jail escapees from the Royal jail recently, stating exactly what that so-called jail break was all about. This video is in the cell phones of probably thousands of our citizens on the real truth surrounding the jail break and the reasons for it, plus the intended getaway of the escapees. It is very unfortunate that this news was never shared with the people of Trinidad and Tobago by the main media houses in the country, because the reporter exaggerated that the sources of his reporting were ‘extremely well placed’. He made it a point to say that Dana’s hit was ordered by a ‘minister’. One of the men currently in custody for the killing was asked by the ‘minister’ to confirm that ‘the hit’ was done. He (the reporter) also stated that the bombs were to be used to create havoc in Port Of Spain and they were to proceed to Westmoorings to assassinate Dr. Rowley. Passports with Canadians visas were provided for the escapees to travel after the assassination. Isn’t it somewhat strange that were in Trinidad were not apprised by our so-called 4th estate of these planned assassinations and the intended mayhem to be caused by these people? Ou local is being bought and sold just the same way our forefathers were in the days of slavery. Their only goal is to make money and report record earnings. They do not report ‘the news’ they report news that they feel to report. And that is what is sad about our media.
These allegations were well known by the people days after the killing of Dana. They were reported but not supported by the Police or with evidence. They are still alive in the rumor mill. True or false? Nothing new here.
One of the things that this UNC government has become very efficient in, is the ability to take facts when that they cannot explain and label it as RUMOR. They are a vindictive, racist, money loving, PR savvy, undermining, ungrateful, conniving, lying, country hating, non-nationalistic group of people. They see the resources of Trinidad and Tobago as their right to do and spend as they please. They see spending as a materialistic right develop their communities and deprive those they consider their enemies as not worthy of recognition. If this is not EVIL, then we don’t know what evil is. The representatives of this kind of behavior are all over the place denying that they are bribing people.
They have thrown everything they have at Dr. Rowley and nothing is yet too stick, even attempts by surrogates on his life. There comes a time when people will say “enough is enough”. Attempts at altering the democratic way of life has been taking place for the past five years and we are fast becoming a failed nation. The only thing that has kept us afloat is the natural resource of gas and oil which are abundant in the international markets and there is need to diversify. With the falling prices of both commodities, austerity will be the ONLY reality facing Ms. Claus and in our history, the only people with the ability to handle such calamities are the PNM. With Ms. Claus at the helm we will be doomed and the only outcome WILL BE CHAOS.
Kian:
I posted a reply that seems to have been rejected by the moderator.
I leave it to you to imagine why. It should not be difficult. Possibly it was my use of the term “Queen Bandit”, to refer to one for whom the term too closely applies; see the viral video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQt4zSZBQt8
May the Most High continue to expose the wicked, and protect the innocent, as these matters unfold.
Shalom.
Yoruba, it seems obvious that part of the problem lies with the media. They are in fact the culprits that twist the conversations in favor of the Ms. Claus or some may refer to her as the Queen ofTrinidad and Tobago and others might refer other as the Prime Minister whilst there are many who see her as the description that Gypsy finally realized who she really was – ungrateful, conniving and evil.
It is obvious that the media have no problem in labeling Jack Warner as ‘corruption-accused’ even though the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is yet to register or charge him with corruption. Maybe it might be useful to remind those who report for the media, that what is considered ‘corruption’ in the United States of America is by Trinidad standard just normal bobol – no crime against the people.
In the United States just using official emails for personal purposes is a crime, could you think of that ever happening in Trinidad and Tobago? The most powerful minister in the land has been accused of having substances resembling marijuana at her residence and no one is yet to accuse her of being a drug addict. She has been accused of taking bribes in the amount of $8.3M and no one has labelled her as corruption accused. She has been said to be doing all sorts of illegal things and yet the media has never labelled her as corruption accused but Jack Warner! that black man who rose to the top of the football world, a man who was ‘the best performing minister’ in the UNC government at one time and acted as acting Prime Minister several times! Even though there is no record of breaking any T&T laws? Somehow the media is stuck on their favorite label for him ‘corruption accused’. How could such reporting be considered ‘fair’? What has happened to fair reporting in Trinidad and Tobago? Are reporters so gullible that they are afraid to be fair in their analysis of situations? We the public are not dumb to these kinds of spinning of the news. We happen to be fair in understanding situations. There are things happening that may not be to our liking but we will allow a fair analogy and analysis of reporting. When reporters report news that run contrary to its developments and origin, then I believe that we, the readers have an obligation to call them out on those infractions.
We are supposed to be operating in a democracy. And whilst the fourth estate is responsible for informing the public, they also have a responsibility to report the news as they occur or as it really happens, not twisting it to favor those whom they like and write to the disadvantage of those they don’t like.
A fickle individual who is hurt by his rejection as a corporation chairman.
A typical TRini personality characteristic is surfacing here….egoism, an individual whose self-interest is the valid end of his actions. I hope Rowley does not trust him as he is likely to repent and switch back. There are numerous examples of such persons floating around T&T.
The slanderous and litigious “marks bussing of Jack Warner” truly belong to a rag similar to the National Enquirer of North America rather than any respectable and responsible newspaper. Fortunately newspaper editors in T&T have suddenly become enlightened enough to keep Jack’s garbage out of the daily newspapers. Jack’s Sunshine continues to feed the revengeful gossip to an unsuspecting, ignorant few within our population..it’s called freedom of the press. Have you noticed that Anita Gumbs is suing Jack for making all sorts of wild accusations against her regarding the Rowley bare back sex charges? Have you noticed that Rowley is refusing to sue Anita Gumbs for her alleged sexual accusations against him? Jack has already paid out hundreds of thousands in lawsuits, because all of his accusations and “marks” are proving to be false, without any supporting or corroborating evidence or with attempting to influence the courts with false evidence. He still has to face numerous lawsuits. As he loses he continues to distribute more FIFA money as ordered by the courts.
You cannot blame the media for not blindly trusting the desperate statements hastily and emotionally delivered by Rowley from his broken PNM platform. Many of his suspicious “announcements” are lies; for example, the PP is going to introduce property tax,the government hired agents to murder him,the government paid Anita Gumbs to make charges against him, yet he refuses to take legal action against Anita. Meanwhile his sidekick Jack is repeating everything he says.
Rowley angrily announced that the Integrity Commission was requesting information from him regarding his 2004 declaration.It turns out that the request was for a single item related to his 2014 declaration. He accuses the Chairman of incompetence and bias, demanding his resignation by calling his name on a public PNM platform.He is claiming political victimization.
Another example of the SS Trinidad (and Tobago?) sinking, are the farcical depths to which the “Integrity” Commission has descended. How convenient that a matter that began some eleven years ago around the time I had just returned from an idealistic trip for volunteer work in Uganda has suddenly resurfaced. Eleven years of feet dragging has now been replaced by urgent demands from the Commission for Dr. Rowley’s compliance.
How convenient…..
What we must learn as black people, is that unless we own the voice, it will not speak fairly in any discussion involving us. And that is what we are getting in the media operations in this election cycle.
I am not too caught up in the election fever, because for me there is a bigger battle to be fought. A battle to convince the African Majority Caribbean peoples to examine their situation, their relationships, and to make decision on whether they will accept the new dispensation of a replacement slave master class in this hemisphere, or resist it as actively as our ancestors did its predecessors.
As Europe wanes into insignificance and perhaps a new perspective, we can see many candidates lining up to take over the position as host of the slave master role. In T&T and Guyana, the main battle grounds where the agenda is being pushed, we see a common pattern in the attitudes, the behaviors and the narratives. The right to rule must be rejected in no uncertain terms.
Amanda.
Well, the exposure of the People’s Partnership as a government rooted in political corruption and general malfeasance has continued apace.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/politics/0,199249.html
A former PP loyalist has recently delivered a stinging indictment of the numerous misdeeds of this wicked, conniving and scheming administration. I have just viewed it on TV6.
Mr. Persad, I salute you as a man of integrity and honour.
” They are a vindictive, racist, money loving, PR savvy, undermining, ungrateful, conniving, lying, country hating, non-nationalistic group of people”(KIAN)
This is either an emotional outburst or an emotional overflow of powerful feelings.Do you really want to express such feelings? reminiscent of a Rowley rant.
Persad was outvoted as corporation chairman. Sour grapes
Gypsy was dumped. Sour grapes
Ramdahar’s brother failed to dislodge Ramdahar as COP leader. Sour grapes.
Any more?
Keep talking TMan, you are proving the exact point that I’m making – anything you can’t control or manipulate is no good, aint that so? And yes, your quote of me is a correct and definitive description of the types you represent.
Hate is like fire; it burns those who hold it.
I do agree with that statement, only for me it is not just a statement, it is a truism – I fervently adhere to the concept.