…Used Green and Unemployment Funds as collateral
By Richard Lord
December 05, 2015 – guardian.co.tt
Finance Minister Colm Imbert says the former PP government raided the National Gas Company (NGC) of almost $14 billion in cash. He made the claim while presenting three motions for debate in the House of Representatives yesterday.
The motions seek to increase the ceiling for government borrowing by $50 billion under the Development Loans Act, External Loans Act and the Guarantee of Loans (Companies) Act.
Imbert said the former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s government increased the borrowing limits under the legislation by $32 billion in 2011.
Imbert said when the limits were increased the then government said it would not use all the funds. He said the former government used $28 billion out of the $32 billion.
“Only $4 billion left out of that 32 billion,” he added.
Imbert said, “Instead of seeking to further increase the limits they raided the NGC. They took $1.5 billion in 2013, $1 billion in 2012, $4.5 billion in 2015…They raided the NGC of almost $14 billion in cash. They went into the NGC bank account and took out $14 billion and used it for recurrent expenditure with no proper procurement.”
He also said the former administration “consistently went into the overdraft at the Central Bank, they raided the overdraft, they wiped out that whole $6.5 billion and then used up the entire $9 billion overdraft limit.”
He said, “They took $14 billion from the NGC in cash, they took $16 billion in cash from the Central Bank from overdraft and then they borrowed $28 billion…$58 billion, and rather than telling the Parliament what they were doing, they hid it from the country.”
Imbert said deposits in the Green Fund ($3.7 billion) and the Unemployment Fund ($8.3 billion) have been “pledged as collateral against the overdraft and they have borrowed against it and now those funds are not available to people of this country.”
Imbert said there was now no access to the Funds. “They have mortgaged the Green Fund, they have mortgaged the Unemployment Fund. So $8.4 billion in the government’s Unemployment Fund cannot be touched, so they mortgaged it.”
He told legislators, “With the continuing need for rolling out debt finance infrastructure as well as for meeting budgetary purposes, the Government must pursue a debt strategy which is sustainable and flexible.”
If those objectives were to be achieved, Imbert said, “The Government must create head room under the existing pieces of legislation to maintain a range of borrowing options in sufficient amounts so as not to unduly limit the country’s ability to make financing decisions which would minimise both the cost and the risk of the debt portfolio as well as ensure that the total public debt does not exceed sustainable limits.”
The minister added, “This debt strategy cannot now be implemented given that Government is constrained by the absence of adequate head room under the three pieces of legislation which permit it to borrow.”
He said the new strategy “will allow the Government to streamline its interactions with financial institutions which provide the financing requirements not only for the Government but for state enterprises and statutory authorities and also to adhere to best practices at managing its debt profile.”
He said the Government intended to ensure that T&T’s debt portfolio remained within international benchmarks as measured by the debt to GDP ratio.
He said in 2015 under the former government, “$1.8 billion in new loans have been contracted; Couva Children’s Hospital $1 billion.”
He said, “There were several new loans which were in the final stages of negotiations, prior to the Sept 7 election, which this Government is now saddled with. They just borrowed like they were going crazy.”
Imbert added, “In 2015, under the Guarantee of Loans Act, several loans in an amount of $1.3 billion are under review and Letters of Guarantee may or may not be cancelled.”
He said the current debt to GDP ratio of 46 per cent reflected an outstanding debt amount of $76.5 billion. “This amount is in excess of the statutory limit under the three pieces of legislation that exists at present,” the minister added.
He said the new Government did not view the proposed increase in the ceiling limit as a licence to borrow indiscriminately.
According to Imbert, the Government was seeking to increase the total limit by $50 billion via:
• The Development Loans Act from $30 billion to $45 billion
• The External Loans Act from $15 billion to $30 billion
• The Guarantee of Loans (Companies) Act from $25 billion to $45 billion
Also in Parliament yesterday, the Government and Opposition paid glowing tribute to founding member of the PNM Kamalludin Mohammed who died on Tuesday night at the age of 88. Imbert and Opposition MP Dr Fuad Khan were high in their praise for the contributions made to this country by Mohammed. He was awarded the country’s highest award, the ORTT, and he was also a recipient of the Order of the Caribbean Community. The House observed one minute’s silence as a mark of respect for his passing.
Source: www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-12-05/imbert%E2%80%88pp-raided-ngc-14b-cash
2011 PP loan ceiling was $32 billion, they spent $28 billion leaving $4 billion. The PNM debt ceiling being requested is $50 billion. That is a little more than 2x the UNC debt ceilings.
Governments are addicted to borrowing and spending. Rapid rail is going to consume a huge chunk of that request. Rapid rail will never pay fir itself. The population ain’t large enough to fund a rail system.
Yessss..go ahead with the rapid rail…just as you clapped & cheered for the 9 billion dollar highway coming out of the treasury (escaoing scrutiny from foreign loans)…i wwill support any & every measure the PNM taKes as long as it suits ‘us’…..see how it feels?…..340,000 + round of applause for THAT (2010-2015 )…and have the nerve to be financially conservative minded in your rhetoric NOW??
Give Me A BreaK!
Kian, that link you posted is basically the blueprint for political hindus….conforming their religion to western political viability…in other words, HINDUTVA…that propaganda is to make the politics more entrenched in who is a Pro Hindu or Anti Hindu….
I can’t speak for the judges,…but i do observe behaviour….
Exactly. These are the lies agreed upon in advance. This is the calculated “makeover” of an abominable system of social, political and economic oppression, masquerading as religion.
But their time is up, and it will be to no avail.
May the Most High expose the wickedness of this wicked agenda, that hindutva appear stripped naked before the world, and its true ugliness laid bare.
Shalom.
Yawn I see the Hindus have sent a chill down your spine to your a**. Winnie you are messed up mentally as is clear by your continue reference to Hinduvta. Hindus are 23% of the population meaning 77% of the population is not Hindu. Now simple arithmetic tells me that 77% is more than 3/4 of the population. In India Hindus are 80% of the population and stands to reason that Hinduvta will flourish under such majority control. However, it is beyond me that you Winnie is so terrified of a few Hindus, it tells me that you are insecure with yourself and Trinis. Which is not unusual judging form your regular defecations on this board. You behaving like a “mocojumbie”.
Mamoo,
I know that your reply was to Alyssa, eh, but I think that there are many examples of countries being politically, economically and socially dominated by minority groups.
Countries such as Apartheid South Africa come to mind. Colonial India also comes to mind. Think about it; compare the size of the entire British Isles to the massive and populous land mass that is India. Heck, the entire British Empire, whereby comparatively small England exercised dominion over such so many countries larger than themselves also disprove your argument.
To use a contemporary example, the Jewish community in the United States of America exerts a significant degree of influence in the politics and economy of the United States.
BUTTTTT Triniamerican, why not use the MOST OBVIOUS & RELEVANT example… i.e. Aryan invaders of India (UPPERCASTE) and their descendents(minority) ruling India TODAY!!! May of mamoo & Tman propaganda flies over your head…”80% of india are ‘hindus’ ” FALSE!!
Untouchables are NOT Brahminists (Hindus) they are slaves to Uppercastes/Brahminists…unlike lowcastes (shudras) who are also slaves but have a caste (lowcaste), Untouchables have NO CASTE… i.e. THEY are NOT ‘Hindus’/ Brahminists!! To be a Hindu you must have a Caste! (Upper OR Lower) However, for POLITICAL reasons i.e. for show to the outside world & to
rationLize hedgemony in India, The Uppercastes
include Untouchables (300 million people) into their census figures….it is politricks to bulk up their numbers!! Same thing in T&T separati g african descendents by how much white or chinese they have in
them…’Hindus’/ Brahminists in Indiamare NOT 80% thT is a LIE,
Also Triniamerican, this connects to Gandhi….Gandhi was doing the same thing…he was protesting the Untouchables being considered part of Hindus becUse he said it would destroy hinduism….without their slaves (Untouchables) as well as lowcastes at their feet the belief system & more importantly the WEALTH & power of Uppercastes would Dissipate! Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar (British Appointed Author & architect of India’s constitution) fought gandhi & uppercastes on this very Issue….he was about to put SELF REPRESENTATION in the constitution for the Untouchables, because he pointed out that if they are socially & culturally separated distinct & scorned by Hindus, they should be POLITICALLY separate as well!…That conniving,Deceitful Bastard a.k.a. ‘Gandhi’ went on his famous Hunger Strike for this purpose…to prevent self representation for Untouchables in the constitution i.e. they must remain under the control of brahmins/uppercates & the umbrella of ‘Hinduism’…If Gandhi had dies of that hunger strike their would have been a massacre of the untouchables & therefore Dr. Ambedkar did not put it in…Look where untouchables are in India 68 years later!! Oppresses & degraded….The untouchables to this day say that they were better off undercolonial british…’independence’ meant independence for uppercastes to control them & the society completsly & do to them things they couldn’t get away with under the british! So even though Britain ruled India, as christians they didn’t have the hatred, contempt & abuse for the untouchables as the Hindus/uppercastes do….they merely saw them & treated them all as Indians so things were much
better! (Comparitively ). In fact, a british magistrate Sir William Jones, upon assuming control of India, converted the Baghavad Gita, as well as Manu Smirti (Hindu Commandments) & ruled India according to this….The Brahmins convinced the British that this was what was needed as well as to consider Untouchables as Hindus…so the British were conned by the Brahmins into including Untouchables as Hindus….centuries later there is this FALSE perception & misunderstanding!
I hope this edifies Readers sufficiently!
“Hindus are 23% of the population” Mamoo
Officially Hindus are 25% of the population…unofficially, Politically & Culturally they are MUCH more…as i pointed out before presbyterians are indian christians i.e. the vast majority converted to christianity from ‘hinduism’ along with a small minority of muslim indian converts. Also, many of the converts from hinduismdid so for strategic (fraudulent) reasons i.e. they converted superficially to be admitted to PRESTIGE catholic colleges as well as TEACH at catholic schools (economics & stztus). E.g. Faris Al-Rawi’s grandfather was a ‘brahmin’ pundit who converted to Christianity (name change as well) in order to be able to teach at a christian school (Parliament Website). Thisnis just 1 eexample….i knew of many in my lifetime who admitted to doing the same in order to ‘infiltrate’ christian organizations that had the desired prestige jobs e.g. principals, Vice Principals of Prestige Catholic/christian colleges
Also, even Professor Brinsley Samaroo wrote on the issue of the Presbyterian church allowing Hindus converting to presbyterianism to sing Hindu Hymns (Bhajans) etc. Along with the christian verses….these missionRies of Rev. John Morton, the canadian,founder/father of presbyterianism in T&T who insisted on EXCLUSIVELY recruiting indians i.e. he refused to convert what he said (journal)were intellectually inferior africans….he also noted that Hindus acknowledged him as a fellow ‘Brahmin’… (Journal)….Rev. Morton insisted on using the ‘soft’ appraoch of converting indians to presbyterianism i.e. He coaxed (made comfortable) them into the faith by allowing them to bring Hindu culture & practices e.g. Bhajans,caste…xremember, according to the Sir Patrick Keenan report, indians because of the raxist Hindu beliefs (caste) did not want to go to school with African children because they said it would “violate their sacred laws” (see Manu Smirti-Hindu ‘Legal Text’ & Divine code of conduct)
The ‘good’ ‘christian’ Reverend, then proceeded to lobby the colonial government to build SEPARATE schools for Indians to be educated APART FROM Africans…..
africans) this is why the hindus were so bitter with Eric Williams when he wanted to have schools for everyone…..they wanted that sePrTe exclusivity for hindus alone (indians alone)….this was the true story behind the ‘cowsheds’ built by Badhase Sagan-Maharaj (pundit, brahmin, head of DLP)…Eric Williams criticized his sub standard schools he built for the purpose of segregating Indian children (hindus) as opposed to sending them to Government schools….the hindus to this day deliberately twist this story to mean he merely criticized hindu schools….this is typical misdirection to hide the nasty ugly racist intentions to segregate schools….and it works….they propagate it & pnm tries to defend…but the CORE issue got lost…..Dr. Eric williams was fighting against Badhase Sagan Maharaj & Hindus on the issue of Racial Segregation….They wanted to seggregTe the population (Manu Smirti)…http://laxmitamang.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-is-law-of-manu-manusmriti.html
Finally, to my original point, many presbyterians are just as caste minded & hindu culturized & will support Hindus over their fellow chrisitians…so to say Hindus are ‘only’ 23% when it is actually functionally much higher is typically deceitful
Winnie you don’t make much sense, you just regurgitating history base of a protracted view of life. Yes the African is a victim of his own design, after 37 years out of 50 years of nationhood, the failure in Africana academia is telling. In the words of Selwyn Ryan our outspoken sociologist and political commentator “African children are overachieving in jail”. How is that a Hindu problem? Or a problem with Father Morton whose contribution to academia surpasses that of Sat and the Hindu coalition? Yes Father Morton saw an opportunity to educate and build the Presbyterian church in Trinidad. Many of my family some of them School Prinicipal, educator, their children Doctor, people who built TNT today are prominent Hindus who had their start in Prebyterian schools.
Why are you so angry with Father Morton and the Presbyterian church, Winnie? The Catholics and Anglicans focused on educating the African but you obsess over the Presbyterians. Today Catholicism remains one of the most prominent religion in TNT. The Jesuits worked hard to educate the negro. Despite having control of the national patrimony for 37 years out of 50 years of independence I sense a strong jealousy in your writing Winnie. To me it is just your nature to be such filled with envy, jealousy and pride….
http://www.trinicenter.com/Cudjoe/2005/2903.htm
Thanks for that story Alyssa. Although I have no relatives involved in the school story. I am intimately familiar with the struggles of the African people in that community. My brother was deeply engaged in the forestry division and latterly an executive in Tanteak.
He used to apprise me of the deep seated racism meted out by the Indian people there. His was the story of Job, having to referee labour woes and cunnings of the people to get the teak trees at any cost. Most of the times they cut down loads of trees without having to pay one penny for it. As one who, as a boy, cut down the forest to plant teak (in another district), I feel that thieves benefitted from my labour which I gave freely to the government towards agricultural development. These people used every cunning means to deplete the teak plantations of its wood products without even having to labour for it. I suppose that this is what TMan and Mamoo refer to as hard work.
Yes I know about tiefing. Where my grandparents lived they had about two acreas of cocoa land. Fig, mangoes, oranges grew in abundance until the African children found out about it and very soon it all disappeared.
Funny I knew one of the girls and she admitted to the tiefin. Lol.
Kian, those were mamoos couwins in the video you mentioned….they can’t help it….the reason why they don’t feel ashamed is…..MORALS & VALUES…anything to acheive wealth & power….india is the only country in the world with doctors who barely hit puberty….it is an obsession whith proving superiority…it has nothing to do with helping mankind…christianity, islam etc shapes the mind of its adherents according to a similar code of honour, right & wrong…so cheating, stealing etc. Is considered wrong, …but imagine a belief system that didn’t have that same moral compass…where south is west and north is east….that is what you see in the video…they genuinely don’t see anything wrong…that is why so many african babies & their mothers are sacrificed every year…many of them cheat or are assisted in cheating to get in…they don’t care….the same people who complain about poor conditions at the public hospitals are the same ones who deliberately keep it that way i order to funnel patients to their private practice…they steal all the nations’ hospital equipment…what a disgrace!
Alyssa’s acute traumatic responses on this site are indicative of psychological and emotional instability and insecurity. Her supporters display similar symptoms. Their preoccupation with Hindus, Hindutva, the Caste system and East Indians generally and globally also indicates that treatment is required on a psychiatrist’s couch.
Anyone who focusses so intently and repeatedly on a group of people and their beliefs must have suffered some measure of scarring and disillusionment as a result of negative interactions. With treatment these emotions can be reversed to prevent the generalizations, name-calling and biased, unsupported opinions.
Sadly, all blogs presented are one dimensional and these persistent views will never gain any traction in T&T, even among the African population.
Yoruba, clothed in his religious hypocrisy, has abandoned his former objectivity to unmask his true feelings of hate and derision in tandem with the religious bigot and racist queen.
And I am not even a Hindu!
Like TMan, I do think that Mamoo too would like us to stop the discussions on hindutva and the hindu. In so doing, each of them continue to unwittingly present reasons why the subject matter is so relevant (especially for the non-hindu). Because of the prevalence and institutionalizing of hindutva, it is of utmost importance that this matter be pursued and examined in all its manifestations, whether it be religious, political, social or economic, the subject must be vented for all to understand its effect on our lives. One needs to go no further than the now concluded UNC internal elections to understand hindutva in all its machinations operating in a western democracy. Mamoo says “In India Hindus are 80% of the population and stands to reason that Hinduvta will flourish under such majority control. ” That statement could have been absolutely true if it was made in 1845, but with the spred of the Indian diaspora (being an educated, intelligent, religious and economic population), hinduism becomes a more unrestricted and buoyant force in the diaspora than they would would have had in India. During the general elections, Moonilal and Vasant support “Kamla 2015″ in all its forms. Kamla withheld the internal elections by more than three years but none of them seemed worried that she was not observing the laws and regulations of the party she heads. In the lead to the December 5th internal elections, both Moonilal and Vasant confessed to the public how ineffective and undemocratic Kamla was during her five years of governance. To us, the 77% that Mamoo refers, we were too aware of our subjugation to Kamla’s whims and fancies of governance, because she took all her orders from Trinidad and Tobago’s king of hindutva – Sat Maharaj. Everything she did, coulee be faced to his advice and counsel.
But coming back to Vasant and Moonilal. They complain that in their efforts to get media exposure on the radio, television and news media, they found themselves all shut out. IN others words they were effectively refused exposure on these mediums because the time spots they were trying to get, were all bought out by their opponent(s). This, in itself is NOT democracy. It might be in conversant with hindutva but democracy, it is NOT. In five years of governance, Kamla manipulated every aspect of governance and in effect our lives to suit her fancy. Even the festive time of Christmas did not go unnoticed. Kamla plastered Large photographs of herself along the highways, replacing Santa Claus as the messenger of Christmas. With an abundance of funds, toys, packages and money, she missed no opportunity to replace Santa Claus. In the Parliament on Friday, two Opposition members made contributions to the debate on burrowing that I find fascinating and very telling too. Suruj Rambachan, used his opportunity to remind us how generous Kamla was during Christmas by sharing gifts to the poor etc etc. In other words it was OK for Kamla to replace Santa Claus as the giver of goodies for Christmas, using public funds and unknown funds to
augment her image. Bhoe Tewarie, while minister of Planning and Development, used his office to refuse public tender for the Invaders Bay project. He even went so far as to take the matter to the Court, to prevent public knowledge about the procurement
of that project. In Parliament on Friday, that same Bhoe Tewarie tried to obstruct the authorization of government burrowing without first adding a clause that Procurement be included in any forms of burrowing. The man in effect speaks on both sides of his mouth. ” it is beyond me that you Winnie is so terrified of a few Hindus”……. Terrified is not the word.
To use your his own figures, 23% of the population controlling the government, control of the public service, control of the Judiciary, control of the Integrity Commission, control of the Presidency, control of the Central Bank, control of FCB (don’t forget the shares issued to Ramhamut family members), the advent of divali being celebrated (just like Christmas), major hindu celebrations becoming national pastimes, Sat Maharaj having unfettered access to the Prime Minister and saying whatever he wants on his own radio stations, major control of the economy, major control of resources, hoarding of assets, increasing spending or banking with Indian (continental) banks. This is what constitute the threat of hindutva and it is being pursued by the 23% that he wants us to believe is so innocent. I would say that to make mention of it is being vigilant not insecure. If all of these things were to go on unabated and without any kind of examination we might suddenly find ourselves in a place where the 23% would know themselves but the 77% will be lost. It is for this and many many other reasons why WE MUST CONTINUE with this discussion and to do it in a most inclusive way. I do not see these discussions as being negative. Most of us (I included) have become more informed by these discussions. For the past 150 years the 23% have been exposed to the 77% way of life and understands us completely. Because the leadership of the 23% comes from a more rural background, it is new to most of those who are urbanized and those who come from ancestral backgrounds. In my humble view Alyssa has done a yeoman job in educating the reading public and I believe with that knowledge we are closer to understanding the 23% who has heretofore been immersed in a religious/socio/economic lifestyle that we, the 77% need to understand better.
“Alyssa’s acute, traumatic responses on this site, are indicative of psychological & emotional instability & insecurity.” Tman
Well….i certainly can’t disagree!!…you might be unto something Tman…However, i’m curious what is your diagnosis wth respect to THE CAUSE of my apparent illness?? HMMMMM??
I noticed that you mentiones the word “Traumatic”…which comes from the word TRAUMA….what do yo beleive that may have happened to Taumatize me & other Africans enough to speak out in the manner you describe??
Although i won’t hold my breath for any credible diagnosis from your caste-infected psyche….please allow me to share what i believe to be the Traumatic events that taumatized me…..
KAMLA, MOONILAL, SURUJ, ANAND, DEVANT….oh & i do suffer with PTSS….Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome…(Dr. Joy Degruy)
I have read Dr. DeGruy’s book and examined her study guide. I do agree that many of you, based on your contributions are suffering from PTTS. The sources of discrimination which have affected you, the least of which is the Indian community, are historical in nature and began long before slavery. Your frequent posts display helplessness, self-concept issues, colorism, tunnel vision and transference of anger to a community and religion which you deem vulnerable.
You display extreme feelings of suspicion and negative motions against Indians to compensate for your own failures. It’s symptomatic of a propensity for anger and violence, characteristics familiar to our present esteemed Prime Minister. The persistent attacks against other religious groups and races reflect problems with self esteem. To put it in local parlance, “let us mash up everybody” since we are under attack; we are depressed. Let us become destructive since our Diaspora is self destructing as evidenced by criminality and what others consider a lack of morality as evidenced by the over-representation of fatherless children and prison populations worldwide.
And yet:
“Thus saith Yahweh of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a [Negro], saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zechariah 8:23)
Having said that, I do not think the brahminists will be among them. It is your hatred that is too great.
As for the “Negro” (the true “Jew”), even in the desperate circumstances that we apparently are in, we still are blessed abundantly by God’s grace, shown to us and to the world in many ways. What ways? Be ye not as the horse or mule without understanding. Ultimately, it is why we are hated and envied so. We are the prodigal son, the heir to the estate, still.
May the Most High continue to expose the wicked, and protect the innocent. May He pour out His spirit upon those He entrusted to Yeshua from the foundation of the world, that we may awake to the truth that shall make us free.
Shalom.
“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” (Revelation 3:9)
Ahhhh yesss Tman, i’m surs you rezd part of the book….but your disgrzceful psyche would never allow you to finish it…nor will it allow you to examine the destructive behaviours of YOUR comkunity & how it prolongs the behaviours you mentioned in the African community.
Also, Tman, do you realize that as a dezcendent of an untouchable, who was subject to 1000× woese the behaviour asssoiciated with African chattel slavery….your community is actually INFESTED with it….however, the significant twist with your community is…your religion & culture supports that behaviour…you came to ‘the new world’ & pawned off all those nasty, stink, dutty attitudes on those who coukd have been your ‘brothers in arms’…so Dr. Degruy’s book should have taught you how your ancestral psyche allows you to slip into the role of the slave master but worrse & your ancestral practices & beliefs have raped your humanity…but typical…you can never see the beast in the mirror!
My brother Tman,
The hypocrisy would lie in *not* condemning brahminism and hindutva.
I am on solid scriptural ground:
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)
Moreover:
“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.” (Leviticus 19:17)
Furthermore, my lord and saviour, king, priest and intercessor, Yeshua Ha Mashiach, set the bar very high when he drove the money-changers out of the Temple, and when he not only rebuked, but indeed condemned the proto-brahminists of His day, the Pharisees:
“40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. … 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:40,44)
That is why, as I often say, I do not mince words.
I do not say that I am without fault before God. As needful as I am of forgiveness, I stand ready to forgive, as holy scripture requires of us, and daily reminds us in the Lord’s Prayer.
At the same time, I will not be craven, nor fall for the usual attempts at deceit wrapped in flattery, or smelling of sweet soap — e.g. talk of “many manifestations of the One” — to hide the real stench underneath.
So your charge, limp and flaccid as before, falls quite short of the mark.
May the Most High continue to expose the wicked and the wicked deeds that they wickedly do. And may He give His children the discernment to make out the wicked and their wickenesses whatever might be the deceptive tricks they employ.
Shalom.
Reading this is like reading the details of what is being discovered in Guyana by the new Government. It is exactly the same thing. The PP in T&T and the PPP in Guyana had the same modus operandi. They were afflicted with the same disease, common to organizations demographically and politically structured they were. They are kleptomaniacs, the worse kind of kleptomaniacs, and they will steal every red cent they have access to. It is common trait, a cultural inheritance that is ubiquitous throughout the population group.
I read an article recently where Indian Students said they believed it was their right to cheat at exams. And one of the most funny but telling images was that of an exam center where parents climbed up several stories to help their kids taking exams.
When you believe that you have a right to be dishonest, this is what you get. You get the kind of perspective we see in the comments of the Mamoos and the TMan. They are culturally predisposed to cheating, to lying, and believe that nothing is wrong with that. God help Guyana and T&T, because these two Countries have suffered the worse from being governed by people with no sense of ethics and morals. People whose personality is so skewed, that it contradicts anything that is universally accepted as the norm. And yes, if they get control of the till, they will empty it. No thief with a gun is more larcenous than these people.
“And one of the most funny but telling images was that of an exam center where parents climbed up several stories to help their kids taking exams.” It is absolutely true Rodwell, I saw the video of this event on TV.
Kian, we need not look at videos in india as reference
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Dookhan
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/02/03/chasing-renown-path-paved-with-lies/Axw3AxwmD33lRwXatSvMCL/story.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2210168/Boston-state-chemist-Annie-Dookhan-arrested-fake-drug-tests-Massachusetts.html
Ms Dookhan’s productivity was statistically highly improbable, yet her supervisors let it pass.
It’s the same with the T&T SEA results. We are supposed to believe that the indo every year dominate the top placements because they’re smarter than all the others, especially the afro.
Statistically, it is so improbable as to be literally impossible. But we close our eyes to item 6 of the “Indian Policy” which actually admits to the real cause…CHEATING:
As I have said before, the indo is not that smart, and the afro is not that stupid. There was a time when there was a more statistically likely mix, and the afro child certainly had no sense of academic inferiority. Back in the day of V. S. Nightpall, it was as likely as not that the Island Scholarship winners — people like Reggie Dumas, Lloyd Best, plus in a slightly earlier era, Eric Williams, CLR James, among others — would be afro. Why do we accept, even in the face of clear evidence of CHEATING, that today, it is the indo that should so completely dominate?
We the afro-Israelite of the seed need to wake up! As Marcus Garvey used to say: “Up ye mighty people, ye can accomplish what ye will!”
May the Most High continue to expose the wicked, and the wicked deeds that they wickedly do. And may He protect the innocent, and pour His spirit out over us that we may awake to the truth that will make us free.
Shalom.
“Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Yahweh; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?” (Isaiah 51:9)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3UQDVeine70
notice the time period…NAR!
Better Quality (1988)
Look at the time period these practices surfaced…NAR!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WCLMoiXVaG8
Cro Cro sang about it, to his credit. But what was done about it?
We have the authors of the “Indian Policy” saying in a document that was not supposed to circulate outside the intended community, that “Our SEA papers correcting groups are very strong and have been working quite well, we must keep this up in order to maintain top placement…”. What are we going to do about it?
It is interesting to note that there is no claim that their children are smarter, and therefore they’ll maintain top placement. They themselves know they must CHEAT, because they’re simply not that smart. But for public consumption, we of course have Sat Mahar repeating ad nauseam that their children beat books while afro children beat pan!
Thus are people easily brainwashed. And then we have idiots that fall for that brainwashing, and start a study conceding the premise that afro children are dumb. Therefore, we must make special provision for them as “differently abled” and etc. Meantime, our afro scholars of the past have if anything distinguished themselves as being at least as good as all the rest. Arthur Lewis, Ellis Clarke, Eric Williams, CLR James, Reggie Dumas, etc. It is a long list. They sought no quarter, and were given none, not at QRC, St. Mary’s etc., and not at Cambridge and Oxford where they mostly ended up. The Naipaul’s and Capildeo’s and Rampersad’s and etc. also were illustrious scholars. But would anyone seriously suggest that the afro scholars somehow fell short compared to their indo counterparts?
Yet today, we have scholars like Selwyn Ryan, taking as a given that the afro needs to be given a hand up, otherwise he can’t compete. And why? Because he doesn’t know that he, and we, have been played. The indo has been systematically cheating, on one hand. And on the other hand, they have been systematically brainwashing the society to believe and accept the inferiority of the “Negro”.
I say let’s put a stop to that!
If we are too craven, too cowardly, too hypocritical, too lacking in belly and backbone (we are not short of brains!) to do what’s necessary, I scarcely would wonder if the Most High would continue to rub His Chosen’s noses in it.
Yeshua long ago admonished us, speaking through the psalmist, “be ye not as the horse or the mule without understanding!”. We need not wait for the lawyers, who like Mamoo have neither wit, wisdom, nor understanding. If it’s obvious to Cro Cro, it should be obvious also to the rest of us. (Except of course perhaps Justice Mendonca!)
May the Most High continue to expose the wicked, and protect the innocent, in this and other matters unfolding before us.
Shalom.
“Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of Yahweh the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.” (Isaiah 51:17)
“…… people like Reggie Dumas, Lloyd Best, plus in a slightly earlier era, Eric Williams, CLR James, among others — would be afro……” Yoruba
The reason for this illusion of reality is cognitive blindness. Too often I am being made aware of the carelessness of the Trinidadian black man. He is too careless with his own abilities and therefore allow his own capabilities to be relegated to nought. Take something simple as roti! Do you think that the Indian will EVER allow the art of making roti to leave his domain into that of any other ethnic group? No. It would NEVER happen. If you need a sugar cake today and don’t know where to find it, do you know where you are most likely to find it – in a roti shop of course! Would the sugar cake taste the same? Most likely not, but you would get it there. The point here is, perception is sometimes reality and today we, (all of us) are more likely to be perceived as a rapper, a ghetto talking, pants-falling-down-our-asses hipster than a man with a brain. Now, the question is where do these perceived ideas emanate? The media of course! I often look up the radio and television stations and their core products on the papers (or news media) and what do I see? religious, ethnic, Indian music, educational, news etc etc – Indian. Music, urban, dance, dancehall, pop – African.
What this means is where we put emphasis on in terms of culture and nurturing and most of what marketers place before black youths are the enticement to entertainment.
To the Indian the emphasis is first and foremost economic achievements. Having said that, when when the African is allowed to use and practice his own abilities, he becomes the very best. That is what gave us the Eric Williams, Lloyd Bests, Renne Dumas, Terrence Farrell and so on. One of the best medical educators at UWI was Dr. Bartholomew but he was drowned out by the sea of Indian staffers at that institution. In other words after Dr Bartholomew there was no one to take his place so that we can always the presence of the virtues of him there. So we are left without that influence and very soon UWI became just another ‘Indian’ institution. My point is that we need more institutions of influence whereby our young people can learn to emulate without the false influence of cultures that are alien to us. One such institution was I95.5fm. That is until they put Ralph Maraj as the head commentator. The lure of money destroyed the otherwise great potential of that station as a legitimate source of good information. Dr Morgan Job is without doubt a very educated man, but can our youths look to him as a legitimate source of inspiration – I doubt it. He is sketchy at best and his intelligence is skewed by his political and social moorings. As a mere child my greatest influence was Dr. Eric Williams, it is from him I learnt about Arnold Toynbee, the famous British
historian and professor of international affairs. We live in a get-rich-quick environment and in order to navigate our future through the cumbersome dalliances of this now-generation they have to be exposed to the right influences. This is where the Indian have put their thrust where the end often times justify the means. This is what we are dealing with in everyday life in Trinidad today. Be it politics, education, social engineering, culture, professionalism or otherwise, there is a need to temper the get-there-by-any-means approach and revert to a time when Nightfall was surprised to have been challenged by CLR James at QRC because only the truly best went there!
Stereotyping a race because of one person action is an example of a psycho social construct being projected on others as though all is the same. It is like say all n*ggers lie when that is not so. Some do…..lol
Kian, for the sake of our children,grandchildren & future genrerations…i hope it isn’t only your brother that digests the info. & discussion On this blog…
Let us get sensible in this discussion. Sure there are examples of cheating on exams. Cheating is a worldwide phenomenon, most prevalent in American universities and many of these fly by night correspondence schools around the world. There are numerous videos and literary sources on line to verify and support any theory one wishes to sell, but scholarly individuals should check the authenticity of their sources and avoid convenient gullibility. With regard to Indians and academic achievement, there are also a multitude of post graduate achievements worldwide to support the view that Indians are academically productive. This can also be said about Africans. In T&T, the once dominant achievement of Africans has slipped due to a number of social factors which have adversely affected the African community. I do not believe that this is a permanent condition. Instead of searching for scapegoat excuses, one should examine the educational and social conditions which led to this decline. It is a simple truth that when one group fails we all fail.
Dr. Cudjoe’s investigation into discrimination against African children was real and embarrassing to the Presbyterian schools. He revealed a truth which was a scar on the Presbyterian community. The question was raised. Was this racial discrimination or a situation where unqualified teachers resorted to barbaric techniques to solve their discipline problems? Research around the world, particularly in Canadian school districts, has identified a high percentage of children of African ancestry to be labelled as “different learners”. Also, traditional instructional techniques do not fit the learning styles of these children. One must conclude that this is also true in T&T. Unfortunately, many attempts by the last Ministry of Education to introduce programs to cater to different learners and learning disabled learners were frustrated and objected to by parents themselves, who insisted on traditional programs for their children. The parents in POS even demonstrated outside the Ministry against progressive evaluation which was going to give their children credit for athletic ability, musical talents and creative ability as criteria for entrance into secondary schools. They insisted on rote 11+ training.
The media did not do its part in explaining that disabled or different learners are not unintelligent learners. On the contrary, they are usually highly intelligent in specific areas of intelligence testing.
The decline of the achievement of African children in T&T is a result of an unchanging system of education dominated by poor instructional techniques, unmotivated teachers, a restricted curriculum, examination driven emphasis, poor learning conditions and a lack of behavioral techniques to accommodate discipline problems. The present Minister of Education is an uninformed dinosaur. Do not expect change.
Lol…”let ‘US’ Get sensible”…Tman…so we need Tman to swoop in and make the discussion ‘sensible’ as she is of course, the paragon of virtue, sensibility & unbiased critique….B.S !!
You minimize and therefore conveniently miss the point.
The point is not that individuals cheat on exams. The point is that this is a systematic, organized scheme for cheating. Its purpose is to advance one sectarian group in the society, the indo, at the expense of all others, and especially at the expense of the afro. Furthermore, it is the point that there is a special, coherent animus that drives such behaviour, deriving from the ingrained racist and colourist tenets of brahminism, compounded by the absence or moral or spiritual restraint on t’iefing to get a leg up on others. That is the problem.
This is not a matter of hate or derision. It is a matter of truth. Any true servant of God would be a hypocrite to turn a blind eye to truth, so as to appear to be politically correct, or else to give in to craven cowardice in the face of a monstrous evil that certainly is difficult for a society to address. I will not count myself among the craven, the cowardly, and the hypocrites in this matter. Let the hypocrites of the IRO maintain silence if they wish. There will come a time, however, when they will have to give account.
Also, this is not a matter of learning styles or being differently abled. It is a matter of CHEATING, plain and simple. There are plenty of afro children who will do just fine, thank you, the old-fashioned way. I taught at UWI Engg. some decades ago. I well remember the best boy in the class, and by far, was an afro-Jamaican. He didn’t need any special concessions. He didn’t need to cheat, or be the beneficiary of organized cheating by his co-ethnics. Today, I am saddened to learn, there are hardly any afro students in the Engg. Dept. To underline the point there was a young afro-TT aerospace engineer working with NASA, who was in the news recently. She had to go to Howard U., one is left to assume, because of CHEATING under the Indian Policy. “…Remember to keep UWI under close watch.” (from Item 6, The Indian Policy).
I cite these anecdotes, knowing well as I do so, that they are anecdotes. Generally, anecdotes cannot carry an argument, but they are good for providing illustrative support.
In the present case, the argument is unassailable, I’m afraid. The argument is statistical. If you’re looking at an outcome so improbable as to be impossible, then it is. Statistical quality control systems rely on such statistical protocols. And the efficacy of such protocols is well established. Ms. Dookhan’s apparent productivity was such as would have set off every alarm bell under established statistical protocols. Likewise, the pattern of SEA results in T&T, indo vs afro, simply will set off every alarm bell under standard statistical protocols, even if afro capability is highly discounted relative to the indo. That is one. On top of that, we have the admission of CHEATING, as part of a racist brahminist policy of indo-supremacy (hindutva) being clearly advanced in this land.
That argument does not require, and I do not make, any suggestion that on their own merit, the indo would not do well. They just would not do quite that well.
May the Most High continue to expose the wicked, and the wicked deeds that they wickedly do. And may He protect the innocent, from the wickedness of the wicked.
Shalom.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33421572
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/20/asia/india-cheating-parents-school-tests/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/in-india-exam-cheating-is-just-a-symptom/article23669759/
http://www.hindustantimes.com/education/aipmt-paper-leak-why-india-is-the-hub-of-cheating-in-exams/story-es8mafHGAWmMqLFAZyMsAM.html
And the coup de grace
http://m.ips.sagepub.com/content/9/3/205.accessible-long
O.P Dwivedi & R.B. Jain in their book on Bureacracy in India (1988) highlight caste (hinduism) as a facilitator of corruption….i.e. let ‘US’ not risk disproving our superiority to ‘chance’ we must ensure that we are ‘proven’ superior CONSISTENTLY i.e. ends (acceptence to prestigious pre-school all the way to college) than means (cheating, stealing, etc.)….general dishonesty…
Another simple way xof putting it…..anyone that has a belief system that PREACHES IN equality based on birth to death….obviously will be corrupt…constantly trying to shape society to ‘prove’ the ‘scriptures’….
Corrupt, certainly. But actually it’s more than that. It is satanic in the literal sense: that which is of or by or belonging to Satan. This is what earns Yeshua’s condemnation, not mere rebuke:
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)
To whom was He speaking? The Pharisees, the followers of Talmudic Judaism. Even then this group was dominated by Edomites (Idumeans, like king Herod, that sought to slay Yeshua), not Israelites of the seed. Even at a glance, brahminism (Abraham-ism) is a mere mutation of Talmudic Judaism. And as I have elsewhere remarked, the indo-Aryans are in fact a branch of that Edomite family tree; hear or forebear.
Yeshua did not mince words.
Neither does the Most High: “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith Yahweh: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau…” (Malachi 1:2-3)
I can guarantee that the hypocrites of the IRO never mention, nor examine this Scripture in their churches. God is love! is the doctrine taught. Well yes He is, and He promises to “abundantly forgive”. Nevertheless, there is such a thing as unforgivable sin, which is why Satan’s ultimate end in the lake of fire is written. Likewise, those who are of, by, or belong to Satan, will go into the lake of fire with him. That sad lot has been written concerning the Edomites. That would include the indo-Aryans as to seed.
Individual Edomites may possibly escape that judgement, but it would require the sincere repudiation of satanic ways — lying, cheating, stealing, money-grubbing, and worse…
Cheating at exams, there in India, and here in T&T, is indeed indicative of a far greater and deeper sickness of the soul. In the post that was automatically rejected for being “spammy”, I suggested that V.S. Nightpall was in effect satanically initiated as the *effect* of his childhood abuse. To the extent that practice is widespread, and indeed cultural, it tends to explain a lot. Just as Yeshua knows His children, Satan knows his also, and through precisely such initiation techniques, the latter tries to win over those of Yeshua to the dark side. That is why, there is scripture that admonishes: “Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and receive not of her plagues”. Those plagues are near upon us, and there shall be a separation of the “sheep” from the “goats” for that purpose.
May the Most High continue to expose the wicked and the wicked deeds that they wickedly do, that His children may learn the appropriate lessons.
Shalom.
Nigerian couple found guilty of slavery:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3349801/NHS-doctor-nurse-wife-kept-houseboy-slave-nearly-quarter-century-smuggling-UK-jailed-six-years.html
They have not even a word to say in defence. At least they show some shame.
This is of course a reminder that not everything “Afrikan” is to be embraced. This is a reminder to all the afro-centrists that make a fetish of skin colour.
As I have remarked in some of my posts, there is a tribe in Nigeria, the Idoma, whose name reveals them to be Edomite. You can be sure they were guilty of involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. For their involvement, as a principal enemy of the Israelites, was prophesied; Deuteronomy 28:68, Psalms 83:3-6.
I do not suggest that the Nigerian couple could not have been Israelite. For our Israelite forefathers tasted the lash of bondage in Egypt precisely because Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. God’s law is nothing if not consistent: “He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity”. That we again went into captivity is proof of the iniquity of our Israelite forefathers. And some may have been guilty of that which the Nigerian couple today is guilty.
Btw, that is why our Israelite brethren, the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, were spared the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Rather, some of them were among the nominal enslavers. They were and are “white” people, the battle-axe of British and American Empire; Jeremiah 51:20. Still today they are cannon-fodder troops for Pax Americana, e.g. US Marines fighting the wars of fake Jews. Many of our Judahite “black American” brethren fight alongside them, blissfully unaware that they are fighting not for God and country, but for the fake-Jews. Come to think of it, the Ishmaelites engaged in what they think is jihad, are also doing the dirty work of the fake Jews, as the latter seek to get the Christians and the Muslims to destroy each other in a third world war. Succeed they will, for that also is written. But I digress.
As we awake out of this second captivity that we have suffered as a people, it is well to remember our own ancestral guilt, even as we recognize guilt in others. As we return unto Yahweh, as the proverbial prodigal son must, we must return penitent and humble, begging for the forgiveness of our forefathers, even before we beg forgiveness for our own sins.
So again I make the following prayer, and again I emphasize that it is non-racial: May the Most High continue to expose the wicked, and the wicked deeds that they wickedly do, that all His children may learn the appropriate lessons.
Shalom.
“I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose…” (Isaiah 65:1-5)
Yoruba…my goodness…did you hear the archbiahop’s latest (IRO inspired, no doubt)…tirade??….In the announcement of a ‘needed’ $67 million dollar upgrade/repair to their (catholic/christian) cathedral….the foodly archbishop announced that the cathedral is not only a place of worship for his flock (catholics & christians) , but for all religions & peoples to worship their faith….WOWwwww WOWEEEE! An external ‘germ/pathogen audit’ should be conducted by the CDC (center for disease control) in the IRO headquarters…..something might be spreading there…..a germ…parasite….something must be infecting members of that organization…..first he claims Hinduism is Monotheistic & without skipping a beat he says this??? I can almost see (imagine) the IRO head with puppet strings dangling from his fingetips….
Actually, I think the a’bishop is taking his cue in this regard from the vatican. The pope is pushing a one-world-religion agenda…
Nevertheless, the brahminist makeover recently discussed will also fold nicely into the one-world-religion so pushed.
In either case, it is satanic.
There is a whole eschatological discourse here I will refrain from articulating right this minute. Maybe later…
Shalom.
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.” (Revelation 16:13)
Alyssa, Mamoo, T Man, Kian, Israelite…you folks argue your biases well. You are not unintelligent people.
Why don’t each of you list five things that you would like to see all Trini governments do to make the country the multicultural, diverse and inclusive paradise that it can be?
‘Multicultural’ ‘diverse’ ‘inclusive’ is Sat & ilk Official propaganda…it is a Trojan Horse meant to ‘overpower’ & marginalize the Original Dominant, ‘Creole’ culture…i don’t trust persons who push these words….it says one thing but INTENDS another!…The people who use this terminology don’t like to see Pan, carnival, soca, kaiso, christmas, Dark, Nappy haired faces or the PNM at centerstage….they want to bring in 10,000 different straight haired ethnic groups to push people who look like Dr. Rowley to the BACK of the bus…in a racist ga e of musical chairs…NO THANK YOU!….
I was just about to retire when I read your question. I think that it is an intelligent question and one that requires an even tempered reply. For starters, most of us who ‘argue’ are really seeing things from a perspective that our experience guides us towards. I do have a problem with the word ‘multicultural’, it is from perspective a misnomer because we also call ourselves ‘a nation called Tinidad and Tobago’. We are an independent democracy and we are also a developing nation. Whilst it is true that our cultural heritage was influenced from our ancestral past, it is by no means a culture until we develop from within. This is when it becomes ‘culture’. The United States with a population of close to four hundred million people have never used the word ‘multi-culture’ to describe the culture emanating from the entertainment industry. Multiculturalism is confusing and can keep us further apart and not necessarily encouraging cultural and social development. The next thing that comes to mind is education. There was once a time when the churches played a prominent part in the education of our children but I do believe that that time have come when we should develop a different approach to educating our children. There is an unhealthy competition for parochial superiority in the education of our children and it is my feeling that we should establish a Board of Education (apart from the Ministry of Education), to approve the curriculum for our students. One of the things that irk me is the high number of public holidays that we have in this country. I believe that we should have one religious holiday that allows people to celebrate it in their chosen way. We still need Christmas, Easter (that represents our history) and one religious holiday. Since we all ‘arrived’ I believe that there should be one holiday for ‘Arrival’. Of course we need Independence day. I believe that the media can play an important part in enriching the lives of our citizens. It is the most important information medium but as presently constructed it tends to be more misleading than leading. I would like to see our media people graduate from a scholastic journalism college that emphasizes professionalism, high standards of conduct, knowledge of the Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago in particular. The graduated journalist must be educated in the laws of the constitution and their rights as members of the Fourth Estate. This will bring about a product that we all can be proud of. I would like to see a better approach to naming heads of state enterprises. When one is given such responsibility, it goes with a whole lot of power place in those individuals and it is for that reason, I would like to see nominations to those boards first.
The nomination process must be followed by hearings on the individuals that are supposed to run those boards. The public should be given a chance to hear and know everything about that individual before confirmation of that position is authorized by the cabinet. If he/she has to manage the public monies then it should follow naturally that the people must give consent via the nomination, public hearings and cabinet approval processes. Lastly, I would like to see a true separation of church and state. To me the most hypocritical celebrations that occur during the year is that of Emancipation Day and Divali. People disguises themselves to be relevant for a day and then the next we continue the fight from where we left off. Let religion and culture handle its celebrations and keep government out of it, period. For a small country with a relatively
short history we have shown that we are very capable of turning out extra-ordinary individuals and things. We gave the world the Steel pan, we gave the world Calypso, we gave the world beautiful queens of the Universe and World pagents. We gave the world educated men like Dr. Eric Williams and Dr. Rudranath Capildeo, CLR James, Leari Constantine, Brian Lara. We have made Carnival a wonder of the world and I’m sure that we have the talent to do many other things. All we need now is the environment to nurture our possibilities. To do that, it would take all of us, but our primary considerations must first be Trinidad and Tobago nothing else will suffice.
Again, a smart and wise question!
No….i’m TOO biased to do that!
‘Multiculturalism’ as is used colloquially is a far cry from its actual practice…Germany has since regretted this move.Its actually allows for the identity of the society to be open for ‘hostile takeover’ e.g. Islamists in London cordoning of whole blocks & declaring it under Sharia Law…obviously this isn’t what is desired in T&T…the persons who tilled the soil long before must be respected…culture is like a never ending soup…you can always add more spices & ingredients to it, BUTTTTTT TOO MANY CHEFS could spoil the broth i.e. extremist johnny come lately wanting to forcefully change the society to their liking, and using the stated ‘multiculturalism’ as a sheild!
Africans have experienced this in T&T, since 1845…Mauritius is a tragic example….so too are Fiji, Kenya & Guyana….