By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
January 17, 2008
A week ago Louis Lee Sing broke two of the most sacred of PNM’s commandments: thou shall not speak evil of the political leader in public; and thou shall not speak evil of the party in public. It’s alright to speak your truth about the political leader and the party behind closed doors; it’s quite another matter to air negative views in public.
Continue reading Keeping PNM’s Commandments
Dr. Kwame Nantambu
January 16, 2008
As Calypsonians put the final touches on their compositions for C2K8, it is apropos to relegate to the ash heap of TnT’s political history, the notion that has been bandied about by some Calypsonians that as Prime Minister of TnT, George Chambers was “duncy.” The fact of the matter is that such a notion is not rooted in historical/factual reality but rather in mythology and facetious fiction.
Continue reading Chambers wasn’t ‘duncy’ after all
By Corey Gilkes
January 13, 2008
I really loved the well-written article by former Secretary of State Madeleine (shouldn’t that be Meddlin?) Albright on the Trinidad Express on Friday 11th January. Such hubris, such hypocrisy compressed into twelve paragraphs. It was exactly the sort of historically decontextualised drivel I have come to expect from North Atlantic political figures (although, given what passes for local journalism and radio talk, it has spread here as well).
Continue reading On Albright’s “Lost” Aura of Democracy
By Stephen Kangal
January 15, 2008
It must be a source of enormous embarrassment to us in T&T that the Manning Administration should spend our taxpayers money to jointly sponsor in collaboration with the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf a seminar. It will outline the procedures for the delimitation of the maritime boundaries of the extended continental shelf (Newsday 14 Jan., p. 15) between national and international jurisdiction located beyond 200 nautical miles (limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone). This is a clear case of stupid T&T paying for the laying of tracks for smart Bajan agoutis to run on.
Continue reading Laying Tracks for Bajan Goutis to Run
By Raffique Shah
January 13, 2008
If anybody can convince me that a state of emergency would yield benefits in the fight against crime, I’d be willing to listen and act. So said Prime Minister Patrick Manning last week as he and others, the opposition UNC included, insisted that emergency powers were not required to deal with this unholy mess. I respond to the PM this way: show me that you can lower the level of crime using Minister Martin Joseph’s many “plans”, and I’ll concede that we do not need an emergency.
Continue reading Emergency to protect Govt only, not the people
TriniView.com Reporters
Event Date: January 11, 2008
Posted: January 18, 2008
Friends and family gathered at the Center of Excellence on Friday 11th January, 2008, to pay tribute to journalist and cultural promoter Terry Joseph. Mr. Joseph passed away on January 2nd 2008, in the United States after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was born in Laventille in 1947, and spent the latter part of his life writing about the culture of Trinidad and Tobago, especially Pan, Calypso and Mas.
Continue reading Cultural send-off for Terry Joseph
By Michael De Gale
January 09, 2008
Though some may beg to differ, there is ample evidence to conclude that human beings are fundamentally evil. For any number of reasons, we almost instinctively oppress each other in the most brutal fashion. History is replete with genocide, slavery, ethnic cleansing, religious persecution, gender discrimination, economic and political oppression and the list goes on. Far from being exhausted, this does not even begin to scratch the surface of human savagery. According to Columbus’ own account, he received an enthusiastic welcome by native people who came bearing gifts. In response, he unleashed a reign of terror including rape, murder, pillage and enslavement.
Continue reading Towards a Fair and Just Society
By Stephen Kangal
January 09, 2008
The unfortunate decision of the Speaker, the Honourable Barendra Sinanan to debar unconstitutionally members of the COP wearing their attention-grabbing, artistic logo from attending the second sitting of the House as responsible members of the public gallery to listen to the debate on crime is clearly symptomatic of electoral justice gone mad.
This discriminatory and disenfranchising system for determining electoral representation in our Parliament in a plural society denied in 2007,148,000 citizens from being officially heard and represented in parliament. Parliament in the eyes of these 148,000 citizens no longer has any legitimacy. But it has deteriorated further.
Continue reading House Standing Orders Unconstitutional
By Raffique Shah
January 06, 2008
I am not surprised that the Express has taken the initiative to intervene in the fight against the crime tsunami that threatens to destroy our beloved country. It’s not the first time that a call has been made for a government to declare a limited state of emergency to help deal with the problem. A few years ago, a government-appointed committee headed by Ken Gordon and including some very experienced and knowledgeable persons, made a similar recommendation as part of a “package” of measures it proposed. Other organisations and individuals, your humble scribe among them, also suggested as much.
Continue reading A people problem of epidemic proportions
By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
January 03, 2008
The last week of December was tragic and tortuous. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the tearing apart of Kenya because of a rigged election demonstrated the fragility of human existence and how much we live on the edge. I have traveled to both countries, seen their beauty and feel much sympathy for their citizens’ pain. During the last week I have also had to make painful decisions about my treatment for a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Continue reading The Measure of a Man