By Marion O’Callaghan
March 02, 2015 – newsday.co.tt
I WONDER how many people noticed that Ernie Ross, of perhaps one of the most important advertising firms in the country, was reported present at that meeting with Gary Griffith which, in retrospect, was an important factor in the collapse of the Prime Minister’s then Cabinet and the collapse of COP as we knew it? This is not surprising: we are after all not very far from a general election.
Continue reading The spin doctors
By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
February 10, 2015
The Trinidad Guardian, it seems, is worried about the PNM’s future, our democracy and the quality of postcolonial democracy in societies such as ours all because the PNM rejected the candidacy of Penny Beckles, a good friend, and the possibility that Patrick Manning will suffer a similar fate.
Continue reading The Politics of Spite
Express Editorial
February 01, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com
“The standing of the Attorney General is not the only consideration Ms Persad-Bissessar is obliged to weigh. If, indeed, Mr Griffith had been aware of illegality even suspected of being engaged in or proposed by the Attorney General, he should not himself have waited until now to be exposed as someone in the know. His own fitness for office is now at least open to question.
“Finally, that it has taken nearly three months for Mr West, a lawyer, to report to the relevant authorities some illegality he might have suspected is itself troublingly questionable.
Continue reading AG must step down: first act in rare drama
By the Multimedia Desk
January 29, 2015 – trinidadexpress.com
DIRECTOR of the Police Complaints Authority David West on Thursday issued a statement related to the rapidly unfolding events involving the allegations that he was asked by Attorney General Anand Ramlogan to withdraw his witness statement in a defamation lawsuit related to the failed extradition involving Section 34 applicants Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh, in exchange for him getting the job at the PCA. West has disclosed that as a result of claims made in the media and responses given by Ramlogan, he (West) had reported the matter to the police.
Continue reading David West has reported the AG to the cops
By Jamille Broome
January 25 2015 – newsday.co.tt
For years, political parties have promulgated change on their campaign platforms. Looking back, they’ve all purported to know what and how to change the problems within our once peaceful and thriving society, but at the end of the day, we’re always left with nothing more than exchange. Every election, our parties mount platforms to engage in negative campaigning in order to convince the populace why NOT to vote for the opposing side(s), rather than emphasising their own positive attributes or preferred policies. Of course, this is effective in Trinidad and Tobago because we are a society of bacchanal. Remind us of how much money was stolen and how ineffective the last crime strategy was and you will definitely be the next party in power.
Continue reading Political innovation instead of political (ex)change
By Corey Gilkes
January 11, 2015
Doh believe what foreigners do/ is better than you/cause that eh true
Is a mental block/that hard to unlock/it hard like a rock/with it yuh doh wuk (that true)
Yuh go live an illusion……..trying to be another man
Doh believe what foreigners do/is better than you/because that eh true
Profound words by one of our rap(so) pioneers (Yeah, I did that on purpose, hope it got you thinking) echoed over the years by different singers and thinkers. Last year the forever-robbed Heather Macintosh reminded us of our deeply embedded self-hate and self-doubt when she told us how we don’t see anything good in Trinbago till some foreigner say so. But didn’t Harry Belafonte and the recently departed Pete Seeger, huge cultural icons in the US, marvel at our kaiso and pan respectively years ago? In 1968 Belafonte went so far as to use selections going back as far as the 1920s to articulate the rioting and turmoil sweeping across the US and Europe in the wake of the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, the assassinations of Dr Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, and the heavy-handed actions of the police and FBI within the US itself. And yet, to this day, we treat our artists and artistes, our panmen and poets with scant courtesy. Kaiso seems to be forever a quaint folk song, sung around Carnival time to amuse the tourists and pan is still “a noisy instrument.” Not even when we do oddah people ting and sing reggae and pop/rock we hardly give that any more respect. So I eh sure about Jointpop and Orange Sky go fare any better than Wildfire and Kalyan before them. What is certain is that in the “logic” of our self-contemptuous thinking, none of these disciplines have any relevance when the question of transforming our society comes up.
Continue reading MY KINDA FOLLOWERS
My fellow citizens, ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
When we last spoke on the eve of the New Year, 2015, I made a commitment to have this conversation with you.
My commitment came about because of growing turbulence in the global energy sector, and the impact of lower oil prices on economies such as ours.
Continue reading PM’s Address to the Nation on the Economy
By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
January 03, 2015
On March 11, 1895, after serving thirty-two years as an unofficial member of the Legislative Council (during that period the Legislative Council consisted of official and unofficial members), the Hon. Louis de Verteuil submitted his resignation to Sir Frederick Napier Broome, the governor of the island. A few days later, his Legislative colleagues wrote a commendation to express their appreciation for the service he had given to his country. He replied: For thirty-two years “I have worked in promoting the welfare and advancement of my native land. May God give it prosperity and peace! Old age has compelled me to retire, but I will always feel happy to express my opinion on any important question of the day, if the opportunity offers” (Anthony de Verteuil, Sir Louis de Verteuil).
Continue reading What Should Patrick Manning Do?
By Stephen Kangal
January 02, 2015
Villagers of Frederick Settlement undertook a placard demonstration on 22 December 2014 to highlight the problems that originated from the building of the New Southern Main Road.
A decision on the demonstration was taken at the end of the Meeting of Residents held on Thursday last (18 December) at the Frederick Settlement Community Centre based on the statements made by the residents expressing fears for the safety of their children while crossing the dualled and expanded roadway as well as the absence of Minister Rambachan from the Meeting although invited.
Continue reading Road Demonstration at Frederick Settlement
By Raffique Shah
December 28, 2014
In the spirit of the season, which for me means extra-laid-back, lazy if you will, certainly not busy with chores that people ignore all year only to attack feverishly only at Christmas time, I thought I’d round of the year on a high note even as I lay low.
Really, we cannot be so blighted to have endured yet another year of foul-ups by those on high and lawlessness from top to bottom, crime down but criminals running free, a health system that’s ready for the dreaded Ebola but takes two years to deliver cataract surgery, costly free education that churns out a handful of bright young people but a mass of dumb others—surely, we would be spared worse in the final few days of the year.
Or so I thought.
Continue reading Billboard face to launch a million votes?