By Raffique Shah
Sunday, November 16th 2008
CALL me The Trini-Spirit. In this incarnation I wield power and influence over all in this land. Like a true Trini-Genie, I pop out of a bottle and control the minds of men and women, from ministers and criminals to aberrations like Juliet Davy. When I see the antics of our politicians, criminals and crazed-motorists, I feel proud they all sip from my bottle and not any bogus chalice.
Continue reading Of fools and spirits
November 15 2008
T&T Newsday Editorial
If the Government is so intent on having citizens use Compressed Natural Gas, Ministers should start by converting their own vehicles to CNG. Speaking in the Senate last Thursday on the issue, Minister in the Finance Ministry Mariano Browne was very gung-ho about all the benefits that would accrue to consumers and the wider society through CNG conversion: fewer emissions, less wear and tear on engines, fewer oil changes, and reduction in engine noise. If this is so, then Mr Browne and his colleagues need to take the lead in installing conversion kits into their new vehicles purchased at low interest rates thanks to their standing as Members of Parliament.
Continue reading Convert PM1 to CNG
By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
November 09, 2008
One of the hidden, unnoticed and unsung variables in the recently concluded United States Presidential elections was the Bob Marley effect in Senator Barack Obama’s run for the United States presidency and his awesome victory.
Robert “Bob” Nestor Marley and Senator Barack Obama both have one thing in common: a white parent. Bob Marley’s father was British and white; Senator Barack Obama’s mother was American and white.
Continue reading Obama’s Bob Marley effect
By Raffique Shah
Sunday, November 9th 2008
PALESTINE. Afghanistan. Iraq. Cuba. These countries form the pillars on which President-elect Barack Obama, if he is to achieve his stated aim of a peaceful world, must rebuild America’s image abroad. I deliberately chose the order I did because I am convinced that for as long as three million Palestinians remain enslaved in an apartheid system worse than what prevailed in South Africa, there can be no peace in Iraq or anywhere else in the world.
Continue reading Obama must attack Israel’s apartheid
By Derren Joseph
November 09, 2008
Osei is one of my best friends. He is a Trinbagonian, who resides in the UK. Osei visited Trinidad last week. I had not seen him since I moved back to Trinidad last year. As the ole talk went on, we started comparing living in Trinbago to living in Europe or North America.
At one time, I remember hearing about many people who wanted to migrate and live elsewhere. Within recent time, however, I have been seeing the opposite. So many Trinbagonians we know on the outside are considering repatriation to Trinidad and Tobago.
Continue reading The Audacity of Hope in T&T
Thursday, November 6 2008
OPPOSITION Leader Basdeo Panday on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Patrick Manning for visiting Radio 94.1 FM two Saturdays ago to protest their earlier broadcast, critical of Government policy.
In a statement, the UNC leader yesterday called Manning “absolutely out of line, and overboard” in his actions.
Continue reading Panday: Manning wrong to storm radio station
By Raffique Shah
Sunday, October 26th 2008
LAST week, when I suggested that the masses of poor and middle-income people across the world may yet have the last laugh in the midst of the global financial crisis, many readers laughed at me. “You can’t be serious?” several of my friends called to ask, exploding into loud guffaws. “Of course I am,” I responded. I proceeded to explain why I thought the super-wealthy would cry more tears than the wretched of the earth.
Continue reading Higher you climb, harder you fall
Ria Taitt Political Editor
Tuesday, October 21st 2008
Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Saturday told the PNM General Council meeting that Government never had any intention of purchasing 200 luxury vehicles to transport VIPs during the two major international conferences to be held in Port of Spain next year.
Manning told the meeting that he did not know where this notion came from. He noted that this country had hosted conferences before, and the Government never purchased vehicles for this.
Continue reading PM: We never planned to buy 200 luxury cars
By Raffique Shah
Sunday, October 19th 2008
OUR economists, bankers, stockbrokers, manufacturers, multi-millionaires and politicians will argue and wrestle over the next few months over where Trinidad and Tobago’s economy is heading. As a member of the lower-middle-income group (call us LMIGs), a sizeable portion of our population, I can only look on at what’s happening globally. I see financial fallouts in which individuals and corporations are losing billions of dollars a day. That boggles the minds of those of us who have never seen a million TT dollars in paper, far less billions.
Continue reading Only the poor will survive
By Raffique Shah
Sunday, October 12th 2008
I grew to dislike Budget presentations and the debates that followed them during my five short years as a parliamentarian. For most of that period, the then Prime Minister, Dr Eric Williams, was also Minister of Finance. Like most intellectuals who were also heads of governments in that era, Williams reveled in making lengthy presentations. Having a captive audience comprising 35 MPs, a number of senators and other high-ranking public officials who felt it was their duty to be present for the budget, Williams would drone on and on, sometimes for five, six hours.
Continue reading In Trinidad, the piper calls the tune