Archive for the 'International' Category

Americanization of life in T&T

Published on December 3, 2019 in Culture, General T&T, International and USA. 4 Comments Tags: , , , .

By Dr Kwame Nantambu
December 03, 2019

Dr. Kwame NantambuNow that Trinbagonians have already successfully completed their “shopping mayhem” per “Black Friday Sale: Back to Black savings with huge Discounts,” “Black Friday super sale,” “Black Friday 3 Day Sale,” “Black Friday Deals,” “Black Friday Sales,” “Black Friday Weekend Super Sale” plus “Best Black Friday Deals … Today Only” and in the process overtly and scandalously imitating the ex-post United States Thanksgiving Day, Thursday 28 November events/activities, it is indeed apropos to examine the Americanization of specific aspects of life in T&T.
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Slavery, Education, Social Justice

Published on November 16, 2019 in Africa, General T&T, International and Racism Watch. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
November 16, 2019

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoePart of the excitement of being an educator is my having spoken in many places (such as Canada, the United States, Central America, South America, the West Indies, Japan, Africa and the Fiji Islands) about slavery, education and social justice. I am always excited to share my thoughts about these issues and learn what others have to say about their conditions.
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The Bolivian Coup Is Not a Coup—Because US Wanted It to Happen

Published on November 13, 2019 in Bolivia, Canada, European Union, General T&T, International, USA, Venezuela and Violence. 1 Comment Tags: , .

Morales Resigns

By Alan MacLeod
November 11, 2019 – fair.org

Army generals appearing on television to demand the resignation and arrest of an elected civilian head of state seems like a textbook example of a coup. And yet that is certainly not how corporate media are presenting the weekend’s events in Bolivia.

No establishment outlet framed the action as a coup; instead, President Evo Morales “resigned” (ABC News, 11/10/19), amid widespread “protests” (CBS News, 11/10/19) from an “infuriated population” (New York Times, 11/10/19) angry at the “election fraud” (Fox News, 11/10/19) of the “full-blown dictatorship” (Miami Herald, 11/9/19). When the word “coup” is used at all, it comes only as an accusation from Morales or another official from his government, which corporate media have been demonizing since his election in 2006 (FAIR.org, 5/6/09, 8/1/12, 4/11/19).

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Bolivia coup led by Christian fascist paramilitary leader and millionaire – with foreign support

Published on November 12, 2019 in Bolivia, Canada, General T&T, International and USA. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Bolivian coup leader Luis Fernando Camacho

Bolivian coup leader Luis Fernando Camacho is a far-right multi-millionaire who arose from fascist movements in the Santa Cruz region, where the US has encouraged separatism. He has courted support from Colombia, Brazil, and the Venezuelan opposition.

By Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton
November 12, 2019 – thegrayzone.com

When Luis Fernando Camacho stormed into Bolivia’s abandoned presidential palace in the hours after President Evo Morales’s sudden November 10 resignation, he revealed to the world a side of the country that stood at stark odds with the plurinational spirit its deposed socialist and Indigenous leader had put forward.
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In Defense of the Prime Minister

Published on September 26, 2019 in England, General T&T, International, Media and Politics. 4 Comments Tags: , , , .

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
September 26, 2019

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeIt is easy to criticize the Prime Minister. I also take my shots when he makes egregious errors. This is why I suggested that he write what he says before he pronounces on national and international issues. His critics also need to be cautious before they condemn his failings.

The government, with all of its shortcomings, has acted responsibly with regard to the Venezuelan refugee crisis. The PM reported with pride, “American politicians commended this country for its position in treating with economic migrants coming to this country.” The politicians appreciate his achievements since they are dealing with a president who has intensified his crackdown on migrants and asylum-seekers.
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Turmoil in the global village

Published on August 14, 2019 in Crime in T&T, General T&T, International, Racism Watch, Recession, Syria and USA. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

By Raffique Shah
August 14, 2019

Raffique ShahIt’s so easy for us to be so overwhelmed by our own mess—and there’s more than enough sewage there to drown us all—that we are unmindful of what’s happening in the wider world, developments that could impact our small island state negatively.

When the fallout from certain actions by powerful leaders hit us in the face with a bang, we will come awake startled, crying out: Oh Jeezanages! I was watching Marlene McDonald and her gang…ah didn’t see that bolt from Donald Trump (or Xi Jinping or Boris Johnson or Vladimir Putin) coming this way!
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CLR James: man without honour in his own country

Published on August 2, 2019 in Africa, General T&T, International, PNM, Politics and Race and Identity. 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

By Raffique Shah
August 02, 2019

Raffique ShahA tragedy of our times is the absolute ignorance of the vast majority of our population of the nation’s history. And for once I cannot blame this void on information technology, on the electronic devices that most young people and many mature ones are glued to, in most instances day and night.
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Thinking Globally; Acting Locally

Published on July 25, 2019 in France, General T&T and International. Closed Tags: , , , .

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
July 25, 2019

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeAfter I spoke at London’s Maritime Museum last Monday, I traveled to France for personal as well as scholarly reasons. Years earlier I had spent a semester at Paris and had taken my daughter to the University of Strasbourg on another occasion to study the French language for a summer. I never mastered the language.
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US demonising China

Published on July 12, 2019 in China, Chinese, Finance, General T&T, International and USA. 2 Comments Tags: , .

By Raffique Shah
July 12, 2019

Raffique ShahLast May, Minister of Finance Colm Imbert announced at a post-Cabinet media briefing that Shanghai Construction had been awarded a billion-dollar contract to build the Port-of-Spain General Hospital’s new central block. Minister Imbert said that the Chinese construction giant, which is no stranger to undertaking big projects in Trinidad and Tobago, had bid TT $1 billion, which was $600 million less than Bouygues Batiment, a French company.
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Crisis next door will continue

Published on June 21, 2019 in General T&T, International, Racism Watch, USA and Venezuela. 4 Comments Tags: , , .

By Raffique Shah
June 21, 2019

Raffique ShahDuring the recent Venezuelan migrants registration exercise, I found myself subconsciously scanning video-clips and photographs of the hundreds of hopefuls who turned up at the three designated centres each day for, I am not ashamed to admit it, applicants of colour. “Where are the Waraos?” I kept asking aloud. “Where are the Afro-Venezuelans?” I spotted one or two of the latter during the two-week exercise, but not one of the indigenous people (Warao and other tribes), who, I am told by fisher-folks who routinely make trips across to the Main”, live closest to Trinidad and Tobago.
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