Politics

Millions in US$ for unreliable desal water

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By Gerry Kangalee
November 16, 2021

lettersWASA recently, and once again, announced the shutdown for maintenance of the desalination plant (DESALCOTT) the supply from which it pays, according to the Draft Estimates of Income and Expenditure for the Financial Year 2021, $US72 million per year.

Yes, you heard me, millions of United States dollars for a water supply that is locked off every Monday morning much to the distress of consumers, particularly in the South Western Region of the country. (This is the third shutdown since September). Sometimes the reason is given as planned maintenance, sometimes as emergency repairs and sometimes as raw water quality issues. Make of it, what you will!
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Crime in T&T, Domestic Violence, General T&T, Violence

The Loss of Innocence

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
November 15, 2021

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeThe recent upsurge of religious voices calling upon God to intervene in the carnival of atrocities that our country is experiencing occurred when the corpse of 26-year-old Kezia Janeka Guerra was found in a shallow grave in Maracas, St. Joseph. Father Knolly Clarke intoned: “I am concerned about this violence against women. There is violence permeating society. I don’t know what’s wrong with the men. It’s a challenging time, especially during Covid-19 time. Then you have to deal with violence against people all the time. It’s a sad moment in our history. I think we need to run programmes that would help people to understand each other. Teach young men and women to respect each other.” (Express, November 6).
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COVID-19, Elections, General T&T, Health, PNM, Politics, Tobago

Odd SoE decision

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Express Editorial
November 15, 2021 – trinidadexpress.com

PM Dr Keith RowleyGiven the Prime Minister’s statement that he had no intention of seeking an extension of the state of emergency when it came to a natural end at month-end, we, too, are taken aback by his decision to end the SoE on Wednesday, 12 days ahead if its scheduled end.
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Elections, General T&T, Labour, Politics, THA, Tobago

Fear of Stupidity

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By Raffique Shah
November 15, 2021

Raffique ShahIf Nazi leader Adolf Hitler were around today, he would be simmering in glory and bursting with pride as he watched the modern world finally come to embrace his lunatic rants that passed for an ideology, namely Nazism, which extolled the supremacy of the Aryan race, namely pure-bred white Germans, first and foremast, then others at their designated stations in life, starting with the Europeans of 100 percent pure Aryan blood at the top—the masters—with others—classless whites, contaminated whites, Asians, Africans and finally Jews, those being the survivors of the calamitous conflicts that culminated in him finally being recognised as the Fuhrer, the Emperor, the Maximum Leader of this all-conquering new world.
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Barbados, Caribbean, Environment, General T&T

Playing Smart…

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By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
November 08, 2021

“Why boasteth thyself/Oh, evil men/ Playing smart/ And not being clever?/ I said, you’re working iniquity/ To achieve vanity (if a-so a so)/ But the goodness of Jah, Jah/I-dureth for-I-ever.”

—Bob Marley, “Small Axe”

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeBarbados, the tiny Caribbean island with just about 287,371 souls “has been punching well above its weight of late,” says the Black Agenda Report (November 3). In fact, many people within the global community have taken note of Mia Mottley’s (Barbados Prime Minister) speech, “Get Up, Stand Up,” that she delivered to the United Nation’s General Assembly in New York last September, and now the world is buzzing (certainly those people in the Black and Brown world) over her “impassioned address,” to COP26, the UN Climate Conference held in Glasgow, Scotland.
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COVID-19, General T&T, Health

Playing Smart with Foolishness

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By Raffique Shah
November 08, 2021

Raffique ShahLast Friday, I think it was, I was multi-tasking, as tech-savvy people would say—I was listening to the midday news on a radio frequency, reading an interesting online report on the global economy, and watching the muted television set where a T20 match was underway—when I shook my head vigorously to see if my instant-recall brain cells were still serving me better than Google, and they were. The news presenter did say that 14 persons had died from Covid-related issues, presumably during the previous 24 hours.
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General T&T, Hinduism, Race and Identity, Racism Watch, Religion

Letting goodness shine for Divali

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By Angali Hosein
November 04, 2021 – newsday.co.tt

HindusSitaram and Shubh Divali to the Hindu community and to my beloved country, Trinidad and Tobago. Divali or Deepavali translates to a row of lights or festival of lights and bears a great significance in Hindu culture as it emphasises light over darkness as well as good over evil. Thus, the auspiciousness of this day brings me feelings of joy, happiness and love, which I try my best to share with those around me.
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Education, General T&T, Racism Watch, USA

Beloved

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
November 01, 2021

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeBeloved is an excruciatingly intense novel about the slave experience written by Toni Morrison, an acclaimed African-American writer. She is the only Black woman to have won the Nobel Prize in Literature. She also won a Pulitzer Prize for Beloved in 1987. In 2012 President Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award that can be bestowed on a civilian.
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General T&T, Parliament, PNM, Politics, UNC

Patriots, assemble!

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By Raffique Shah
November 01, 2021

Raffique ShahHow many of you remember the video posted on one of the social media networks in which a girl, looking no more than 15 or so years old, standing before her smartphone’s camera, put an expletives-­laden cussing on the then-prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar?

Many people recoiled in horror: no, this could not be happening in this God-fearing country, some screamed. Others thought the girl was merely registering her displeasure with the Prime Minister and her government, so what?
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General T&T, Parliament, PNM, Politics, UNC

Ramesh: Speaker upheld the Constitution

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Ramesh: Speaker upheld the Constitution during motion on President

By Renuka Singh
October 26 2021 – guardian.co.tt

Ramesh Lawrence MaharajSenior Counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj has defended House Speaker Brigid Annisette-George’s handling of last Thursday’s motion by the Opposition to remove President Paula-Mae Weekes.

While the Opposition clamoured for the motion to be debated and attacked Annissette-George for refusing to allow it, Maharaj said the Constitution does not allow for a debate until the matter is passed by a two-thirds majority of the Electoral College.
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