Distorting facts to suit one’s biases

From: Glassie
May 23, 2017

lettersIt is human nature to feel more comfortable ‘with your own’. So, an Indian voting UNC or conversely an African voting PNM is not necessarily a sign of racialism but merely a level of comfort with your choice. But when facts are distorted to suit one’s BIASES or to satisfy existing prejudices for purely political expediency, is when the devious nature of racism takes effect.

Take for example the issue of ‘the children’s hospital’ in Couva. The Opposition is making the distinct point that the PNM is deliberately holding back on the ‘opening of the hospital’ to punish Indian people. One can make subtle arguments that this is true but when facts are put together in an objective way, the Opposition’s charge can be seen as factually subjective and meant to cause harm, rather than the PNM’s delay in accordance with the UNCs wishes.

It is fact to say that what is being touted as a hospital is really just a building. If a building is constructed for the purpose of housing a hospital, but the necessary infrastructure to effectively run a hospital in not in place, it CANNOT BE CALLED A HOSPITAL. This is exactly what Kamla and the Opposition is doing. The effect of this strategy is called camouflage. You make things appear in a way it is not intended to actually be. It is a building that the former government and former Prime Minister ‘opened’ as a hospital but all the components to effectively run a hospital were NEVER put in place.

A Hospital has as its foundation a blue print, a purpose, a logistical plan, a service plan, financing, staffing, equipment, maintenance, education facilities, co-operation with more renowned institutions, sourcing of health professionals and a host of other facilities to truly be called a health care facility.

It can be said without argument that the facility is just a building intended to be a hospital with no institutional components to complement its purpose. So when people are encouraged to go to the streets to protest against the government, it is merely political propaganda to enhance the standing of the protesting organizations.

The truth is, the building touted as a hospital is just that — a building. Where is the plan to fund the operations of the hospital? Where is the plan to staff the hospital? Where is the plan to source specialty for children’s health care? Where is the budget to run the hospital?

Look, I am no health care expert nor health professional but any amateur can see that this issue is more about politics than it is about true health care. It is also an issue that drives the wedge further between the two competing races for political domination in this country.

Sensible minds can get together and determine what is best for ‘the children’s hospital’ but in a charged political climate with racial overtones, it is hardly likely that the issue of ‘the children’s hospital’ can truly be solved without blemish. The same can be said of the opening of the Toruba stadium. It was christened in the name of the most famous cricketer in Trinidad and Tobago – Brian Lara. As a act of friendship, Mr Lara requested the presence of another famous international cricketer known as Sachin Tendulkar to be memorialized and emblazoned in the newly opened Toruba stadium. But before the issue had an opportunity to be an invitation of one famous cricketer to another, the political hatchet was drawn to make it an issue between the African and the Indian. On the surface, the protest appears to be issue oriented but factually it is a phony issue that is meant to maintain the already suspicious division that exist between both races.

This is what exists in this country’s race relations. While social activists might want to lessen the conflicts, it is not in the Indian politicians’ best interest to allow a better understanding of the issue, because it is too essential a divisive tool to curry his favor.

5 thoughts on “Distorting facts to suit one’s biases”

  1. You are missing the point of these demonstrations by the people. The PNM traditionally has a strong tendency to isolate and neglect UNC constituencies.
    The Couva hospital is certainly a building; everyone knows that.
    The PNM has spitefully and intentionally made the outfitting and staffing of this hospital a low priority and they are using an Indian Minister of Health to claim neutrality. This is payback for the abandonment of the Brian Lara stadium by the previous government.
    This is how things work in T&T.
    Similarly, the PNM is boycotting and delaying the UWI South campus. The implicit and tactical racial strife for turf continues.

  2. The hospital is built with equipment inside and well stocked with all the necessary amenities.

    The former prime minister did not open the hospital but commission it to be open. Meaning with equipment inside if she was in power it would have been opened in stages. Sections would have been opened and staffed. But historically the health sector has not been a priority for the PNM. They will find all ways and means to condemn the project. It is just the way the bad mind PNM operates. Using the airport as an example they commission Liquist for $880 million TT, and the bad mind PNM conducted a 17 year inquiry into the airport costing millions. The report is yet to be published. But they waiting for election to bring out the report. Meanwhile the airport is the pride of TNT and has paid for by itself.

    In 2012 the PP set aside money to finish Lara only to find out that the stadium was built with condemned steel. Not willing to risk a building collapse they did not finish it.

    But this has been the habit of the PNM to waste tax payers money in long witch hunt. Watch out they will find something to investigate on the Point Fortin Highway…

  3. The people to run the hospital cannot be square pegs in round holes as chaos will occur just like what pertains in most hospitals in T&T already. PNM loves this way as they keep their people happy and like walls ….they do not respond to inefficiency e.g. Petrotrin and NGC money sucking institutions from hard working taxpayers. The two short men will have their day and their sad endings just like many before them. You can steal it but you cannot carry all of it. The UNC made their money on contracts that were laden with taxpayers monies not well spent but contracts designed to fill their bank accounts. God doh sleep so they will also have their sorry end.

  4. “But when facts are distorted to suit one’s BIASES or to satisfy existing prejudices for purely political expediency, is when the devious nature of racism takes effect.’ I wonder if the article on lying as expressed by Kenrick Maharaj’s response of permitting the current AG children at Camp Cumuto to showcase heavy armory fits in here. As he (Maharaj) clearly expressed the word volition as used in the letter is criminal in intent in that context.

    1. To the article….quote “It is human nature to feel more comfortable ‘with your own’. So, an Indian voting UNC or conversely an African voting PNM is not necessarily a sign of racialism but merely a level of comfort with your choice. But when facts are distorted to suit one’s BIASES or to satisfy existing prejudices for purely political expediency, is when the devious nature of racism takes effect” unquote. Not to take this out of its context. Yabut…Lets go back to the building of the building. The contractor like in Tringen 11 Plant (FEDCHEM-YARA) SNC Lavin who was branded as corrupt and court actioned banded worldwide from future engineering projects for international corruption was quietly brought in by the UNC friend of theirs and the UNC government to quietly build this hospital. One begs the question why did the Canadian Embassy in Trinidad not stop this Canadian engineering firm from coming in to Trinidad (WHERE WERE THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS THEN…PERHAPS ASLEEP). But back then we all knew Kamla was in with crooked Canadian PM Harper corner then. So to come back to your opening paragraph all that happens in Trinidad is RACIST AND CLASS INFLUENCED but also way above our heads. WE are just pawns as in your article. Needless to say I still remember this huge Canadian Oil and gas company in 2008/9 lost billions of Canadian dollars in T&T due to sheer greed. These events they keep REAL QUIET from the press and us. No but we the ordinary must be faced with foreign exchange squeeze. I wonder how much foreign exchange Sharon and her husband got to party and shop in Chile…I guess plenty more than the sum I needed to pay my medical bills overseas. Back in 1979 the two high profile senior bank managers who signed the million dollar loan for my building contractor now deceased father to build the 10 townhouses in La Estancia ….that walked off with three townhouses at cost…are still around coining millions. That’s not racism, that’s class and greed and capitalism… Lets find out who made what with our tax monies on the Couva Hospital. And to the party in power let us all send the message like in Romania where they grew fed up of being played over and over and sent the message ” WE WILL NO LONGER PUT UP WITH YOUR ENDLESS FILTHY CORRUPT WAYS FOR OVER 60 YEARS”. Yes it has gone way beyond racism…it is out of control dont care a shit corruption where governmental leaders and their friends/family have become untouchables just like Trump.

Comments are closed.