By Raffique Shah
May 22, 2011
THE suspension of ex-prime minister Patrick Manning from the House last week triggered a national debate that is curious, to say the least. I think the penalty imposed on the nation’s longest serving MP was somewhat harsh. But I also hold that Manning is a “harden fella”, not unlike another ex-prime minister, Basdeo Panday, who was also suspended three years ago, but who rushed to Manning’s defence—something I find quite amusing.
The People’s Partnership members of the House voted to adopt the report of the Privileges Committee, and further, to have Manning suspended with immediate effect, presumably for the remainder of this session of Parliament, which is due to end sometime in June. What this means is that Manning would lose a few months’ pay, which, really, is no big loss for the well heeled. As for his constituents losing representation in the process, well, that’s questionable.
Ever since he misled the PNM to its Carapichaima, if not Waterloo, almost one year to the day, Manning seems to have taken some mysterious oath of silence. He hardly ever speaks. When he does, one wonders if he is not condescending, merely toying with lesser mortals, doing members of the House a favour.
I remember well the Friday he made allegations about Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s $150 million mansion. I was navigating some backroads out of Central on my way to Port of Spain, cussing Works Minister Jack Warner for not warning motorists about major works on the Hochoy Highway. I listened to the news via radio, so I could not see the photograph Manning displayed in the House with flourish.
The following day, in the newspapers, I saw the photograph. My immediate reaction was if PM Kamla and her husband paid $150 million for that “spread”, they must have installed gilded fixtures or they were robbed blind! It did not take an expert to guess that the mansion, though impressive, could hardly cost more than $5 million. For readers not-in-the-know, I need add that paying $5 million to $10 million for luxury apartments or homes is not uncommon among the wealthy.
Clearly, in his bid to drop a bombshell in the House, Manning instead held a grenade from which he had pulled the pin and released the lever: it would blow up in his face. Not surprisingly, PM Kamla came to the House armed with data that disproved Manning’s wild allegations. The ex-PM should have apologised to his successor and to the House at that stage. He did not. Instead, he allowed the issue to go before the Committee of Privileges. He refused to attend the Committee’s hearings, choosing instead to take the matter before the courts.
The end-shot was that Partnership members of the House, sensing they could both humiliate their one-time tormentor and seek revenge for Basdeo Panday’s suspension in 2008, decided to invoke suspension. Now, Manning’s colleagues are crying foul. In this country’s one-upmanship politics, both positions were not unexpected. Manning sees an opportunity to make himself a martyr of sorts, and the Partnership parliamentarians gloat over humbling him.
The bacchanal had just begun. With my colleagues in the media chasing “angles” to the story, many of them turned to Panday. In recent times, he has become a thorn in the Partnership’s backside. He condemned the Government for stifling opposition in and outside of Parliament. He suggested that an apology from Manning could have resolved the issue without having to resort to “archaic regulations” and unduly harsh punishment.
Now, back in March 2008, Panday was summarily suspended from the House based on his refusal to heed Speaker Barry Sinanan’s ruling that he should turn off his laptop computer if he was not using it to assist him in a contribution he was about to make. Panday refused to heed the Speaker’s ruling, and, in short order, members of the then PNM Government voted to have him suspended from the House.
Panday wrote of his suspension (on the UNC website): “What the Speaker is really trying to do is establish a regime in the House by which no member of the Opposition would be able to expose the corruption and incompetence of the PNM unless the Speaker allows it.” He did not explain how the laptop could help him expose corruption. He did not say if he was on Facebook interacting with friends when Sinanan pounced on him.
But better would follow during his suspension. In September 2008, Kamla moved a motion to have him reinstated. In arguing the UNC’s case, she said: “I have been advised by the Hon Member for Couva North to say as follows… that he will make no deals with respect to his reinstatement in this Parliament for the termination of his suspension…” In other words, like Manning today, he was not about to apologise then.
It got “curiouser”. During the debate on the motion for reinstatement, Manning responded. He said (inter alia), “What I found particularly distasteful about the incident—because I was present—was the manner and attitude of the Member for Couva North having been drawn to his attention, he decided to be what we describe in the society as wrong and strong…” Colm Imbert added of Panday’s stance: “…rather than the Member for Couva North apologising, it is the Speaker who should apologise (to him)…”
The PNM voted to continue Panday’s suspension. These two suspensions show that immaturity reins in what is considered the highest forum in the country. It’s bad enough when they slander and abuse each other. It’s infinitely worse when they verbally assault ordinary citizens who enjoy no privileges, no restitution.
We live in interesting times…Patos hailed as a hero for telling lies and refusing to substantiate his lies. The uneducated and balisier blind PNM crowd doing what they usually do behaving as though Patrick is God and everybody else is his slave. This is the way the PNM operate holding up a bad example to their children as the good example. No wonder the children turn to crime.
The moral compass of the PNM proves what Bas said “politics have a morality of it’s own”. Bas could never muster a crowd of the size Patrick was able to. His supporters back then knew that he was wrong and would not waste their time trying to defend the indefensible. For Bas it was the beginning of the end, with UNC supporters disenchanted with his leadership, for Patrick it is a new beginning supported by the Opposition leader.
O how the mighty have fallen for the snare of the fowler….
Two longtime serving MPs being suspended by the People’s institution sadly reflect the stubborness of these two gentlemen not representing peoples interest but a personal mission. Over a period of time we tend to think that we are mightier than the Institutions we have created through laws, regulations and procedures.
Raffique has a habit of trying to temper or balance his criticisms of Patrick Manning and the PNM.This cowardly tendency is often repeated in his articles.
In his article on Patrick Manning, “Patrick In Trouble….Again”, he introduces his perennial enemy, Panday, and spends a considerable amount of time reminding us of Panday’s suspension.
What is his central thesis?
He should have probed Patrick’s motives for saying what he said and his piece would have been more on point and informative….or is there a Part 2?
Politics is not about honour or dishonour; about truth or lies. Politics is the explicit art of managing possibilities.
Like water, another necessary factor in life and living, politics can be clean or dirty; wholesome of toxic.
The two politicians in office most adept at this political art of twisting possibilities to suit their ends are Warner and Manning. Neither is likely to be a PM in T&T’s future.
What about Kamla and Rowley?
Rowley while often in the right, like a man vendor selling orange juice, he seems unable to squeeze to the max, all the juice from the pulp.
In other words Rowley seems unable to press home his advantages (so often coming as gifts from the inept PP), but is predictably defensive and cautious when he should be brave, and brave when he should be cautious.
Is it a character flaw?
He could learn from Warner who, right or wrong is aggressive and decisive; able to make silk purses from sows’ ears.
Jack Warner does not have a defensive bone in his body; a factor that might one day not only prove his undoing but also guarantee that he has no friends nor allies readily available then; only foes.
In politics, then, two dictums learned in school must be cleverly intermixed. One is “look before you leap”. The other is, “he who hesitates is lost.”
Dr. Williams, the politician, is derided by Indians because he was so damned skilled at merging divergencies. Capildeo, the mathematician is relatively a nonentity because he could only manage points of confluence.
Contrasted with Rowley, Kamla for whom being in the wrong is her default button, becomes even moreso the more she speaks extempo; especially trying herself to appear as the one being wronged.
Like a swimmer out of depth and thrashing, her off the cuff remarks take her farther out. Her inane remarks thereby making her seem more and more defensive, and in need of rescuing, usually by Jack lifeguarding.
Even among supporters, like a relative well-liked but accident-prone, she does not inspire confidence. Were it not for her lifeguard, she could now well be wondering how soon might she get off this turbulent boardwalk and back into the safety of private life.
Now, even more indebted to Jack than before, and with Panday the Spoiler waiting in the wings for the inevitable falling out, will there be a political pay-off time, or pay-back?
While Rowley has more class by a country mile than Kamla, neither he nor she has the savvy and chutzpah to become the type of leader able to capture and preoccupy the political imagination of both supporters and detractors the way Dr. Williams did. And as Panday to a lesser extent does.
In fact, because elected or not, remaining in the public eye means one can either increase or deplete an ineffable goodwill or illwill. Panday’s goodwill, and politicaal respect is on the upswing. What he couldn’t do a year ago, given his rapid meteoric political fall, he can. He has now begun to reverse a free-floating ill-will in the minds of the electorate; especially of Afro-Trinis.
For Panday, like Dr. Williams, politics is also the art of the improbable.
In Dr. Williams day, too, energy resources, still not yet fully explored, were abundant allowing for economic growth, and for political and economic miscalculations.
T&T, currently facing a future grim with diminishing oil and gas reserves, and global conditions which border on an economic fascism of privatised wealth & power democratically gutting public sector resources, is T&T’s economy sufficiently productive to meet local demands, and technologically innovative to initiate and expand external demands for its products?
Tourism, Carnival and a re-colonization this time by GOPIO will not suffice.
The T&T electorate, like every other, deserves whatever elected characters, House Speaker and Parliament they get.
Being merely political allows one to succeed or fail in tandemn with the prejudices and shortsightedness of the madding crowd. Politicians strive to rise, or avoid falling concomitant with the ignorance or the maturity of the electorate.
Politicians are the shadow outlining the substance of their electorate.
By comparison, leadership and statesmanship rise from principle, creativity, timing and prudence.
In the meantime, while the upper echelons of the Rowleys and the Kamlas are able to defend their personal interests, and care for families and alliances, ordinary citizens scrunt, selling body and soul (and drugs) to make ends meet.
With machiavelli politicians like Warner being T&T’s HNIC as promised, and Manning mannish as usual, the electorate faced with fewer economic options is also facing the odious political possibilities inherent in a creeping, racial dictatorship.
The central thesis that escapes your your railroad track like perspective is Manning is not the first MP to be suspended. Raffique’s referencing that fact disallows the ethnic ego mastubatory pleasure you derive from wallowing in your stereotypical categorizations.
Probe his motives for saying what he said? That is insipid. There are a preponderant of propabilities for Mannings allegation, non which might have any damn bearing on the matter. Raffique piece riles you because he does not engage in the Indian sacred cow “awee people” image protection to which many of you in this blog are signatories.
Panday and Manning’s suspension cannot be compared. Panday was suspended for playing with his labtop. In Jamaica MPs are allowed to use their labtop in Parliament.
Manning on the other hand showed open contempt for the Parliamentary process of accountability. Invited 25 times before he was suspended. He failed to defend his insidious lies against a Prime Minister. Making spurious allegations of theifry against the Prime Minister without any evidence. It was wrong then and wrong now and will be wrong tomorrow.
Keith Williams’ abnormal obsession with race, along with his irrational preoccupation with Indians in particular,is really a sad, sordid reflection on him, rather than anyone else.
If anyone should re-read his emotional contributions on this site,they would come to the same sad conclusion.
He speaks as someone who does not live in T&T or has never lived in T&T. The people of T&T often demonstrate their political differences, but few ,if any ,are as bitter and deranged in their thinking as Keith Williams. Thankfully so!
TMan, I do not find Keith Williams’ comments to be “deranged”; even after re-reading his blog.
Maybe you should revise not your opinion, but the language you use which in my opinion is undeservedly excessive; something to which I am myself oft guilty.
There are others on this site with whom I am at fundamentally opposed. Yet, I value their contributions since in many instances, sometimes despite my unwillingness to admit it so, they contribute to a sharpening of discussion and an enlightening of ideas.
Also, your comment that TMan might not have lived in T&T smacks of the American Birther statements against Barack Obama.
Who is to decide who is and is not from T&T? And even if what you say is correct, why would a person’s contribution be lacking in commonsense and insight?
Good advice. Point taken.
“The T&T electorate, like every other, deserves whatever elected characters, House Speaker and Parliament they get”.
True, but also remember the electorate in any democractic election is always right. And one of the critical problems in T&T presently is that certain oppositional forces with narrow vested interests are unwilling to accept the verdict of the people. The influence of the former party is rearing its ugly head through certain sectors of the media, unions and even institutions like the Integrity commission. The trademark of a successful democracy is the acceptance of the electoral will of the majority. Fortunately, T&T is predominantly civil in nature and the disgruntled is waging a war of words and not arms.
It is also highly unlikely that any government will morph into a “creeping, racial dictatorship” since the people spoke one year ago when they were faced with a leader edging towards dictatorship with its all its trappings of corruption.
In four years the people will once again let their voices be heard. Many are too impatient to wait.
TMan, thanks for your observations. However, if by being ‘right’ you also mean the electorate is being savvy, our opinions greatly differ.
For example, in the US, the electorate, repeatedly conned by an oligarchic media antithetical to the public’s interest, are sold fluff, deceit, and scandal as news.
Therefore, the public astonishingly votes against its interests in health care, banking reforms, housing and the like.
While their voting results are accepted, their voting instincts are not respected, but are manipulated savagely against them.
Manning is not leadership material for the PNM. The PNM needs some new leaders. His supporters blindly support him without taking into consideration the enormous corruption that surrounded the nation like an anaconda during his tenure in office.
Crime specially kidnappings was up with no equipment given to find kidnappers.
The Muslimeen was given quarries, money and tacit support for assistance in wining the election.
The murder rate sky rocketted to an alarming 500 plus murders. This when SAUTT, British police, blimp and billions of dollars were spent to curb crime with no result. Calder Hart was the John O’Hallaran of theifry stealing possibly billions. He was on 5 State boards. I would rate Manning’s performance an abyssmal failure..So much of failure that he should give up Sando East and retire quietly. But politician live for affection of the people.
To see PNMites (especially the women) huggin and kissin this man speaks to the character of that party. It shows a lack of understanding for the nation. And it is a shameless display of sickening behaviour..(puke).
Oh, when will we be rid of manning and panday in the political forum? Is the nation tobe burdened by these men who almost destroyed the nation with their arrogance? Thanks for the PP the people have another chance of making the country better.
All this fuss about suspending a man who may have made an exaggerated clain about a house being built, and did not turn up to hear himself villified by a committee of his opponents. Now, what about that other suspension, of the doctors at Sando, directly responsible for Chrystal Ramdsumair’s death?It is my understanding that they have all quietly been re-instated. This nation of my birth is a blasted joke.
Who is more obsessed with race than you TMam. Anyone who follows your rantings on this blog will be in no doubt about the slanted projection from which your views emanate. Raffiqe Shah drew a solid analogy between two occasions when former PMs were sanctioned by Parliament. His mention of Panday committing the same violation for which Manning was sanctioned affected your ethnic egotistical masturbation over the issue.
My job is to expose people like you who walk sideways through these blogs hoping your innuendos and mendacities will pass unnoticed or be accepted as fact. Those days are over.
I have never lived in T&T? Are uou kidding. Who the hell are you to determine who has or has not lived in T&T. The tendency and predisposition of youse guys to covet into ownership shared assets is legendary. But it ain’t gonna happen in T&T.
My ancestors were in T&T breaking their backs in labour and bleeding for hundreds of years. Your comments are par for the course. You somehow feel that because the regime in power in T&T is ethnically twinned to you you can determine which black man has a right to belong. Take that slave master hubris and put it where the sun do not shine. My ancestors have already paid the cost for me to vent on issues not only in T&T, but anywhere on this South American Continent which they built with their blood, sweat and tears. I am one of those black men who do not have any reservations about making it plain.
Insidious Lies my ass. It walks like a goat and quacks like goat it is a damn goat.
Contempt for Parliament is contempt for parliament you nut. Whether that contempt involves levels of disregard for the rules of parliament it is still contempt. Childish minds come up with rationales like ‘well he contempt was playing with a laptop and de blackman contempt was lying on awee queen”. Give me a flipping break. The latest revelation about the PM’s lodging arrangements suggest that Manning was not far removed from the truth in his allegations.
Keith Williams, congratulations, your verbal tirade just proved my points made in my previous statement.
QED
“His mention of Panday committing the same violation for which Manning was sanctioned affected your ethnic egotistical masturbation over the issue”.
Panday and Manning were suspended for entirely different violations.
“My job is to expose people like you who walk sideways through these blogs”
It is better to walk sideways through thes blogs than to express yourself in an uncivilized manner.
” I have never lived in T&T? Are uou kidding”
Your isolated,resentful racist views clearly suggest that you have not lived, mixed and mingled with fellow Trinis, otherwise you would not be as resentful.
“My ancestors have already paid the cost for me to vent on issues not only in T&T”
This is true for all of us and we are fully aware of the historical motivation for your crudity.
Empathy T-Man. You should try and learn what it entails. Uncle Shah , should be commending for trying, as his life was more a reflection of that than most of our leaders since 1962.
No one should try to diminish the sufferings of our South Asian cousins , but volunteering to come to this country as your ancestors did , can never be compared with that of generations of slave kids, who were used , abused , and never compensated for their efforts, by your much adored savage, European imperial saviors.
Fake Afrikan leaders -from Deffy Eric ,to Chambers, Robbie, and Patrick Manning – who rode the backs of their subjects to power, then did the limbo / break dance, dollar whine, appeasement dance, for every fringe group ,but their own, remains part of the problem.
As such , Tobago remains the dung heap of the Caribbean, the entire East West Corridor , Brazilian Favella like ,PNM lifetime constituencies ,are a disgusting eyesore,and we won’t talk about the pristine quarters across our country , or for the moment the reasons why they evolved into that in our oil / gas rich nation.
Surprise , surprise , in 2011, the victims are still being blamed for all the ills of the country , and maybe the globe, while others – even the unqualified-ravage the political, social, and economic spoils of our country.
No one gives a hoot , about drinking pals , and nepotism competing gurus, Patrick Manning ,and Basdeo Panday, so get it straight my friend.
We the astute are more concern about the plight of the majority of our 1.3 and counting ,Afrikans, and Basdeo misled ,Indian brothers and sisters ,that never enjoyed the economic benefits ,of our resource ladened country, and might never do long into the future , as the elites of the competing tribes ,continue their transparent jig ,and dance maneuvers ,to control power into perpetuity. Let keep it real , shall we, as Sweet, Sweet T&T , aka Rainbow Country deserves , no less, yes?
Not only are you a hypocite, but mendacity and ethnic hubris account for ninety percent of your make-up. There are wonderful Trinis of all stamps and ideologies, and there are the others who cannot wrench themselves from the hundreds of years of the cultural indoctrination myth that they are superior. You belong to the latter group.
You spent the last 2 years in this blog classifying everything the PNM did as racist. Today you are screaming about people being wedded to race. Take the damn lumber out your eye before you point to the twig that might be in another’s
You belong to the class of Trinis who believe that your ethnic ego masturbation is an entitlement and no one has the right to challenge you. In this context you attempt to redifine racism from someone not liking people of a particular group to those who some Indians do not like because they refuse to play ball with your transparent ethnic hug fest. Massa day done long time ago pal, and I ain’t about to massage the perverted psyche of people like you.
Yes my ancestors did pay he cost for me to speak. What the hell did you think the centuries they spent under holocaustic conditions mean. And yes we must remind the ignoramusses like you who believe that black people should accept who you like, worship your selective heroes, and contort themselves into obsequious lower caste roles to masssage your perverted ego, of that.
Your awareness of history is as skewed as the postulations that emanate from you on this blog. Crudity in terms of racial intolerance based on silly and ill-conceived notions is more entertwined with your cultural history than it is mine. Take a look in the mirror of history before you point fingers. I do not come from, nor have my ancestors ever been pioneers of or adherents to religious and cultural belief systems that argued that people are superior or inferior based on their physical apperance. The origins of that cancerous human trait has its origins, and it is not in Africa.
This was my initial comment:
“Raffique has a habit of trying to temper or balance his criticisms of Patrick Manning and the PNM.This cowardly tendency is often repeated in his articles.
In his article on Patrick Manning, “Patrick In Trouble….Again”, he introduces his perennial enemy, Panday, and spends a considerable amount of time reminding us of Panday’s suspension.
What is his central thesis?
He should have probed Patrick’s motives for saying what he said and his piece would have been more on point and informative….or is there a Part 2?”
It is quite astonishing that it evoked such responses.
WHERE IGNORANCE IS BLISS TIS FOLLY TO BE WISE.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/politics/0,141337.html
Looks like not only T-man is still obsessed over the political comedian call Patrick Manning , but so is Uncle Hamid Ghany, our resident Political expert, elite.
Hey buddy, if Basdeo Panday can read the banana leaves , and slide away into obscurity ,like a Carapichima zandolee to his cave and retire , so would this delusional buffoon soon, before he destroy further ,whatever is left of his pitiful 40 year legacy.
Not sure what they taught these guys in Political Science colleges in Oxbridge England folks, but would our nation not be better served ,if the good Doctor, would give us some learned , in-depth analysis , as to the possible future of our present government, and by extension country ,when Party Chairman/ Deputy PM Jack Warner’s ,FIFA head is under the guillotine, as his highly ,pro Westminster leader ,is standing by him, for obvious reasons, and Dookie ,the COP malcontent ,FInancial guru/ economist, is flexing his muscle ,for a bigger piece of the pie, now that he too smell blood , like a raving Ecarcas Barracuda, or bunch of hungry Demerara River piranhas ?
Poor Mrs King, she still is trying to figure out what hit her in the fanny, as she unfortunately was symbolically dragged through the streets of POS , and hung from her big toe upside down, from a St Anns mango tree, as all her business became exposed ,for the world to see- just like a ‘common Beetham , Caranage, or El Secooro Wajang.’
A word of caution for you keen , cynical observers is in order, and here it is. Always pay close attention to who benefits from the demise of these naive ,selective, political creatures folks.
Some much more intelligent / wiser than yours truly , seems to- maybe rightly -think, that asking folks like T-Man- the lifetime, un -patriotic, country despiser -and his ecstatic ,recently empowered ,political opportunistic heroes, to change, is like ‘requesting a cannibal to change the menu,’ eeent?
Manning begins street protest against suspension
Partnership politicians call Patrick’s walk foolish
The politicians of the People’s Partnership last night described as “foolish” the plan of former prime minister Patrick Manning to embark on a walk from north to south Trinidad to protest his suspension from Parliament.
PNM rallies behind Manning’s march
The Opposition PNM is rallying behind former leader Patrick Manning in support of the principle behind his seven-day, North-South march which starts today.
Manning walks alone
PNM MPs not hitting the road
Anil: March straight into the sea
San Fernando East MP Patrick Manning should move like Johnny Walker and “keep walking…straight into the sea”.
Patrick bats for Hart…again
SAN FERNANDO East MP Patrick Manning, under whose tenure as prime minister, Canadian-born Calder Hart oversaw the expenditure of billions of dollars at State enterprise Udecott, on several projects, some of which remain incomplete, on Monday evening defended the former Udecott executive chairman, who hurriedly fled the country prior to the May 24, 2010 General Election.
Hazel falls during walk
HAZEL MANNING tripped and fell yesterday as she walked alongside her husband, former prime minister Patrick Manning, on day two of what he has called his walk for justice.
Lee Sing family divided
Although Port-of-Spain Mayor Louis Lee Sing yesterday condemned former PNM leader Patrick Manning’s “Walk For Democracy”, his daughter-in-law, Laurel, a PNM executive member, joined Manning’s walk yesterday afternoon.
Manning walking to sanatorium
“I believe the people who follow Mr Manning at this time are being led into a sanatorium.”
Blame Manning for ills in T&T says Lee Sing
Port-of-Spain mayor and supporter of the People’s National Movement Louis Lee Sing says former prime minister Patrick Manning is to be blamed for the current state of affairs in T&T.
Talking the walk
Given Patrick Manning’s actions over the past couple of years; his attacks on Dr Keith Rowley, his defence of Calder Hart, his admission to being advised by his personal prophetess, and the “mystical” reasons he gave for calling the election which brought down his government, we cannot claim to be surprised by the man any more.
Hazel’s fall is poetic justice. Women who are poor, and walk our uneven sidewalks, face that every day. Wheelchaired people cannot use our sidewalks, nor can some elderly raise their legs high enough to get upon the sidewalk from our streets.So glad her fall focussed for a blink, on the state of the sidewalks.
TMan that observation is aptly applicable to you if his central thesis continue to evade your ken. Raffique wrote, But better would follow during his suspension. In September 2008, Kamla moved a motion to have him reinstated. In arguing the UNC’s case, she said: “I have been advised by the Hon Member for Couva North to say as follows… that he will make no deals with respect to his reinstatement in this Parliament for the termination of his suspension…” In other words, like Manning today, he was not about to apologise then..
Puzzlement over a central thesis or reason for his referencing Panday after this conclusion, which would have been discernible to John Steinbeck’s retard “Lennie” in his Of Mice and Men microcosmic dystopian fiction, suggests that you need to dispense with any connection of “wisdom” with your ability to read and understand. Like I said heretofore, the arguments you present on this board are often rife with deceit and fatuously conceived notions. You need to rapidly disabuse yourself of the myth that the ethnic image you see in the mirror of your mind, with all of its subjective inherited preferences, is not what appears in the my mind, and that others perusing and writing on this board.
Let me rewrite my last paragraph lest it be as confusing to some as Raffique’s referencing of Panday in his piece.
Puzzlement over a central thesis or reason for his referencing Panday after this conclusion, which would have been discernible to John Steinbeck’s retard “Lennie” in his Of Mice and Men microcosmic dystopian fiction, suggests that you need to dispense with any connection of “wisdom” with your ability to read and understand. Like I said heretofore, the arguments you present on this are often rife with deceit and fatuously conceived notions. You need to rapidly disabuse yourself of the myth that the ethnic image you see in the mirror of your mind, with all of its subjective inherited preferences, is what appears in my mind and that of others perusing and writing on this board.
Keith Williams, your us eof the word “retard” to describe LENNY SMALL speaks volumes about you.
The “Lennie” character in John Steinbeck’s of Mice and Men was presented as an individual suffering from levels of mental retardation. The medical definition of Mental Retardation is A person who has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills.. “Lennie” could not take care of himself that is why George had to monitor his actions and behaviors every step of the way. He could not function at average level of a person of his age. He clearly displayed limitations in social and commnication skills.
I mentioned deceit and fatuousness as characteristics of your output TMan, and your last post is poignant evidence of that. You cannot obfuscate the facts by feigning indignation over the appliance of the term “retard” to describe a fictitious character. Those kinds of asinine segues from the points I presented might pass muster among the bottom house audience before whom you preen and prance, but they become poignant evidence to many of the structural weaknesses in your arguments and formulations.
You guys come to all forum boards with the residue from notions and beliefs of which Africans have centuries of experiences. You cling to the idea that you can fool all of us all the time. Well, thou mayest conceal thy deceit and inadequacies by cunning art, but the keen and observant will disturb thy rest and undo thy peace by removing the covering and exposing the flaws for all to witness. I am more concerned with prejudice and intolerance being practised against real people. People that live and breathe and experience consequences from such intolerance and prejudice every day of their freaking lives. I am too grounded to this reality to be feel guilty about using retard or some other term to describe a fictitious character. PLease……leave that to kids whose cognition is still in the concrete stage, and are not yet capable of indept abstract formulations.
Manning walks for an hour
FORMER prime minister Patrick Manning yesterday resumed his seven-day walk for justice starting from Freeport and ending at Claxton Bay Flyover at an estimated time of one hour and 15 minutes.
Heat fails to stop Manning
FORMER prime minister Patrick Manning yesterday completed his longest walk yet as he continued his “walk for justice” in protest at his suspension from the Parliament two Mondays ago.
Ghany: Manning discomforts Rowley
POLITICAL scientist Dr Hamid Ghany said the PNM virtually has two leaders.
PNM chairman: Manning is no threat
PNM former political leader and MP for San Fernando East Patrick Manning is not a threat to Dr Keith Rowley’s leadership of the party, party chairman Franklin Khan said.
PNM ‘rebirth’ group slams Mayor Lee Sing
As former prime minister Patrick Manning’s walk for democracy enters its final stages, members of a PNM “rebirth” group have slammed Port-of-Spain mayor Louis Lee Sing’s recent criticism of the exercise. When Manning began the march last week, Lee Sing said it was foolish, that Manning had “lost it” and should take up preaching as he once said he would do.