Bring back the ‘Bull’

By Raffique Shah
January 10, 2022

Raffique ShahNot even George Orwell, who wrote the right-wing classic Animal Farm which summarised workers in power, post-revolution, in the worst possible light, could have scripted the post-Covid tragi-comedy that premiered a few weeks ago, when the Delta variant of the virus first showed what it could do, and now Omicron is breaking box office records, leaving mankind stupefied.

In Animal Farm, Napoleon, the pig, in a Stalinist pincer strike, rose to the top of the animals’ hierarchy with little sweat and no blood. In short order, disorder erupted, and the revolution inevitably imploded.

In the Covid version in Trinidad and Tobago, approximately 500,000 unruly animals are holding the majority of citizens to ransom, wallowing in the power they wield, thumbing their noses at the majority, inviting us to do what we will, they “not moving”, like “Hulsie X” of yesteryear, whom David Rudder immortalised in song. Without rhyme or reason, they are wining their posteriors in our faces.

If I were a betting man, I’d wager my life that if any audit of behavioural patterns is conducted in the country, it would find that the 600,000-plus of us who took what vaccines were available months ago, to protect ourselves and loved ones, as well as to bid to halt the advance of Covid in the country, are also the law-abiding citizens who pay our taxes, water rates, etc, and we conform to practices that seek to build a better T&T. It would emerge that we don’t do fireworks, send hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars up in smoke and deafening noise, with absolute disregard for people’s pets, the infirm, and neighbours who just want to sleep.

Among the vaccine-hesitants, as they are euphemistically categorised, we are sure to discover the majority of tax-dodgers, people who don’t pay WASA bills (but they won’t mess around with T&TEC’s and face disconnection), who are prompt with their cable television payments, but not property tax… you get my drift.

I say enough is more than enough, we must stop this nonsense now. I did not hear my comrades in the unions cry foul when, early last year, the Government arbitrarily sent all public sector workers home, ordered them to stay put and collect their full salaries, clearly breaches of their collective agreements. Not a drum was heard, not a placard was hoisted, nothing. The “lochos” took their unplanned vacation with broad smiles, and enjoyed it.

Now the Government decided to ask them to vaccinate and return to their jobs so that the economy could be revived safely, and they refuse. Worse, the union leaders and some psychologists want us to baby-sit them, treat them gently, and bring them around to accepting that the vaccines are not harmful.

Utter madness, I scream in protest. I don’t care if they are policemen, permanent secretaries or filing clerks, influenced by tripe peddled on the Internet, and others simply too daft to make any motion without stupider-than-them self-proclaimed leaders giving the signal.

They were glued to the ground, gripped by fear.

Then the Government decided to force the issue, to bring legislation that will require all public sector workers to be properly vaccinated before they were allowed back to their jobs. If they still refused to be vaccinated, they continue to stay at home, but they will not be paid. Well, papa (as late comedian John Agitation used to say), who tell them to do that! All hell broke loose. As Covid-related infections multiplied, deadly new variants of the virus struck wildly via “zesser” parties and boat rides, not to mention families feting for the Christmas holidays, genuine unionists and sundry charlatans threatened to raise hell and damnation. The security forces, where vaccination levels were woefully low, threatened brimstone and fire. Public sector workers who had never actually worked a full day in their working lives, threatened to work.

As I watch the charade-of-a-parade take up positions, going for the kill, I think of what a warped world we live in. Children who had been spared the agony of Covid-19 hitherto, were now filling up the paediatric wards at the nation’s hospitals. They did not go looking for the virus: adults in their homes who just could not miss out on a party, brought it for them… their Omicron Christmas presents. The half-a-million hardback men and women who refuse to be vaccinated, and who may have been responsible for the plight of the tiny mites, and who have definitely sent hundreds of older people to their restless graves, should stand proud of their achievements.

Their callousness borders on infanticide or some such crime. Now is not the time to pamper such people. Bring back Lord Kitchener’s “Bull” and administer it with clinical precision on the backs of the “lazy lochos”.

6 thoughts on “Bring back the ‘Bull’”

  1. It is a sad reality that a virus that started 15, 360 km away is dominating in its many variations as the death knell to TnT. In just a matter of three years the surge to the grave is such that soon there will be no space. The morticians, funeral homes are doing a lucrative business, ensuring that their patrons are given the most pampered end.

    The nature of this contagion is such that the PM has had several exposures but like a cat with nine lives he survived all of it. What is his secret? Could it be that he being a heavy drinker have enough alcohol in his system to neutralize the virus. Or is it within his nature to defy such odds. Citizens need to know his secret given that there was 37 deaths in just one day about 2 days ago.

    The virus could be beat if all citizens follow some simple rules. (1) wash your nostrils, gargle with salt and water every night before bed. Sip hot drinks during the day. If you feel sick fight it with all the bush medicines available. Trevor Sayers I am sure has concocted a potion that will have the Minister of Health going mad. The bush versus North American / Western medicine. A woman was dying, her totally distraught husband visited a Rasta man who made him a potion with instructions take every 3 hrs a spoonful. She recovered. Just do what works.
    (2) Do not lie in bed with it, don’t drink dairy products, take blood thinning aspirin, (once every 2 days). Get on all 4 and hack and spit, stick your finger into your mouth. Get the plegium out…. Drink hot tea, hot soup, hot lemon water and make an onion soup.
    As a disclaimer none of the afore mention may work, in that case talk to your maker and make your peace with him and family before you depart this life. Trust me in a few months only those close to you would remember you. Having loss a few friends I know how deadly this virus really is. In all seriousness avoid crowds, shop when there is less people and protect your loved ones….peace.

  2. The government employee right to refuse a vaccine is entirely their right. No one can be forced to receive a vaccine. Having said that the government can provide incentives for those working in high risk jobs to take the vaccine. A person can take the vaccine suffer a mild form of the Covid and be a carrier.
    Those who do take the vaccine can also die if their health is compromised.

    Some friends of mines did not take the vaccine, one of their relatives did, he got a mild form of the Covid and infected up to 40 people. The brother, father, close friend and wife all got the Covid as a result and three died, brother, father and best friend. One of my cousin died after getting the vaccine from a blood clot two weeks later. Another neighbour son about a week ago died after getting the booster. And yet all my elderly family got the vaccine and they are fine. One cannot determine a response to this vaccine by the human anatomy. We do know that those who take it are better to survive when Covid comes.

    Employers cannot force employees to take the vaccine but can provide say a $2000 bonus for those who take it within a 4 weeks period, that should incentives some to take it. If the horse don’t want to drink the water rub some salt in it’s mouth. The government should not aim for full compliance they should realistically aim for 65% compliance by government employees.

  3. Newsday got it right.

    The vaccines available today are not a magic bullet, but they are a weapon that everyone can accept to improve our lives.

    TT is facing rising covid19 cases and is still to feel the full impact of the fast spread of the omicron variant – yet the unions, abetted by the opposition, are still choosing to encourage vaccination resistance instead of urging the use of the weapon we have. Rather than working to increase the job security and collective physical well-being of all their members, they have chosen to back one misguided and/or misinformed section of their membership.

    It’s the wrong fight, led with the wrong message, encouraging a potentially deadly outcome.

    Unions represent the well-being of the workers of this country and they should be leading initiatives to encourage the prophylactic protection of widespread vaccination.

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