Wednesday, March 7, 2018
THE TOP TEN PROBLEMS FACING TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
I have been thinking about our (T&T's) problems. And because I am firmly of the view that if you can't say something in one sentence you can't say it at all, I am going to set out what in one sentence each what I think are the ten biggest problems that we have. You will realize that it will probably take a paragraph, a chapter or even a whole book to discuss each one properly. I don't propose to do that. I simply propose to list the "top ten" problems in the order that I see them as being important. If you disagree with my order or even feel that some other problem/s is/are bigger and either should be higher up my scale or that something on my scale shouldn't be there, then feel free to say so. But a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, and the first step in our journey ought to be articulating clearly each and every problem that we are facing. Incidentally, my list is not intended to be political or critical of anybody ... it is simply intended to be a discussion point and to try and come to a consensus as to the way forward. And, yes, I personally do have some ideas but as Chairman Mao once said, "if you want to lead the people, lead from behind". The point here is to promote a national discussion without rancor or finger pointing. It matters little at this point who is to blame for the sinking ship. The damned ship has hit an iceberg and is sinking. Rather than quarrel about whose fault it was that the ship hit the iceberg, I think that we should talk about how to save the lives of everyone on board.
So here is my list of the top ten problems that we are facing:
1) Lack of economic opportunity and employment;
2) Safety, security, wellbeing;
3) Lack of education;
4) Health security;
5) Food and water security;
6) Government accountability and transparency/corruption;
7) Racial conflict;
8) Poverty;
9) Inequality (income, discrimination);
10) Climate change.
Okay. That's my list. What's yours?
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ReplyDeleteRobin
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The list is nice, but some can be seen as symptoms of other problems. What I want to do is list of solutions, no particular order....
1. Education based on sustainable living, where you are not dependent on government... not the govt is bad, but dependency is bad. Right now education in the USA is breaking down and causing a major debt crisis (close to 1 trillion in student debt) and students are not getting the jobs in their selected fields. Also, no one is taught really, how to make a business, how to handle a budget, how to handle money, what are options for savings and investments, etc.
2. Listening to more 'good' news than 'bad' news. When you glorify killings, violence, be it in the news or not, this is what people know. If you ask a carpenter to solve a problem, she/he can possibly include a hammer and nail as a solution. If you ask a yogi to solve a problem, she/he may insist on meditation. When all that is going on in the minds of our youth is what is on the tele or facebook and it aint 'good', what do you expect from them as solutions to their problems. Their creative energies are being misguided and harming up, upon closer inspection you will see that we are not the victims, but they are.
3.Idle minds are definitely the devils work yard, when the youth is not involved in meaningful activity, then..... they will be involved in un-meaningful activity. Yes, it really is that simple. If on the other hand you fill their time and minds with ideas of how to build a home from wood, how to grow and cook from the garden, how to trade and barter to get things they need and not want, then this will be better.
4. Technology. Be it the corporations or organized crime, they use the technology to benefit themselves and forget the rest. The tech giants of our nation, should find ways to ensure all here benefits and the tech that does this, be it a database, or communications system, becomes ubiquitous. AND It is there not for its own glory, e.g. my phone is shiny and new, but is there to server the nation. When you learn Microsoft Office, unless you are going to write a resume, it is really to edify an employer, and not to help oneself.
To analyse you list.....
Your #3 causes issues in #2. I am projecting that your #3 can be no education at all.
Your #1 is because of lack of or no proper either academic or self sustaining education. That is caused by #3, but not the quality to help the student.
Because we are not having compulsory agriculture and other self sustaining activities #5 is present.
Your #8 is really a person who has no options or place to go, be it physically or mentally.
Your #9 (and #8) is there because of a personal issue with individuals, who want to find a way to look better than others and spend a lot of money doing so, and they wont stop to help a beggar or someone who is impoverished.
And I guess when the winters come to Trinidad, #10, people will be so heavily clothed that, #7 will not matter. :)
But give people things to do and new ways to think, or OLD WAYS TO THINK, maybe the older ways are better, and #7 can solve itself.
#4 is due to eating processed foods, be it bread, pasta health bars. And the dietary change that made fat disappear, sugar and carbs increase, and heart disease double in less than a few months.
The list is nice, but some can be seen as symptoms of other problems. What I want to do is list of solutions, no particular order....
ReplyDelete1. Education based on sustainable living, where you are not dependent on government... not the govt is bad, but dependency is bad. Right now education in the USA is breaking down and causing a major debt crisis (close to 1 trillion in student debt) and students are not getting the jobs in their selected fields. Also, no one is taught really, how to make a business, how to handle a budget, how to handle money, what are options for savings and investments, etc.
2. Listening to more 'good' news than 'bad' news. When you glorify killings, violence, be it in the news or not, this is what people know. If you ask a carpenter to solve a problem, she/he can possibly include a hammer and nail as a solution. If you ask a yogi to solve a problem, she/he may insist on meditation. When all that is going on in the minds of our youth is what is on the tele or facebook and it aint 'good', what do you expect from them as solutions to their problems. Their creative energies are being misguided and harming up, upon closer inspection you will see that we are not the victims, but they are.
3.Idle minds are definitely the devils work yard, when the youth is not involved in meaningful activity, then..... they will be involved in un-meaningful activity. Yes, it really is that simple. If on the other hand you fill their time and minds with ideas of how to build a home from wood, how to grow and cook from the garden, how to trade and barter to get things they need and not want, then this will be better.
4. Technology. Be it the corporations or organized crime, they use the technology to benefit themselves and forget the rest. The tech giants of our nation, should find ways to ensure all here benefits and the tech that does this, be it a database, or communications system, becomes ubiquitous. AND It is there not for its own glory, e.g. my phone is shiny and new, but is there to server the nation. When you learn Microsoft Office, unless you are going to write a resume, it is really to edify an employer, and not to help oneself.
To analyse you list.....
Your #3 causes issues in #2. I am projecting that your #3 can be no education at all.
Your #1 is because of lack of or no proper either academic or self sustaining education. That is caused by #3, but not the quality to help the student.
Because we are not having compulsory agriculture and other self sustaining activities #5 is present.
Your #8 is really a person who has no options or place to go, be it physically or mentally.
Your #9 (and #8) is there because of a personal issue with individuals, who want to find a way to look better than others and spend a lot of money doing so, and they wont stop to help a beggar or someone who is impoverished.
And I guess when the winters come to Trinidad, #10, people will be so heavily clothed that, #7 will not matter. :)
But give people things to do and new ways to think, or OLD WAYS TO THINK, maybe the older ways are better, and #7 can solve itself.
#4 is due to eating processed foods, be it bread, pasta health bars. And the dietary change that made fat disappear, sugar and carbs increase, and heart disease double in less than a few months.
Your post is brilliant,as usual, but looking at Trinidad from afar ( having left fifty years ago) when Trinidad was safe, I was born in POS and have never experienced the racial division that exists today, Murder and Corruption was very rare, if you went to prison you would be ashamed.
ReplyDeletePeople should realise that they should build back Thier Country, too much racism around, Education is the key to a better life. Party politics has destroyed our Beautiful Country.
Very Sad it had reached the road of no return
I did not see on the list the consummate political arrogance, political misogyny, deception, deceitfulness, duplicity, trickery, and chicanery that is the order of the day.
ReplyDeleteHi Robin,
ReplyDeleteMy list would be as follows:
1. Citizen security
2. Lack of economic diversification
3 Poor productivity
4. A leadership vacuum
5. A non- performing political and institutional system
6. Youth dysfunctionality
7. Decaying infrastructure
8. Domestic violence
9. Poverty
10. Porous borders, Drugs and organized crime
Cheers
Peter
Thanks for sharing. Quite a comprehensive list. Didn’t think I would be able to find any holes there, but after careful thought, I am of the opinion that there is at least one issue missing. What about the “failing or failed legal system” in TT. Care to comment or will that be addressed in your next blog?
ReplyDelete