TO TRAFFIC OR NOT TO TRAFFIC - SAVING THE VICTIMS

 I confess that I am totally confused. You see, the Prime Minister said in Parliament on Friday (24th February) that there was a report that contained evidence that certain Parliamentarians were engaged in the despicable practice of trafficking in children and women. For the record, in my view trafficking in people is simply another word for slavery. The persons being used in this awful manner simply have no choice. It is exploitation at its worst! The PM went on to say that no Parliamentarian on his side was so engaged, giving the inescapable conclusion that all of the Parliamentarians so engaged in this horrible were on the UNC side.

My confusion is not from the statement that apparently (according to Dr. Rowley) there are some UNC Parliamentarians who are engaged in this god-awful practice, but that apparently (if all concerned are telling the truth) that nothing has been done about it. Nobody has been charged and if there have been any investigations, these were all on "the down-low". Nobody has ever said what investigations have taken place, nor by whom, nor when! But then a former UNC Government Minister who has been fiercely publicly critical of his former political leader has added fuel to the fire by saying that he knew about this sometime ago and he has said both that there was indeed a report when he was a Minister that was covered up because it named (UNC) people. Mr. Maharaj's intervention was widely seen as being not only supportive of the Prime Minister but as confirmation that the PM was telling the truth! But then a reasonable question would be why didn't he (Maharaj) do something about it when he was a Minister and had the power? One can be forgiven in questioning whether or not he is telling the truth. And if he says that he wasn't allowed to, that explanation simply can't hold water. He could have resigned and said why he was resigning. That would have certainly been more believable!

But if the PM is not lying, then why hasn't anything been done by his Government about this trafficking? I mean, if you know that trafficking is going on, and has been for some time, then what have you done about it and when did you do it?  And if the answer is 'nothing' then the next question is why not? Have you saved anybody? And if not, why not? And if so, who did you save and when? Do you know the names of the other victims that you haven't saved? I could go on, but hopefully you get the point.

This whole story seems to come apart when serious questions are being asked and no explanations or answers are given, Why (assuming that the American report on trafficking is true - and I do believe that it is) has nothing apparently been done? No right thinking person regardless of his/her political persuasion could ever condone (even in the slightest) this reported type of behaviour. And this is coming out now when Dr. Rowley et al have been in power for almost EIGHT years!? Why didn't they do something before?

No! Something is wrong and the rather obvious political games being played by all of the actors on both sides are not helping. This matter is too serious to be wept under the carpet. Either there is trafficking or there is not! And if there is, at the very least find the women and children being trafficked and save them.  We can look for the evidence against the perpetrators of this horrible crime AFTER WE SAVE THE VICTIMS. But the most important thing right now is to save the victims.  And if anybody knows about this let them come forward now! 

DEFAMATION 101

 On Carnival Sunday (19th February, 2023) The Express newspaper published an article by Selwyn Cudjoe headlined "Cro-Cro: Our Warrior King". In the article Mr. Cudjoe seems to support the calypsonian and appears to be saying that in his opinion different rules of defamation ought to apply to calypsonians who are "brave" enough to sing about social issues. In other words, a calypsonian should be able to sing about social and other issues without being limited by the current libel laws. 

In order to understand why Mr. Cudjoe is simply wrong on this point, perhaps it is necessary to look at what exactly is a defamatory statement in law. It is a statement that tends to bring some one against whom the statement is made into "public ridicule and contempt". However a perfect defence to this would be if the statement was true. For example, on the face of it, if I said that "John is a thief who steals from everybody", such a statement would be highly defamatory unless I had evidence that John was indeed a thief who steals from everybody.

Mr. Cudjoe attempts to wrap his argument in a not so veiled attempt at raising the racial bogey by arguing that the calypsonian is "ready to protect a verbal-musical (sic) (African) art form such as the kalenda, shango, belair and other work songs. The calypsonian, part of the warrior class, always saw his function as defending the race, which is why he takes his responsibility to his group so seriously".

Well, nothing is wrong with that. But that doesn't mean that singing a calypso about somebody that denigrates that person and is factually incorrect, or can't be proven to be correct, is acceptable because the calypsonian is a "warrior". If that is so, then I could write a calypso about the man who murdered my cousin and the policeman who assisted him and get away with it because it was a calypso! (For the record, I know who killed my cousin but I have no justiciable evidence. It's a little like saying both you and I know that I was at your house at midnight last night; I am going to deny it and because nobody saw me  and my visit was not recorded you can't prove that I was there.)

I am not here trying to defend Cro Cro nor am I commenting one way or the other about whether or not he defamed Mr. Inshan Ismael. That argument will be up to the courts to decide. I am on the very narrow point that singing a calypso about somebody which is derogatory and untrue does not give the calypsonian a "get-out-of-jail-free" card. Like everybody else, the calypsonian is bound by the laws of defamation and if he defames somebody, either by name or by an innuendo where everybody knows who he is talking/singing about then, unfortunately for him, he will be required to pay damages. And no amount of argument that he is a "warrior' and is simply following the traditions of his African race will hold any water.

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL PARLIAMENTARIANS

 Dear Parliamentarians,

And yes, I am writing to all forty-one of you - as individuals. ALL of you. I was thinking the other day that you are supposed to be elected to look after US -  the people - NOT your political parties! Look! I understand the game well. Heck I served twice in the Senate! But you all give us the impression that your political parties come first and the interests of the country come second.

But, I was thinking: what are you elected for? There are forty-one of you that are supposed to represent first and foremost the interests of your constituents - the people who elected you!  What promises did YOU make to YOUR constituents? What promises have you kept?

You all meet approximately once a week when Parliament is in session. Why does a reasonable observer get the feeling that NONE of you are ever concerned primarily with the welfare of the people who elected you? What have YOU done to make life better for YOUR constituents?

Crime is a huge problem with everybody afraid to go out and everybody barricading themselves in their homes at night. It wasn't so long ago that many people slept with their doors wide open. Only a fool would do that today. And yet, despite the very real fear that we all have to live with, none of you have said or done anything to make us believe that any of you have a clue as to how to fix it.

ALL of you seem more intent on scoring political points than improving our quality of life. When last did any of you make a speech that didn't directly or indirectly criticize the other side. I am acutely aware that many of you on the Government side believe that your primary role is to defend the Government while those of you on the Opposition side believe that your role is primarily to criticize.

Guess what? You are both wrong! Your primary role is TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE! Full stop! There is really no other reason and there is no need to defend the indefensible or to criticize everything. For example, we have an education system that is falling apart; what are YOU on the Government side doing about it? What proposals do YOU on the Opposition side believe should be done to fix it?

There is an unspoken fear, especially amongst Opposition M.Ps. that if they tell the Government side how they would fix things that the Government will steal their good ideas and then take credit for it. Hello! I'll ask again: what do you think that you are in Parliament for? How do you justify not sharing your solutions? Do you think that when election time comes people will vote for you because you unashamedly supported your side even when your side was proposing or doing nonsense? Do you really believe that your side didn't or hasn't made any mistakes? If you do think that your side is making or did make mistakes, what did you/are you doing about them? Hey! What were/are those mistakes? And don't you think that we, the people, deserve answers to these questions?

When last did you acknowledge that the other side (whichever is the 'other' for you) did or said something good?  Or do you truly believe that everybody on the other side is completely incapable of doing or saying anything that will benefit us -the people? When last did any of you have a meaningful conversation either inside or outside of Parliament with the other side? When last did any of you congratulate the other side for anything that they said or did?

I could go on, but hopefully you get my point. NONE of you give the impression that you put the welfare of the country first before your own partisan and personal interests. And that is not how this is supposed to work! You are supposed to meet and TALK to each other about making this a better place to live. And so far NONE of you are doing that!

Robin Montano

POLITICAL PERSPECTIVES

 I have been conducting my own very, very inaccurate survey as to whether or not people in general are satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in T&T. I have asked a lot of people if they think that the country is on the right track and how or where the country will be next year. 

I have also been asking people whether or not they believe that the newspapers are reporting things accurately. In my (admittedly very unscientific) survey I was not surprised to find a rather partisan divide. Depending on whether or not the person was a UNC or a PNM supporter the answers to this question fell along rather predictable lines - most UNC supporters felt that the three daily newspapers were biased against their political party and that the stories in the newspapers tended to reflect this bias. Most of the PNM supporters felt that the reporting was reasonably fair and accurately.

In answer to my first question (above) most people, regardless of their political bias, felt that the country was going downhill. My impression in talking with people is that they are deeply unhappy with the state of affairs in the country. UNC supporters certainly feel that the country is on the wrong track. While those who support the PNM have grown somewhat gloomy since the election with inflation and job losses entering into the picture. And don't discount the trauma of the murder/crime rate! The UNC's problem here is that, except for the die hard UNC voters, most people believe that nothing short of an absolute dictatorship can solve this problem. In other words, the UNC has not convinced people that it can fix our crime problem. 

Interestingly, most people seem to feel that the politicians on both sides are "a waste of time" and who will  lie at the drop of a hat. Incidentally, I should say, by the way, that in my "survey" I determined and classified who was a supporter of which party by asking them how they voted in 2020. Persons who might be classified or classify themselves as "floating voters" tended to report that they had voted for the PNM while "holding their noses". On further questioning, a lot of these people tended to report that they believed that the collective leadership of the UNC was weak and ineffectual.

That there is a clear disconnect between the political parties and the population as a whole is clear. But that disconnect seems to be shaped partially  -and in many cases is amplified - by people's fear of what the other party might or might not do (whoever the "other party" might be). All the supporters of each side are afraid to lose and race is a big (unspoken) part of the picture. But no one thinks that they are winning either.

I asked this question of both sides: do you think that the country will improve? And overwhelmingly the answer was in the negative  - on both sides!

I didn't ask, but I do think that there seems to be a racial divide underway.  Put another way, although there seems to be a lot of discontent "on the ground", discontent will not predict election results the way that it used to.

There were other questions pertaining to the leadership on both sides of the political divide - the answers to which are fairly predictable. In 2020 the PNM won largely by running as "not the UNC". They seem to be setting up the same theme for a reprise in 2025. Question: will that be enough?

P.S. To those readers who might take issue with my "survey", let me state as clearly as I can that it can in no way even pretends to be scientific.  But what I have written is the rather firm impression that I have got having talked with a lot of people. I would be the first to admit that I got it wrong if subsequent events (all things being equal) prove this.

CRYING KORBAN

If the Government really cares about and for the ordinary people in this country it could and should do something about the ever spiraling and seemingly out of control cost of living. We are being faced with such rising prices in the grocery that it is now becoming extraordinarily expensive just to put food on the table. And, if the news reports are true, we are all about to face a huge rise in our electricity bill. The electricity company (TTEC) says that it is losing money and has applied for a rate increase which the regulatory authority (RIC) appears to be considering favourably. But, wait a minute! In the one reported public hearing nobody from the RIC is reported as commenting on the fact that the very Government and its Sate run entities owes millions (if not billions to TTEC! So? Why should we have to pay for their apparent refusal either to pay or cut down on their use of electricity? Is TTECC going to cut off the Government et al the way we get cut off?

The RIC has rather disingenuously said that most of the proposed increases will fall on the backs of businesses. Really! And just how do they suggest that those businesses on whom the cost of an increased electricity bill will fall pay, their new bills WITHOUT increasing what the ordinary person pays for the goods of those companies? And the silence from the Government (as well as from the Opposition) is so loud that we can't hear them! Do they really think that a grocery, for example, will not have to put up the price of its foods in order to meet the new electricity bills? And what about the suppliers to that grocery store? How will they survive if they don't increase their prices? The list goes on.

This present Government has made a million mistakes, and while it is a given that it is easier to make a mistake than to fix it, we also need to try to start fixing things now rather than later. I am not interested in the mistakes of yesterday, nor am I particularly interested in "who t'ief what" (although I most certainly think that this will need to be addressed).  And I really don't see it as being very productive in criticizing everything. The country needs fixing today! We can argue about whose fault it was later.

My message to the Government is simple: people are really hurting. Fix their hurts - NOW! and if you haven' a clue then say so and quit. Put another way, lead, follow or get out of the way! But don't be like the pharissee who gets rid of his sins at the gate of the temple by crying "KORBAN"!C

FIXING T &T ONE STEP AT A TIME

 Because we have a myriad of problems in T&T that seem to be incapable of solving, I am going to attempt (and 'attempt' is the most important word in this sentence) to try and solve them with appropriate suggestions beginning with what I think is our biggest problem firstly because I was always taught that if you want to solve a problem, go back to the beginning.

So? Where do our problems begin? Answer: with our education system which hasn't had a comprehensive revision since 1956!! Every single Minister of Education has simply tinkered with the system and nothing new has changed in more than 70 years. In addition, we show our contempt for teachers by paying them peanuts. I don't know exactly what the starting salary of a teacher is, but I think that it is around TT$6,000 a month -which is way less than US$1,000 per month! What do you expect when you pay peanuts to arguably one of the most important professions in the country? Put another way, if you are paying the teachers peanuts why are you surprised when all you are getting in return are monkeys?

And that is exactly what we are producing - monkeys! Only those parents who can afford or make the sacrifice to afford extra lessons have kids who are getting a good education. But wait a minute! Where are the teachers coming from who are giving the extra lessons? Answer: from the same classrooms where the kids  are failing! So what does that tell you? It tells me that we have good and competent teachers. 

What I would do is that I would TREBLE ALL TEACHER'S SALARIES immediately when they sign onto my new contract. In other words, if a teacher is making , say, $6,000 a month now he/she will get $18,000 a month and so on up to a maximum of, say, $90,000 a month.

BUT (and you knew a "But" was coming) if any teacher wants to get this new salary he/she will have to sign a contract agreeing to several new terms and conditions of employment. First of all, the teacher would have to agree that every year his/her work or performance would have to be subject to a performance review. If the teacher fails the performance review then he/she is fired without any compensation or any right of appeal.

I know that TUTTA will raise a stink about this. My answer to the Union would be no problem. The teacher can stay under his/her old contract and lose none of his/her benefits. But he/she will not get the new salary. In other words, if a teacher wants the new salary then he/she will have to give up his/her security of tenure and actually come to class and teach! And if the 'old' teachers want to strike, again no problem. Let them. But the 'new' teachers will get paid under their new contracts.

In addition, I would destroy the concept of 'prestige schools'. ALL the schools will have access to the best teachers and as a result, ALL the schools will be equal to one another. The benefits to my plan are obvious. That it may require some short term sacrifices (about 20 years) where we might not be able to do other things (such as fixing the potholes) is a given. But as our society slowly learns that we have to produce, and actually starts producing, things will get better.

The problems with our hospitals and our health care system also need to be addressed. And everybody understands that there are serious problems in our security services, as well as in a host of other places. I will try and give solutions in the coming weeks. But I thought that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. And I regard fixing the education system as the first step.

You don't have to agree with me, but I challenge you to say where you would begin and what you would do. We need to stop relying on our politicians from both sides  trying to fix things. By and large (with very, very few exceptions) they have all failed. It's time for us - all of us - to start relying on ourselves.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 In keeping with a New Year's resolution that I will probably break sooner rather than later, I'm going to try and put a positive spin on recent events in T&T. Accordingly, I am not going to discuss the seemingly out of control murder rate that exceeded 600 people killed last year, nor am I going to discuss the seemingly feeble attempts by the Guardian and Express newspapers to try and lessen the reported numbers. I am not going to discuss the looming appointment of Senate President Christine Kangaloo to be this country's next President and whether or not it is a good thing - even though I have some rather serious concerns about it.

As for the ongoing financial crisis, I am not going to discuss how people are 'ketching their nenen"  to try and make ends meet, nor how many of them lost their jobs in the last year and have been unable to find new ones. Neither am I going to discuss whether or not I think that the Finance Minister as well as the Prime Minister have both failed rather badly and apparently do not seem to care. And I'm not going to discuss the out of control crime situation and how all of us have to be really, really careful when we venture outside of our self imposed jails (otherwise known as our homes) so that we don't get robbed, beaten or killed.

No. This is a new year and all of us who only want a better country regardless on which side of the political spectrum that we fall must join together and wish everybody - both the rulers as well as the ruled - a happy and prosperous one. And I'm certainly not going to discuss the death of hope in so many (too many) of our citizens that things will get better.

Unfortunately, I am one of those who is losing (if not actually lost) hope that Dr. Rowley & Co. know how to make things better for all of us (e.g., by fixing the potholes). So in this, my first post for the new year I will only wish everybody a happy New Year and join with you in praying that things will get better.

P.S. I will probably break my New Year's resolution in my next post.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 I LOVE T&T. This is probably the only country in the world that where the Christian population is a minority,  just about everybody celebrates Christmas. Down here in this, the Southernmost island in the Caribbean, even people who are not Christians put up a Christmas tree in their homes and go to Christmas parties and indulge in other Christmas pastimes. (not to mention the delicious traditional Christmas foods). For the record, there is a very large number of Hindus and Moslems down here, but in all my years  I have never met one Trinbagonian that doesn't celebrate Christmas in one way or the other - and in a country where some 55 percent of the population is not Christian!  If the tolerance that we have for others (especially at this time of the year) was universal, the world, would be a much happier place.

Even in the hardest times there is still a certain "joi de vivre" and excitement in the country that is palpable and which seems to grow the closer we get to the big day. That a lot of people who are not Christian pay little attention (if any) to the religious aspects and overtones of Christmas is a given. But if I might suggest, the spirit of Christmas is much bigger than whether you believe or not that Jesus was born on the 25th December or that he was/is the Son of God, but  has more to do with love and tolerance.

And that's what I love about this place  - the Spirit of Christmas that is celebrated by just about everybody! Despite the best efforts of some politicians on both sides of the political fence who try to divide the country racially, the fact is that most people in this country are very tolerant of others and are even more so in this Christmas season. And this is what is so important!

Can life be hard for some - especially down here in T&T? Absolutely! But that still doesn't stop the excess of goodwill that is so abundant down here. Merry Christmas, everybody. And I wish you all that you desire in the coming new year.

THE DEFAULT PARTY IN T&T - THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

 Well, the default Party has done it again: the PNM is obviously counting on the hope that no matter how badly it screws up, people will still prefer it to the Kamla led UNC. And they might have a point! Certainly, poll after poll has indicated that the UNC led by Mrs. Bissessar is not a viable alternative to the Rowley led PNM and so the very narrow PNM electorate has reasoned that the Rowley led PNM can and will win again as Kamla obviously has no intention of moving and there is no credible alternative to her leadership. At least, that is probably the thinking.  So the PNM is obviously the preferred political Party by default and the UNC in its present carnation remains as not being a viable alternative.

Of course there is obviously the thought that there was cheating in the PNM polls and that this internal election that endorsed Dr. Rowley and his team was "t'iefed". Of course, this is a possibility that can't be discounted, but there is no justiciable evidence that there was "hanky-panky" and nobody can say that. Then there is always the very remote possibility that the rank and file PNM membership might revolt against this result- but this is obviously as possible as snow falling in Trinidad. (Although with climate change that may no longer be a good analogy!)  If this were true, then the polls are wrong and the UNC is back in with a chance as many PNM supporters will simply sit on their hands and not vote.

So? What happens now? Reportedly, the turnout of eligible voters was a little over ten percent of the PNM membership - hardly a ringing endorsement, but nevertheless, one that the victors can "take to the bank". Based on present performance, it remains that it is most unlikely that the wider electorate will be tempted to turn to Mrs. Persad-Bissessar and her team. Can Mrs. Persad-Bissesar turn that around? Yes, she still has time, but there would have to be a wholescale demolition of her present team and replacing them with really attractive and powerful people - something that the lady has been obviously reluctant to do. Clearly, she is hoping that the wider public will get so fed-up with Dr. Rowley et al that it will feel that it has no choice but to turn to her - hardly a winning strategy!

Dr. Rowley himself could decide, for example, to change his front line - the fact that the false report about his firing his Minister of National Security was greeted with such obvious joy from just about every section of the society before it was announced that it was false would hardly have gone unnoticed by him - and then call elections soon after that and before his new team had a chance to fail. In other words, Mrs. Persad-Bissessar's gamble that the PNM is screwing up so badly that the electorate will turn to her will have been for nought. The default Party will win again. "Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't"!

THOSE PNM LEADERSIP ELECTIONS

 Try to forget for a moment whether you are a supporter or not of the People's National Movement (PNM).  I know that it's hard, but try and look objectively at this political Party which has dominated T&T's politics for more than 60 years.  With its leadership elections drawing to a close this coming Sunday (4th December) I have been trying to view the Party and its leadership as objectively as I can. I know that half of you will think that I have been too kind to Dr. Rowley and the other half will think that I haven't been harsh enough in what I am about to say. There is an old saying about fools rushing in where angels fear to tread, but I have always looked with scorn on people who are afraid to voice their opinion on any given subject and so I devised a little test for myself which I have decided to share with you on how best to assess Dr. Rowley's leadership of the country. I asked myself nine questions about him and marked each question out of a possible 100 points. So, here goes with my so-called "survey". (I think that when you read it you will understand the questions; the questions are all based on the perception as to how well/badly he is doing today -not yesterday - and are not meant to  compare Dr. Rowley with anybody else):

Political persuasion score                                                     40

Crisis leadership      score                                                    20

Economic management score                                              15 

Moral authority              score                                              20

Industrial relations         score                                              30

Administrative skills      score                                              30

Vision/ability to set an agenda score                                    20

Pursued equal justice for all     score                                   10

Performance within the context of the times score              20

Total overall score                                       185 out of a possible 900 or 20.56 percent

Obviously, I am of the view that the result that I got is a fairly accurate impression of Dr. Rowley's performance as a Prime Minister. Equally obviously, your impression is probably very different from mine. But perhaps you might try and answer the criteria set out to yourself as honestly as you possibly can. After all, nobody but you will see the results and if you are a PNM supporter/voter in the leadership elections if I have made you think then I will have achieved my purpose.

It goes without saying from the above that I believe that Dr. Rowley has failed the country miserably.  If you agree with me, then the next question will be who to put as Party leader. There are two other choices: Ronald Boynes and Karen Teishera. I have already said who I think is the better of these two and why - and it ain't Karen!                   

PUTTING A CROWN ON THE HEAD OF A CLOWN

 It is difficult, if not impossible, to come to any other conclusion that the sole purpose of having PNM's internal elections spread over a three day period was for there to be an opportunity to cheat. Nobody has been able to give any logical reason why the one day voting for a new executive has been changed to three days and the resistance by the authorities in the Party to the proposal to change to three days of voting from one speaks volumes. I was always taught that if you can't say something in one sentence then you can't say it at all. And I defy anybody to explain how changing the voting from one day to three days will be cost effective and prevent cheating in one sentence.

A lot of people enjoy horror movies, though , for myself, I have never understood the attraction. But when you boil down all of the plots they always follow more or less the same line: in the final act, horror movie monsters that seem unstoppable - zombies, vampires, sharks - always shock the good guys who presumed that their terrifying enemies had been killed once and for all- or at the least, are set to be killed once and for all. Keith Rowley, like one of these monsters seemed to be about to be killed politically in the PNM's internal elections. Clearly, that ain't gonna happen. Though he is gravely wounded, with the attempt to prevent or at least delay the expected efforts to cheat having been thwarted he is likely to threaten not just a handful of teens in the woods, but the PNM and, beyond it the whole democratic process in the country.

It is possible, of course, that the thinking behind putting the internal elections over a three day period and seeking to delay the local government elections for a year is that everything is 'hunky dory' and that there are no hidden reasons for the present actions - possible, but most unlikely!

The PNM is a major political force in this country. Its internal elections are therefore of paramount importance to the country as a whole - the result is obviously important not just to non-members, but to opponents of the PNM. It is most unlikely at the present time that Dr. Rowley's Government enjoys majority support in the country and that most members of the PNM are not happy with either him or his leadership - not to mention his team. If this is correct that would go a long way to explaining the two propose actions referred to earlier. And, of course, they would be acutely aware of their unpopularity. For example, the Finance Minister's bold claims of economic reform and development - which to date have not been backed by tangible and sustainable results - are they mere expressions of personal vanity and hype or are they real and substantial and something that we really can count on? And let's not forget the issue of runaway crime!

Let me put it this way: if you put a crown on the head of a clown you do not make him a king; you simply turn the palace into a circus.

THE SNAKE OIL SALESMAN

 Keith Rowley, the Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister, emerged as a serious political force at the end of his predecessor's (Patrick Manning) term. But probably the most significant thing that we can note about him is the fact that he is not a creator. His talent lies in marketing (himself) rather than in any type of organizational leadership or in taking a novel concept from its inception to a premium place and thus benefitting the country. He has adroitly played to racist and xenophobic fears that attached to Mrs. Persad Bissessar's re-election bid in 2020. He has continuously lied  and pontificated on just about everything from emailgate to crime to corruption and every thing in between. He has made ridiculous statements and ran with them and has surrounded himself with weak, incompetent and ineffective people who are making ten times more money as Ministers of Government than they could ever earn in the world that the rest of us inhabit. Little wonder that they remain so loyal to him despite all the evidence that the country is falling apart!

Rowley did not single handedly inject the strains of intolerance, racism, belligerence and a durable sympathy for anti democratic behaviour into the PNM and there is no reason to believe that his absence would cause them to evaporate, UNLESS the PNM replaces him with a more moderate and tolerant leader - which is likely to happen IF there is no cheating in the upcoming leadership elections. Unfortunately for the country that seems unlikely at the present time.

For critical observers, it is apparent that everything Rowley has offered the country came slathered in Snake oil. That is either a statement about the willful blindness of the T&T electorate or a barometer of haw many Trinbagonians view these dangerous liabilities or assets. In either case, at least one other insight : fixating on the salesman, misses the point. The problem is, and always has been, the size of the audience rushing to buy what he is selling.

SUE ME IF YOU DARE, MADAM SPEAKER

 It is time to remove the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Parliament is supposed to be a place where matters of public importance are discussed and debated. But this Speaker, sensing that the present administration is vulnerable to some high profile licks, is almost continuously looking to use her office to protect the Government. She is SUPPOSED TO BE NEUTRAL, for crying out loud! 

What could be more urgent for Parliament to discuss than crime? Flooding? Well apparently she doesn't think so either. She shut down a debate on crime last week and now has decided that the flooding that several hundred thousand people have recently suffered is not definite, nor is it urgent, nor is it a matter of public importance!! So, Madam Speaker, what is definite, urgent and of public importance in your book? You can't answer that and make sense, can you?

Look, I have court house clothes. I invite Bridgette Anisette George, the Speaker of the House to sue me for defamation for what I am about to write: You, Madam Speaker are not fit to be a Speaker of the House of Representatives in Trinidad & Tobago. You are incompetent, biased and awful at your job. You seem to think that you are the last bastion of defence for a failing and incompetent Government, and you are using your office  corruptly to stifle legitimate debate. And yes, by doing what you are doing that is corruption. Sue me for saying that you are corrupt. I dare you. But I would remind you of the case of Oscar Wilde more than a hundred years ago.

In that case, Oscar Wilde, who was a famous author and playwright, was also a homosexual at a time when homosexuality was a crime on the statute books of England. He (Wilde) was having an affair with the son of the Marquis of Queensbury (of boxing's Queensbury rules). The Marquis went to Wilde and begged him to leave his son alone. The Marquis said that he (Wilde) was a wealthy and famous man and could have anybody he wanted, but please leave his son alone. Wilde (rather arrogantly) sent the Marquis away with the proverbial flea in his ear.

But the Marquis wasn't done. He went all over London saying that Wilde was a homosexual (and remember, this was at a time when homosexuality was against the law). Wilde sued for defamation AND LOST! The truth and fair comment is a defence in defamation matters. The authorities took note of the civil case and launched a criminal case against Wilde. He was found guilty and sent to prison in the town of Reading, where he wrote what was arguably his most famous poem - The Ballad of Reading Gaol. After serving his time on being released Wilde went into a self-imposed exile in France where he died a few years later.

So just to be clear, Madam Speaker, I am saying that your refusal to allow urgent debates on either crime or flooding is motivated by your very obvious political biases rather than any reasoned thought. And I am saying that because your motives in refusing these debates was to protect the Government rather than to allow free debate in Parliament, In other words, your motives were corrupt and as a result you are guilty of corruption. 

Sue me if you dare. My defence will be the truth and fair comment. (But you already knew that.) And let us instruct our lawyers to fast track this case. I will readily agree to just about anything that causes it to be heard in record time. I hereby waive my right to a pre-action protocol letter. File your writ now. I will not apologize and will continue to say what I have said here all over the world. And if your lawyers decide to apply for an ex parte injunction to prevent me from repeating what I have said here, please show this article to the honourable Judge and tell him (or her) that I would like to be heard at the ex parte hearing. {For your information (although I shouldn't be giving you legal advice)  if you do not comply with my request I can go ex parte before the same Judge and have the injuction thrown out.} 

But I don't want to waste time. Let's get this show on the road. I challenge you. Sue me, if you dare.

P.S. I hope you don't use Government monies to fund this litigation.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF TRUST

It is clear to any unbiased observer that the real reason for postponing the Local Government elections which were due shortly, is because given the present state of disaffection in the country the ruling PNM has figured that they will lose. So, the PNM is gambling that things might turn around in 12 months time and if not they cacan always kick this particular can down the road again.

The problem with this strategy is that it starts to push the local elections that much closer to the general elections, and a massive loss in the local could create a kind of tsunami that would be impossible to hold back resulting in a potential major defeat for the ruling Party.

While I understand the reasoning in favour of delay, history has shown that the closer local elections are to a general election that the results of the local election can be mirrored in the general. Remember the massive defeat of the PNM in the local elections a year or two before the general election in the mid nineteen eighties? My own view is that the PNM might be better off in taking the licking now, rather than later. Because, the truth is that most voters are fed-up. People perceptions are that they are worse off today than when Rowley & Co. took power. And they feel that there has been more than enough time to fix things. Unless, of course, the Government is privy to certain information that it hasn't shared with us as yetwhich would or could change the picture completely.

Added to this perception is that a lot of people simply do not believe anything that the Prime Minister or his minions do not tell the truth. Most people, for example, do not believe that Dr. Rowley has contracted Covid for a seemingly unprecedented fifth time. While this may (or may not) be true, what is so sad is that people generally do not believe that their Prime Minister is telling the truth about this. And a photo of the Prime Minister  in social media allegedly taken just last Saturday doesn't help. The trust is simply not there for most people, and except for the diehard supporters, who would vote for a crapaud in a balisier tie, they simply don't believe anything that the Government says.

You have, for example, the ruling by what is probably the worst Speaker this country has ever had, who decided that the burgeoning crime rate is not urgent nor is it of public importance. According to her it is certainly not definite! And so, in the highest court in the land the ruling Speaker has effectively prevented the country from hearing what the Opposition has to say nor how they would fix it! It's not of sufficient public importance to be discussed in the Parliament! Unbelievable!! What in the name of heaven does she think Parliament is for?

Of course, the ever growing list of victims of crime might disagree with her, but their opinions won't count until election time when (she might hope) other matters can take prominence and this rather "piffling" matter of crime will be forgotten (or at least moved far enough away so that enough people might forget her idiocy).

But the mistakes and the missteps keep piling up. That the Opposition has so far failed to convince the majority of the voting population speaks also to their incompetence. and inability to get their message across. It is as if the politicians on both sides believe that running a negative campaign will pull more votes (' vote for us because the other side will do worse and you will be worse off') is better than admitting that there are problems and presenting positive solutions as to dealing with them. But at the end of the day, it is our fault, because we put up with the lies and half truths, not to mention the incompetence. And this is on both sides!

SOME REASONS WHY PNM HAS MANAGED TO STAY IN POWER

 I'm certain that many of my (few?) readers have wondered at one time or the other  as to why the PNM has managed to hold power for about 60 years. The Party retains considerable latent support, resilience and mobilization ability, even if the present regime is inept at capitalizing on those issues. There is a reason the PNM factors so prominently in the country's political history over the last 60 years: the Party frequently uses, misuses and eventually restores hard ground support. 

On top of that, the Party's founder, Dr. Eric Williams, laid down a blueprint  for a decision making system that is more of a pyramid, with all lines of authority flowing  or descending from the Political Leader's office. This means that all major issues are ultimately settled at the top. 

Of course, Dr. Rowley doesn't decide everything himself. He often kicks matters down to a level where elite factions bargain - or fight-them out. But on high priority matters- or when the bosses can't agree - Dr. Rowley steps in to impose "manual control", often with the television cameras rolling to show his decisiveness.

An overcentralized system can work tolerably well in quiet times. The clear lines of authority can help in solving minor problems. But the need for the Political Leader to weigh in personally becomes a serious issue when the more complex problems are fast developing. The centre is quickly overwhelmed, which can lead to cascading mistakes. The Prime Minister has  had to simultaneously deal with a pandemic, elite conflicts, economic failures, shrinking budget resources, unrest and unhappiness over crime as well as other issues.

Then of course, like all authoritarian rulers, Dr. Rowley's second area of vulnerability is the need for him to project strength. He tends to rely on an elaborate game - most of his supporters  are motivated by corruption rather than conviction, but they act out of faith that the system will survive, meltdown is certainly not inevitable. But if meltdown happens , how would it play out? As problems intensify they would likely tend to exacerbate each other.

What is happening right now in the country is that there is a general draining of confidence. Dr. Rowley has hinted that he might be prepared to throw in the towel and quit. But he would want to control not only who his successor might be, but also to control his successor. Of course events might just overtake him and he might find himself so hated by the electorate as being the person who brought the various disasters (crime, the economy, etc.) that he finds no way out.  On the other hand, he might just be able to hold on. Certainly, the whole situation is most unpredictable at the moment as the opposition UNC has been unable (for whatever reason) to capitalize on Dr. Rowley's many mistakes.