Transcending ATM
When I caught the headline, Rowley Slams Kamla for 'ATM' remark, I couldn't help but note that this was largely a style issue. And Dr. Rowley does have a point - the remark to CARICOM could be seen as flippant.
The reality, though, is that Trinidad and Tobago has to see about itself first - something that other CARICOM nations have said in various ways within their own sovereign contexts. Barbados's stance on immigration was not too different, and while it caused an uproar everyone knew that Barbados was well within its rights to assure that immigration laws were enforced. Would that Trinidad and Tobago did the same.
But the ATM issue brings to mind a review I had to do on a junior software developer at one time: 'To be a better team member, Mr. X needs to become more self sufficient.'
CARICOM nations, individually, should practice that. And many of the smaller islands have at least moved in that direction, probably because money doesn't come free from anyone.
As it is, with the global economy as it has been and will be for the forseeable future, it's quite possible that CARICOM will go the way of the West Indies Federation... which is sad because if member states actually came up with and acted on regional plans as diligently as the elected political representation at CARICOM did for their elections, the region might actually move forward.
But they don't.
- Taran Rampersad's blog
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[...] Transcending ATM | KnowTnT.com (Beta) knowtnt.com/node/218 – view page – cached When I caught the headline, Rowley Slams Kamla for 'ATM' remark, I couldn't help but note that this was largely a style issue. And Dr. Rowley does have a point - the remark to CARICOM could be seen as flippant. Tweets about this link [...]
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What is interesting is that most of Caricom who used to buy all its petroleum products from Trinidad chose to go extra-regionally and take up Chavev's PetroCaribe deal and force Trinidad to seek alternative markets. They didn't seem to mind abandoning their Caricom sister in preference for a deal designed to expand their indebtedness. This almost self righteous demand for our patrimony based on our collective Caribbean-ness is absurd and hypocritical at the least. The time has come to re-evaluate our role in Caricom and if it has outlived its usefulness to us best we rid ourselves of the burden of it and leave social welfare where it belongs in the hands of each sovereignty.
T&T an ATM
From what Rowley said, it was clear, well at least for me, that in a sense he agrees with Kamla, I remember in Parliament also, Dr. Rowley indicated in no uncertain terms, that he was "marking his money" for when he pays taxes it was to buy beds for the hospitals and chalk for the schools and none of it must go toward the air jamaica deal. I clapped and jumped and cheered when I heard this, one would have thought the world cup had started if they heard me.
Anyways, the fact is that for far too long we have played godfather to our Caribbean neighbours and it’s about time that we look to taking care of our own. And for those who would want to confuse this with some misguided notion that I don't care about others, that’s furthest from the truth, in instances like the Haiti earthquake we can in fact do as much as we can and then some more. But never must we be considered and ATM machine for those who would like the easy way out.
We must also be mindful that Dr. Rowley is in election mode compounded with his new role as leader of the disgraced and corrupt PNM that he now has the responsibility of rebuilding and offer up as a credible alternative, this after he was instrumental in the fall of same with 2 and a half years to go. So let’s take what he says about the remark for what it is, platform rhetoric. How on earth can we lose jobs in this country because of an ATM malfunction, maybe Dr. Rowley needs to educate us some more, but please, wait until the silly season is over so we can again take you seriously.