Category: pnm

It's Just Too Easy To Play With The 'Hart'

March 8, 2010 by Taran Rampersad

Yes, yes, it's old news. Calder Hart left. And every headline is as punny as possible (including this one) because there was a twisted sense of humour that created and defended the Hart a total of 45 times. When I heard the news on Saturday, I had better things to do than write about something that I predicted: I told many people that it was O'Halloran all over again. Perhaps the problem is that Trinidad and Tobago doesn't have sufficient history for Trinbagonians to study, thus they don't, thus they repeat it.

And, of course, the PNM isn't held in great esteem now - and neither is the man occupying the Honourable Office of Prime Minister, Patrick Manning (note the placement of Honourable). So what now? Calder Hart resigned, left and... umm... everyone has something to say.

Other UDECOTT directors are so confused that they say 'Resign for what!'   instead of 'Resign for What?'. Clearly they have no friends amongst what could be something resembling an opposition part. Winston Dookeran (COP) feels vindicated. And Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj wants to probe the criminality of Hart. Every rumshop has its share of puncheon induced people discussing the issue as intelligently as everyone else - sadly, perhaps more so - before they slalom home, breathalyzers be damned. {Read more}

Is Trinidad and Tobago Beyond Race Based Politics?

October 26, 2009 by Taran Rampersad

Yesterday, Selwyn Ryan wrote, 'The UDeCOTT election: round 1' - and within it he wrote something that should be apparent to anyone who isn't in Parliament:

...Mr Imbert brags that the central issue in the Inquiry will not be UDeCOTT, but the cartelisation of the local construction industry, the nature of the Opposition, and much else. He boasted that "the election will be about who is fit to run the country, which is the best party to run the country, who has the moral authority to run the country, and who is best equipped to serve the people of the country". The problem, however, is that none of the parties, including the PNM, is seen as having any abundance of these qualities...

Exactly. But the next sentence is disturbing:

...Mr Panday is also correct when he notes that corruption, on its own, does not decide elections in Trinidad: Race does...

I don't know that Basdeo Panday actually said that race wins elections, and it's a little disturbing to consider that it could be true... and that it could be considered true enough for a politician to say. Was it true? Of course it was. Lets just say that when it comes to race in politics, Trinidad and Tobago has a colourful past. We all know it. There are people who will talk bad about a political party, but when it comes to election day people are likely to vote with their raw prejudice. {Read more}

Saying Nothing With Mouths Moving

October 21, 2009 by Taran Rampersad

When I blogged yesterday about Keith Rowley's offensive, I expected someone else from the PNM would go on the defensive - and I knew it wouldn't be the person presently occupying the institution of Prime Minister. Not to be disappointed, Colm Imbert rose to the level of the gauntlet thrown... and no further. The Trinidad and Tobago Newsday's article, This is not the Calder Hart Inquiry, has some quotes that are ambiguous at best.

For example:

...the Government could have taken advantage of a legal loophole which could have derailed the inquiry when it was discovered that notice of the proceedings was never published in the Gazette even though hearings had gone on for months...

True. The Government could also have screwed up on that count - it isn't as if the Government has a stunning track record. Thus, this is ambiguous and simply demonstrates that either the Government is incompetent or stupid. Consider this other quote:  {Read more}

Politics, Corruption, Cookies and Trinidad and Tobago

October 20, 2009 by Taran Rampersad

Normally I avoid the topic of politics. People who know me know why; I consider politics to be an abstraction of the actual issues - and in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as everywhere else in the world, the level of abstraction related to issues is too high. We need to get back to the issues.

Everyone has been abuzz with Calder Hart, UDECOTT, corruption Chinese workers and... well, the Beetham Gardens incident is largely forgotten. It's all rather amusing when viewed from a distance, but some interesting things have happened.

Keith Rowley's gone on the offensive in a large way. UDECOTT Worse than Piarco tells that story well, and Mr. Rowley's been pressing the point home on Facebook - where he's got 366 people presently following him; a small figure yet respectable in its own way. That few people seems more real than the many renditions of Patrick Manning on Facebook. And Rowley's allegations, spoken from a soapbox of his own personal vindication, is damning in its own way.

For better or worse, that splits the PNM base between the blind followers and those who are paying attention. And this is good for a number of reasons: {Read more}

• The moral basis against corruption should trump law. Trinidad and Tobago has a poor track record when it comes to that, and while it might be nice to say that it's as bad in other nations one should wonder whether mediocrity is a worthwhile goal. Of course, celebrating a football team that scores one goal - against itself - in the World Cup speaks volumes...
• That people are being encouraged to think critically by Rowley.
• COP and UNC supporters feel as though they've won something (though they, too, have lost ).

Patrick Manning...a great leader!

October 19, 2009 by fedup

 This is my opinion of a great leader:

Someone who takes people money, does a set of crap with it and then have the full support of the same people making the leader proud at the end of the day.

How is this done by Patrick Manning?

Well we all know he mercilessly wastes public funds,  (the blimp and all) and then he has 100% of fans at the Stadium supporting Trinidad and Tobago, wearing the Trini colours chanting "Go Soca Warriors!".....now isnt this truly amazing? 

I can steal your money, and you will still support me at the end of the day and make me proud. In fine essence, that is one of the capabilities of a true leader....go Manning, PNM till I really dead!