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How to time your political exit

April 14, 2010 by Edmund Gall

As we progress through another interesting political season, I wish to share the philosophy of the widely popular MP for Reading, UK, who has retired in the run-up to impending British General Elections.
 
He said that he always planned to leave politics at such time that his constituents would ask him why he was leaving, instead of when.
 
I can think of many of our long-serving politicians who should apply this and make their way to their political career's departure lounge forthwith instead of their party's Screening Committee.

In the shorter races its simply who you like.

April 9, 2010 by Bertrand Bhikarry

It makes good sense of course. Give the vote to the person who is best placed to make things happen for you and your community, and by extension the country's needs will be served. Not that it was ever that simple in Trinidad and Tobago.
 
I think of my wife as I say that, I think of her at the racetrack putting her money on a certain horse. She knows her nags, more than the average person I should think, yet she never ever bets on an equine athlete she didn't actually 'like'. She'd find a little something, somewhere in her sensibilities to justify putting out on her favourite.
 
I think the snap elections we just got wind of are going to be decided by something as elemental as one woman's prerogative at the betting cage. Basic instincts rule people, even to the extent of risking  their moolah. It will be more so when voters seek to place a fingerprint on the ballot slip when comes The Day.
 
There are many arguments otherwise. Statisticians will state PNM  has already won by placing voters within boundaries. Social scientists think the larger part of the population has irrevocably embraced a malaise which delivers an easy, if unsustainable lifestyle. 
 
But what of the swing vote? The 'undecideds'? Can they upset the PNM plans to sweep the field? People who know of things like crowd mentality and psychology of the masses, opine that spin artists and others who work the election processes can only effectively impact on the consciousness of the swing vote only in the backstretch, the long haul. 
Such folk think the wily Mr. Manning has removed the lengthy campaign period associated with most general elections and in doing so also took away the period needed to cajole the swing and the undecided voters.   
 
{Read more}

UNC nothing yet

January 28, 2010 by Edmund Gall

UNC MP Vasant Bharath and ex-Chairman of the Membership Committee Kelvin Ramnath hosted a news conference yesterday to give further details on the alleged discovery of boxes containing "thousands" of undistributed UNC membership cards at Rienzi Complex, home of the UNC's administrative offices.  It was carried live by media houses on the Internet and reported in today's papers, such as Anna Ramdass's article in the Trinidad Express.

I looked at the news conference via C News' live Internet broadcast Internet yesterday and was left a bit confused. The feed continued for a few seconds after the end of the news conference. It was during this time, I heard Mr Ramnath say that his own card may have been in the pile, and Mr Bharath replied that he found his in the pile.  Unless I misheard, if the non-issuance of the cards leads to persons being omitted from the voters list, how come these two gentlemen were able to vote?  Mr Ramnath admitted that the preliminary membership list was circulated to all candidates and constituency offices and apart from a handful of requests from Mr Jack Warner, no requests for changes were made.

They complained about poor office administration, lack of support for Mr Ramnath and said their intention was not to question the election results but rather to inform the public of a suspicious discovery in the offices by staff preparing for the handover to the new executive. At the end of it, I quite frankly was left with the feeling that here was a bunch of poor-me-ones trying to deflect public attention from the winds of change by claiming some fraud occurred.  Their hinting of the possibility of some member of the public seeking court-room clarification on this discovery was puzzling: clarification of what? {Read more}

Feeding more fowl

November 5, 2009 by Bertrand Bhikarry

Each morning as I fling the handfuls of corn to my birds, it crosses my mind. We aren't much different to those birds here in good ole T&T. Who was it said, "Who have more corn feed more fowl?" I forget, but my point is this.

People make decisions for our well-being (or theirs) and we accept blithely because we see 'the corn'. People in NGO's and some community group (this website is becoming one) don't have a long term hope in hell. The fact is, I mean, my take on it. Things may not change - ever, no matter how much we blog, shout, advocate.

I say this because in addition to feeding farm animals, I sometime get the opportunity to assist in various small power issues - like choosing a kindergarten school-board president, deciding with others who can run a dog shelter, and other earth shakers.

Sometimes I get even deeper into social strata. I come away slightly tainted each time as I look on, as I contribute actively to manipulate the outcomes - based on our groups ability to distribute corn effectively if I may add. It's really disheartening to observe the ease at which results can be derived by a bit of planning, a bit of selective news distribution, and the odd pat on the back.

My real cold hurt in the stomach is I see it happening on an escalating scale to present population, and it comes from our last three generations of Trinis and 'Bagonians urge to get in more than enough corn.

Maybe we should consider adopting new generational values. We really cannot continue to do the same thing to get different results. Me, I'm not eating meat.
I think I'll continue with this after I decide if it's worth airing (..gonna feed meh fowl)

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