You are hereAnand's Collection / SOMETIMES WE "TRINIS" BELIEVE IN THE SILLIEST OF THINGS! PART 1
SOMETIMES WE "TRINIS" BELIEVE IN THE SILLIEST OF THINGS! PART 1
The "Election Season" is here, in fact right around the corner, and sometimes we call it the "silly season" and for good reasons too. With all the things in the air, we get "drunk and stupid" with all the goodies thrown at us from every direction by every politician from every party from every corner of our once lovely country.
They starve us and deprive us for five years or so, then drive around and throw us some "crumbs" to ease our pain and hunger, temporarily albeit, and then disappear for another five year hiatus in hibernation in their milk and honey.
Now, some of the Politicians are out in full force "kissing babies" and making "silly promises" that they know they can't or won't be able to keep. Yet they keep walking around shaking hands and delivering lies, more lies and damned lies, all the while expecting the people to be both "dotish" and "silly", and to swallow their tales "hook, line and sinker", just to believe their "silly stories" and just vote them back into office just one more time.
Just gimme another chance at the "trough", or where the "milk and honey" flows like a river with no end. Oh, Lord Sweet Land of Milk and Honey.
Well, with all these good stuff that they now telling us about, that they would get for us, that they would give us, which we did not know existed before, or even if we did, could not see it, feel it or find it in our once lovely land, and making us "giddy" all the time, we need to slap some cold water on our face every now and then just to keep us sober and stay focused on real life.
We need to stay focused so as not lose sight of the important things that really matters to us as we go about or daily lives at ground level, not at the heights where the politicians choose to nest, way up in the palaces and high offices, and far from the "regular crowd" where the real day to day action happens.
...where FOOD PRICES are so high that HUNGER is now the friend of the family.
...where people just SURVIVES and eke out a daily living for themselves and their families.
...where the KILLINGS, KIDNAPPINGS and ROBBERIES takes place so frequently that they are a DAILY WAY OF LIFE.
...where the TRAFFIC JAMS drive people crazy just sitting and boiling in the hot sun, and going nowhere fast. There is nowhere to go, period.
...where the SICK AND DYING lay in the corridors and floors of the hospital and can't get medical attention, cause they can't afford to fly to the U.S, Canada or England to get the best medical care money can buy.
...where the DOCTORS and NURSES are struggling to cope with less to do more, under the most depressing conditions for them and their patients, with no medical supplies,facilities or funding to do so.
...where their homes are FLOODED every time there is talk about rains in the forecast, let alone rain itself, because of the poor drainage and sewer clogged and back up making life pure hell.
...where people can't get pipe borne WATER let alone water running through their taps to drink, cook, wash or even take a bath.
...where SCHOOLS are held under "MANGO TREES" out in the yard as the buildings are not safe and sanitation is worse for the kids to bear the ugly stench of raw sewage as they try to get an education.
...where the POLICE have STATIONS that are old and delapidated and were built some fifty or sixty years ago, and are unsafe and dysfunctional. They don't have cars or telephones or proper equipment to carry out their work effectively.
...where ELECTRICITY is a luxury item for many people in our country more so than a necessity in our day and age.
...where over $200 BILLION DOLLARS flowed through the government coffers within the last five years and we have nothing to show for it. except..
...except a $148 MILLION DOLLAR PALACE for the emperor and his wife, and built in record time at that.
...and few million dollar STADIUMS built for the emperor ego.
...and where MONEY IS NO PROBLEM, yet we have more POVERTY and STARVATION than most THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES.
... and where CRIME is now a WORLDWIDE TRADEMARK of our once safe and beautiful land.
... where NEPOTISM and CORRUPTION are hallmarks of the legacy of the government and its administration.
...where CREEPING DICTATORSHIP raises its ugly head as a frightening reality by an uncaring Prime Minister.
...where the ALUMINIUM SMELTER and its "DEATH WISH" to the people is shoved down their throats by the "emperor", despite all the hazard warnings brought on by caring people and citizens.
When we are being told that these things, which have happened just in the past five years, will be fixed if we give them another five years back in office and things will change for the better.
Trust them, its the gospel. That this is in the plan for the "emperor" 2020 vision.
...then when we believe in this kind of stuff, we have to either believe in "fairy tales" and "nancy stories too", or:
...we Trinis really believe in the "silliest of things".
goodluck and godbless. Trini.t.o.o.
....to be continued in part 2.
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I ask this because all you have said, we are all very aware of it except maybe the die hard PNM supporter.
Therfore it must be directed to Anand and those who think like him because they are also aware of this YET they refuse to talk to the UNC to ensure an acommodation is reached to remove the PNM and thus address all these issues.
Based on their latest decision to definitely go it alone they are showing they only care about themselves and not the vast majority of citizens of this country who suffer daily - oops I forgot the COP membership is made up primarily of well to do persons who do not know suffering.
Oh well... such is life in politics. What morality they have, what integrity on the part of their leaders.
2007-07-10 10:30 BST: Rated *****Five Star***** by Site Admin
The comments are not meant to be directed to those who are blinded by tribal loyalties, where the power of reason, and the power to reason, is replaced by deferring to the arbitrariness and whims of the chief, its meant for those wished to be grounded in the reality that surrounds their daily living experience, not in the periodic visits from those who feel that they are annointed with the divine right to lead or mislead.
scholar the new reality, is deprived of the economy of sugar. Where are the sources of earning power to come from for all those that depended on it? For a man who is credited with doing so much for workers and farmers one wonders why has an entire industry wiped out under his watch in his lifetime? Why did he not lead protests action as he did in the 1970s? For the other champion of human rights (especially at election time), the very state of panic that resonates from the base of the UNC, comes from his slashing of the jugular vein of the last UNC Government.
With or without the reins of power the people of Naparima have remained with the same poor services over the past 40+ years. This despite having the Barrackpore oilflieds and the Valley Line sugar estates. How can people of Laventille or Caroni continue to place the same trust in the same elites for over 4 decades yet their reality is the same, when will they learn. "If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got."
This election should be about the reality that faces the generation of today and tomorrow, not yesterday, its gone its over, its time for a paradigm shift. Those of the PNM and UNC who wish to retain the paradigm of yesteryear, will stifle and retard the nation into 2020 blindness and poverty. There would not be the opportunity to develop a cohesive national consensus to bring about a Singapore type economy or a knowledge based economy. People who look to be fed by their respective chiefs do a disservice to the nation and are being disloyal to the national interest and their children and grand children.
Until scholar and others like him admit to themselves that Mr. Panday has shredded the talents of those around him for the past 30+ years, they will not take the necessary action to change their condition. In order for a people to develop we must motivate and unleash the talents and skills of all the men and women within its borders. One must not seek to muzzle, leash, demonize, denigrate those who have achieved, be it independently or otherwise. The greatest asset of any nation or community is its human resource. When these are unleashed everything is possible. Part of this unleashing is having respect for their achievements and to let them have the credit for so doing; part of it is living in and with dignity. Who annointed Mr. Panday to be the arbitrator of all thats good or bad for the community or nation?
Democracy is about exercise the will of the people (a mantra Mr. Panday uses deceptively), not the will of one man and his cohorts. Mr. Panday has yet to recover from his loss of power. His only aim is to regain it. He has become addicted to the privileges of power and he now believes that he is entitled to it. All his actions seemed geared to getting power "just one more time". He has his own folly to blame, not Ramesh, Ralph and Trevor, nor Dookeran, Ganga or Anand.
The people of TnT, as a national collective have this exercise every five years to determine who will govern them. Its supposed to seek to determine the will of a nation which is reposited in the winner of these elections. Its not meant (for the sake of the national collective) to be a cynical appeal/manipulation to/of the instincts of "political bases". It seems that COP's paradigm is the national will whereas UNC-A is the will of Mr. Panday (or is it the whim of Mr. Panday).
Any parent who has invested in the education of their child would hope that they would grow up to exercise they power of reason in a responsible manner, in an environment free of fear and free from fear. They would be disppointed if this is constrained by the abscence of security and intimidation to fall in line or else.
Trini.t.o.o, has done a remarkable job of pulling together a lot of evidence on the performance of the present ruling party which happens to be the PNM. If the same evidence was supplied against the UNC or any other party it would be equally damning.
The UNC had their chance and so did the PNM. They had enough time each to turn the Nation around - and it could have been well on the way to a real Vision 2020, instead of a daydream about 2020.
We cannot reasonably ignore the evidence that Trini.t.o.o and Anand Ramlogan himself have gathered on the performance of the existing regime. If it was a company we were investing in with our own funds we would be more careful - and we would not simply descend into arguments about personalities and political allegiances etc. We would be looking at track records and performance indicators as ways of predicting future performance - and whether we should put our money 'there', so to speak. So I'm afraid I'm with Trini.t.o.o. and TriniCan with their arguments.
Scholar, I'm afraid the attitude you portray is the one that the PNM is banking on. Are you sure you have evaluated the evidence? If you was my stock broker and suggesting that I put my money with a company that performed in the way Trini.t.o.o has evidenced it functioning - I would give you the sack.
This is not about who shouts loudest. This is about facts and performance measures. And we're not just talking about a few million dollars in some average 'company' - we're talking big big money - hundreds of billions!! We're talking about the health, sanity and suffering of a whole nation projected 50-100 years into the future. And that period is of extreme importance because it is during which the country's energy reserves will run out.
This election takes us to very crucial cross-roads. If the electorate makes a serious mistake now a whole nation of >1 million people will be condemed to real hell in the next 50-100 years. I suggest you adopt a more rational, robust and evidence-based approach to the whole thing. This election is not just about party politics - it is about the life of a Nation. This is the point of no return, no repair, no U-turns. It is make or bust for a whole Nation - got it?
I really hope that you two are members of the COP ... its people with your vision that we need to take this country forward towards 2020 and beyond. My wish is that the thousands who are wearing blinkers can read your words and understand them...It is unfortunate that people cannot and will not accept that the present administration had 50 years to develop this country but cannot see from the list of ills that are listed by Trini.t.o.o that are still being promised to be fixed...given one more chance...how many more chances can one give...where is the breaking point?... we had that chance in 1986 but we blew it and here we go again ...one more time on the merry-go-round.
Gentlemen. I do not know where you all are from or where you are living.
IF you all are living abroad and writing on this blog then YOU cannot begin to comprehend the situation for the masses here in TNT. You are writing from arms lenght about a situation you do not have first hand knowledge of and only writing from an analytical viewpoint. You also sound very academic in your analysis and the reality is politics is far away from that view and it si a very narrow view.
If you all are living here in TNT then you must belong to a very well to do class of people who have not known struggle.
If you are not then God help you.
It is important I make this distinction of where you belong because it shapes your understanding of the politics of this country.
I have lived here for 40 years in South Trinidad. I am a grassroots person who lime and connect and converse with the people in the rumshops, weddings, funerals, village bazaars etc. These people constitiute the majority of the population.
I also do the same at a lesser extent with the persons who congregate at the social clubs the TGI, Ruby Tuesdays etc. Its a diffrent level of conversation there where I clearly pick up the divide in their thinking, their so called intellectual pontificating and analysing. These people the children of the Indian and African labourer and farmer who are now lawyers, bankers and other high executives do not appreciate nor comprehend how they got where they are and who fought for them.
They have diffrent views of how a Gov't should be run, more modern views filled with fairplay and equity etc but its all rhetoric, sounds good when you hear it.
But my friends these views which are similar to what you all write here are alien to the 80% of the masses who are struggling here. to the victimization and discrimination of the people by the PNM.
The PNM is an immense party with incredible structures and political strategy of the darkest kinds and they cannot be removed except by a WARRIOR of the people , anybody else will be eaten alive and destroyed. Intellectuals like Dookeran and the rest of the cop will be so emaciated that the country will never recover.
Panday and Ramesh are the only man that can destroy the PNM, not Dookeran, nor Kamla. They have the firepower to CONVINCE and cause the masses to follow them. That is the reality of the politics in Trinidad today. It is not mature yet that people can be convinced of these great logical and fairplay views you all are spouting.
Dont get me wrong what you all are saying makes sense , but not yet. First you need Panday and Ramesh and Jack to get rid of the old way of doing things then when things are stable the next generation of leaders can take over. But Trinidad is far from Firsty World and the next generation cannot solve out ills yet.
In 10 years YES. If the UNC can get in Power for the next 10 years, then maybe we will be ready to accept leaders of the type you are talking about.
Right now the war is to win the elections and remove the PNM, thats REALITY.
YOU PEOPLE cannot convinve the masses to think like you do. NOT AT THIS TIME!!
You gotta come down to their level and satisfy their basic needs first and then and only then will they be willing to spend the time to contemplate higher ideas.
Thats why the COP is making a big mistake refusing to unite for the sake of the people. They are selfish only thinking of themselves OUT OF TOUCH with the reality in the ground. They feel they are the Brahmin class and we the untouchables who know nothing.
Gentlemen your thinking and ideas belong to the next era of politics in Trinidad. At this time we need the Firebrand style of the warrior, the only ones left on the opposition are Panday, Ramesh, Kamla and Jack. Only they can removethe PNM.
I have not even touched on performance of the various parties. If I did you would see how the UNC are miles ahead. Do not for 1 moment think the COP do not have a track record in govt!!! They are the old NAR and ONR- Do not believe me? Take each of the top executive and trace their history and you will be shocked at what they have been involved in. Everyome thinks Dookeran is a man of great Intgrity. Freinds the campaign has just started, Wait until after Monday and if COP do not unite you will see how Dookeran Integrity and the rest of them wil be torn to shreds on the campaign trail. Jack has been begging Panday and the rest to be quiet for the sake of the country and to unite.
But after Monday both the PNM and the COP are the enemies and then the truth will come out.
2007-10-11 11:08 BST: Rated *****Five Star***** by Site Admin
Scholar, let me start by saying that while I am living in the UK, I have only lived here for 5 years and I have lived in Trinidad for over 35.
My father was a cane cutter and rice planter for other people at low wages, and my mother a housewife. I am one of those 'grassroots people', but unlike you, I could not afford the cost of places like TGI, Pizza Hut etc. My grassroots, even though I was a teetoler for most of my life, was with my friends in stores, rumshops etc. But I did mingle with 'intellectuals'; doctors, lawyers, engineers etc having many friends within the young professional community. So when you refer yourself as a 'grassroots' person, know that I am no less 'grassroots' than you.
And if you think I do not know struggle, then perhaps you should know I had to start working at age 12, paid my own way thru high school with my own money, and educated myself even thereafter while also assisting several younger siblings, all of whom are educated and gainfully employed today. I have cut cane, planted rice, mixed cement in the hot sun, worked 10 days etc while educating myself. I have battled more than you I daresay.
I also have the benefit of living, and experiencing, first hand how a FIRST WORLD country handles it's affairs. To be sure, I don't agree with everything here, but I have results when I complain. I know not everything will be perfect, no matter where I live, but there are differences I will explain to you.
You sing praises for the UNC and Panday like manna dispensing from the heavens above; I wonder at your naiveté.
At the moment, you extol the virtues of Panday. But if you examine objectively the history of the man (and his social behaviour) you will realise that nothing in both cases incite trust, loyalty or in your case, blind following.
Panday has exhibited a talent for destruction more than any other politician or leader in the history of Trinidad and Tobago. He builds up any person as long as it suits his aim, but just as quickly takes them down when it suits his changing purposes. Of course, he also plays out his whims like a child playing games with living toys. Take for example Ramesh and Kamla and the latest scenario. Not exactly a personality I'd put my faith in. Really, I will never know if I could make long term plans with a man like him in charge! And I am not even in his organisation, much less hoping to ride into a partnership with him.
These people the children of the Indian and African labourer and farmer who are now lawyers, bankers and other high executives do not appreciate nor comprehend how they got where they are and who fought for them.
I think most of them would have gotten where they are by dint of their own hard work. In the last 20 years or so Panday's contribution to their lives was to parasite off them and their parents because of his 'Indian' connections. Face reality, Panday did absolutely nothing progressive for Indian or African people UNLESS it feathered his own personal ambitions in some way.
You decry these professionals from dreaming of a better life, one they KNOW is possible by the very virtue of their education. Progress by the way comes not from the uneducated but from the educated. You even mentioned WARRIORS being needed to win the election battle, but alas... maybe your own education battle is yet to be won, for history itself has proven time and time again that the best WARRIORS are those who were educated as well as or better than those fighting against them.
The uneducated may not know of life beyond the cane fields or the rice fields, but their children have seen the outside world, and also seen that the way Manning and Panday wants to run our country is certainly not the way forward. They both have VERY personal agendas, and for all their rhetoric, they are NOT for the people. This election is certainly NOT about removing the PNM; it is about obtaining a leader who would realise and abstain from wanton waste and lead the country forward from an upcoming worldwide recession.
10 years will be too late. This recession and other important global factors are upon us now. Never has closing the barn door after the horse has left saved the day.
Your last point you mentioned that COP is comprised of old NAR and ONR persons. Even so, I hope you look at the fact that these people were the ones seeing the far vision, that the firebrand method you praise so highly was the wrong approach, and that Trinidad was stagnant for decades. These were the people advising for the necessary changes to move forward and after unheeded warnings left to form a way to implement what they see as the vital actions needed.
Now, I am not saying they are as pure as driven snow... no one is. But as far as all involved goes, they are they best option, in terms of ideals, experience and ambition. I am sorry your narrow minded views prevent you from seeing this, and that you blindly follow a man who has done more harm to my country than anyone else in living history.
Scholar, somehow your comments just does not seem to add up or make any sense, or maybe I am just not reading it right.
On one hand you are saying that if COP does not "unite" with UNC-A, the PNM cannot be defeated in the elections, and then you are saying that the only people that can defeat and remove the PNM from power are the UNC-A people Bas, Jack, Kamla and Ramesh.
And that, they are the only one who can "get rid of the old way of doing things".
Firstly, these people are "the old way of doing things" period. So how can they get rid of the "old way" when they themselves are IT, the old way.?
Secondly, aren't these the same people who gave power to the PNM to begin with that have them there now? Are you saying that they alone know how to "gain power", but are not very good at "holding" power? Why because of greed? too power hungry?
If Bas has been around for some 30+ years fighting the PNMwho has been around in power for over 40+ years, how much more time do you think he will need again so as to "defeat them?" Another 50 years or so?
We really don't have that much time to satisfy his overgrown ego, cause much of the plight and misery of the cane farmers today rests right at his feet. No one else. Not even Manning who lately said that "getting rid of the sugar cane industry might have been one of the highlights of his reign as Prime Minister."
Like yourself, I too am very familiar with the hardships and plight of these cane farmers and their novel experiences with hardships, from Usine Ste Madeleine Sugar Company (USMC) Caroni Limited and on to Tate & Lyle, and with the manipulations of them by the same Basdeo Panday.
Scholar, with thinking like yours, its a "recipe" for victory by PNM, as no one in their right mind would continue to support Panday and his ilks, who are all in it for more power, a power which history has proven "they are unable to handle or retain". I was going to suggest they go back and read Machievelli's "The Prince", but I guess its much too late for them now to learn anything "new". They are beyond help!.
To borrow and quote the most appropriate phrase from "my friend"( "trinican"), "if you always do what you always did you will always get what you always got." How appropriate.!
How can those who represents all that is "old", now come to do anything "new", it defies reason.!
So if your rationale and thinking are in anyway reflective of the majority of non-PNMites in my country, then I feel very, very sad for both my people and country because the outcome would not be something I would want to dream about for the future.
My dream if any at all, would be that COP move forward with their agenda for new politics and that the people come around their senses and give them the support they need to succeed and change the course and direction the country is now heading before its too late.!
The future of our country rests with COP, its as simple as that.!
Godbless you all my friends,
Trini.t.o.o.
On Nov 6 I will return to this blog - by that time you people will understand what I am saying.
You may get it before as you watch the COP disintegrate in the next few weeks.
As I write there is a huge protest in Mayaro/RioClaro against the COP candidate for the area - Dookerans cousin I believe Rabindra Moonan. The people ( who are the voice of god ) do not want him yet the COP executive refuse to listen to their wishes ( same as u accuse Panday of no? ). Aparently Mr. Moonan along with Dookeran was involved with a company called Summit Finance in which lots of poor people lost a lot of money when they went bankrupt. When I have all the facts I will provide. Such Integrity in new politics eh!
Also at this very moment another COP candidate for the COUVA area is so dismayed he is considering pulling out- he is definitely not going to canvass. More will unfold in the next few days, you people will be so shocked at the developments you will stop your intellectual surmising and realise the poor masses are more educated and more politically savvy than most of us will ever be.
I am off to the Debe meeting of the UNC, will let u know what Ramesh says.
Laters.
I'm sad to witness the attitude which goes like this:
Yes I know those words weren't actually uttered but that is the meaning communicated to me. This kind of sentiment or attitude is a mixture of arrogance, insularity, cock-suredness; probably sourced and driven from a process of political brainwashing.
Scholar, you have tied yourself in knots. No matter what anyone out here says now, you refuse to be convinced. You know you are right. You appear 100% certain that all that you say is correct - and it appears that you are unlikely to examine the foundation on which your beliefs are based. In other words you are a closed door and you will vote UNC-A. You're like a lamb to the slaughter. Unfortunately there are many like you - too many who are already brainwashed who will just throw their vote at UNC-A on a misguided belief that UNC-A is 'the weapon' to destroy the PNM.
Making the PNM the target of this election is probably one of the biggest mistakes the voting population will make. It is a mirage of an objective. By aiming for that that objective and not seeing the bigger picture people could actually be shooting themselves in the foot - or rather shooting the Nation in the head.
Small-mindedness and tribalism are throw backs to a primitive caveman mentality. Or is that the Firebrand warrior mentality you refer to. How primitive? A primitive strategy to serve a primitive purpose for a primitive people? Is that what this is about.
Is the onus on COP to unite any more than the onus is on the UNC-A to unite. That bridge has been crossed so many times before. It seems like a waste of time to me.
I see more substance in Jumbie's and Trini.t.o.o's points of view.
Look in the mirror captain and evertything you accuse me of falls right back on you.
Amazing how you and the others living abroad think you are so right but I and the 7000 who just gathered at Debe junction in the biggest political gathering ever in Debe are wrong about what we want?? What gall you have!!!
I would never dare tell you who to vote for in the English elections even though I lived there for 5 years over 15 years ago whilst at university and work. Why? because politics is dynamic and only the people living there know what they are experiencing. Your media is also more advanced.
You people read a watered down online version of the biased local newspapers and feel you all are experts on life here in TNT.
You want to know what it is, forget chasing the pound and the dollar and come and fight for your people like Panday has been doing for the last 40 years.
I promise you Anand Ramlogan will realise soon enough if he has not already that he has made a terribe decision and probably trying to figure out how to make a decent backtrack.
Devant Maharaj already realised, only his pride is holding him back from quitting the CORPSE.
I refuse to take part in this blog anymore. You all are not worth my time. Go pontificate on the elections in your new countries.
Good luck and good bye Anand Ramlogan.
Similar to jumbie my grand parents and parents went to the school of hard knocks. Both my father and his father also graduated from the University of the Rum Shop. So sugar cane culture is not unknown to me. Both of these generations however made tremendous sacrifices to ensure that those of their children who would "take education" were given every opportunity to do so. Why, would they do this if the "wisdom of the rum shop" trumps the knowledge that comes from colleges and universities. If the wisdom of the lime by the stand pipe, the corner or the bridge held paramount over formal education, why did so many have to suffer the periodic licks and deprivation of the fun of bailing the river, or pushing tyre in the trace, or building box cart or pitching marbles. We cud dah jes join we fadder and he boyz by the shop instead.
scholar (part of the UNC-A propaganda machine) and the likes wishes to shame those who achieved higher education into keeping communal solidarity. As to be judged as having 'breached' communal solidarity is to be demonized, discounted and trashed. If these are the standard of measure UNC-A uses for those citizens who have excelled beyond the rum shop, then we have in the making a Trini Pol Pot. The putting into doubt of the legitimacy of the voices of the sons and daughters of sugar who have excelled in education and the professions is a betrayal of the blood, sweat and tears of their parents and grandparents. The only confidence they held is education was the way out for their children to get out of the suffering they endured in the sugar cane, rice and cocoa fields. Some even paid the ultimate price being murdered by the rum shop culture. My own sugar cane farming grandfather (63 years old) was chopped in cold blood by a drunken 24 year old tractor driver who insisted that he must block the path to the cane weighing scale. For the UNC-A propaganda machine to speak of the superiority of this mindset is to negate every sacrifice of those whom they say they represent. There is no honour in it.
Again, if Mr. Panday was so much struggling for these folks, why the industry was shut down without barely a whimper from him. The timing was not right, it was not an election in the air I guess, or perhaps he was busy making a virtue of receiving 'a scholarship' from the parasitic oligarchy for his children to excel in education, in the capital city of our former colonial masters so that they can do well in the professions. Aye, constrast this to the blood, sweat and tears it took for the parents of the many to "put aside a little money" for their loved ones to "take education" eh. But Mr. Panday's receiving "a scholarship" is praised while our parents sacrifices are so disrepected. Listen, if I sound bitter, I am. My parents and grandparents deprived themselves so that we can have a better life than they did. Now for this better life to be scorned by those who claim leadership over them is an outrage.
Service to the national good is the new paradigm, a fact even scholar acknowledges, when he said "Its not time yet". If not now, when? if not Winston, Anand, Ganga, Kamla, Ramesh, Rafeek, Ralph, Trevor, Kelvin, Saddiq, etc, then who? Communal solidarity is great to the degree that it allows people to have a common identity, to feel at home in their own skin, but it should never raise to the level of trumping the national good. Its like allowing those beneath the deck to punch a hole in the ship of state to get water, what then happens to those who are on deck? Those on the deck must provide water to those beneath, whilst those beneath the deck must have the wisdom not to scuttle the ship. Mr. Panday is one of those on deck, though he deceptively claims to be beneath it.
Scholar's, response is typical of what we know and see at this site when people do not get their way and their arguments are demolished - and it is typical of an immature attitude that affects quite a number of people in Trinidad and in other parts of the world. The sulking 'I jes wais'ing meh time' kinda thing is meant to make us feel guilty. In reality Scholar fell on his own sword. [I refer to scholar in the masculine only for ease of writing].
I can't remember telling him who to vote for but even if I did, so what? I took no offence at it being suggested that I vote UNC-A. It was also obvious that Scholar was voting for UNC-A, as I told him. Certainly anyone entering a foreign Nation, and acquiring voting rights, is free to vote how they choose - however illogically they come to their choice.
But Scholar suggests or implies that even Jumbie who landed on English soil only in the last five years is suddenly incapacitated by his 'Englishness' from knowing or commenting on any aspect of Trinidadian politics. Such suggestions are of course utter rubbish. This leaves Scholar in a mighty position to dictate to all Trinbagonians who land in a foreign country that by such and such arbitrary timescale after landing there, 'You're out of Trinidadian politics and should never comment until returning for such and such (arbitrary) timescale to Trinidadian soil'. How arrogant is that? And of course Scholar will probably exclude all Embassy and High Commission staff - because he would argue that they are the exception being at the political coalface while in a foreign land - which of course is not true.
The poor fella [fellow eef yuh Anglocised] probably doesn't know that Trinbagonians in the UK and America etc are directly in contact with the political situation in Trinidad through live interactive audio and video, and that they travel to Trinidad regularly in things called aeroplanes two, three and more times per year. His attitude is reminiscent of a time when people left Trinidadian shores for England, America and Canada - and the older folks would refer to this as "Dey garn ova" [i.e. 'they gone over', for those unfamiliar with local Trinidadian English]. And when you 'garn over' you was living in a different world - almost totally cut off from relatives and friends for years. Scholar - the poor chap - seems to be living in a time warp, his existence blinkered. What a trap he is in - like a fly caught behind a glass pane; unable to see or appreciate, much less to examine his obstacles, some he imposes on himself. Sadly, there are too many like him.
As Scholar has promised not to return to this site, someone should let him, and the likes of him know, that sometimes the fish living in the fish bowl (or river, as he would have it) are unable to know how unclear their water is - simply because they have no access to any other frame of reference. This is not to say that those outside the 'bowl' have a better or clearer perspective. It is only to say that those outside or those moving to and fro - outside to inside - have a rich and valuable perspective too. And they are certainly not disqualified or incapacitated as scholar suggests from participating in the debates, or making informed decisions.
2007-10-11 12:35 BST Rated: *****Five Star***** by Site Admin
I wonder what all the women in T&T are thinking after reading in the Express 2007-10-13 that Kamla was a leader of nothing. But somehow she is good for leadership of the women's arm of the party.
Oh really Kamla? You are good to lead the 'traditional' male model of the barefoot and pregnant - but not good enough to lead testosterone junkies. Oh puhlesse Kamla - wake up and smell the coffee. Where is your line in the sand?
You have demonstrated the leadership qualities befitting a true party leader - and now you are put in the kitchen? Oh gord Kamla. Take stock of yourself. Your country needs you - not in the kitchen, or dorg house if you want to see it that way.
Ramesh could jus' bounce in from no where and fight a Tabaquite seat and you could just be bounced out to mop floors - while dee boys go out hunting? Ah mean tuh say!!
Kamla I had and still hold a lot of respect for you. You were my tutor in English at one point. I learned so much from you. No Kamla UNC-A is not for you. That is no Alliance. Distinguish Alliance from Contrivance.
Go where you will serve your country best. Do the honourable thing!
Yes--as I put it to a lot of my colleagues: Kamla just got raped by Jack, is continually molested by Panday, and will be murdered by Ramesh. I feel degraded FOR her. She should take note of what a real woman does: (Like Gillian Lucky) Maintain your personal integrity, and then follow a leader with some! Cheers!
Hey Captain, 20,000+ people at St.Augustine last night - ever see the EMR completely blocked for a rally in the history of TNT!
Cop in montrose chaguanas had 400 max - must be the family of Manohar.
Democracy at work.
If and I say IF, the PNM wins this election in the marginals, Anand Ramlogan, Dookeran and all of you will have to live with the fact that you all facilitated this becuase of your so called righteousness and overblown egos.
Anand is digging a hole for himself here in TNT where he will be despised for years to come - he may have to do like all of you and run to another country to live.
Scholar
Aye Scholar boy, Yuh come back? I thought you say yuh gorn fuh good. Yuh do a spit an' lick dey boy! Yuh behave like Ramesh boy!
I cyah predict the future as well as you. You might be right - UNC-A might win. Eeef Jackasess want jackasses to lead, whuh yuh go do boy? In the land of the blind, sightedness is unpopular, if not a curse.
Size of Rally don't mean too much. At the end of the day what matters most is when you come to put yuh vote.
Each one a dem people jumpin' up, bawlin' and blowin' whistle, beating drum etc etc have to consider a few important things when dey in the line about to vote:
But all dat might be too much for dee average chupidy to t'ink 'bout - so do as Scholar say - jes' throw yuh vote any how yuh feel man. So much of dem people in dem crowds could represent the biggest collection of jackasses ever seen in T&T.
And eef dey concscience say vote for a PNM, UNC or COP candidate - daize cool man.
Oh gawd, all yuh fellas fighting here fuh real! All interesting comments with powerful points being made to and for.
I have listened to scholar and others like him on radio and read their views on the newspapers....the very same they condemn as being unworthy. What scholar and others like him is not asking themselves is "why have people migrated to the COP? Is it a push factor or pull factor?" Depending on their answer, they should know that it is not a simple matter of coalition or accomodation or split vote.
COP could either enter arrangements with the UNC-A or drop out of the election race alltogether it may not make a difference with the results for UNC-A - regardless of how many people they gather at their rallies/meetings. It seems to me that scholar is suggesting that if he corners your vote you will have no choice but to vote for UNC-A if you not on the PNM and this simply is a false premise.
Their 'thousands' could perhaps just simply mean that if they win a few seats they do so by a wide margin. What scholar is also saying by not saying it, is that he's scared that they don't have enough to get them there. A man could have plenty money and yet be poor. A meeting could have 'thousands' and still lack credibility.
What Anand has highlighted, are the issues facing the people. What Anand did not mention is the main issue facing the people at this time, which is preventing them from addressing the issues he raised - and that's the lack of a credible party presenting itself to do something about it.
Don't you think that the very same people who can think through the issues in this silly season can also reasoned at the parties presenting themselves for power.
UNC-A could never get my vote and I am in one of the newly created marginals. While some are prepared to forgive and forget because of blinded eyes or perhaps view blocked by 'thousands', it is not so easy for other clear thinking people to do that.
Ramesh single-handedly brought down an entire government 9 months into its term. All that fight for election and when government was obtained it was just given away. And now the same is being asked - for what? history to repeat itself? What has changed?
Removing the PNM is being offered as "THE' reason. But that is only part of the reason really. The other part is someone has to replace them. And this is only one major concern. There are many others.
Despite after only nine months in the government, the UNC "literally handed over power to the PNM" six years ago because of their selfish and dotish in fighting for power amongst themselves like crabs in a barrel, and;
Despite the PNM foolishly blowing away over $250 BILLION DOLLARS of hard working taxpayers dollars over the same six years;
Do You Really Believe the your country is "better off" today than it was before?
Do you really believe that your "country is "safer today" than it was before?
Do you really believe that "people" are better off today than it was before?
Do you really believe that food prices are better off today than it was before?
Do you really believe that food is more readily available today than it was before?
Do you really believe that you, you spouse and children are free to go where they want to go without fear than it was before?
Do you really believe that you and your family can go out after dark where ever you feel to go?
Do you really believe that crime has gone down compared to what it was six years ago?
Do you really believe only about 1700 people were killed over the last six years and maybe that number is still too low it should be higher?
Do you really believe that it should be much higher because higher number numbers are always better than lower numbers?
Do you really believe that a member of your family has not been robbed or kidnapped as yet, but it is only a matter of time that "luck will strike" and they will hit the jackpot?
Do you really believe that with all the crime they talking about, "you born with a gold spoon in your mouth" because so far you just keep getting "lucky" and it will never happen to you, it will happen to everyone else first?
Do you really believe the "whole education system is in a total mess" so much better off than it was six years ago?
Do you really believe that the "entire judicial system has fallen down and callapsed" like so many of the cases before the courts, and that this is the better way to go?
Do you really believe that you should be able to deliver a pizza without getting killed?
Do you really believe that you should be able to sell your vegetables next to the police station and not get shot and killed?
Do you really believe that you should be able to sell your doubles and go home not get shot in your own bed at home?
Do you really believe that you should be able to reach 86 years old and not get "raped" in you own house?
Do your really believe that you should have to be dying for water before WASA would "put" some water in your pipe line?
Do you really believe that in order to reduce traffice deaths on the highways, they should create more traffic jams so nobody could go fast anywhere, that will slow them down?
Do you really believe that either Manning or Panday really cares about any of the above or if it really affects you or your family?
And the lists go on and on, too long to put on paper!
If you really believe in all this silly "hocus pocus" stuff that is being fed to you by Panday and Manning, then you should put them both back in power on November 5th, so you could get some more of the same, because cause we seem to like it so! ...And we really deserve more! We jes plain dotish.
Goodluck to you all on Nov.5th, you will definitely need it the way you thinking (or not thinking) and going on!
Trini.t.o.o.
Boy Trini.t.o.o - ah know whey yuh comin' from but it doh matter. Yuh notice how Scholar, real quiet in dee backgrong? Yuh eh know why? Because he know dat no matter what you say he voting UNC-A. T
he evidence you provide above will only unite people against the PNM and whey dey going nex'? Dey will do as in Guyana - I predict it now. They will go from pillar to post. They will unite against PNM and vote UNC-A. Yuh know why? Because in general Trickidadians like dey tricks.
You think dey want an overly prim and proper COP putting life in order? Nah...a feel there is a mistake there. In reality Trickidadians like dee freedom of dey lil'' bobol and t'ing. You might t'ink about your descendants, buh you t'ink dee average Trickidadian does t'ink so far. Man dey want dey house fix up now.
Dey want dey stadium now. So what is a lil'' 300 million over spend in Taxpayers' money for dee convenience of doin' yuh lil' crime and bobol on dee side. Corruption has it's cost and the taxpayer willin' to pay for dat 'privilege'.
So it not hard for me to see why UNC-A is likely to win. Check Dooks below. He's a bright fella - but he probably selling order and accountability to the lawless and unaccountable. Dey nah to buy dat? Gih dem bobol - dey like dat. Eh?
Captain Walker, you are so correct, with the likes of "scholar" and some of the others - with their thinking and mentality towards this election, you can tell very quickly that they don't have a clue of what the "real issues" are, and furthermore they don't care what are the real day to day serious issues facing the nation and the people. They are "fixated" on some "tiny piece of rhetoric" Panday gave them to hold on to several ions ago, and as such they can't see beyond their collective noses today.
I read a comment today from another news source on the PNM Chutney singer in Gasparillo, and when asked for the resident comment, she said they did not get anything done by the last UNC incumbent, but this time she going to vote either for PNM so they can get something done around Tabaquite, or she may vote for the Chutney Singer -(PNM) and when asked why, she said "well you got to give jack his jacket", what ever the hell that really means, but she does not have a clue what the issues of the day are.
Nobody wants to talk about the real issues facing the country today; the high crime rates and what they plan to do about it, health and poor healthcare and hospitals, lack of water, high food prices and inflation, transportation and traffic jams, policing and security, poor education and education facilities (no schools) and the children, housing and the poor and senior citizens just to name a few, and the list goes on and on and on....endless....
Yet today, on the newspaper report, the government spent $1.2 million to support a music band of the Prime Minister's choice, what kind of misguided priority by him, what a collosal waste of the country resources, yet they running away from talking about fixing the problems and making the country a safer and better place for its citizens....
So when you have the people like "scholar" and the likes of him, talking about having the vast knowledge and education and experience, and continuing to support "the Rum & Roti" politics and politicians today, it frightens me to no end...
.....instead of the "scholars" looking at COP as a new and viable alternative, with fresh young, bright, educated and talented & dedicated professionals, and with their leader and leadership, (which is presently absent by the other parties) willing to bring to the people a new perspective on politics, which includes Responsibility, Accountability and "real solutions" to address and fix the many many problems facing the nation today, the "scholars" revert and default to "old school politics" being played out by Panday and Manning and their respective cohorts right into the hands of the "rum and roti" politics all over again, while cleverly sweeping the issues under the rug never to surface or raise its ugly heads till after the election.
My objective, between now and the election, is to continue at every opportunity, to bring these burning issues "up front" to the readers attention, so that its not forgotten in the "feting" thats going on, because when its all over and done with, they will have to live with the consequences of their voting decisions and 'STOP COMPLAINING", BECAUSE THATS WHAT THEY WANT, AND THEY LIKE IT SO.!
The trouble with that is, that I do have a lot of family, friends and relatives who are going to be "affected" by poor decisions being made by the likes of the "scholars" of today, blind as a bat to everything around them, all consumed with some "fairy tales" being fed to them by Panday and Ramesh and Manning et al, as the "game continues...on and on....and they all laughing behind the electorate backs..
Remember they don't lose, we the people do, "they have nothing to lose" but all to gain.! We see it over and over again..
To that end I would like to repeat and quote my Trinican friend's ditty: "If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got."
Just what Manning and Panday and Ramesh expects and would like them to do, and so far they are on cue with the likes of "scholar and his ilks".
So we have to provide that "support" in every way, and hopefully there are many others our there also, to the ones who are seriously contemplating change for the better, thats all we can ask and expect in the end.....so I won't give up till its over, not until the "fat lady sings"...notwithstanding!
Goodluck!
Trini.t.o.o.
I will respond soon, I just came back form the Gsparillo meeting of 15000+ with the uNC and I still bazodee from it.
I lived in Gasparillo from 1996 to 2002 and I have never seen the gasparillo junction blocked from vehicular traffic from ALL SIDES, Incredible - simply too much humanity present.
You people are so blinded by "high falltutin" stuff that you all cannot accept the reality - the peoples reality. The COP leaders wont unite - np- the ground will and are uniting.
You peple are in for the shock of oyur lives.
Anand, you are so politically naive - I cannot beleive I once believed in you. You have lost all credibility in eyes.
I wonder what direction this blog will take after Nov 5. A lot of bitching I suppose.
Anyway enough of this stupid talk. I will respond with FACTS in the next few days.
Scholar
One really has to appreciate scholar and others like him. I for one welcome his inputs. When you read it you begin to understand how Trinidad is like little rome where mob mentality rule. You also begin to understand what the clear thinking electorate is up against with enthrenched race voting - PNM/UNC style. You also begin to understand the proganda machinery of the UNC, which in response to that of the PNM has become just like them. No different. We are fully aware of the numbers game both the UNC and PNM is playing to wage their psychological warfare and appeal to racist mob mentality. Hence the rent-ah-crowd and bus loads of from all over. It is important to the UNC to give an impression of strength and no expenses are spared in ensuring they gather the crowd and create the euphoria - of which my friend is obviously a poor victim. If he is not aware then he should be that both the UNC and the PNM leaderships are spending a lot to get this done (get a large crowd) because they know they have a run on their support bases. Hence the need to create the impression of support and strength. To Mr. Manning's credit he has not gone around begging. He's working overtime - quietly, to regain his base. Mr. Panday on the other hand everytime he has a meeting is appealing for his base to remain intact. Last night he appealed to his supporters religious psyche - "if you don't give me ALL of your vote it's a sin". He has played the race card already but it has not worked effectively. Now he's trying the religious angle. Time is running out as we get closer to the elections and he hasn't pulled things together. Now you tell me if this isn't the acts of a desperate man acutely aware of the state of disrepair of his base? Scholar's vote and attendance is of little value. It is those which he does not have that he wants. Anand represents a serious blow to this and a serious divide in his base. Hence the paid callers and mass smear campaign by UNC-A disciples on radio shakti and 106fm amongst other media. To Anand's credit he has kept it together and knowing the fighting spirit he possess hasn't lost his cool.
Both the PNM and UNC is afraid of the unknown and in this election a lot is not known. The electorate is being quietly intelligent and discerning. nothing is in the bag for no one. and all the parties are having problem figuring it out. The UNC and PNM are fighting the battle the wrong way and this will hurt them. They are fooling themselves and their supporters. They don't know how to move because the electorate is not giving away much.
I expect some mark to buss between now and next week on some people. That card ent play yet and the more desperate the two major parties get is the heavier the hand.
This election sweet too bad! Trinis ent as foolish as you all think. Watch thing! This one goh play down to the last minute. And all of this because of the introduction of the COP. I'll give them credit for that. They have awaken a sleeping electorate and spark off some serious interest in the politics. To me they have achieved what they set out to do already. All else from here on in is bonus. Meantime, I'll still reserve my vote.
Gasparillo gets blocked every time it rains, and every evening from 4 to about 9.... 4 fast food outlets, a doubles man, a pharmacy and several more businesses all in one little bottleneck...
Trini.t.o.o, boy ah have to hand it to you. You are a person of much determination.
Poor Scholar (aka Skull Man), he gorn to a UNC rally and come back so bazodee he cyah talk coherently. Yuh see what yuh dealing wid? Ah mean I'm with Swing Vote as well - I do appreciate Scholar responding, if only to demonstrate a certain mentality that he of course is blind to.
He now promises a response. But I take the advantage of predicting the nature of his response. It is likely to be filled with rhetoric and parrotings of the words of his leader. I don't expect he will deal head on with things like 300M overspend on Tarouba, mismanaged 100M in Petrotrin, discriminatory conduct against Feroza Ramjohn and the Maha Sabha, a good explanation for Ramesh spit-and-lick opportunistic behaviour, why he leader pushing people (including he own daughter like) knobs on a draught board, 150M for a mansion befitting an executive president, money spent in Kennsington in London.
And the reason he will not deal with all that is because he will simply agree that PNM has messed up - but UNC-A whilst not being whiter than white, in his perception, is the only leadership to take the country through to economic prosperity in the next 50 years. Of course he cyah be bothered or lacks the capacity to think that Panday might go down in a box some time in the nex' ten years - and who go take over? - Ramesh? Well den crapeaud smoke allyuh pipe - too bad! Ramesh eh go give Kamla a chance! Watch and see.
The problem is the same as taking water to a horse i.e. you can take evidence to the people, but they doh have to look at it or appreciate it. If Scholar is any measure of what a typical voter is like in T&T the 'herd' instinct and the 'monkey-see-monkey-do' instinct will decide the which government is elected.
So as per Guyana the electorate will bounce between Burnham and Jagan. Sell up now and move out if you can - or at least shortly after the UNC-A win, because the TT dollar is going to plummet, like nose dive. The same phenomenon happened in Jamaica. Get yuh children out - now!! Thanks for opening my eyes, scholar.
Captain Walker, you're right on track! In addition, I must also commend "Trinican" and "Jumbie" for also tabling very important and pertinent issues that are being overlooked, as well as I must commend "Swingvote" for putting a different perspective on the comments of "Scholar", which forced me to go back and take a second look at them, and they are indeed insightful as "Swingvote" noted.
Captain Walker hit it right on the head, that scholar is "repeating" what his so called leaders are spouting out at their meetings, but they are not talking about issues of the day or solutions, and he is not adding anything new of his own convictions towards anything happening right now!.
This is evident by him saying that he is now going to respond in a few days with the "facts", which shows that all along "he is only talking about what he is being told." No?
All of this is "Panday talk" plain and simple. Political rhetoric by him. Nothing new, nothing refreshing, just morbid fear of COP entering the scene and raining on his party.
Lets take a closer look at his responses, albeit he was speaking all the time without any facts and he will now get them and respond in about five days.
Its really bad and dangerous to "talk about something without knowing all the facts."
The first time, "scholar" said " all you have said we are very aware of it except the PNM die hard supporters", and based on their decision to go it alone,(COP) they are showing they only they care for themselves, and not for the vast majority of citizens of the country who suffer daily.".....
....."oops, I forgot the COP membership is made up of primarily well to do persons who do not know suffering"... and the "such is life in politics, what morality they have, what integrity on the part of their leaders."
In his secod comments, "if you are living here in TnT you must belong to a very well to do class who have not known struggle."
...and then "these views (ours) are alien to 80% of the masses who are struggling here to the victimization and discrimination of the people by the PNM."
..."the PNM cannot be removed except by a WARRIOR of the people, anybody else will be eaten alive and destroyed."
..."intellectuals, like Dookeran and the rest of COP will be so emaciated that the country will never recover."
..."Panday and Ramesh are the only ones who can destroy the PNM not Dooks or Kamla, they have the firpower to CONVINCE the masses to follow them...it is not mature yet that people can be convinced by these logical and fairplay views you all are supporting."
..."first you need Panday, Ramesh and Jack to get rid of the old way of doing things and when things get stable, next generation leaders can take over...in 10 years yes, if UNC-A get in power for the next ten years..."
"...thats why COP making a big mistake refusing to unite for the sake of the people...they are selfish and only thinking for themselves, out of touch with reality on te ground- they are Brahmin class and we are untouchables who know nothing."...
..." at this time we need "firebrand style of warrior", the only one left are PAnday, Ramesh Kamla and Jack- only they can remove PNM"...
...wait till after Monday, if COP do not unite, you will see Dook integrity and rest torn to shreds..."
...after Monday, both PNM and COP are "enemies" and the truth will come out."...
...COP will disintegrate next few weeks, huge protest in Mayaro?Rio Claro against COP candidate...I'm off to meeting in Debe of UNC and will let you klnow what Ramesh sats later..."
scholar 10/10:
"...I and 7,000+ gathered at Debe Junction..."biggest political gathering ever in Debe...I promise you soon if not already, Anand will realize soon what a terrible decision he made and probably trying to backtrack...Deevent Maharaj already realizing ...only pride holding him back from quitting "CORPSE"...
scholar 13/10:
"...hey captain...20,000+ people at St.Augustine last night...see the EMR completely blocked for rally in history of TnT...COP in Chaguanas max 400..."
"...if PNM wins, Anand and Dooks and all of you will live with the fact you facilitated this because of you all..."
scholar 16/10:
"...just came back from Gasparillo...UNC meeting...15,000+ bazodee. etc...COP leaders won't unite ...people on the ground are..."
...will respond in five days with the facts etc..."
You might wonder why I presented scholar's contributions this way, but in taking a second look at them, its "exactly" what he heard at the meetings, the political tripe" that Panday and his cohorts are telling the people.
What you are hearing is that they are are trying like hell to convince the masses that if they don't vote for them, the PNM will win and that if the PNM wins it the fault of COP.
But if their meetings are attracting 20,000+ and 15,000+ and 7,000+ and the COP (you notice scholar now saying CORPSE to - jes like he boss Panday) only getting 400 max to attend, why are they so afraid of COP? There is more in the mortar than the pestle, I tell you.
All UNC-A is doing is "fearmongering" you might also notice nowhere they talk about the problems or fixing them, although he says they are aware of them. ha,ha,ha!
He also talks about "moral" and "integrity of the leaders, well he should be the right one to talk about morality, as I remember someone saying, "politics has a morality of its own", and guess who had to stand up to defend that in court...we all know who - right?...
Integrity.. Panday..Ramesh..these must be new words in the vocabulary...right?
...they're "rich" as "we are poor and suffering", I wonder which one of them poor and suffering, Jack, Panday, or Ramesh? Who's fooling whom?
They're upper class and you all are lower class"? They're Brahmins and you're lower class... how low can a man be or get..or is this just desperation like "swingvote" said...stooping to the people's most revered beliefs, their religion?...
Anyway, thanks to Captain Walker, Trinican, Scholar, Swingvote and Jumbie for all pointing me in the right direction...opening my eyes a little more..really making me see that a vote for UNC-A is a vote for the "same ole" "same ole"..PNM and nothing new..
UNC and the "bunch" still at old tricks and "nothing has changed or ever will, just give them another ten years at it...what a silly joke...
.....believe all that and then also believe I have a piece of swamp land on "sale" in florida going cheap, cheap..too!
...Just goes to show, sometime we Trinis believe in the silliest of things, I mean really, really silly things!
...be back soon my friends, keep well in the meantime!
...and good luck too!
Trini.t.o.o.
Well fellas, am I a prophet or am I a prophet - at least in predicting the nature of Scholar's responses. Ah mean tuh say, Scholar - it is now good entertainment reading the stuff you write. Keep it coming.
You have me laughing most of the time - and doh worry ah will give you the last laugh Scholar. Yuh will need it.
The COP should realise that their supporters have been garnered from the ones disliking 'unity' and that as things heat up, the COP will get even stronger.
* Readers might ask why I refer to UNC instead of UNC-A. There is no UNC-A, only UNC. The EBC itself confirmed that any alliance member MUST FIRST REGISTER AS A MEMBER OF THE UNC. That makes the party UNC.People on this day, one of us is going to go into shock, either me or all of you on this forum.
I am 100% convinced the COP will not win a single seat. At present I am 100% convinced the UNC has 16 in the bag.
Ryan and the express are a tag team for the PNM, if you all dont know that yet you all are in dreamland.
The PNM would love nothing better than for the population to beleive that the COP has significant vote because that would indicate the opposition votes are split and so the PNM will run away with victory.
But the PNM may be in for a shock themselves when they realise the votes are splitting yes, but between the COP and PNM not COP and UNC.!!!
The UNC votes are strong and getting stronger.
If any one of you come to penal or siparia or rio claro or Mayaro or Princess town and do a poll you will see the UNC at 80% and the PNM at 5%.
Why do you expect a Ryan poll in a PNM constituency to favor the UNC?? Are you all so naive??
Ryan is a known PNM supporter, it is in his interest to ask people on the streets of POS who "look" like PNM supporters who they will vote for.
What is amazing and good news for the UNC is that they were neck and neck between the PNM and COP. If I were a PNM supporter I would be very very worried, the PNM is losing votes to the COP.
So people the writing is on the wall for the COP and the PNM, the UNC will take approx 28 seats inthe next elections.
REMEMBER scholar said it first on this blog ok!!
You all will be hailing me as a genius come Nov 5.
Anand, it is not too late, you can still save yourself from embarrassment.
Freeport last night had 12,000. The road to Arena was blocked , anyone living in there could not go home until after the meeting was done. The police were so frustrated they could not handle the numbers in such a small place. Never has this ever happened before.
There were 6 maxis only, everyone else were from the area.
The COP meeting was in Morvant, on 106.1 it was stated there were 15 green band maxis and abput 25 benz. Who in Morvant have benz?? Who is bussing supporters??? from other constituencies. There were about 500 people present.
Anand, time to put on your OBJECTIVE hat again, take off that COP hat that does not fit you.
First Ramesh brought the judicial review act which made you a household name in TNT defending rich individuals, now with his equal opportunity act, you will make a lot more money in the next 5 years defending well to to individuals. I hope you tell Ramesh thanks for making your career, in the same way Panday made Dookeran's career.
The People's National Movement (PNM) presentation of candidates for Central Trinidad on Monday night failed to attract a crowd.
In what is traditionally the heartland of the United National Congress (UNC), the PNM crowd could not fill the car park at Centre City Mall, Chaguanas.
In a nearby carpark, several maxi-taxis were seen waiting after off-loading supporters, many of whom wore T-shirts bearing candidates from other constituencies.
AND YOU STILL BELIVE RYAN - LET HIM DO THE POLL IN CHAGUANAS AND PUBLISH IT IN EXPRESS FRONT PAGE NAH!!!
There is none so blind as those who refuse to see, Scholar.
If Selwyn Ryan is a PNM supporter, how come his poll shows the points I highlighted, that the COP is doing better than the UNC and the PNM. The PNM is 4% in the lead, but the COP is gaining ground, and has a better overall perception in the eyes of the people.
In the meantime, you continue to wear blinders while focused on the UNC.
As I said before, I don't know whether to be sorry for you, or angry that it's people like you who drag my country back from progress.
Jumbie you are so politically naive, what Ryan did was brilliant from a PNM perspective.
The PNM knows their base is safe. What is not safe is their middle class supporters.
By making it seem the COP is in the lead they are energizing their base to remain faithful and strengtening the minds of COP supporters not to go back to UNC by making them think that the COP is doing well and do not worry about the crowds at UNC meetings.
That is the only strategy they can adopt now given the showing by the UNC in the last 10 days. You must think the 51 year old strategy of the PNM is dumb, no my friend it is brilliant and for that I admire the PNM.
They have got to try and make people feel the COP is strong even though they are DYING slowly. Yesterday the entire campaign executive of the COP in St.Anns constituency defected to the UNC saying the COP only care about rich people, but would that make the news, hell no!
Even the PNM know COP is dying and they cannot afford that otherwise they lose to UNC by 32 to 9.
The backlash to the PNM of this strategy and one they have no choice but to accept is that their middle class support will go and stay with the COP but they are hoping their base is stronger than the UNC and do they can still come out on top.
But they cannot fathom the juggernaut thats the Panday/Jack leadership, no one can except the grassroots of all parties. And that is what is going to make the difference. They also are underestimating the inteligence of the UNC middleclass. 80% are coming back, 20% like some of you on this blog will always feel your thinking is superior and will never come back. Good riddance I say!
Anand, where are you, bring some inteligence to this blog nah! even if it is contrary to my thinking. All these guys only talking but with no real analysis of strategies and facts!!! They believe everything they read in the papers not grasping the deep meaning behind these brillinat and wonderful staregies and tricks.
This election is fun stuff to analyse but one must have an understanding of life in TNT and people from all over not just POS or PENAL centric. They must analyse the players and their history and why they do certain things.
All of you please read Reginald Dumas article in todays paper if you can. You all will undertsand what intelligent analysis, war strategies and historical data is all about.
The Express of Oct 18, (today) quotes Warner:
Another case of the almighty Scholar parroting those he listens to on the hustings, as can be seen from his contribution on Wed 17/10.
Once again, he has not contributed a single original argument, merely regurgitating what he hears from the UNC political platform.
Scholar, I'm glad you' recognize some intelligent analysis when you see it on the news on 16/10/07.
But perhaps you went by so fast you missed the very same referral to "The Prince by Niccholo Machievelli" in my 10/10/07 article - suggesting both Ramesh and Panday should take a read of it, since "if they knew how to attain power, they definitely did not know how to hold on to power." Precisely what Dumas is talking about in his article, and referring to the same source.
Scholar, "been there done that," got the "T" shirt to prove it too.! Don't have to wait for the likes of Dumas to point that out to me. You'd be very surprised, but I'd leave it there!
It appears though, that you believe everything you hear from others, and my suggestion is that you start "thinking and reasoning" for yourself, and don't let others do all of that for you, especially Panday, Ramesh and Jack. o.k?
You sound too smart to let them fool you "all the time". Take a good look at whats happening around you today, and see if you are so happy with it......?
...And if you think the Panday, Ramesh, or Manning all don't have something to do with causing and bringing the worse living conditions you are presently in from the "most wealthiest" country in the carribean.....,
..... then you too are part of the problem along with them and not part of the solution.! You cannot want change and be afraid of change at the same time...you have to want it, change that is!
...if the status quo is ok with you and not only that, you are willing to go backwards all the time instead of forward, you and our country will always be left behind in the dust, struggling to "play catch-up" all the time...
...where is the so called forward thinking from Manning, 2020 vision? what a joke? what is Panday suggesting this time around to the people now that the"sugar cane is history" and his people is unemployed and displaced? more of the same?
...think hard scholar, this time its for good, no turn back, no second chance, my view is that COP is still the best alternative of the three options, and thats the chance the people will have to take or face and accept the consequences.. more of the same or worse..?
....scholar, you talk about strategy...well let me give you a hint, ok?
...Manning...Dictatorship? Executive Presidency?
...sounds funny eh? Ken Valley wrong eh? when last you spoke "Spanish"? since when Trinidad is a "Spanish speaking country" , take a good look at the airport signs, why Spanish?
...for the soldiers coming from "Chavez country" Venezuela or those coming from Cuba? All SPANISH SPEAKING !
...Why all those Manning trips to Venezuela and to Cuba, to check his heart and pacemaker? Gimme a break, Manning much too smart, smarter than you all give him credit for...OK?
...he done arrange for help from his friends, Venezuela and Cuba, he don't have to depend on his inept Security Minister or the joke of our police force.
...You hear Manning talking about "civil war", where is that coming from?
...You hear him and Ken Valley talking about Executive Presidency? what do you think thats all about? You think Ken Valley don't know? You don't think thats why Manning dumped him, because he don't want strong men around him who would challenge him?
... you know Manning had a "Bombardier Executive Jet" parked in the Bahamas and he was taking "test flights", what you think thats coming from?
...you know that his friend the President of Uganda "flew in on his Private Jet" to Trinidad for Emancipation Day celebrations?
... and you now know he built his $148 million Palace Mansion in record time, what do you think thats all about? For someone else? Think again...?
Manning knows that he will win again, because Panday and his bunch still fighting for leadership and he just going to coast through...no competition...they too pre-occupied to lead?
... but he did not figure on COP being where they are! thats his main problem, his surprise...the big obstacle in his way...not Panday and the UNC-A...>>>
....Panday, Ramesh and Jack blind to Manning's strategy, let them just keep calling him "dotish" and wait till after Nov.5th....
...the man, Manning laughing so hard behind they back, because they really dotish ...jes like the three stooges yes!
...but beware, keep your eyes open and just wait and see..,!
...and I too hope I am so wrong, ok?
goodluck to all .....
trini.t.o.o.
It is amazing you recognise all this and yet cannot recognise that if the PNM wins the next election and Manning gets a special majority it will be because of the COP taking a couple hundred crucial votes from the UNC.
Just a couple hundred thats all they will get and that is what might make the difference.
However I am still holding to my view that the COP is taking more PNM votes than UNC and so we will be ok after all.
Trini.t.o.o and others, Notice how Scholar predictably ducks the evidence - AGAIN! He goes of on a frolic of his own to hurl blame at the COP for taking more of the 'PNM votes'. Now he asserts that the persistence of PNM rule will be COP's fault because COP took too much of the PNM vote from UNC.
The brilliant scholar will have us believe that responsibility for PNM rule is now proportionate to the amount of PNM votes taken from the UNC. That is just plain psychotic - isn't it.
Leh meh try Spanish - perhaps scholar's language - he might understan': Caramba! El hombre está loco!
Read what I said again, you should read everything twice seems your brain is slow.
I said the votes the COP is taking from the UNC middle class may determine the election in PNM favor and that will be their fault ( a mere 200 to 300 votes ).
However I am confident that the COP is taking much more PNM middle class votes than UNC votes and so I am not unduly worried.
Evidence? where? you just talking b--- with no factual evidence.
Show me the factual evidence and I will concede.
And ANAND 2 days ago on TV you admitted you said "you will not be like a backward coolie and vote UNC", you have painted 300,000 people with this tag. Do not try to be high and mighty now by denying you said that!!!
Hope you understand the above simple english.
Sorry Scholar, I obviously not as bright as you. Feel sorry fuh me nah boy.
"...that if the PNM wins the next election and Manning gets a special majority it will be because of the COP taking a couple hundred crucial votes from the UNC."
- which according to my limited understanding of the English means that COP is to blame for the PNM winning and Manning getting a special majority. This is due to COP taking a couple hundred crucial votes.
"Just a couple hundred thats all they will get and that is what might make the difference." - and that seems to emphasise your point.
"I said the votes the COP is taking from the UNC middle class may determine the election in PNM favor and that will be their fault ( a mere 200 to 300 votes )."
Well as the election period wears on and the day for decision gets closer, things are going south - quickly. Not everything is about issues. Or so it seems.
Both the UNC and PNM fanatics want their pound of flesh and turf. We are quickly heading the way of Jamaican politics. Big money, thuggery, violence et al. And even the journalist are throwing punches.
There are sporadic reports of COP candidates being threatened, COP offices vandalized and of course people being paid by the UNC man with deep pockets.
And if this isn't bad enough the journalist are exhibiting blatant signs of favourtism (Shakti, 106, IBN) and swearing that they are being objective. In the meantime, the paid political callers are having a feast at the expense of the population - spewing their garbage morning, noon and night. As the 3 parties try to open up some space to lead on their way to D-day, the WAR OF PERCEPTION is raging hard. All in an attempt to fool the poor people and win over their loyalty. While all this is going on the people suffers for lack of REAL news as to what is the true picture and the true issues.
On the ground, the UNC man with the deep pockets is throwing money and free grog around and a free cell phone for good measure. The grassroots for sale! The very same grassroots that some people want us to believe is in their camp and 'drawing big crowds' (abd so the media continue to lap this up). As the picture emerge we begin to understand why. It's no longer a case of nerves but one of big bank accounts. Who has the last dollar is expected to win.
The PNM on the other hand is reported to be threatening their CEPEP and URP workers to ensure the numbers are high at their meetings. If yuh ent show up, yuh eating dirt in the morning. No wuk fuh yuh! And of course, ah piece ah licks for 'betrayal'.
COP either failing to mobilise or their people running scared to show support as this perhaps can be seen as 'betraying the race'. (Maybe their people/leadership should begin taking firm action on both counts. Ah thought they had a justice team?)
While all this is going on, the genuine people who is really interested in the welfare of their country and future are being made victims at the hands of the unscrupulous. They say politics is a dirty game and who can't stand the heat should get out of the kitchen. It seems, those in the kitchen are cooking the people! It is also said that if you slowly bring the water to a boil those being cooked would not even realise that they are being cooked. This case applies here.
So we know a lot is at stake. Not only the power but the treasury which we understand is bursting at the seams. Will the population and the good people who reside in this wonderful nation be able to survive the lead up to the 05th? Or will they be corrupted and fooled by those who have already corrupted themselves and wield deception? Father put ah hand! Now yuh see why people doh bother to vote.
Well buoy it looking more like the supposed silent and decent majority's courage is being put to the test. Will they die a coward's death behind the cold iron bars in the places they call home, or will they take the courage of their convictions (that things can and should be better than the two mafia choices) in their hands on voting day and exercise the one option for real change. We'll soon see.
I wonder what Scholar will make of the UNC candidate caught red-handed in some bobol?
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161219246
If a unc or pnm campaign team defects to the COP it will because they suddenly became wise, when its teh other way around its bribery. When will you COP members wake up and smell the coffee.
The most disgusting and despicable political broadcasting is taking place in the COP station IBN but noone talks, were it the other way around, I can just imagine what you all would say. This aparently is "new politics"
Gerry Yetming chairman of the COP having dinner with John Rahael and John Donaldson, chairman of the PNM in a hidden corner of Trotters a couple days ago is "new politics". They must have been old freinds discussing cricket right???
You people are so naive!
In years to come Pandays Sayings will be immortalised in teh history books of the WORLD, not just trinidad. "Politics has a morality of its own" is so true but all you dishonest folks practise it but scared to preach it. Ask Dooks, that weak leader who cannot control what his people are saying.
If a cop candidatr isin the morning arrested on some charge or the other it will be political discrimination!! but for others it is the TRUTH.
If unc candidates posters are defaced with "vote cop" it will be deemed to have been done by unc members to frame the cop. The other way around it is political mischeif, when will you all wake up and realise its war!!!
And the UNC A will win it.
And Anand that was a real nice trick on TV6 last week to get George Daniek to call in to say you did his case probono and letting us belive it was genuine, even you all in teh COP are fullof tricks eh...lol
"Different to" or "different from" NOT 'different than'.
American do not speak ENGLISH, unfortunately.
Where you learn that from Jumbie? from your new masters in whichever country you living in or are u in TNT brainwashed by our impotrted school system.
I am not not knocking our education system ,we have one of the best in the world. Thank GOD we stuck with the British system and never adopted the mediocre american system which can make dunces think they are intelligent by giving away letters to put after their names.
But at least some of us are smart enough to realise that we can create and change as we see fit. Does the british alone have a monopoly on what constitutes proper english?? Only a subservient mind will think that, not a free mind like mines.
Even the word "jumbie" has made it into the oxford.
Over and out.
By the way is that all you have to say on my comments, I was looking foward to your convoluted, illogical blind comments.
Some people have insisted on "different from" on the grounds that "from" is required after "to differ".
Seems to me the world basically says your speech is defective.. .
Debating your arguments is a bit hard when the very illogic of your grammar leaps out at me, but I'll give it a go in a bit.
I hold no brief for IBN (I believe they can defend themselves) and I am definetly no COP, UNC or PNM but in the interest of balance and objectivity the truth should be advanced.
On the day UNC-A held their rally, I was listening to a post assessment by the host (Hansley Ajodha) and guest (Mr. Harry Harnarine) on Shakti and was rather enjoying the insightful look at the situation from both persons. Having viewed the rally on television I think the organizers did a good job at mobilising people (regardless of incentives) and putting together a good show. It was necessary especially since the party has taken several hits and was on a downswing. The success of the rally was thus necessary to provide a re-bound.
As the radio program continued, to my total surprise the guest waded into several COP members (Mr. Selby Wilson, Mr. Moonan, Mr. De Lima, Ms. Bhagan, Mr. Dookeran and of course Mr. Ramlogan amongst others). They HCU president really went at it revealing matters which to an objective listener was really in poor taste. In my opinion, the president was maligning people's character without proper proof and of course such proof could not be provided over radio. How was one to determine the merit in all what he was saying? Surely, he could not be asking the listeners to take his word 'jus so'? His speaking as the 'authority' on the matters does not validate what he was saying. He should have therefore considered the media he was using to voice these matters. It thus came across as a deliberate attempt to railroad the COP campaign and smear the good names of candiates the COP put forward and therefore nullify the other opposition force to the incumbent PNM. It was simply unethical.
If he, the host and the station are pro-UNC and doing the party's bidding then he should inform all listeners of same. But they kept saying they were being objective and unbiased. Further the president indicated that all the matters were part of 'research' done by his institute of 'higher learning.' In this atmosphere of charged emotions discretion should have been his operative word. Make no bones about it, parties use propaganda to gain the upper hand on their rivals especially when they want to sway the electorate to their side with 'perceptions'.
If therefore these people don't wish to get burn then they shouldn't play with fire. If they feel that their business ventures are being jeopardized then they should blame themselves for bringing it on themselves. As a matter of fact, it is especially since they have businesses (which involve finance matters) they should play it fair in this charge atmosphere to avoid backlash and fallout. They cannot now be crying when they are being hit back and call everyone vicious and nasty except themselves.
Wow!!!! That was a very fantastic speech given by Mr. Dookeran at St. Joseph.
Perfect dilivery and very state man like.
It was very moving and powerful!
I am completely over awed by such a speech.
I think Mr. Dookeran is finally taking his place in history.
He has come of age!
Hey swing vote, Dookeran will take his place in the dustbin of history in 13 days!