Cari-come and A-free-ca : winning combo

The editorial in today's Newsday is certainly an eye-opener in many respects. While many newspapers tend to report on the news then embellish upon it in some way, it is refreshing to see this editorial calling a spade a spade and not just shovelling the stuff that allegedly walks.

In suggesting that CARICOM could become the sixth arm of the five-region African Union, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni was making one of those fine-sounding suggestions which have little practical merit. Unfortunately, with a general election coming near, the Government, and even the opposition parties may want to get political mileage out of the idea by treating it as a serious policy, rather than the rhetoric typical of these occasions.

Suggesting that the Caribbean Community become part of the African Union? It has to be political mileage because where else can you have an asinine suggestion that Africa can become part of the Caribbean, or vice versa.

The Ugandan president may have been moved to make his suggestion because, as he saw it, he felt watching the faces before him as if it were in a part of Africa.

There is a good reason for that. How many Indians were invited to the celebrations, how many did he have an opportunity to meet? In fact, he saw the same face of Trinidad and Tobago that many outsiders see, perpetuated by the print and electronic media - i.e that Trinidad and Tobago is one where only people of African descent lives. The only photos in the media are people of African descent, whether they be politicians or criminals (the way charges are being laid these days, is the same thing really, ent?).

Demographically speaking, it would be more accurate to call T&T an Indian country, since Indo-Trinidadians make up 40 percent of the populace while Afro-Trinidadians make up 37 percent. However, the Central Statistical Office, for reasons best known to itself, still lists the smaller group first on its census, which perhaps reflects a political reality that does not wish to pass.

Anand Ramlogan, political and racial watchdog may have something to say on this.

It may be argued that racial kinship is a key aspect in initiatives coming out of India and China to their populations’ diasporas. But there are crucial differences. For one thing, both these countries are nations, not unions of different nations. For another, both established themselves as trading entities before trying to establish diasporic linkages. And, lastly, none of those linkages have involved appeals to the governments of the countries where their descendants live. President Museveni’s proposal is a political one, not an economic or even cultural project.

So the other ethnic groups do it all on their own, yet the Africans want government help? Hmmm....

But we find it hard to see how a regional political affiliation will function, given that CARICOM itself is still working out the nuts-and-bolts of regional cooperation, and the African Union is itself still a loose body with only moral force behind it. Given this, President Museveni’s proposed initiative may, if it results in any concrete action at all, result in just another title and salary for some individuals favoured by a political party in power both on the African continent and here.

This is something to look out for, an opportunity laid out by the Newsday for the PNM to take hold of and run with it... a ready made job for the boys.

I'll be keeping my eye out, never fear. Especially since Manning already said that TT will be helping to relieve poverty in Uganda.