The preamble...
Sometimes I wonder at the foolishness of man - Man, the race. I wonder why, despite our abject stupidity in choosing what is harmful to us, we still survive, and 'progress'. We multiply and breed, but will soon overrun this world and it's limited resources, without even renewing any.
We are indeed like viruses, as Agent Smith said to Neo in The Matrix. We seldom have symbiotic relationships, choosing instead to be parasites wherever we go.
We also look to the worst within our specie when selecting our political and national leaders. Small wonder then, that we have moved forward. Then again, we have moved forward despite our leaders. Mainly, the innovations, the inventions, the thinking that carry us ahead came not from the political leadership, but from the scientific and philosophical leadership.
So why then do we seek the worst of us to follow? It's a human condition I will never understand.
The grouses...
In Trinidad and Tobago we have amongst our political chosen - bigots, racists, sexual deviants and perverts, thieves and other sundry criminals, dictators, imperialists... the list is so long I get tired thinking about it. It kills that 0.01% hope you see.
If I ever return to Trinidad, I foresee a most frustrating time ahead:
The real future I dread is one where Trinidad is handed to a dictator - an Executive President. For my people to watch and do nothing as this is slowly and inexorably implemented is sadness itself.
While speaking to a friend who happened to have a law degree, he revealed to me a profound truth:A 'right' is only what the state allows you!
Therefore, what you consider as your rights, are only the privileges that the state permits via laws. Tomorrow a law could be passed if no one opposes it saying your daughters must lose their virginities to the maximum leader (an extreme example chosen deliberately). What are you going to do? Who will you protest to? A court can do nothing... it is the LAW.
Therefore, by allowing into power a man who rides roughshod over natural justice, you risk your 'rights' being taken away from you, or eroded.
I wonder that my people, especially those supporting COP and UNC fail to see this. COP and UNC are fighting each other.. while the PNM laughing kiff kiff kiff all the way to the Executive Presidency.
Does anyone wonder why even after being shafted by Pa-trick, that Rahael still supports PNM? In his own words, loyalty to the party comes first. It is the only way to achieve the ends.
While the 'Indians' in UNC and COP fight over leadership, has no one wondered why despite so much arrogance and bad decisions, Pa-trick is still at the helm of the PNM? Because his people know that the only way to retain power is to unite in leadership.
A close friend recently pointed out to me, that it is only Indians leaving UNC. Why? People of other race joined and are still there. Because they value loyalty; good, bad or indifferent leadership aside. We Indians don't.
I don't like Panday because of his past history of mashing up everything, and I think Dookeran's financial experience and prudence may be exactly what we need right now... but at this juncture I am more afraid of a PNM win than even if Panday comes back to power.
If he wins, and mashes up everything as is his wont, I may still hope that a new government can choose a leader to move us forward... but if the PNM wins, crapaud smoke we pipe!
Sometimes I wonder at the foolishness of man - Man, the race. I wonder why, despite our abject stupidity in choosing what is harmful to us, we still survive, and 'progress'. We multiply and breed, but will soon overrun this world and it's limited resources, without even renewing any.
We are indeed like viruses, as Agent Smith said to Neo in The Matrix. We seldom have symbiotic relationships, choosing instead to be parasites wherever we go.
We also look to the worst within our specie when selecting our political and national leaders. Small wonder then, that we have moved forward. Then again, we have moved forward despite our leaders. Mainly, the innovations, the inventions, the thinking that carry us ahead came not from the political leadership, but from the scientific and philosophical leadership.
So why then do we seek the worst of us to follow? It's a human condition I will never understand.
The grouses...
In Trinidad and Tobago we have amongst our political chosen - bigots, racists, sexual deviants and perverts, thieves and other sundry criminals, dictators, imperialists... the list is so long I get tired thinking about it. It kills that 0.01% hope you see.
If I ever return to Trinidad, I foresee a most frustrating time ahead:
- A slow march in implementing technology, moving ahead only when forced to.
- A recalcitrant approach to innovation, especially in the various arms of the public service.
- A lazy and impolite customer care attitude.
- Rude and power-craven public servants (the majority, there are some who genuinely try).
- Fellow citizens mulishly stuck in traditions and not willing to see the world as needing change.
- A traffic situation on par with any in world, and regressively worse than many First World countries.
- Crime and kidnapping higher than the majority of countries in the world.
- Police considerably more stupid than most in the world.
- A legal fraternity more concerned with obtaining fat contracts and briefs than to protect the society.
- A medical fraternity concerned with milking the meagre pockets of the population by ransoming healthcare.
- A dwindling supply of intellectuals and increasing supply of intellectually challenged.
- A parasitic oligarchy intent on self preservation.
The real future I dread is one where Trinidad is handed to a dictator - an Executive President. For my people to watch and do nothing as this is slowly and inexorably implemented is sadness itself.
While speaking to a friend who happened to have a law degree, he revealed to me a profound truth:A 'right' is only what the state allows you!
Therefore, what you consider as your rights, are only the privileges that the state permits via laws. Tomorrow a law could be passed if no one opposes it saying your daughters must lose their virginities to the maximum leader (an extreme example chosen deliberately). What are you going to do? Who will you protest to? A court can do nothing... it is the LAW.
Therefore, by allowing into power a man who rides roughshod over natural justice, you risk your 'rights' being taken away from you, or eroded.
I wonder that my people, especially those supporting COP and UNC fail to see this. COP and UNC are fighting each other.. while the PNM laughing kiff kiff kiff all the way to the Executive Presidency.
Does anyone wonder why even after being shafted by Pa-trick, that Rahael still supports PNM? In his own words, loyalty to the party comes first. It is the only way to achieve the ends.
While the 'Indians' in UNC and COP fight over leadership, has no one wondered why despite so much arrogance and bad decisions, Pa-trick is still at the helm of the PNM? Because his people know that the only way to retain power is to unite in leadership.
A close friend recently pointed out to me, that it is only Indians leaving UNC. Why? People of other race joined and are still there. Because they value loyalty; good, bad or indifferent leadership aside. We Indians don't.
I don't like Panday because of his past history of mashing up everything, and I think Dookeran's financial experience and prudence may be exactly what we need right now... but at this juncture I am more afraid of a PNM win than even if Panday comes back to power.
If he wins, and mashes up everything as is his wont, I may still hope that a new government can choose a leader to move us forward... but if the PNM wins, crapaud smoke we pipe!
