Last night, I had a conversation with a fellow Trini who migrated to England several years before I did. Once more, the opinion was expressed by that person that Trinidad and Tobago is being run along the lines of a failed African state.
At the risk of sounding racist, I agree. With the exception of Nelson Mandela, who had 27 years of the receiving end of white racist behaviour, no other African leader has ever done much to help his country or fellow citizens. Perhaps it is his treatment for nearly 3 decades at the hands of openly racist governance that made Mandela the exceptional man that he is.
No so Papa-tricks. My fellow Trini even hypothesised that it must be something genetic with the black leaders, that they all serve self before country and have hidden bank accounts in foreign lands, and are known for backhanders, bribes, kickbacks or whatever you want to call it. every country or state run by a black man has high corruption, high crime, and poor services.
I won’t go so far as to say it is genetic, but you have to admit, that once a black man (be it African or Indian) gets into a political post, corruption becomes really rampant. It’s like come see, never see. No amount of grabbing for financial rewards seem enough, and that’s not even talking about how the power of the position corrupts them, absolutely.
Take both Papa-tricks and Panday. Both are old, have ill health (heart disease) and are yet reluctant to resign their positions for younger and more vibrant people. Getting either to resign or select a successor is like trying to get a flea to leave a dog – the dog hah dead first so it can’t provide any more sustenance.
I guess if we treat Trinidad and Tobago like that dog, then neither would stop till the dog dead – and we can see it is fast going that way.
