I am tired of all the whinging excuses made by those in authority… From Prime Minister to local government councillors, from CEOs to the lowest managers, everyone seems to be passing the buck. Administration after administration on the governmental level have heaped upon our heads, excuses upon excuses for failure to deliver. Take for example, the abysmal and annually repeated flooding…
This could have been fixed decades ago. But no administration wanted to be the heavy hand that smites discipline, that attempts to change the culture of apathy, “gimme gimme”, feting and carnival mentality, and just plain laziness.
A simple comparison: another island/city state achieved independence from the British Raj in a few years after Trinidad and Tobago. This state lies a mere 1° north of the equator – so it is similar in climate to Trinidad and Tobago. It is 1/7 the size of Trinidad and Tobago, lacking the natural resources that Trinidad and Tobago has in abundance.
Within one generation, roughly 30 years, this state became a first world sovereign nation. Not only that, it is the only country in Asia and one of 11 worldwide with a ‘AAA’ rating. It is a global hub for education, entertainment, finance, healthcare, human capital, innovation, logistics, manufacturing, technology, tourism, trade, and transport. It ranks highly in numerous international rankings, and has been recognized as the most "technology-ready" nation (WEF), top International-meetings city (UIA), city with "best investment potential" (BERI), world's smartest city, world's safest country, third-most competitive country, third-largest foreign exchange market, third-largest financial centre, third-largest oil refining and trading centre, fifth-most innovative country, and the second-busiest container port, and the most expensive city to live in, since 2013. [Wikipedia]
The place I describe is none other than Singapore.
The difference is of course due to leadership with vision, determination, and the political will to get things done. Coupled with enforcement of the law, Singapore far outstrips Trinidad and Tobago, which lags so far behind that one cannot even make a comparison.
Perhaps in another 200 years…
