Skip to main content

TTT



We are experiencing weather that is by no means June. Today, doing my afternoon constitutional, there was a 'dry season' wind coming off the north coast, nice and cool but definitely unseasonal. We have not had the June downpours, accompanied by thunder and lightning. There are people in this world who do not believe that there is such a phenomenon as climate change. I guess they will all be long gone by the time it becomes dangerous even though two (2) Category 5 hurricanes, one behind the other, actually happened during last year's hurricane season. Well, of course, it was just a couple of the islands that got hit so that means climate change is not real.

I am becoming more and more disillusioned with the political systems of the world. I cannot say that there is a single political system that is working. It may have something to do with the fact that I am looking at a series on the Vietnam war. Or it could be the ridiculous politics being played out on the networks every single day of life. My big problem with all of this is the fact that people are caught up in the stupid decisions made by equally stupid people. I don't care where the migrants and refugees come from these are people, human beings who, because of dumb decisions being made about their homeland, have to flee. We on the Rock have a real situation on our hands albeit a fraction of what is happening elsewhere, with persons running from oppression, fear for their lives and economic reasons. I don't need to go into all the refugee issues worldwide to understand what our local situation is because what is happening here is just a reflection of Syria, Honduras, North Africa, Venezuela,  Mexico, Eastern Europe, Myanmar, Iraq, Palestine, Haiti and wherever else in the world. Once again it is all political. It is history and the lousy decisions made by people who maybe should have had no say in how to 'deal' with people.
Strangely enough, nearly all the countries that are in a serious bind today are countries that have a history of either being colonized or territories whose boundaries were changed arbitrarily through a war or occupation without any consensus reached with the inhabitants. Palestine is probably one of the most famous of examples of how to take a good situation and completely screw it up, by the British.

Here on the Rock there was a disturbance at the local refugee detention center reportedly organized by some of the African detainees. We have a handful of persons occupying the center, some detainees there for years with no resolution to their situation. Why is this, why this indecision, is it that the authorities have no idea as to how to deal with this situation?
 In the mid-1980's a number of Trinidadians sought asylum in Canada claiming discrimination and acts of violence against them.
This week the EU voted on how to deal with the refugee situation with some consensus on which countries would be assisted with the influx of refugees into their territory. The Brexit vote had a lot to do with the fear of immigrants coming legally into Britain from Europe. Britain recently wanted to expel the 'Windrush' people. In the USA the immigrant situation is dividing the country, the US began mandatory detention of Haitian boat arrivals in the 1980's, yet will accept a Cuban refugee or asylum seeker.  A country like Japan who during WW2 invaded the Pacific countries and seized territory, now has granted asylum to (20) applicants out of 20,000. Australia established the policy of mandatory detention centers in 1992. In the late 1950's and early 1960's, the Rock welcomed people from the other islands as a vote bank.
At the end of the day it is all about the very nasty side of politics, use people, destroy lives if it sounds good, if it's a good soundbite then do it.
I fear we have entered a new space where we are the selectors, we decide who enters and who should be on the other side of the city walls. Never for once understanding that we were once in that same position. Imagine, the Rock refusing asylum to Africans! There are countries that accept payment for citizenship, there are people in countries that take a bribe for asylum approval. I guess at the end of the day the old dollar talks. The Rock is no different.

I need to stop looking at TV. I would be in a much better place. Speaking of TV, the Rock is set to welcome back TTT, without Ed Fung, Auntie Hazel, Holly and Ricky Ticki and Abu Bakr. Could anyone in any position explain why this is necessary? I guess its the same thing with asylum seekers, there is no logic in how we deal with it.

'Tell me what you think of a dictator 
Trampling the Jews like Adolph Hitler 
Tumbling them out of Germany 
Some running for refuge in the West Indies 
Some land in Demerara and Grenada 
They land in Trinidad very regular 
The way they are coming all of them 
Will make Trinidad a New Jerusalem'
Charlie 'Gorilla' Grant, Calypsonian

Good night people of the Rock and good luck!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Delta 4 over and out!

Sitting here in Maraval tonight its very windy with the electrical power dipping every now and again. From all reports the storm has gone to the north and the island of Trinidad is OK. Tobago however could be in for a rough patch. The Tropical Storm, now named Bret, is the second for the season and was formed very low in the Atlantic and threatened both Trinidad and Tobago. The last time a hurricane was named Bret was in August, 1999. It was a category 4 hurricane that thankfully did not prove to be that destructive with minimum fatalities and physical damage to property. Of course I marvel at the officialdom in T&T. Today, the party boats were out sailing to wherever. The island is under a storm watch and nobody thought it wise to restrict non-essential marine traffic. The Tobago ferries were restricted, the offshore oil and gas platforms were being evacuated and we were at the same time loading 'feters' to go on a party cruise. What exactly is the protocol? If a storm e...
Post a Comment
Read more

ADD

A great thing happened today. I washed my car and it did not rain. OK, so other absolutely great things made history today, I am sure something was discovered that will change mankind, decisions by world leaders for world peace. None of that is of interest to me because the simple task of washing my car was what was of great import and I marvelled at the sun and dry weather. It is the little things in ones life that give the greatest joy. Tomorrow should be the same with a prediction of only 20% precipitation. Two days with a clean car is good. I am one of those who curse WASA who has leaks on the main roads with spray flying all around and dirtying up my clean car. WASA should have zero leaks, that should be WASA's goal, I don't think that they are interested in any of this as the leaks continue and the complaints from the citizens continue. I remember in the Manifesto of the ruling party a commitment was made to increase the truck delivery of truck borne water. Go figure! ...
Post a Comment
Read more

'spinning top in mud'

It's a dark and stormy night here in the Maraval Valley. Hearing thunder in the distance, heavy drizzle, wind, cool temperature. The small 'Bajan' frogs are revving tonight creating a racket. I guess it's the rainy season and this is what you get. It is now one week since Tropical Storm Bret came over the island and for many people things have not yet gotten back to normal. Reading one of the weekly columnists today writing about his growing up in a flood prone area and basically the family taking it in their stride every rainy season. He commented on the fact that his father knew where they were living and never blamed the authorities or demanded from the authorities any compensation for the losses suffered as a result of the annual floods. It is different now and demands are made for every 'big toe bounce'  and it seems that no one takes responsibility for their lot in life. Not sure where this came from but there has to be a line as to how far a government c...
Post a Comment
Read more