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!