Politics of despair and doom in TnT

Posted: August 14, 2002
An analysis by
Dr. Kwame Nantambu

For the past several years, TnT politics has been characterized by the first five years of UNC corruption and the second five years of PNM inaction and nuttin.

Revolving-door politics is the name of the game in TnT. It is de javu politics all over again every five-long years. Nothing seems to change because six-inch deep potholes exist on the roads during UNC and PNM regimes. And a safe, smooth-driving paved road in TnT is an anomaly except maybe the Savannah --- what a loss, Carl.

As such, it need occasion no great surprise that on 17 July 2002, Williamsville taxi drivers "abandoned work to continue a protest for road repairs in that area." This is another clear prima facie evidence of the nuttiness and absentee governance of the PNM.

In addition, Port-of-Spain and the Eastern Main Road still always flood every rainy season during UNC and PNM regimes. High unemployment figures always exist during UNC and PNM regimes. Fast-junk food eating outlets proliferate the corners of TnT during UNC and PNM regimes. And this is situation exists today even though a national epidemic in obesity among young people consumes the United States.

The UNC and PNM regimes have done nothing to save Trinis, particularly Afrikan-Trinis, from these junk foods that are high in fat but low in nutritional health content.

These regimes have sentenced young Afrikan-Trinis to an adult life of obesity, bad cholesterol and maybe cancer.

An "Operation Anaconda" needs to be established and implemented immediately to rid TnT of these unhealthy fast-junk foods for the sake and protection of our young people. They are our future. These obese young Trinis would indeed be a future massive health tax burden and tires around the neck of any government if strong, decisive action is not taken right now.

For the past several years, UNC politics has focused on the acquisition of power, by any and all means necessary, while PNM politics has focused on ego-tripping and titles.

There are some public figures in TnT who just want to wear the title of "Prime Minister" with a BIG titular, condescending smile. That's it. For the past several years, the UNC has played twenty-five year-old catch-up power politics, while the PNM has played the same-old, same-old Williams' segregation politics.

It is because of this combination that TnT is now in a paralysed state of political despair and doom. Society is now experiencing the sad backlash of this entrenched tragedy.

Both the UNC and PNM have been notoriously asleep and snoring profusely at the wheel of governance in TnT for the past several years and neither of them has awakened as of this writing. The electorate will wake them up on election day. That is not a threat but a solid promise.

The UNC leader of the unLoyal Opposition, Basdeo Panday, who has a knack for attempting to scare Trinis by uttering/mouthing such insane, irresponsible and puerile political profanities as "no taxation without representation", "this country is going to explode" and "there's a plot to arrest me" has exhibited a behaviour whereby he should recuse himself from participating in politics in TnT.

Basdeo Panday has brought "shame and disgrace to" TnT's political face. He needs to be wiped off permanently from the political and governance scene.

On the other side of the political coin, there exist a national epidemic of crime and kidnappings, cultural naivety, protest by daily-paid workers of the Port-of-Spain City Corporation, ubiquitous "squalor and neglect", jeopardy in regard to payment of old-age pensions, health, nurses and doctors disaster, educational morass bathed in violence, decline and collapse in morals and respect/value of human-female life, non-existence or lack of infrastructural development, just to name a few, under the PNM regime.

Indeed, Attorney General, Glenda Morean, hits the nail right on the head when she correctly concludes that governance in TnT is such that:
"Our nation is hurting. It is being ravaged by hate and immorality of a baseless nature and is in desperate need of healing."

The fact of the matter is that the PNM government has done NOTHING to ease the pain of "hurting" and the desperate ravage of morality and decency in TnT. It's the same-old, same-o.

The fact of the matter is that at the next general elections, TnT voters need to conduct an in-depth forensic examination and audit of both the UNC and PNM. They have both failed every test miserably to date. They both should be arraigned and finger-pointed on elections day.

Maybe the time has come for new faces, new ideas, new ministerial missions, objectives and goals, new visions, new directions, new socio-economic programmes, new plans, new insights, new responsible decision-making processes, new constitutional structures, etc.

UNC and PNM deadbeat politicians have got to go. Enough is enough.

Trinis are sick and tired of UNC infectious corruption and PNM incredulous nuttiness. Now is the time to return honesty, trust, dignity, decency, integrity, ethnic balance and equity, morality and dedication cum commitment to governance and the interests of the people in TnT.

Welfare politics must come to an end in TnT right now. Now is the time to bring back hope and gloom to politics in TnT.

The UNC and PNM only represent six of one, half a dozen of the other. Himself told himself.

The interchangeable, duplicative and dysfunctional UNC-PNM has been a total failure and disaster for TnT. The political well of corruption and nuttiness has now run completely dry.

Politics in TnT has been a train wreck for the past several years; now is the time for the people to put the train back on its correct track to serve them responsibly.

My fellow Trinis: Let's get real!

In this new millennium, it is vital to take TnT politics to the next level of hope and gloom but this new modus operandi must not include kissing Panday's "tender spot" or just "to lie down and sleep with de devil."

This is total insanity.

At least, UnC, Trinis ain't dat duncy!

Every five years, political history repeats itself in TnT: once as a tragedy and then as a farce. UNC is the tragedy, PNM is the farce. Now is the time to cover-up the naked body politics of despair and doom in TnT.

Now is the time to put the "sinking ship" of despair and doom in TnT politics back on its haul.

Now is the time to bury the politics of corruption and nuttinnes in TnT.

Now is the time. Now is the time. Now is the time.

Shem Hotep ("I go in peace").

Dr. Nantambu is an Associate Professor, Dept. of Pan-African Studies, Kent State University, U.S.A.

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