Class Lectures Re: Topic Three of CAS 130 Caribbean Studies Course Outline
By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
October 09, 20121. Powers of colonial governor: who exercises those powers today under neo-colonialism:
To convene, prorogue, dissolve legislature: President on advice of PM has those powers re Parliament.
To veto any law: PM
To command militia: President is Commander of armed forces, etc.
To appoint judges: Judicial and Legal Service Commission.
To issue writs for the election of Representative Assemblies and Councils, etc.: EBC.
To appoint, suspend, promote and dismiss public servants: PSC.
To administer oath of Office to officials: President.
To head Executive Council; PM, head of National Security Council.
Source: Professor Ann Marie Bissessar, "A Trip Down Our Historical Path", Sunday Guardian (4 September 2011), 39.
11. In 1888, Tobago was joined to Trinidad as a single Crown Colony.
111. Colonized in T&T was granted Adult Suffrage (right to vote) during 1946 general elections.
This represented limited Adult Suffrage because there were qualifications to vote; these were income (job), property, education (ability to read and write) and residence. Voting was limited only to men over age 21 and women over age 30.
Today, under neo-colonialism, universal/unlimited Adult Suffrage truly exists because a citizen only has to be age 18 to vote.
In addition, the colonized in United States were granted Adult Suffrage on 25 March, 1965, when President Lyndon Baines Johnson singed the Voting Rights Act. Prior to that, Washington D.C. was known as the "Last Colony."
1V. Objectives of colonial education
To produce people who would participate in the process of colonial rule.
To produce people who would participate in the process of oppression and exploitation of their own people (neo-colonialism).
Education for sub-ordination, mental confusion and dependency.
To enforce the "notion of privilege" and "notion of alienation."
V. Economic impact of colonialism
Enforced bilateralism—colony was forced to trade with European colonizer; today, that colonizer is United States and trade is voluntary.
Unfavorable terms of trade — colony exports/sells cheap primary products/raw materials but imports/buys expensive manufactured/secondary products.
Law of even development—colony became underdeveloped—European colonizer became developed. Dr. Walter Rodney "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa."
"Export bias"—no development took place in colony—raw materials only used for export purposes; single/one crop economy—colony only produced one crop, examples Cuba–sugar, Ghana–cocoa, Brazil–coffee, etc.
Lack of infrastructural development, that is, roads, bridges, water, electricity, drains, etc.
Shem Hotep ("I go in peace").
Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies.
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