Slow Justice on Corruption

It is a fact of society universally that the law is stronger on the underprivileged than it is on the privileged. A little man steals a coconut from a coconut estate and he gets two years in jail; a high government official steals $40M in a contract and he gets away scot- and jail-free. Jails teem with petty offenders, while free society is saddled with big thieves in its high respectable stations. Whether a thief, big or small, gets punished for a crime and how severe the punishment meted out are directly related to his/her status in society and, significantly, to the ability to retain high-quality lawyers or arbitrators in his/her defence. This is a truth about all societies, and we all know that it has been particularly true of Trinidad and Tobago.

Eagle in his 1984 'Law and Poor' captures it this way:

The rich ones control the law
The law controls the ones wha' poor
So the law and the poor always in a war.

The calypsonian, in what has been called the 'political calypso', has chronicled corruption in Trinidad and Tobago for as long as we can remember and, with the revelations of corruption under the former UNC government making thousands of us bazodie and numbing our tolerance, I, for one, look forward to the offerings of the 2003 season. For now, however, we can go back over the years and see how some calypsonians interpreted this messy business. The government is, of course, the PNM and the wheels of justice turned as slowly as they are today. Make your own judgments.

Cypher in 'No Police ent See', 1965

Superintendent sell gun for two hundred in Caroni
No police ent see
A taxi leave a head in a box quite up D'Abadie
No police ent see
But a deaf man say he hear Cypher cuss
Police arresting me.

Notice the upside-down priorities?

Sparrow in 'Get to Hell out', 1965

I am going to do what I feel to do
And Ah doh care less who vex or who get blue
And if you want to test how Ah strong in an election
Let we bet some money, Ah giving odds ten to one
I control all the money
That pass through this country.

A law-unto-himself prime minister in control of the treasury?

Explainer in 'Selwyn', 1977

You wasting too much a precious time, Mr Selwyn
As far as I see, is fool you fooling
Lock up all the big boys at the top
Who have this country corrupt
That's the only way to end corruption
Is to jail them big rat in the nation

If you want your job to be set
What you have to do is start off with Cabinet

If the PM tief
Is to lock up he backside too.

How many of the big boys have been jailed so far?

Short Pants in 'Is I', 1979

Is I
Who went to Barbados
I smuggle in ten pounds of potatoes
I just couldn't take no more
What the hell I paying tax for?

The small man hitting back?

Sparrow in 'Sam P', 1984

They bring down Sam and forced him to drink
Now is time to urinate they can't take the stink
All them big heroes in they fancy suit
Covering they nose, quaking in they boot
Who make the contract
Who get the kickback
Nobody ent want to answer that.

Remind you of recent and current skulduggery?

Cardinal in 'Band of the Year', in 1984

Carnival coming, Ah bringing a band
The mas we playing is called 'Corruption'
We portraying all kind character
From government to private sector
Corruption as you know is a callaloo
So some of my characters I must call for you.

The King of the band we call him Amal
He portraying one big money scandal
So much of millions in we currency
He tried to embezzle out of this country
When Burroughs ketch him was only mamaguy
You know he get 'way free, please don't ask me why.

Remember Michael Amar?

Stalin in 'That is Head', 1983

They hold a brother in Piarco
Carrying a little weed to Tobago
Ten thousand dollars they charge he
Take 'way he weed immediately
But then they hold a big-shot businessman
With ten million dollars carrying out the island
You know is three thousand dollars they charge to he
And give he back he money
You talk ''bout head
That is head.

Avantage on the petty thief again?

Kitchener in 'Soca Corruption', 1983

If I have a few million
And they want to link it with corruption
Is mih damn business
If is true how they describe
Ah get mih money by taking bribe
Is mih damn business.

Corruption in public affairs confused with licence to do what you want with your private business?

Valentino in 'Recession', 1983

Ah smelling something
Like them big boys up they smoking something
After they done occupy the state
They bring a bankruptcy in the place
After they done get high on they millions
They create a recession.

Corruption in high places narcotic, and creative of widespread economic problems?

Corruption is an issue in this election campaign, but the political calypsonians, the people's spokesmen - who Valentino, in his 1980 'True Opposition', called the true opposition to government - have hardly begun to speak. Will the voters be content with the politicians' speeches to deal with this scourge?

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