Opinion
- Editorial- Commentary
Martin
Daly: Life
after tomorrow
I am sure that there will be life after tomorrow,
namely after the general election 2007, because
we Trinis have an uncanny ability to pull back
from the brink. But life after tomorrow won't be
pretty.
My
voting finger may stay clean. In my youth, I
loved Dr. Williams, but I do not now trust the
PNM. The party's intention is to amend the Constitution,
if it can, but the leader, when confronted with
an unreleased draft, talks deceptive foolishness
such as "the party does not have a final position" on
the content of the amendments. The irresistible
conclusion is that a PNM government will spring
as nasty a surprise as it can, depending on the
votes it receives.
I do not trust the UNC because of its unhealthy
appetite for convenient forgiveness of treachery
among its leaders. I do not trust COP because its
claim to have sufficient traction to change our
political direction is suspect and decent Dookeran
has been too closely guarded by his narrow-minded,
self-appointed political consciences.
Despite my gloomy personal predicament, I am nevertheless
proud of Trinidad and Tobago. Up to the time of
writing we have survived the inherently provocative
circumstances of our political campaigns. I do
not discount the near murderous injuries inflicted
on Mr St Clair of the COP or the murder of a UNC
activist. However, given the size and intensity
of the crowds and the nasty appeals by the leaders
of the political parties to our baser instincts,
we have restrained ourselves tolerably well and
should re-emerge unscathed from temporary flight
into tribal cliques.
It may be said that the attack on Mr St Clair
is politically related because he is a candidate
for election. But the incident is more sinister
than that. It reflects the continuing power of
the lawless elements to do anything they like to
those who defy them with complete impunity, such
impunity sweetened by the pious nonsense uttered
on each occasion of murderous violence by the impotent
officers of the police high command. Regrettably,
Mr St Clair and the slain UNC activist are merely
additional pieces of the now-notorious collateral
damage, a concept that I will never accept in a
supposedly civilised society.
Whatever the outcome of tomorrow's elections, life
after tomorrow will not be pretty because containment
of the breakdown of the conventional social order
will be a very difficult and long-term task,
made more difficult because the politicians are
not able to break their bad habit of maintaining
association with criminal elements when it suits
their political purposes.
Put simply, many of the leaders are sleeping with
the devil, even though only one may be bold-faced
enough to say it openly and proudly. Like crime,
the related dependency syndrome will also not be
going away any time soon.
When I look at the unholy alliances made by politicians
among themselves as well as with third parties,
I despair that we can ever fix this place. I certainly
do not wish to discourage any of my readers from
living in hope. I would like to see a huge voter
turn out tomorrow, but I would not be me if I hid
away today my misgivings about the long term future
of our country in terms of its deteriorating level
of civilisation.
Unfortunately, many PNM faithful have accepted
that the widespread slaughter of their own youth
should be overlooked and their tribal loyalty
gives political legitimacy to the callousness
of their leaders towards the gift of life; but
the rest of the population cannot accept the
bogus excuses for the massive, murderous crime
wave. The murderers have mocked us during the
campaign period, the murder toll surpassing one
a day.
My
state of voting paralysis was reflected by my
editor-in-chief, Keith Smith, describing his
own state of indecision, "the missing link
in this whole campaign being a bell-ringer who
could rally us to the cause more, if not most of
us, red, orange and white with excitement over
the Trinidad that we want to be".
Nevertheless, there are on each of the slates
of candidates some worthy additions to the practice
of politics. Notably among them are new faces,
young faces and a just proportion of women candidates.
Many First World countries would envy our politically
motivated women. Some of these candidates will
lose, but it would be wonderful if they would stay
on and practice politics and put down firm political
foundations for themselves outside of the traditional
once-every-five-years silly season.
Because I am not endorsing any party I will refrain
from encouragement of any new faces other than
privately. Sadly for me I do not have the opportunity
in my constituency to vote for any of them. So
I will have to see how I feel about an old guard,
a crapaud and a has-been when I wake up tomorrow
morning.
Martin
Daly is
a Columnist of the Trinidad Express.
Petroleumworld not necessarily share these
views.
Editor's
Note: This article was first publish in Trinidad
Express, Sunday, November 4th 2007. Petroleumworld
reprint this article in the interest
of our readers.
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11/ 04/07
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