I THINK we need to talk about last week. It was a loaded one, filled with everything from the bizarre, the concerning, the befuddling and downright confusing.
It started on Monday, when we all woke up to the front page of the Trinidad Guardian. United National Congress activist Brian Stone, who is clearly having some sort of life crisis, announced his plans to travel to Ukraine to fight the Russians.
Can someone in this man’s family please check on him. I am not sure what Stone expects, but when asked what his greatest fears were going to Ukraine, homey said gunfire and explosions. Dude, you are going to war! The Ukrainian Government isn’t inviting foreigners for tea and babka; they are inviting them to go head-to-head with a pack of ruthless Russians. You will probably get shot at and you will probably have to sidestep some bombs.
Sir, you need to re-evaluate your expectations and perhaps find a hobby.
Now! Skip across to the Express newspaper where real shots were being fired! In an exclusive interview, Prime Minister Keith Rowley casually admitted he was the high-ranking official who met with former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PolSC) Bliss Seepersad at the President’s House in August 2021.
He confirmed that in a film-noir type clandestine meeting, dressed in a trench coat and fedora, he slipped Seepersad a battered manila folder containing what he described as “explosive” information emanating from the Firearms Department, regarding the issuance of firearms user’s licences. The details shared and the actions after were enough for Seepersad to question all of her life choices, to resign from her position at the PolSC, scrap the in-progress merit list for the selection of the commissioner of police and flee to Tibet to join a colony of silent monks.
Some of those details have obviously been embellished for the sake of entertainment, but you get the gist of the situation.
The PM’s confession has naturally left us with a lot of questions. Why did it take him so long to admit his role in the entire PolSC fiasco? Was there and is there political interference in the selection of the CoP? Why the secrecy?
So many questions, so many theories, and one big long watery steups from former CoP Gary Griffith.
And this was only Monday.
Somewhere within the madness of the week, the International Monetary Fund announced our dollar was overvalued.
This leaves our Minister of Finance Colm Imbert in a rather precarious position. Does he devalue the dollar, which will lead to the increased cost of goods, services and living? Does he not devalue the dollar and risk the possibility of hyperinflation, which would also lead to increased costs and economic implosion?
Imbert raised a calm hand and said, “Fear not my people; I will not devalue the dollar. We will just keep going along this path of doubt and darkness and hope we don’t smack the butt of hyperinflation.”
I am not hopeful.
In the realm of economics and rising prices, KFC announced it would charge $2 for condiments. This can best be interpreted as a warning of what is to come. If one of our most profitable organisations is implementing measures to counteract the rising costs of goods, then we are in trouble. Royal Castle and Church’s Chicken may be using this as a great opportunity to make fun of KFC through ketchup and mustard picong, but they shouldn’t laugh to hard because they may also find themselves having to make some unfavourable decisions.
Yum, nothing like a two-piece with a side of dollar and cents depression.
Then comes Thursday and our Honorable Prime Minister throws us yet another curveball. Cabinet Reshuffle time y’all!
Again no explanation, no forewarning, just: “Hey guys, got bored, decided to shake things up, hard luck Faris, welcome aboard Reggie, don’t worry Hindsy, despite not being great at your job you’re safe buddy!”
The Opposition pulled the “DISTRACTION” card and they have a point.
The question is what are they trying to distract us from? The investigation into the death of four LMCS divers? The prime minister’s aforementioned involvement in the non-selection of the CoP? The dismal economic outlook? The rampant crime rate, for which no solution has been put forward?
Was the reshuffle a result of an internal power struggle? Who has secrets on whom?
This week left us with a few tears of despair and more questions than answers.
Honestly, I am not hopeful for next week. All I can say is that I need some Andrews to aid with the digestion of all convoluted, baffling and bizarre events of this past week.
A Two-Piece with a Side of Depression
I THINK we need to talk about last week. It was a loaded one, filled with everything from the bizarre, the concerning, the befuddling and downright confusing.
It started on Monday, when we all woke up to the front page of the Trinidad Guardian. United National Congress activist Brian Stone, who is clearly having some sort of life crisis, announced his plans to travel to Ukraine to fight the Russians.
Can someone in this man’s family please check on him. I am not sure what Stone expects, but when asked what his greatest fears were going to Ukraine, homey said gunfire and explosions. Dude, you are going to war! The Ukrainian Government isn’t inviting foreigners for tea and babka; they are inviting them to go head-to-head with a pack of ruthless Russians. You will probably get shot at and you will probably have to sidestep some bombs.
Sir, you need to re-evaluate your expectations and perhaps find a hobby.
Now! Skip across to the Express newspaper where real shots were being fired! In an exclusive interview, Prime Minister Keith Rowley casually admitted he was the high-ranking official who met with former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PolSC) Bliss Seepersad at the President’s House in August 2021.
He confirmed that in a film-noir type clandestine meeting, dressed in a trench coat and fedora, he slipped Seepersad a battered manila folder containing what he described as “explosive” information emanating from the Firearms Department, regarding the issuance of firearms user’s licences. The details shared and the actions after were enough for Seepersad to question all of her life choices, to resign from her position at the PolSC, scrap the in-progress merit list for the selection of the commissioner of police and flee to Tibet to join a colony of silent monks.
Some of those details have obviously been embellished for the sake of entertainment, but you get the gist of the situation.
The PM’s confession has naturally left us with a lot of questions. Why did it take him so long to admit his role in the entire PolSC fiasco? Was there and is there political interference in the selection of the CoP? Why the secrecy?
So many questions, so many theories, and one big long watery steups from former CoP Gary Griffith.
And this was only Monday.
Somewhere within the madness of the week, the International Monetary Fund announced our dollar was overvalued.
This leaves our Minister of Finance Colm Imbert in a rather precarious position. Does he devalue the dollar, which will lead to the increased cost of goods, services and living? Does he not devalue the dollar and risk the possibility of hyperinflation, which would also lead to increased costs and economic implosion?
Imbert raised a calm hand and said, “Fear not my people; I will not devalue the dollar. We will just keep going along this path of doubt and darkness and hope we don’t smack the butt of hyperinflation.”
I am not hopeful.
In the realm of economics and rising prices, KFC announced it would charge $2 for condiments. This can best be interpreted as a warning of what is to come. If one of our most profitable organisations is implementing measures to counteract the rising costs of goods, then we are in trouble. Royal Castle and Church’s Chicken may be using this as a great opportunity to make fun of KFC through ketchup and mustard picong, but they shouldn’t laugh to hard because they may also find themselves having to make some unfavourable decisions.
Yum, nothing like a two-piece with a side of dollar and cents depression.
Then comes Thursday and our Honorable Prime Minister throws us yet another curveball. Cabinet Reshuffle time y’all!
Again no explanation, no forewarning, just: “Hey guys, got bored, decided to shake things up, hard luck Faris, welcome aboard Reggie, don’t worry Hindsy, despite not being great at your job you’re safe buddy!”
The Opposition pulled the “DISTRACTION” card and they have a point.
The question is what are they trying to distract us from? The investigation into the death of four LMCS divers? The prime minister’s aforementioned involvement in the non-selection of the CoP? The dismal economic outlook? The rampant crime rate, for which no solution has been put forward?
Was the reshuffle a result of an internal power struggle? Who has secrets on whom?
This week left us with a few tears of despair and more questions than answers.
Honestly, I am not hopeful for next week. All I can say is that I need some Andrews to aid with the digestion of all convoluted, baffling and bizarre events of this past week.