Nicolette Bethel

View Original

B.C. Pires Discusses Folly

From commentary on the new T&T PM's decision to move into the house built by the previous PM (with state money) for himself, after she promised not to:

In small, half-made societies like ours, people must be willing to suffer personal loss or inconvenience so that principles by which we all can live can take root. The greatest enabling factor in the last, insufferable two-and-a-half years of the Manning PNM was an acquiescent public: Trinis put up with everything from the neophyte Cabinet through the Finance Minister taking a personal benefit from the CL Financial bailout to the sacking of Keith Rowley without lifting an eyebrow, a finger or a placard (except for Ishamel "Sledge" Samad, who tried to arrest Calder Hart personally).It took a $2M flag and then Sports Minister Gary Hunt's arrogance over it for people's backs to be raised; it took the discovery of the private church being built by Chinese workers on state land to raise the hackles on their necks; and it took a snap election for them to raise their fingers - but what will it take for Trinis to raise their fists?The palace in St Anns does not cease being the symbol of delusions of grandeur merely because another occupant moves in. The people around Kamla Persad-Bissessar should convince her that she should watch that palace like a month in jail. But already all responsibility and principle have been abandoned and the process of placation begun; what the palace stands for is clear, though; and anyone who deliberately chooses to occupy the palace necessarily assumes all its trappings. You can't play sailor mas and ‘fraid powder and you can't install someone in a palace and ‘fraid emperor.via A HOUSE FOR MS BISSESSAR at B.C.Pires.Com

I'm posting because we Bahamians should be aware of and study the folly of Trinidad and Tobago, because there but for the grace of God.