Dave Cameron, president of the regional body, recently stressed that for persons holding executive positions within a company, being liked is secondary to being respected.

Cameron is 100 percent accurate in his assertion but respect should be reciprocated.

We have seen Sammy, Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo and Pollard rightly punished for speaking out against the WICB and making disparaging remarks to its officials. There must be consequences for these indiscretions.

However, we note incredulously that there seems to be zero repercussions for WICB officials who have disrespected our regional players.

Cameron, during the 2015 ICC World Cup, retweeted a fan’s criticism of former captain Chris Gayle, stating that the hard-hitting batsman should be given a “retirement package” as he “can’t buy a run” and is playing based on reputation.

The WICB boss was roundly criticised for his retweet which was described by Sir Wes Hall as “torrentially tasteless.” Apart from being made to apologise, Cameron got away with a “free hit”. On Thursday, Cameron was on Sportsmax TV discussing the shocking revelation that Darren Bravo was offered a ‘C’ retainer contract. He explained there was a formula used by the WICB to determine which tier contract a player has earned, adding that Darren was on an ‘A’ contract previously and not performing up to the ‘A’ standard.

He argued offering him a ‘C’ may act as motivation to return to top form.

Darren immediately retorted on social media, as has been customary of late for West Indians, calling the WICB president a “big idiot”, and contradicting the WICB chief, revealing he was never on an ‘A’ contract and saying that Cameron should resign.

We have no qualms that the reigning WICB Test Player of the Year should be disciplined for his remarks. But if his tweet is correct in its entirety, it means Cameron went live on air to the world and was less than truthful about Darren’s contract situation.

Given that the WICB had previously refused to publicly reveal the salary brackets players are in, we assume the WICB president would at least be privy to that information. If not, it would still be highly irresponsible for Cameron to expound on Darren’s contract situation without knowing its details.

Another free hit allowed by the WICB umpires? Is it that players alone are bowled out when they make mistakes? Had Cameron told the truth on air (if Darren Bravo is being honest) the batsman would still be in Zimbabwe right now preparing for the tri-nation series.

Instead, we are likely to be losing another talented young West Indian cricketer due to misinformation and a poor working relationship between the WICB and its employees. Wily Trinidadian off-spinner Sunil Narine on Friday also pulled out of the Zimbabwe tour due to “personal reasons”. We can only speculate what those reasons are. Until we address the real problems plaguing West Indies cricket we’ll continue to be turning the proverbial corner.

And a lot felt troubled, many still marching against him.

But the election was more than that. Large numbers were already fed up with an abundance of self-serving politics — fed up with bloated, unresponsive, government bureaucracy, repeated allegations of political corruption, frustrating public institutions from Congress to the courts, financial scandals and excessive US interference in civil wars abroad. And Trump’s advisers saw these “small town” frustrations — coiled, silently waiting to strike.

Their dislike for immigrants and refugees was just added to this list.

Trump helped lit the fire with the pledge “I will clean up the swamp in Washington.” Throwing political correctness further into the wind, he threatened Wall Street, a place where millions of the working class lost their savings.

And as a final nail, he accused Hilary Clinton of being a bosom-friend and beneficiary of the “fattened, corrupt Wall Street.” It seemed as if Trump inherited a broken system which he himself had exploited. So to denigrate Trump alone is quite an incomplete analysis.

In the eyes of many, the system, the institutions, were already broken for them. The self-serving masters did nothing to help. And Trump appearing as “Mr Fix-it,” seized the opportunity.

Political corruption and anti- working class rhetoric energised the swirling tide of widespread discontent, particularly among what political commentators now call the “coalition of whites.” After the results, CNN black analyst, Van Jones, called it a “white-lash.” In Newtonian politics, the cross-country “Black Lives Matter” marches, for example, and the criticisms against them by Trump supporters, notably Rudy Guiliani, likely provoked a electoral reaction by conservative whites.

While Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, attracted university graduates, Trump mobilised the aging fields of discontent, discontent with the establishment.

Clinton’s support for thousands of Muslim Syrian refugees courted political trouble. And with Trump’s “wall” to keep out “drug addicts, rapists and criminals” coming from south of the border, well, nothing else gets a political constituency mobilised as when you make them frightened of “others” — a large part of Trinbago politics.

The fear of more crime and the loss of jobs added to the existing discontent with the US establishment.

Trump declared: “I will be a law and order president.” His promise to “make America great again” captured millions of rural, blue-collar workers – a constituency once tightly held by the Democrats. His opponent, Hillary Clinton, appeared less adventurous – even more respectful, but with the money-making Clinton Foundation dragged into the campaign, Hilary’s back went against the wall. Still, she got a little more votes than Trump (47.7% Clinton vs 47.5% Trump).

She didn’t win because of the Electoral College system, a system which imperfectly matches the population of each state. Of the 538 electoral votes, Trump got, at the last incomplete count, 290; she got 228.

Framed at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the imbalances now observed in the Electoral College largely grew out of a fear by southern politicians that the northern states would outnumber them electorally.

Among the compromises made was to add a bit more electoral votes for some states, and also, in the south, to classify slaves as “three-fifth of a person” rather than not count them at all.

Would the anti-establishment rage and “forgotten men and women,” as Trump called them, remain forgotten? Last Thursday, fresh from victory, he sat, school-boy posed, with President Obama, apparently appreciating his tasks ahead, including the youthful thousands now marching against him across the US.

Trump is now establishment leader.

Sitting with Speaker Paul Ryan and other House Leaders last Thursday in the “Washington swamp,” he remained tight-lipped, then walked through Congress’ halls looking as an “outsider.” As his language, tone and demeanour changed, he said, “I will be a president of all citizens.” Political cor rec tnes s was returning, possibly leaving Trump’s fed-up followers to wonder about his promises.

Upon checking, police said, he observed a quantity of laptops and desktop computers were removed along with iPhones, iPads and other items.

It was reported that the thieves gained entry by smashing a large glass window pane on the building.

Officers hope that video footage from nearby surveillance cameras in the area could assist with their investigations which are ongoing.

The suspect, also 46, a gardener, was arrested in the Manzanilla area, ten hours after the brutal chopping incident.

According to reports, at around 6.45 pm on Friday, Christopher Francois was washing a car in a driveway at Shirvan Drive, Sangre Chiquito, when he was accosted by his best friend. The two began arguing over Francois’ decision to wash the vehicle in the driveway.

Following the heated argument, the suspect went to his vehicle, took out a sharpened cutlass and dealt Francois several chops about his legs. The killer then fled the scene.

A party of officers, led by Insp Ken Lutchman and including Sgt Maharaj, from the Homicide Bureau, PCs De La Rosa, Cielto, Henry and others along with Homicide and crime scene officers and a District Medical Officer visited the scene. The body was viewed and ordered removed to the Sangre Grande mortuary.

Sunday Newsday understands the suspect was seen driving along the Manzanilla Road, ten hours after the murder, resulting in a highspeed chase. The suspect was eventually nabbed and handed over to the Homicide Bureau.

Friends of Francois and the suspect said they never expected him to carry out such an evil act.

Residents of Sangre Chiquito said in this country, it seems that there is no regard for human life.

Neighbours who live near the house on Chin Fong Alley #1, Sobo Village, where the baby was found also made an appeal for psychiatric help for the child’s grandmother who is only 40-years-old.

The grandmother and three of six children– an 18-year-old young woman, a boy, 15, and a 13-year-old girl– were taken to the Point Fortin Area Hospital yesterday for “medical checkups”, police investigators disclosed.

They confirmed further examinations will be done on the family members who remained in custody at the La Brea Police Station, up to last evening.

Psychiatric evaluations are yet to be done.

Last Thursday police, called in by concerned neighbours, went to the wooden structure where the grandmother lives with her children. They discovered the remains of the baby, named Mercy, who was born on February 8 to a teenager. Her skeletal frame was still clad in a disposable diaper, a jersey and a brown hat, and covered with a blanket inside a crib protected by a mosquito net.

Police detained the grandmother, who initially told them the baby was asleep, together with three of her children.

An autopsy performed on Friday afternoon at the Forensic Sciences Centre, St James, revealed the cause of death was inconclusive.

When Sunday Newsday returned to the close-knit community yesterday, several residents were shocked that there was a decomposing baby inside the house for “so much months”. They said they became suspicious that something was amiss, given a “ drastic change in attitude” by the grandmother.

“We did not have a clue! She (grandmother) claimed the baby as hers. She alone used to walk the baby but then that stopped.

But we continued to see baby clothes on the line. Do not blame the children! they are innocent in all of this. They are very respectable children, very, very pleasant,” said a resident.

Another suggested the grandmother, a single parent, receive psychiatric care.

“She needs help. Something traumatic must have caused her to behave in such an insane manner. We are hearing that the baby stayed in her room and no one was allowed inside there.

She even told residents that one of her daughter’s had fibroid and that was not so,” claimed another neighbour.

The wooden structure is not wired for electricity and the children, with the exception of the 18-year-old, are school dropouts.

Brighton/Vessigny councillor Gerald Debesette yesterday said although he did not know the family he was sadden by the news. Like neighbours of the detained relatives, the councillor called for psychiatric evaluations to be done.

“It is sad. It is scary. That was a shocking thing. There is a very thin line between sanity and in sanity. I went to visit relatives but no one was at the house,” Sgt Taitt and Sgt Gokool of the La Brea Police Station are in the charge of the investigations.

“I am a firm believer that good parenting whether in the 12th century, in the 19th century, in the 20th century, 21st century, it is still good parenting.

There is a fundamental platform which constitutes good parenting. We often forget how tremendously powerful parenting is. It has the power to shape the universe,” the minister said.

He made the comments at the Fourth Biennial Parenting Conference hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago National Council of Parent-Teacher Association (NPTA) at Cara Suites Hotel and Conference Centre in Claxton Bay.

The theme of the event was ‘Retooling parents for the 21st century child’.

Francis shared fond memories of his childhood days in the countryside (Moruga) and emphasised that his parents instilled strong values into the family.

“If it were left up to me, I would not be standing here in a suit. I am the product of excellent parenting. I won the Lotto in that I was born to great parents…

In 2012, my mother died. I have not yet shed a tear because of the power of conditioning,” Francis said.

Parents are facing “interesting and difficult times in education”, Francis said, adding that many schools are falling apart.

“We have a situation where we have 3,500 students in 2016 who cannot score above 30 percent in Mathematics and Language Arts.

Many of our school only teach Mathematics and Language Arts and the children cannot pass it,” Francis noted.

The minister explained in terms of international ranking for reading and Mathematics, “our best students do not compare favourably with international trends”.

Despite this drawback, Francis assured all hope is not lost.

“We have some serious concerns.

But at the other side of that, we are at interesting crossroads.” “We have inherited a system that is damaged but with leadership we could grabbed this thing by the neck and reorient this system,” Francis added.

NPTA president Zena Ramatali, in her address, noted that yesterday’s event was a day of self reflection.

She urged the gathering to listen to the speakers’ addressees.

Thereafter they should share the information, in their homes, communities and regions.

“Are we ready for the task ahead? Are we satisfied with what is happening in our country? Well I am not. I hope that what is said today, we can take it home,” Ramatali said.

This year the NPTA celebrates its 56th anniversary and had embarked on a series of training sessions both internally and externally.

In a statement yesterday Persad-Bissessar commented on newspaper headlines and news stories yesterday announcing Trinidad and Tobago’s worst economic decline in our history (-6.7 percent in the first half of 2016).

She described it as “ very disturbing for the welfare and well being of our citizens”.

She continued: “It reinforces the bad news documented in the Review of the Economy and presented in Parliament along with the 2017 budget which revealed that virtually every economic sector had declined significantly over the last fiscal year”.

She said that the current numbers “forewarn, as we come to the end of the last quarter of 2016, that the decline at the end of December 2016 is likely to be even steeper than the current numbers now indicate for up to the middle of the year”.

“I take this opportunity to point out that the economic statistics are not just numbers.

They are about an economy that is contracting; businesses that are collapsing and shrinking; workers who are losing their jobs and homes, families and citizens that are under severe and worsening economic and financial pressure,” she stressed.

Persad-Bissessar said the last 14 months have been “abysmal” in terms of Government performance.

“There have been no decisions made that I can recall , which have impacted positively on economic activity or business and consumer confidence. Moreover the rhetoric of the Rowley government has been discouraging and the pronouncement of Ministers have been provocative, insensitive and disruptive of economic sustainability,” she added.

Persad-Bissessar said the Dr Keith Rowley Government has failed to engage the production side of the energy sector to stimulate investment in drilling for future production.

She also said that even on the tension between upstream and downstream interests they have put decisions on the vital energy sector on hold.

One wishes to be completely illogical and spew all over the page, one’s irrational thoughts about the impending tragedy about to strike the world. The more I step back from the television however, the more my sense of humour triggers.

I admit that I possess the bad habit of laughing at the most serious of things, a quality that not many appreciate as it downplays their sense of the seriousness of the situation.

I, however, enjoy the twists and turns of fate and can’t control my initial reaction. After witnessing the triumph of corruption and the evident human attraction to bullies, pardon my laughter. Trump won the election! (laughter) Life isn’t fair. Never was. Never was meant to be. My humour comes from the acknowledgement of the serious state of affairs, but also the avid and persistent interest in how justice plays out. Time and time again, human beings prove themselves reckless and in need of divine guidance. Only something abstract can enable chaos and help order it at the same time.

November 10, 2016 1.37 pm Anger subsided. I can think somewhat clearly. I looked at an episode of Scandal last night. Almost like reality television. I felt as though I was looking at re-runs of the recent US election. Funny how, the more a story is told in a particular way, we begin to see it that way, and may live without questioning its veracity.

Politicians remind me of that. They write wonderful scripts.

Today we heard news of someone who placed a firecracker in a cat’s mouth. It was fun apparently. Cat’s mouth exploded and eyes popped.

It is a disturbing image. Local news.

I cannot look at the real images. The visual in my head is enough. This is an act that exemplifies the human capacity for destruction. It is what happens when people use their imaginations irresponsibly and for their own gratification. Anger returns full force.

I think of the ‘thing’ (I cannot find a vile enough name to call It) who placed the firework in the cat’s mouth. The image of the new President- Elect comes up. Who better to lead America into the Restoration Age (Make America Great Again) but a libertine? What happened to bomber? Not held accountable? We don’t know.

This is a corrupt world and in a corrupt world only individuals with no moral boundaries (morality really does trip us up far too much), unconfined by such irrelevant definitions like social etiquette or loyalty can wage a war against terrorism and migrants (apparently there is no difference). Perhaps that bomber will be recruited.

A month or two ago I wrote that, in a crazy world, crazy will succeed.

It was in reference to Donald Trump’s inevitable win. There was no doubt that he would have. I certainly had no doubt. But, there was still a minute needle-sized hole of hope in people’s good sense. Wishful thinking. Feed people’s feelings of helplessness, fear, and controlled or latent xenophobia and you have a winner. Works all the time. You just have to find the weak spot. This one wasn’t difficult. Islamic terrorism made sure of that. ISIS opened the crack wider. Then there are the migrant crises and economics. And let’s not forget the American Dream.

Some asked, why I even cared about what happens in the US? My reply: why should anyone care about what happens in the world at all? Why should we care about new fashion trends? Why should we care about films or music or terrorism? I leave that for the reader to figure out.

The image of the cat returns.

The victory of Donald Trump is twenty-first century poetic justice.

It is poetic justice that America’s good deeds in other nations have been rewarded with Trump. That is fair justice. This is the victory of modern values. The restoration age says that, despite all the hopefuls who still believe in good, evil and dishonourable actions shall triumph.

There is no place for kindness and humility in this world.

This is a pirate’s world – plunder and seize.

Do not pass Go and Do Not Collect $200! Now that all players have been screened and selected, I do welcome you all to the Hunger Games! The image of Trump fades.

The cat’s remains.

Few of us were aware that fraud charges against important people were really clogging the courts. But who knows, the secretive offices of the DPP and the Police Service may have a slew of charges to bring out of matters being “assiduously pursued” while being studiously repressed. We are all aware of many of these, dating back to the Piarco Airport scandal, for which Americans have already served their time in the USA. Recently we have had the Uff Commission and the Las Alturas Inquiry Reports, and what is still to come from the Colman Inquiry into CLICO and HCU, and yes, the still unresolved issue of the Section 34 “e-mails” read in parliament. So, when the Prime Minister and the Attorney General say that charges are being brought against at least nine persons I want to steups and say this is another political grand-charge. We talk this way about charging people who are, have been or remain close to the centre of power. Charges are brought with great fanfare, but are withdrawn, or just die from the Myth of Section 34 which covers like a blanket all those who need its shelter.

As a person who has called for charges against the perpetrators of white collar crime, I cannot quarrel with the PM or the AG for the action they say they are taking. But for this not to be just another act of political gimmickry, their net has to be cast again and again, and wider than just into the pool where the UNC fed.

Please try to remember that it is recorded in Hansard that the 2002 to 2010 PNM regime was “the most corrupt government ever”, more corrupt than the 1995 to 2001 UNC government.

And the person who read that statement into the record was Dr Keith Rowley, now our Prime Minister.

His concerns were endorsed by the Lord Musthill Inquiry into the Judiciary, the Uff Inquiry and during the Colman Inquiry. And so ponderous must be the depths of corruption in that PNM regime, it appears our DPP and others cannot get around to building cases against the perpetrators? Mind you, this is how we share this Section 34 Blanket. The UNC , when in power, were competent in bringing law suits against the PNM Boys, but not against their own friends and financiers. The Piarco duo were given safe haven against extradition because they had too much money to fight their appeals. So the UNC brought charges against the PNM Petrotrin jefes, but these charges were withdrawn by the PNM when they returned to power. You see how it goes? Obviously the cases against the HDC Nine are much less complex than any case against those named in all the Inquiries we endured, for the DPP to have wrapped them all up within a year? You understand what is happening here, don’t you? Past sins and sinners are already fading away under the Blanket of Section 34 as we seek to end corruption at its flowers and not at its roots.

By all means we must nip it in the bud whenever we can, so I endorse charges being brought against people whose may warrant them. Who would not endorse this? This long overdue initiative? But it must not come as an act of vindictiveness against their mirror images across the floor, to be vaulted over dozens of other just as important matters of corruption under assiduous investigations for years now.

This nation needs to be told, openly and honestly, the status of investigations into corruption allegations and charges against many persons close to governments over the past sixteen years. And we need to bring the cases against those who have been so blatantly exposed– with more to come unless we keep reports hidden – in the Commissions’ Reports.

Selective prosecutions, against only those on the other side—whichever “other side” — are themselves acts of gross corruption, and we must make it clear that we are demanding prosecutions against all who have stolen from our Treasury.

I am on your side in this Dr Rowley, provided your stated intent is really your intentto root out and prosecute corruption from our society. Bring charges against your own sinners too. Do not fool us again!

You know the symptom: that limp unaroused feeling you experience at election time when there is no enthusiasm to vote for any of the candidates? Many Trinbagonians have been suffering in silence with this condition for years. Some people call it voter apathy, but it should now officially be a medical condition.

Once again, the two major groups of political swamp dwellers – the People’s National Movement and the United National Congress – are vying for your votes (definitely not mine) in the upcoming Local Government election. Of course, they’re not the only options, but voting for the Movement for Social Justice, the Congress of the People, Watson Duke’s fan club or some other disgruntled former political swamp-dweller is like saying that you won’t vote for the parent, but you’ll vote for the child.

My unsolicited advice is that the apple does not fall too far from the tree, so don’t waste your time. But really, which independent person can get excited to go vote for any of these parties? They’ve all had several opportunities, but the results are similar: inflation with stagnant salaries; governments unable to combat crime; constant disregard for the views and ideas of citizens; being forced to sit helplessly by as corruption runs wild in government procurement departments from PTSC to almost every government ministry and agency; and enduring the perversity of ‘consultants’ (who just happen to be related to politicians) getting paid exorbitant fees. I surely can’t vote for that.

But politicians aren’t bothered by people like me because they always have the racial ‘Trump card’ (pun intended) to play. These political parties, especially the one that created the political swamp – the PNM – and the one that takes full advantage of living in it – the UNC – peddle almost exclusively in the politics of race, and Trinbagonians allow it. When a party puts an Indo- Trinbagonian to contest a position or seat in Central Trinidad or a dreadlocked Afro-Trinbagonian in the North, they are encouraging and exploiting that sense of racial bias. The sad part about this is that the electorate still hasn’t figured out that they are being treated like prostitutes.

At election time, political parties have their way with the electorate and then the day after, they get dropped off at the side of the street, until next time. This is especially true in the rural UNC ‘strongholds’ where race is always more important.

But it is more palpable in the West and Port-of-Spain and environs where Afro-Trinbagonians religiously vote their race, ignoring the fact that the PNM has done absolutely nothing to improve their way of life. It’s appalling. From Morvant to Carenage and Diego Martin there is no running potable water in many places, many people live in squalor, crime is on their doorstep, and despite empty promises year after year, they vote PNM anyway.

In politics, ‘stronghold’ is a euphemism for describing a strong racial demographic, plain and simple.

Policy and progress are irrelevant.

These parties want to keep us dumb and divided because it is the only way they can conquer us. How can I, or anyone with an ounce of sense, get excited to vote for that? Those in the political swamp don’t care about our condition.

They offer no remedies or solutions because they can’t. Instead they use fear of the other side to get votes – the lesser of two evils argument.

In my view, as long as ‘evil’ is part of it, no one should vote. That same electile dysfunction is what just gave America its most bigoted president since Ronald Reagan. But don’t blame the electorate; blame the party for not offering the people better options. Just look at the numbers: in 2008 and 2012, President Barack Obama received 69.5 million and 65.9 million votes respectively.

At the time when a winner was declared, Hillary Clinton had less than 60 million, which was even less than what John McCain lost with; and then Mitt Romney got a couple million more and still lost his White House bid. That significant drop in the democratic vote is why Hillary lost. More interestingly, at the same time, President-elect Donald Trump won with even less votes than McCain. The final tally is still ongoing, but the preliminary numbers show that voters on both sides experienced electile dysfunction, but Hillary paid a bigger price.

Electile dysfunction is important to a democracy because it coerces politicians to leave and/or drain the swamp and focus on the people. If you want our votes, do what’s best for citizens and not financiers and business interests, or you’ll learn a harsh lesson. Our votes aren’t automatic.

The Democrats got the message – it’s our turn to teach that same lesson to the PNM and the UNC.