That often seems to be the story of race relations, or more precisely, of racial perceptions in this rather small, multi-racial country. When you think we improving, we slide back.

From food connoisseur Anthony Bourdain’s interview with Mario Aboud-Sabga’s “one per cent” boast and his apology; the battling crosstalk by Israel Rajah-Khan SC, Lloyd Ragoo, Karan Mahabirsingh, Prof Theodore Lewis, Dr Kamal Persad, Capil Bissoon and Trevor Sudama; Gary and Gregory Aboud, with fiery reaction by unionists Ancel Roget and Vincent Cabrera and Steve Smith; with Prof Selwyn Cudjoe and Dr Winford James “defending” Roget; then the “seeking to calm” comments by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

And quite familiar with the “greasy-pole effect,” the inevitable newspaper editorials calling for peace. Regular contributors, Steve Alvarez and Dr Errol Benjamin, made touch-and-go comments.

Perhaps frustrated by now, my friend Reginald Dumas, like other notables, stayed out the greasy-pole phenomenon this time.

This panoramic name-calling is respectfully used to show how important and widespread this subject of race relations is to this society in its up-and-down struggle to achieve just one inch of its national anthem.

Opposing Roget’s one per cent boycott, Lloyd Ragoo, self-described “dougla,” stated: “It’s almost laughable when you say we (workers) must be prepared to take control.

We (workers) are already in control of all the wine and jam chutney/ soca bacchanal, already in control of all the river and beach limes that are saturated with alcohol, already in control of all CEPEP and other government ‘wuk.’ The Syrian/Lebanese community has been one of the major suppliers/contributors of our Christmas traditional needs,” (Express, August 17).

Citing several supporting texts, Prof Cudjoe sought to clarify: “The 23 unions that marched through Port of Spain on August 4 want to play a significant role in solving our economic problems.” In two commentaries, Dr James, too, examined the contributions by labour in the face of self-serving capitalism. He wrote: “Neither man (Ragoo and Gary Aboud) can see workers in a productive light. It is as if the mass of workers are on welfare doled out by the Syrian/Lebanese businesses.”( Express, August 17).

To which J Hadeed, giving a pro-business response, said: “Mr Roget should spend his time urging his membership to be hard working, productive, earn an honest day‘s pay, report environmental risks, and emulate the Syrian community for its family unity, its thrift, sacrifice and investment. My father came to this country when he was 17 years old without a cent in his pocket and worked 12 hours a day until he was 70.” The far distance between perceptions defies attempts to prove who is right or wrong. Steve Alvarez gave a more “easy to say than achieve” view: “In this land of wonderful people of many races, different faces and a callaloo of cultures, we have no choice to work together if we wish to overcome the global economic, social and political challenges that confront us.” (Newsday, August 17). But alas, every time you think there is improved harmony between the ambiguously defined races here, everything slides back – the greasy-pole effect. July and early August have been very hot with race relations here. But this is not the first time. Neither will it be the last – too much psychological resistance.

I recall sociologist Philip Mason’s early words: “As the Caribbean eased out of colonialism, Trinidad and Tobago remained muddled by tensions over colour, class and race and the hypocrisies that inevitably help to smoothen relationships and decorate the tourist brochures.” In his 1972 book, Aftermath of Sovereignty, David Lowenthal added: “The rosy image of multi-racial harmony, however, grossly distorts both the actual facts and the way they are locally seen.” Perhaps, Mr Bourdain’s interview–45 years later– confirms that.

The greasy-pole effect will be soon illustrated with “all ah we is one” speeches at Independence Day celebrations. In any pluralistic democracy, you expect contestations over space and opportunity.

But I ask two questions: (1) Do we go too far? (2) When will race relations and equity improve so as to achieve effective national mobilisation for social and e c o n o m i c progress of all? Or do we remain stuck with the greasy-pole effect?

For decades, we have failed to realise and understand that nothing can be done to progress our country if we refuse to work together and across party lines. This ideology of partisanship that our first prime minister, Dr Eric Williams established and entrenched needs to be abolished, along with the falsehood that he was a patriotic statesman.

And when I say work together, I don’t mean the recent publicity stunt qua meeting between a Prime Minister with no ideas, and an Opposition Leader with no shame. What I mean is that there must be meaningful dialogue and genuineness from all sides; all stakeholders; every single citizen; otherwise our country would remain completely and totally paralysed by politics.

Bi-partisanship is only impossible without sincerity. What the country needs is a sincere leader whose loyalty is to the holders of our passports, and not holders of party-cards. Every time I reveal my destiny of becoming the first prime minister to lead a bipartisan cabinet, the immediate response is always derision and scepticism because no one believes in that kind of “utopian” rhetoric. Trinbagonians believe that there is nothing more corrupt than politics and no one more dishonest than politicians; therefore anyone who follows a path of politics will eventually become corrupted.

I, however, strongly disagree and firmly believe that politics does not change anybody; it merely reveals who those people have been all along. Frankly, integrity constructed on solid foundation cannot easily be shaken because of power and/or wealth.

Too many of my compatriots believe that nothing can be done about the incompetence we have parading as governance for the past several decades. And too many people believe that the democratic dictatorship of the UNC -PNM system is incorrigible and that it is impossible to destroy because no one votes on issues– only party. I, however, have faith in the electorate. I have faith that a viable non-partisan option presented with the right leadership will transcend all biases that have, for far too long, corrupted our politics and our people.

The recent success of president Emmanuel Macron in France, and even that of American independent senator, Bernie Sanders, during the 2016 democratic primary elections has solidified my belief that this corrupt system can be collectively torn down by an enlightened electorate.

There is so much to get done and we are running out of time.

As mentioned before, the solutions are out there but the folks in our parliament aren’t interested in implementing anything that isn’t politically beneficial.

For dealing with crime and reforming the entire criminal justice system, we have endless research and personal knowledge from criminologists like Renee Cummings and Prof Ramesh Deosaran. For the economy and helping us diversify, there is no dearth of intelligent economists but we could start with Dr Roger Hosein for his views on what to do next. And for the other issues like corruption, infrastructure and public transportation, there is an endless supply of knowledge and opinions to use as a starting reference.

So even though the ideas are all there, it boils down to political will and the need for votes; who dares interrupt the corruption that runs rampant in the Police Service, Coast Guard, Army, Licensing, PTSC, Customs, Immigration and every government ministry? With a registered electorate of just over one million people, the potential votes from corrupt people and their families is a huge chunk of prospective voters, and there is nothing more important to any of our politicians than that figure.

Moving the Beetham landfill from being a welcome sign to our capital city and building new prisons are also necessary issues requiring urgency but both continue to receive resistance from residents in earmarked areas; however, making unpopular decisions is part of being in government.

Additionally, no government wants to implement contemporary legislation on employment and labour to replace the existing unconstitutional mess we call a labour justice system because who wants to lose the votes of the labour movement, which is estimated to be somewhere between 5,000 people and “the balance.” How long are we going to allow corruption, trade unions and criminals to run our country because of political paralysis? I think 2020 is a good time to turn over a new leaf. Remember, the paralysis of Trinidad and Tobago due to politics is still temporary but if we do not attempt to rehabilitate the system now, permanent paralysis is inevitable.

As a person born in 1938, and growing up through the 1940s and 1950s, I am acutely aware of the glass wall that existed between the society of local and expatriate whites and our African and Indian brothers and sisters. We could look through this glass barrier, and open it slightly for some to pass through to work or serve, but not to join the privileged on the white side of the glass.

Remember, one could not see a black face working in the banking sector prior to 1970.

Today, peoples of all ethnic backgrounds (and in some instances, all ethnic backgrounds in one person’s face) are leading our professional, commercial and industrial sectors.

Some might add our governing sector here as well, but the persons — of whatever ethnicity — in governance represent incompetence, corruption and racism. Let us acknowledge that the residual core of racism in our society continues more steadfastly in our politics than in our social structures.

I touch lightly on our local experiences with culture and racism to try to establish a comparison with the evil of racist hatred that endures in America. I was a university student in Houston in the mid 1960s.

The police once raided my apartment because a student from Nigeria attended a party there. The following day, the cops returned, to tell me (excuse the language): “If you want to let a ‘nigra’ in here, it better be to clean the place or fix the plumbing.” I walked through a picket line of the hooded KKK to hear Stokely Carmichael speak on campus. It was scary, they came right up to you and stared into your face, and you had no idea who was behind that hood.

Some change has come to America since those days. But the core of the ignorance and racism, and those words are interchangeable, still pervades that society. America’s pretentious flag waving and posturing about equality and fairness allows too many of their citizens to live in denial of the brutish hatred which resides in their underclass – that ignorant, insecure and violent sector which pervades their society.

The media flatters them with the title White Supremacists. But these people are– as all Americans know– the lowest levels of intellect and achievement. They live in failure, business-wise, competence and achievement.

Admittedly, every now and then, out of the evils of self-hatred and prejudice, someone wily enough, exploiting false issues, can rise to wealth and even leadership — somewhat like a stubborn turd in a toilet bowl, which you cannot flush away. You may extend the analogy as you wish.

However, the current rise of Nazism and hatred is driven by the open encouragement of the President of the United States, who openly encourages the Klan and Nazis to feel that they are welcome to sow their hatred across the land.

Europe’s post-Renaissance conquest of the Americas and Africa and their introduction of the atrocity of slavery to the Americas was the beginning of America’s racial problems.

Their delay in ending slavery and the continuing cruelty and dehumanising of African people extends unto the current time.

America may be the most powerful nation on earth — economically and militarily— but it is nowhere close to being the most democratic, the most decent or the most fair to its citizens across the board.

The problem is that most Americans do not know this, they live on an illusion embedded in them that theirs is the finest, most decent, most democratic country on earth.

And this is simply not true.

Throughout history far more injustice, evil and cruelty has been imposed by white humanity upon other peoples than other peoples could ever impose upon whites.

The myth of a white supremacy in America is shattered by assessing achievement along ethnic lines, in terms of physical superiority (sports and athletics), science, engineering, medicine, everything, as more and more blacks and Asians carry America’s flag.

And then compare the successes (if any?) of those pathetics who are white and seek to claim superiority.

Americans themselves have the correct expression for these people.

They are “white trash”.

And as ugly, noisy and ignorant as those may be, they are still a small minority. But a river of decency and inclusiveness runs deep but too silently through American society.

And this river must flow purposefully to wash away the hatred espoused by the ignorance of the white trash, regardless of the offices held by those who esp o u s e the hatred.

It is now up to you, decent America.

Although the contributors, including the Love for All Foundation, Pizza Boys, various mosques, close friends and family, did not want to disclose the amount they individually gave, Haleema can now leave the country to seek her much needed procedure scheduled for September 4.

Haleema was diagnosed with Beta Thalassemia Major, a blood disorder, and was denied funding by the Children’s Life Fund Authority (CLFA) on the grounds that her application “contains little evidence of a definitive diagnosis of Beta Thalassemia Major…and furthermore it appears that the requisite testing for the donor has not been carried out, both of which may be required before the course of treatment can be appropriately selected.” The CLFA also said, “Thalassemia is not considered to be a life-threatening illness as required by Section 19 (e) of the Act.” The board said its clinical assessments were based on other patients “with the same medical condition as further confirmed by the clinical meeting with consultant paediatricians and a haematologist on April 28 where it was agreed that Thalassemia is not a life-threatening illness and, with proper management, life expectancy extends well into adulthood.” Fighting to hold back tears, Haleema’s mother Kristal told Newsday, “I will like to thank the corporate sector which has rallied around Haleema. I will like to thank each and everyone who has contributed to my daughter in getting the money for her surgery. I feel so happy and I thank everyone for their support and prayers.” Kristal was speaking moments after the family was yesterday presented with a cheque from businessman Stefan Chin, son of MovieTowne owner Derek Chin, in the sum of $20,000.

“Today was the happiest day of my life after a few days of ups and downs. Today I was lifted up with so much that I know for sure now she will get the surgery. I have been praying for this.” Kristal said they are leaving on August 31 to reach India on September 4 and would be there for three months.

“The first month, doctors will do the treatment and surgery and they will take the two months to monitor her after the surgery.” Haleema lives at Mohess Road, Penal with her mother and father Hamil Mohammed and two siblings.

Chin called on corporate citizens to help those in need. The cheque presentation took place at MovieTowne, Invaders Bay, Port of Spain. Chin said after learning about the family’s plight, he saw it fitting to get on board to help.

“When I saw this on the television I took an interest in it because I realised it was somebody in need, and if you have the ability to help why not help? I think it is a responsibility of corporate citizens to help and once corporate citizens could help they should. It will help the country all around.” Meanwhile, attorney Gerald Ramdeen said it has been a very long and hard journey for the family. Last Tuesday he petitioned the High Court in San Fernando to compel the CLFA to respond to Haleema’s application. On Wednesday the CLFA announced its decision to deny the funding.

Ramdeen said the family sees no use in appealing the matter since they have managed to raise the money.

“I don’t think they want to go through the emotional trauma of going to court,” Ramdeen said.

“They had done very well, as much as $300,000, and by yesterday afternoon they were about $100,000 short. Between yesterday (Thursday) and this morning (Friday) they have been able to raise the $100,000.” He said with all the bad news every day, there were still very good people who look out for those in need.

“That goes to show, this is a family who did all they can to save the life of their daughter and I am very pleased today to say that Trinidad and Tobago has contributed to be able to save Haleema’s life.”

What Antoine-Dunne may have taken to or taken away from the conference is that, inter alia, the Caribbean in general, and Trinidad specifically, engaged in a transcultural process and exchanges since the beginning of colonialism and that “everybody has to make accommodations and society reflects these shifts,” and the interchanges and interconnections exist everywhere within modern culture and writers and artists have sought to create something new out of the mixture.

A couple of tiny observations.

Antoine-Dunne’s descriptions of Trinidad culture as a microcosm of global cross-cultural exchanges, referencing S Naipaul, Walcott and the Guyanese writer Harris through their eyes, may be insufficient basis for the claim without reference and validation of a framework standard for assessing transcultural interchanges and interconnections.

If we believe that modern transcultural exchange has become “planetary,” but the memory of original cultures including Amerindian culture has remained in our collective psyche, transforming the region into something distinctly Caribbean, which of these two standards is the operating standard in the context of a validating assessment? In the 1600s, the Dutch developed a social formula known as modern capitalism, which proved to be transferable and ultimately deadly to all social formulas (Taylor, Dutch Hegemony and Contemporary Globalisation, 2002).

Whose culture and values create the validating assessment when working out regional consequences of ideas of exclusion and inclusion of Asian and African cultures and their visibility in monarchist, imperialist Amsterdam? More to the point, which culture and values create the operating standard which makes us uniquely Caribbean? In answering the question it needs stating that from near extinction of First Peoples to 400 years of the Atlantic slave trade and loss of philosophical traditions, identity and self, the memory of good as well as bad cultural experiences and expressions, shaped and imbedded in collective psyches, may not necessarily be distinctly or uniquely (authentically) Caribbean.

And so, a centuries-old colonial system of the forced abandonment of fathers to their children and families, the recolouring of skin tones and of choice and changes in goods and services, do these identifiable markers of cross-cultural adaptation make us uniquely Caribbean, relative to the consequences of imperialism in other parts of the world? A long time ago, a philosopher of note stated that actions inspired by motives that spring from the periphery of the self, while denying its essential aspects, amounts to self-betrayal, self-alienation and annihilation.

The 18th century philosopher also suggested that the emergence of a competitive public sphere compromises one’s ability to look inward because competitive relations require role-playing in the extreme, which in turn causes not only self-alienation but ultimately injustice, inequality and the destruction of moral understanding.

The pertinent question arises: how authentic is the intergenerational cross-cultural mix of Trinidadians caused by trauma of the past?

KATHLEEN PINDER via email

The case with this sick child is a little baffling to me, however.

I mean, why India? Can’t the procedure be performed some place that is not going to cost so much in airfare alone? How about Cuba? I understand it has world-class medical practitioners right there, just a stone’s throw away.

What’s so special about India? You telling me the procedure that child needs to save her life can only be performed in India? That’s the one valid reason I could think of for the parents to be looking to India but I find that extremely difficult to believe.

GLEN PROVIDENCE via email

Calling for export growth, the TTMA in a statement urged the creation of an enabling environment to create a much-needed expansion of the manufacturing sector, plus greater production, employment, export and foreign exchange earnings.

The statement said Government and business sector have similar interests.

“Both the Government and the manufacturing community agree wholly that the industry needs to take the lead in the diversification drive, and the urgent acceleration of this drive is crucial.

“However, for this objective to be realised, certain measures need to be implemented to serve as a catalyst for investment in plant, machinery and operations, allowing for greater productivity and output from factory floors across the country.” The TTMA said it has proposed a priority list of items for the Government to mull for the 2017/18 fiscal package, to collaboratively help build the non-energy sector and drive diversification.

“The TTMA would like to see as many of our manufacturers competing on the global market as possible, but without the right conditions locally, it would not be possible to effectively compete with some of the most efficient world market leaders.” The TTMA’s priority list of items includes export incentives to manufacturers to help create new streams of foreign exchange revenue for our national economy.

“The TTMA emphasises that these proposed measures would serve to promote manufacturing, exporting, job creation, crime reduction and ultimately aid in the much required diversification process.

“The initiatives are not burdensome on the Government coffers (but) are cost-effective, and the benefits will undoubtedly have far reaching consequences in stimulating sustainable growth and economic activity across the country.”

If “eating ah food” (being paid for doing nothing) is nation building, we got a long way to go.

What has been happening is that those given the job to guide our youths are grandstanding, using terms like “I prepared a paper on that.” Paper on shelves and not implemented is a waste of time. It becomes garbage.

Our education system is a complete failure as most of our children go to school but do not participate in schooling. Teachers must take some responsibility for this as absenteeism is the name of the game.

And they can be at that school for a year and not know the children or the culture of the community.

How sad.

For our country to progress we must be committed, be true Trinis to the bone.

ATHELSTON CLINTON Arima

“I have seen on Facebook lovely letters from him,” she said. “On the UTT library’s behalf, I am asking you to share them and to put them into the permanent collection.” Manning spoke with the media on Thursday at the viewing of the collection, “The Life and Times of Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning” mounted by the University of Trinidad and Tobago at the Adult Library of the National Library in Port of Spain.

Manning, her son David, other relatives and friends viewed the collection of some 3,000 exhibits on the occasion of the late prime minister’s 71st birth anniversary.

The pieces date back to 1971 when Manning first entered Parliament as MP for San Fernando East.

Among the exhibits was a video documentary of Manning’s life. It was viewed against the background music of Frank Sinatra’s My Way, a favourite of Patrick Manning.

Asked how she felt viewing the exhibits on the occasion of his birthday, Mrs Manning said, “I feel sad, very sad. Lots of memories.” Earlier she was explaining stories behind the pictures. “A lot of the stories are not known.

We will have to sit with them and go through as much as we know.” On the exhibits in the collection, she said, “The exhibition gives the essence of Patrick, who he was, how hard he worked.” Asked what stood out, she said, the document, Vision 20/20, “It was his dream and his vision that we could do much more because we have the resources. We have the talent.” She said he believed citizens “could do so much more. He believed that the natural resources would be depleted at some point in time and that human resources would have to take over for the sustainable development of the country.

Based on that he was very much active in getting Vision 20/20 to do that.” Meanwhile, she said, the commemorative committee established to honour her husband’s memory and which she heads, is putting together a programme that includes the publication of a book about his legacy and good governance.

The book will look at the system of good and sustainable governance, integrity, and the potential which could be realised.

“So that at the end of the day, we could do very, very well and be an example to the world, as small as we are.

That was his dream.

That was his thinking,” she said.

The committee also held a church service to mark Patrick Manning’s death anniversary. It is working on a lecture series.

Asked how one could pay homage to Manning in the absence of a site to him, Mrs Manning said, “Just go to church.

Go to church and say a prayer for him.” Of the exhibition, the Mannings’ son David said, “I am forced to compare Patrick Manning, the man, to the vision he had for his country. The country needs to remember what he did, who he was, and the plans he had for the country.” UTT chief librarian Martha Preddie said UTT was proud to be selected to house the collection.

When Manning demitted office, she said, he handed over his collection which included photographs, plaques, some personal artefacts and books that showed not only his political work and international visits but the personal side to him.

The collection is to be housed at the UTT Signature Campus at Tamana which is nearing completion. Plans are also in train to have a roving exhibition periodically before it becomes a standing collection.

Young also said Government retained its confidence in the board of the Port Authority at this time.

He told reporters it was not uncommon for several entities to be simultaneously conducting investigations into the same issue. Young cited a commission of enquiry (COE), police investigation and Central Bank investigations into the Clico/ CL Financial fiasco as an example. He said contrary to some media reports, the Port Authority is not conducting any probe into the procurement of the Ocean Flower II and the Cabo Star. He said a statement issued by the Port Authority was in reference to Mouttet’s appointment.

Young said Mouttet is being provided with resources from his ministry to undertake a fact finding assignment and submit a report to Rowley in 30 days. He reiterated that if the findings of Mouttet’s report warrant either civil or criminal action to be taken, the Government will act accordingly. Reminding reporters that the Integrity Commission is free to conduct its own probe into this matter, Young said, “There is no crossing of the lines.” He also said Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, as a former member of the Basdeo Panday Cabinet, is well aware that Mouttet’s appointment is not unique. Young said Persad-Bissessar was involved in that cabinet’s decisions to appoint former judge Jim Davis to look into the Police Service using Cherokee Jeeps