Outside woman? Outside child? Outside...?

I have always found this to be wrong in every sense.

Twins are generally similar if not identical, and truth be told, there are few if any similarities between our two islands, other than the fact that we (together?) form one nation.

It has always seemed clear to me that Tobago has been neglected and disadvantaged by Trinidad, in almost all respects— governance, business and commerce, sport and culture, and in the hearts and minds of most Trinidadians. Tobago is different from Trinidad in population diversity, religion, character and ethics. And Tobago has been ignored and scorned by successive Trinidad governments for as long as I can remember, from when I first began visiting that island in the early 1950s.

Back then, the airport had a grass runway, and sea travel was served by the slow moving MV Tobago or the MV Trinidad.

Landing at Scarborough meant clambering down the gangway of the anchored vessel into large row boats tied alongside and being rowed ashore to the dockside.

I remember sailing around the island to Charlotteville on the MV Tobago, and being carried through the groundswell at Man o’ War Bay like a bag of cocoa.

But at least back then, with all that indignity, goods and services were delivered! Today we never know if or when we can travel there. It seems that successive governments in Trinidad have conspired through neglect, malfeasance and who knows—even spite?—to deprive Tobago of the means of economic survival. And Tobago is currently experiencing the worst of all times under a Tobago- born Prime Minister. And it was no better served by the previous Tobagonian prime minister, who then became president of the country.

The recent and ongoing fiascos over the sea links between Trinidad and Tobago are almost beyond belief. That no one has been called to account for the loss of the cargo ferry service, and the ongoing failure to schedule and conduct proper maintenance on the two fast ferries, one at a time, is astonishing.

Is it that we prefer to dance to the ongoing bacchanal and jamming than to learn how we managed to wilfully create such fiascos? These disasters could not have occurred without the people in charge planning the failures: people who manage the government, the Port Authority, the operations of the vessels and the people who should have maintained the fast ferries to ensure they could operate effectively.

And we should note that none of the gross failures, whether wilful or caused by neglect and dereliction of duty, can be laid at the feet of Tobago. Tobago and Tobagonians are the victims of all of this incompetence and failure, and maybe criminal dereliction of duty. Tobago has no say, no choice in any of this. And Tobago continues to be ignored as Trinidad scrambles and fumbles to repair the damage of Trinidad’s making.

Tobago, like an abused outside woman, begs Trinidad for an allowance to pay her bills. Tobago survives on what Trinidad deigns to give to Tobago, just like any outside and barely acknowledged child. Typical to the national character of too many Trinidadians, an outside woman is an entertainment icon, never a responsibility. And an outside child is a nuisance. But Tobago has become an extremely wealthy outside woman with child. However, Trinidad has, in typical Trini male fashion, grabbed that wealth and spirits it away from Tobago, into the LNG Plant at Point Fortin, and then sells it to local and overseas purchasers.

Consider this, Tobago: If you were to secede from this unfair and incestuous union with Trinidad, all of the oil and gas surrounding your shores, for several hundred miles, bar half the portion between you and Toco, will belong to you. How long will you watch an abusive and incompetent “partner” take your wealth to his house and deprive you of access to it? And while Trinidad siphons off your mineral wealth to Trinidad, you are deprived of transport, groceries and medical supplies, because of the unbelievable incompetence of the people who are supposed to transport food and other goods to you. Transport “arrangements” incidentally to which you have never had an input.

Several years ago, in circumstances now lost in the distance, little Anguilla seceded from its union with St Kitts and Nevis.

And little Anguilla had no known oil and gas off its shore.

But Anguilla survives today, apparently still friends with St Kitts and Nevis.

If I was Tobagonian I would be campaigning for the independent state of Tobago, and would develop a just and competent society there, unfettered by the corruption and incompetence of Trinidadians.

G o b r a v e , To b a - go, you will be b e t t e r off outside this u n j u s t union!