It is not enough to see the problems that are having the effect of throwing our society off balance and discussing them from a selfish perspective; the challenge of our generation is to take the figurative ball and run with it. It is a sad indictment on our thinking class that our bias is so easily claimed and corralled and I daresay that it is this need to belong on the micro scale that is our greatest undoing. Tribalism, racism, religion and all the other social dividers and all manner of separation flourishes in this environment, and many whose voices should be raised in alarm against the deterioration of the community of T&T are either noticeably silent or hard at work contradicting their own best interests.
There is also the issue of the amnesia of what went before to be dealt with, as it is almost as if we want to believe that the conversation began the moment we joined it. It didn't, and we need to get past this self absorption if our contribution is going to matter. The reality is far more complex and runs a lot deeper than personal views and feelings and must take the collective into account. Leroy Calliste (Black Stalin) said in his 'Caribbean Man' that 'if you don't know where you come from, how de hell you could know where you're going' and this is as true as true gets on this level. Too much that many have given more than blood too has been bastardized and monetized to the collective loss, leaving high sounding pursuits like culture to be only as important as what it could sell you. The chasm of mistrust is being deepened by these 'isms' and preventing meaningful discourse from occurring at any level.
There is also the issue of the amnesia of what went before to be dealt with, as it is almost as if we want to believe that the conversation began the moment we joined it. It didn't, and we need to get past this self absorption if our contribution is going to matter. The reality is far more complex and runs a lot deeper than personal views and feelings and must take the collective into account. Leroy Calliste (Black Stalin) said in his 'Caribbean Man' that 'if you don't know where you come from, how de hell you could know where you're going' and this is as true as true gets on this level. Too much that many have given more than blood too has been bastardized and monetized to the collective loss, leaving high sounding pursuits like culture to be only as important as what it could sell you. The chasm of mistrust is being deepened by these 'isms' and preventing meaningful discourse from occurring at any level.
Yes change is a need and an inevitability, but must not be at the expense of identity. We must be careful not to lose the baby when disposing of the bathwater and the question must be asked, who if anyone is setting the national agenda?
We live in a world where being jaded is not only easy it is expected, and apathy is fuelling a generation of despair manifesting itself in increased suicides and other mindless, preventable atrocities. The spin doctors continue to peddle instant coffee politics devoid of vision or ideology and the audience is losing interest in the big picture. Continuing to view everything from the perspective of what's in it for me robs us all equally and we need to start using 'long vision' so as to keep the consequences of our actions in view. We ignore this at our peril and the remnants remarkably resemble children scrambling for toys and candy after bursting the proverbial pinata. We need to broaden whatever vision exists or build one where none is, and it must incorporate the struggles and successes of the past or all will be lost. Our identity is still being forged yet we scurry around excitedly trying to package and sell a 'Trini Way' that still does not at yet exist. In our eagerness to deliver to the marketing department a 'one of each' view we risk destroying the crucible itself as much of the difficulties we face comes down to simple trust.
The perversion of our national symbols as marketing and promotional tools disturbs and disrupts the idea of a national identity and we are not that far from some cheeky advertiser rewriting the lyrics of the National Anthem to sell us beer, coffee or mobile phone plans. Self absorbed living for the moment sounds a lot like freedom but held in contrast to the social construct it is a most effective form of slavery, with monthly bills replacing iron shackles and credit and debt the crack of the whip. In this scenario, not only are we the slaves, but by dint of ego driven choice are also the slave master and the grand overseer. We cannot escape the fact that personal responsibility is the only path to true freedom, and its overlap - social responsibility is the healing of our nation.
More than anything else we need to get all of the elements on the same page dedicated to the same rebirth and redevelopment, because as is patently clear, nothing else is working and we are sinking fast.
We live in a world where being jaded is not only easy it is expected, and apathy is fuelling a generation of despair manifesting itself in increased suicides and other mindless, preventable atrocities. The spin doctors continue to peddle instant coffee politics devoid of vision or ideology and the audience is losing interest in the big picture. Continuing to view everything from the perspective of what's in it for me robs us all equally and we need to start using 'long vision' so as to keep the consequences of our actions in view. We ignore this at our peril and the remnants remarkably resemble children scrambling for toys and candy after bursting the proverbial pinata. We need to broaden whatever vision exists or build one where none is, and it must incorporate the struggles and successes of the past or all will be lost. Our identity is still being forged yet we scurry around excitedly trying to package and sell a 'Trini Way' that still does not at yet exist. In our eagerness to deliver to the marketing department a 'one of each' view we risk destroying the crucible itself as much of the difficulties we face comes down to simple trust.
The perversion of our national symbols as marketing and promotional tools disturbs and disrupts the idea of a national identity and we are not that far from some cheeky advertiser rewriting the lyrics of the National Anthem to sell us beer, coffee or mobile phone plans. Self absorbed living for the moment sounds a lot like freedom but held in contrast to the social construct it is a most effective form of slavery, with monthly bills replacing iron shackles and credit and debt the crack of the whip. In this scenario, not only are we the slaves, but by dint of ego driven choice are also the slave master and the grand overseer. We cannot escape the fact that personal responsibility is the only path to true freedom, and its overlap - social responsibility is the healing of our nation.
More than anything else we need to get all of the elements on the same page dedicated to the same rebirth and redevelopment, because as is patently clear, nothing else is working and we are sinking fast.
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