A Credible Threat...

A couple of months ago certain information was made available to me for my political edification regarding choices I was making at that time and to whom I was giving my political support. The information appeared to be of such a credible nature it caused me to take an almost one hundred and eighty degree turn in my own political positions, forcing many to question why such a drastic and sudden change. I was also made to give my word that what was told to me would be kept in confidence until I had 'permission' to share it. What I learnt then and have seen since has me worried for my country.

There are rumored plans within plans for the destabilization of this country that the consortium behind the ILP would prefer were not known. Key figures in the leadership of the PNM and that party's financiers are also rumored to be party to these same schemes, and while i cannot be sure of that information, judging by the made up emailgate hoax recently perpetrated on the country, who would be surprised?

Now I believe that rank and file PNM members would reject their party's involvement in any such plans, but that party's current political leader is rumored to be getting more and more desperate as his time runs out. It is no secret that unless he can force a general election within the next few months he himself is going to have to face his membership in an internal election for political leader, one that he is reliably expected to lose.

The following is the gist of what I was told:

ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY

The rumored plan is a multi-pronged approach to throw the country off balance while launching broadsides against the government to destabilize it and force a General Election. At the heart of the idea is control of the regional corporations, to use them to make the country unmanageable and out of control, for which the government will be blamed. Garbage will pile up, water and electrical interruptions will take place and gas lines and transport strikes will further frustrate the average person.

Two top international advertising firms who specialize in 'mind bending' messages have been contracted for these purposes and samples of their work are supposedly already visible on the Local Government campaign trail. The idea is for certain well known 'anti-government' spokespeople to step up their calls for a general election as the solution to all the country's new found woes, forcing the average person to join the call and collapse the government.

Could any of this be true? Examine what is already in the public domain. Many have commented that we have never seen this much money and energy spent on a local government campaign in our history, nor have we seen the escalation of violent rhetoric that we witness unleashed against those unsympathetic to the anti-government groups. The leader of a brand new party was 'screening' to represent another party even as his new party's tee shirts were already here, printed, packaged and ready to go. The leader of another party made the gaffe of his life when he slipped to the media that he would have no problem working in a coalition with his former enemy, setting back the timetable of the 'union of parties' whose ultimate goal is to isolate the government under planned and sustained attacks until it collapses. Offers in the multiples of millions have been made to Members of Parliament to cross the floor and force further bye elections. Existing councilors are being given whatever they ask for to 'cross over,' and this is also where the PNM is supposedly linked to the plan, as their councilors and members are to be instructed to 'support' the ILP led initiatives in 'solidarity' against the Partnership.

We are living in very dangerous times. Members of the ILP have stated publicly that they are prepared to go to whatever lengths to silence those considered a threat to their ambitions, and that party's led assault on freedom of speech that took place at Power 102 last Friday has made a believer of me.

We need to be wary. I know I am. This goes beyond politics, and if the very survival of our democracy is to be put at stake, Trinidadians need to be very, very careful with what they do next.