An alleged statement by Kamla Persad-Bissessar, on social media that she thinks colonialism was good for us and that we benefited from colonialism. These are the types of statements and support of neocolonialism that continues to undermine our people psychologically and economically as we continue to live in “mental slavery”. No wonder in the Caribbean, we continue to teach our students European history, literature and languages, and nothing about African history, literature and languages or even Indian history and culture to our people of Indian descent. Shame on you Kamala, you and PM Holness could take a page out of Queen Mia’s book.

@Slipfeeler wrote:

An alleged statement by Kamala on social media that she thinks colonialism was good for us and that we benefited from colonialism. These are the types of statements and support of neocolonialism that continues to undermine our people psychologically and economically as we continue to live in “mental slavery”. No wonder in the Caribbean, we continue to teach our students European history, literature and languages, and nothing about African history, literature and languages or even Indian history and culture to our people of Indian descent. Shame on you Kamala, you and PM Holness could take a page out of Queen Mia’s book.

Kamala Harris?

@Slipfeeler wrote:

An alleged statement by Kamala on social media that she thinks colonialism was good for us and that we benefited from colonialism. These are the types of statements and support of neocolonialism that continues to undermine our people psychologically and economically as we continue to live in “mental slavery”. No wonder in the Caribbean, we continue to teach our students European history, literature and languages, and nothing about African history, literature and languages or even Indian history and culture to our people of Indian descent. Shame on you Kamala, you and PM Holness could take a page out of Queen Mia’s book.

Slippy

An alleged statement?

Can you post the link please.

@Halliwell wrote:

Kamala Harris?

Kamla Persad-Bissessar

Many still have a colonized brain. The educational system in the Caribbean still conditions minds to look favorably on the past atrocities that were done to people of color

@sgtdjones wrote:

From the Trinidadian Guardian:

“Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says Trinidad and Tobago must take responsibility for its post-Independence failures instead of continuing to blame its colonial past.

In her Independence Day message on Sunday, Persad-Bissessar said the country had failed to build on what she described as a strong foundation left by the British in 1962.

“The fact is that the British left us a very prosperous functioning country in 1962,” she said.”

What strong foundation has the British left in any Caribbean island? Show me at least one British infrastructure of any significance in any Caribbean island? All the modern highways and toll roads in Jamaica were built by China. Most of the extravagant and massive all-inclusive hotels on the north coast were built by business conglomerates, also including the sprawling high rise buildings in Kingston and Montego Bay. Even Cuba build schools and hospitals in Jamaica. What has Britain built in Jamaica, except for a few derelict plantation buildings, broken bridges and dusty roads, made only to transport out the island’s resources to Europe? The history boldly stated that Jamaica was the “gem in the British crown “ but how has that helped Jamaica or any other Caribbean island?. Mrs PM is purely delusional.

@Slipfeeler :

Nominal GDP Per Capita Comparison (1962)

Trinidad and Tobago: $703.62 US

 Japan: $684.57 USD

Singapore: $472.08 USD 

Key Contextual Differences

• Compared to Singapore: Trinidad and Tobago’s average income per person was roughly 49% higher than Singapore’s ($472.08 USD). At the time, Singapore was a struggling, resource-poor British crown colony dealing with high unemployment and severe housing shortages. 
• Compared to Japan: Trinidad and Tobago was slightly richer than Japan ($684.57 USD). In 1962, Japan was still in the middle of its post-WWII economic reconstruction and had not yet transformed into the global technology and automotive powerhouse it became later in the decades.

​TODAY

The dynamic has radically inverted. Driven by institutional reforms, strategic global trade policies, and massive investments in human capital, Singapore and Japan have multi-generationally eclipsed Trinidad and Tobago. 

• Singapore has achieved a GDP per capita of approximately $98,814 USD, evolving into a global financial nucleus.
• Japan commands an average GDP per capita of roughly $35,951 USD.
• Trinidad and Tobago stands at roughly $18,967 USD, showing steady growth but trailing the explosive modern trajectories of the other two nations

References

• World Bank Open Data: The primary source for official national accounts and historical GDP per capita figures (current US$) tracking global development indicators from 1960 onward.
• Macrotrends Historical Data: Provides complete year-by-year tables documenting Trinidad and Tobago's nominal per capita progression from its independence year of 1962 ($703.62) to present levels.
• Our World in Data: Compiles long-term cross-country income comparisons adjusted for inflation and purchasing power parity across international institutions.
• Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED): Maintains official economic research data for Gross Domestic Product Per Capita specific to Trinidad and Tobago.

................

At the time of independence from Great Britain in 1962, Trinidad and Tobago was left with a relatively low and manageable level of national debt.

Debt-to-GDP Ratio: The country's debt-to-GDP ratio averaged around 20% during the 1960s, a stark contrast to modern debt loads.

Per Capita Debt: Local data shows that by the mid-to-late 1950s leading up to independence, the per capita public debt was roughly $100 TTD per citizen, with the vast majority (over 80%) being foreign-held rather than domestic.

(https://newworldjournal.org/independence/the-post-war-political-economy-of-trinidad-and-tobago-i/4/)

While historians and economists continue to debate the broader socio-economic and colonial inequalities left behind in 1962, Trinidad and Tobago began its sovereign journey with a stable credit foundation, maintaining an enviable reputation of never defaulting on its government debt ever since.

Note: Today the debt stands at approx. 140 billion. Excluding what is owed to China , the last government signed NDA's so Citizens dont know .

If we use the approx. 6 billion HSF to pay external debt , T&T will have no money to buy any foreign goods.

Its a bankrupt country.

The governments since 1962, results today shows a bankrupt country. The new budget estimate that a deficit of 10 billion will occur adding to its debt.

Is this what the PM is refereeing to borrowing money to stay afloat. T&T must take responsibility for its post-Independence failures instead of continuing to blame its colonial past.

@Slipfeeler wrote:

An alleged statement by Kamla Persad-Bissessar, on social media that she thinks colonialism was good for us and that we benefited from colonialism. These are the types of statements and support of neocolonialism that continues to undermine our people psychologically and economically as we continue to live in “mental slavery”. No wonder in the Caribbean, we continue to teach our students European history, literature and languages, and nothing about African history, literature and languages or even Indian history and culture to our people of Indian descent. Shame on you Kamala, you and PM Holness could take a page out of Queen Mia’s book.

rum will mash up yuh head - dat is all

rum will mash up yuh head - dat is all

......with such economic results before you , showing the PNM destruction after 50 years of being in power now leaving the country near bankruptcy , what did they drink?... amazing response.

For someone who has spent two decades talking about writing a book on Brian Lara, your actual capacity for writing and analysis seems to have completely evaporated. A serious debate on Caribbean history, and your big academic rebuttal is a tired rum joke? That’s embarrassing. It takes a special kind of arrogance to sit on your UWI titles while delivering the analytical depth of an uneducated troll.

@sgtdjones wrote:

A serious debate on Caribbean history, and your big academic rebuttal is a tired rum joke?

To be fair to Kamla, she's a more of a vodka woman these days.

Nice and clear and no hangovers.

@SnoopDog wrote:

To be fair to Kamla, she's a more of a vodka woman these days.

Nice and clear and no hangovers.

I see why dem Trini women gats ya BMW , they must have told you "Nice and clear and no hangovers."

Then you pass out for the weekend as the BMW is seen all over the GTA.😂 😂

@sgtdjones wrote:

I see why dem Trini women gats ya BMW , they must have told you "Nice and clear and no hangovers."

Then you pass out for the weekend as the BMW is seen all over the GTA.😂 😂

So what's her preferred poison these days? Grey Goose, or Absolute?

@SnoopDog wrote:

So what's her preferred poison these days? Grey Goose, or Absolute?

She and husband drinks the best scotch whiskey ....He was a OBGYN...she lawyer/politician

The Lagavulin Offerman Edition: Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Aged 11 Years has notes of lemon, with the Lagavulin signature smokiness , which combines the whisky’s defining peat notes with chocolate and tropical fruit flavors.