“From each according to his abilities; to each according to his needs.”

I was reminded of the immortal and chilling words of Karl Marx, the father of socialism as we know it over the weekend. It was a conversation about something that has always troubled me about politics and society in Trinidad but I have never quite been able to put my finger on it. I did get some help in the right direction though. This week as I drove up and down the country attending to “bidness” I was a captive audience for the endless repetition of the pro-summit pocket watch being waved back and forth in front of my face courtesy radio saturation. “Trinidad and Tobago will play host to leaders from around the world,  Port of Spain will become a stage for the discussion of critical issues facing our time………”

Oh my god! The turgid copy conjures images of some ad man sitting in his downtown offices rallying his charges, “come on! how can we sell this summit” the heavily varnished boardroom table has one million “addys” which are given away seemingly every month for God knows what (Cyclops is mini-me in the ground breaking ‘val-hue b mobile spots) that one had the theatergoers properly choking on their overpriced popcorn in movietowne.

Never mind the full spreads with personalities saddled up to peddle the summit like Shurwayne Winchester. Because when I think about complex trade agreements, the prevailing slump in the global economy and navigating the ever shifting economic blocs I automatically think…..Oh!  nah nah , , , no! Shurwayne Winchester!

I am going to get to the significance of the opening sentence in a short short. Tell me though, notwithstanding vigorous opposition to the hosting of the summits given the impending economic slowdown, I am certain that the nation was told, “forget that guff, the invitations have already been sent.” So why then am I still being given the hard sell on the summits? The government is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for television and print spots to sweet talk me into what has already been forced down my throat! That is like a rapist assaulting a woman and then wanting to cuddle afterwards.  Propaganda is a big part of governance in this country.

 The words ‘Minister of Information’ carry with them the imagery of the iced-in Kremlin, as Neil Parsanlal stands before the media reporters who are actually just information conduits to deliver the latest pronouncements upon the masses by the politburo.

 If you look more closely each day at how our so called democratic rights are eroded it will become much more obvious. Massive amounts of money are funneled into non-productive sectors to keep the masses forever beholden to the power structure. Think of how farmers controlled the water buffalo, an animal far more powerful than a simple man. The humble nose ring! CEPEP, URP and, for all intents and purposes, the wider public service are tethered by this nose ring.

 The ‘Father” of the nation has taken it upon himself to determine what is moral and right for the entire population and, from his pulpit, has outlawed casinos and increased taxes on alcohol hoping to create a dry state through punitive pricing! The government boasts incessantly about the strength of the economy, but the job losses already experienced shows how dependent the economy is on the central power structure. The early attrition has manifested in construction, construction which was led primarily by the government.

The influence of the government’s patrimony is extensive. It is widely acknowledged that government wields the lion’s share of the advertising budget in this country. Do you see how that impacts on the independence of media in this country? Do not think for one minute that the government would hesitate to withdraw every cent in advertising from a television station. They did it to Gayelle during the elections.

 Look at our failing health care, each of us has money extracted from our salaries without consent so that when we get sick we can sit in the emergency ward on a hard-as-nails bench , overwhelmed by the stench of bandages long overdue for a change.

In subsequent posting I will give you other examples of how this government has the entire nation goose-stepping towards a socialist state. Just remember, not too long ago, the prime minister almost got away with this statement. “Some of the most prosperous nations in the world are dictatorships.”

Socialism is just a knock on a door down the street from communist dictatorship. Just ask our brothers and sisters in Venezuela with Chavez’ boot on their throats.