“Like Pregnancy, A Country Cannot Be Kinda Independent”

Trinidad and Tobago Celebrates Independence 31 August. But Are We?

On the eve of Trinidad and Tobago’s 52nd year of independence from Britain it is important that we reflect and try to understand where we came from, where we are and where we are headed. The experts will once again flood the local media ranting about how proud we should all be. It is important that we all come together to celebrate another year of gaining our independence that we face some of the realities that exist in our nation.

Don’t be misled by the words “gaining our independence”, it was actually “given” to us. We asked and the “Lords in London” collectively came to the conclusion that this country was more of a liability than an asset. At the time over 90% of the population was either former African slaves or Indian indentured workers. A very small percentage, were Anglo Saxon British citizens or their descendants who were primarily the land owners in this country.

Sugar was King and these wise “Lords of London” rightly predicted that in a few years the economic viability of sugar to sustain any country’s GDP was at best tenuous. It has been speculated that the only reason “Independence” was granted was because eventually Trinidad and Tobago would become a thorn in the side of the Crown, at least economically. In other words, we were too poor to keep...more