PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -TODAY I wish to reflect on two aspects of our post-independence political culture that need to be systematically purged across our Caribbean Community in favour of cultivating attitudes and improving decision-making for more civilised, healthy, productive norms in nation-building. I make no pretence at being profound but to simply and humbly share with readers my own continuing disappointment and distress over examples such as the inclination to feed perspectives and attitudes that perpetuate negative and divisive tendencies in preference to what’s positive, creative and unite us. Secondly, as an extension of such negative attitudes, there prevails a virtual institutionalised practice by parties of changing governments to ignore the talents and expertise of citizens simply on partisan assumptions about their political/cultural preferences—even as such administrations keep stumbling over multiple but avoidable problems.
