u/Turbulent-Reason-288

Trinidad seems poised to finally benefit from the long-awaited gas from Venezuela and Trinbagonian adjacent deposits after years of delays caused primarily by geopolitical interests.

My own thoughts on these recent developments from BOTH a PRO UNC perspective as well as from a PRO PNM perspective.

From the UNC's perspective, this proves that Kamla made the safer bet by aligning herself with the US' interests as from their standpoint, this made Trinidadian access to the gas as likely and fast as possible without any major hiccups and this is now evidently bearing fruit.
From the PNM's perspective, they can argue that had it not have been for the major groundwork that they would've laid for years, the perceived success now being realised would've been unimaginable to attain for this current timeline. Additionally, they may defend their non-intervention stance by claiming that this outcome would've likely happened anyways even with maintaining a neutral position being the government's official stance given that 1. The relationship with Delcy would've been better. 2. By Arguing that the US likely won't have punished Trinidad for a neutral position post the toppling of Maduro given that they would've removed sanctions/emargos against Venezuela and additionally and consequently, the economic incentive for Venezuela to proceed would've been higher as they would also benefit as well.

Personally, The UNC's supporting of the US may have accelerated the haste with which Venezuela (under Delcy) would've agreed to these arrangements however, even with a neutral stance, I doubt that such a positions would've personally shut out Trinidad from benefitting from the joint evergy ventures.

Link:

https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/venezuela-to-send-7tcf-gas-to-trinidad-6.2.2646188.a220613c2a

I know that it would be east to flippantly overlook necessary conversations such as these but it I think that it really warrants that we all critically think for a moment.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of songs produced by many local artistes such as Rebel Sixx, Medz Boss, Kman Sixx, and Prince Swanny among others. Many of these artistes have not only openly sided with and endorsed some of our domestic local gangs such as the Sixx Gang and the Seven Gang, but they routinely produce music that actively enables gang culture by dissing the other side, bragging about which side does the most murder, showcase gun props in their songs, and overall display a triumphant undertone about how they are "winning" the war against the other side (criminal gang). Furthermore, many of these same artistes have had murder attempts on their life with some being successful and many dying as a response to their gang affiliations and the "disstracks" that they release.

I am not going to draw a direct connection and say that listening to this music will cause one to join a gang and behave violently as, for instance, a rich boy from a privileged area in Trinidad such as Cascade or Westmoorings could listen to it and feel absolurely zero gravitational pull towards gang culture and more violence. However, for young males who grow up in impoverished areas in Trinidad on the outskirts on Port-Of-Spain, this music most definitely can strengthen the gang culture that exists within their social ecosystems because whether we like it or not, political failure by successive governments, broken family networks, a lack of educational attainments, income inequality et cetera, have made it such that these poorer areas have the right conditions to create a thriving gang ecosystem already in place whilst in Westmoorings these pressures don't exist.

Wouldn't it be more sensible for us as a society to denounce music forms that glorify gang life especially since it strengthens said gang ecosystem, among other things, in poorer areas in Trinidad where young black males reside? I think so and believe that we need to become more mature as a society.

With that being said, local dancehall music that is played in popular nightclubs and boatride events to name a few, tend to venerate a lifestyle that not only involves getting drunk and lacking discipline but also objectifies women in general with black women specifically in mind by singing about them in an oversexualized manner. I am not prudish in the slightest but as a thinking man, I can't see how singing about aimlessness in life and which female can satisfy men sexually the best, has the "best body" or has the "tightest" , "best", or most "top-tier" genitalia is empowering or uplifting for the black community who currently sit at the bottom of the educational/socio-economic ladder in Trinidad and Tobago.

Thoughts on TrinBago/Venezuela Energy Breakthrough?

Are certain local forms of Trinibad/Dancehall Music harmful to our black community?