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Author Topic: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY  (Read 8693 times)

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Offline Trini _2026

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Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« on: June 27, 2017, 08:19:57 AM »
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/DKx6TyBG7ws" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/DKx6TyBG7ws</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4</a>

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2017, 08:58:57 AM »
What are your thoughts? What motivated you to post the video?

Offline Jumbie

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2017, 08:04:05 PM »
I saw an official apology floating around the cyber net

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2017, 08:21:04 PM »
I saw an official apology floating around the cyber net

Thoughts?

Offline Jumbie

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2017, 06:03:03 AM »
I saw an official apology floating around the cyber net

Thoughts?

Apology or what he said?

What he said: More an issue in how he said it (boastful.. makes you wonder if that tone is the norm when they get together).

Apology: I'm sure what he said came from the heart (original comment), so the apology (IMO) won't appease many.

* How did this power and wealth come about... that's where the real story is?

What's your take on the 'buffer zone"?



add: Do you follow/watch the 'elite' way the young generation of Syrian/Lebanese in Trinidad and Tobago portray themselves on social media? Another story there.
 

« Last Edit: June 28, 2017, 06:06:16 AM by Jumbie »

Offline Quags

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2017, 09:27:45 AM »
Uncle look half drunk with the grey goose lol .
Don't think that's the most powerful family ,there are richer but they won't brag .

Offline Jumbie

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2017, 01:46:08 PM »
Uncle look half drunk with the grey goose lol .
Don't think that's the most powerful family ,there are richer but they won't brag .

was it about money?  :thinking:

Offline Quags

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2017, 02:38:23 PM »
True .

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2017, 03:00:51 PM »
I saw an official apology floating around the cyber net

Thoughts?

Apology or what he said?

What he said: More an issue in how he said it (boastful.. makes you wonder if that tone is the norm when they get together).

Apology: I'm sure what he said came from the heart (original comment), so the apology (IMO) won't appease many.

* How did this power and wealth come about... that's where the real story is?

What's your take on the 'buffer zone"?

add: Do you follow/watch the 'elite' way the young generation of Syrian/Lebanese in Trinidad and Tobago portray themselves on social media? Another story there.
 



I have no issue with the comments rendered or with the ceremony of the delivery. Indeed I consider them timely.

Also ...

The notion of a "buffer zone" is no news to me, but it somehow seems novel to those who have been deliriously distracted (choose your distracting poison ... several exist in T&T). However, it would be useful to deploy the resident "captains of industry" in policy-making targeted to re-engaging the "middle class" at its two most tenuous coordinates (the middle middle and the lower middle). Since it is notoriously in everyone's interest.

Also, in the midst of the largely middle class outrage the comments seem to have provoked, perhaps the "middle" will be inclined to sensitize with the underclass that Trinbagonian middle class society studiously and complicity undermines on any given day.
« Last Edit: June 28, 2017, 03:06:40 PM by asylumseeker »

Offline Tallman

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Gary Aboud distances himself from cousin's statements
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2017, 03:12:09 PM »
Gary Aboud distances himself from cousin's statements
tv6tnt.com


Dear Editor/Newsroom,

A lot of negative publicity has been and will continue to be generated on social media from the segment of Anthony Bourdain’s "Parts Unknown" program that allegedly portrayed the Syrian-Lebanese community of Trinidad and Tobago. I am a member of this community and I am ashamed and embarrassed by what was said by the people he interviewed. They do not represent my value system or my understanding of the part I play in the development of our nation. I’m not sure whether the apology by Mario Sabga-Aboud (who I must disclose, is my first cousin) was accepted by the population.

The views represented on the program were made, in my view, by “a community within a community” and not the community itself. I am not a member of that small community within a community and neither are countless other humble Trinbagonian citizens of Syrian-Lebanese heritage.

Every ethnic group have contributed according to their ability to the social and economic development of our nation. Sensible, unbiased citizens should be be equally proud of all citizens contributions, and be mindful that Trinbagonians like Anise Hadeed, the master pan man, and De Mighty Trini have helped shape our culture. My community has even produced a Soca Elvis. Any cursory glance of the “Trini Posse” at every cricket match here or elsewhere in the Caribbean will show you members of the community I come from, and not the community shown on the terrace of that posh balcony on the show.

Citizens should recall that Mario, who boastfully said “we're the most powerful minority” is the son of a former serving diplomat of our country who in 1973 was hand-selected by Dr. Eric Williams to conduct negotiations with OPEC. Instead of joining OPEC, he advised the government that the country would reap all the benefits of the Arab oil embargo (higher oil prices) without any of the obligations of membership. And I've also been told that he was a humble lawyer from St. Vincent Street at the time. Speaking of law, sensible citizens should also remember that a member of our community serves this nation every day in the High Court, and that many of the lawyers who appear in the courts, delivering real justice to their clients, come from this community. This community has produced respected doctors, engineers, dentists, entrepreneurs and even a Catholic priest, the late Father Moses.

And what of Hannibal Najaar, the national football player and one time coach of the TT national team? Do these supercilious voices represent his? Was the film edited to remove any mention of the Chaconia-meddled Syrian Lebanese Women's Association that, by its fund-raising drives, has pumped millions of dollars into countless local charities? Members of the community have served with unblemished distinction in our parliament as independent senators in the past, and at the present time too. Speaking for myself, and, hopefully not regarded as being immodest for saying this, Fishermen and Friends of the Sea, an organization of which I (a so-called “Syrian”) am an executive and founding member, has significantly contributed to the birth of our country’s modern environmental movement. We have fought every government and every type of corporate entity all the way to the Privy Council to demand human/environmental justice. There is no personal profit from this!

Today social media hate-mail abounds as a result of these insipid comments televised for international consumption. As one commentator said on social media “the cat is out of the bag”. But there is no cat in the bag at all, despite the unwarranted comments by Bourdin’s guests. Syria is a nation, it's not an ethnicity. There is no ethnic group called “Syrian”. To label someone a Syrian is to question their nationality. A Syrian carries a Syrian passport. None of us us carry Syrian passports. We proudly carry the passports of Trinidad and Tobago. Therefore, to call me a “Syrian” is to question my nationality as a citizen of TT and no one has that right! Like you, I am proud of my heritage and of my ancestor’s foundation and sacrifice.

Our forefathers came here as penniless immigrants. They first arrived in the late 1800’s (the Joseph family from Belmont, the Sabgas, and the Abrahams) but most arrived after the end of the First War and the defeat of the Turkish colonizers. Almost all of these immigrants came from impoverished agrarian villages, in the Christian sections of Syria and Lebanon. They were poor farmers, most of them unskilled. They came here with nothing, like most of our fellow citizens. They started out life with a suitcase on their heads selling pins and needles, shoe making, tailoring…whatever they could get. Everybody knows that story. They worked very hard, saved their money, invested, and grew into what you see today. But not all members of my community are members of those who were portrayed on TV. Today, many live humble lives in Belmont, Arima, Woodbrook, and San Fernando, tending to stores, managing their professions, and playing Mas, music and sports. They do not consider themselves as “powerful”. Many are managing by like the rest of our citizens.

So when I saw the outpouring of hatred on social media, the association of my community with drugs and guns, with being some type of “mafia” I realized something. Regardless of what arrogant nonsense was said, some people naturally hate us. They have something caustic in their souls that causes them to despise us. It has a lot to do with the commercial success of the few among my community, the cars they drive, the houses they live in, the companies they own. I imagine that if the so-called “Syrians” were still all walking around shoeless, with suitcases on their heads they wouldn't be despised this much. But maybe I'm misreading TT society. It's possible that we would still face bias, simply for being ‘different from the rest’. Perhaps there is a substrata of unconscious racial intolerance just below the surface of our ‘rainbow country’ such as what surfaced in the Coup. This hatred also has something to do with the suspicion that we are all involved in illegal activities. We got rich too fast for everybody's liking. Never mind that Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Ted Turner, and Richard Branson were billionaires in their 30s—never mind that sacrifice, innovation and hard work shortens the height of every ladder to every top.

I look at my community and do not see any more inter-marriage or insularity than in other racial groups. I believe that the statistics would support this. The percentile of intermarriage within a TT community, by my observation, is about equal in all our ethnic, religious, and racial groups: Chinese, English and French creole, Portuguese, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, and yes, high-brown Afro-Saxons, and even Tobagonians. Often, marriages take place on the unconscious or conscious bias or preference, and this cuts across all the classes and groups.

The percentage of marriage outside of the communities is also similar for all groups, though I don't have the benefit of any scientific research on the topic. Speaking for my own family of five, one married a half Lebanese-half Caucasian guy from New Brunswick, Canada, one married a Trini ‘red woman’, one married a Chinese Jamaican woman, one is in a 25-year common-law relationship with a half Indian half Caucasian woman, and only one married a member of the Syrian-Lebanese community. All marriages were welcomed by my parents as acts of love, and respected as solemn matters of choice. And there are a lot of successful intermarriage among our and all communities. The commentators on social media did not look at what we all share as “arrivants” but sought to viciously locate our differences.

As for insularity, the percentages appear to me to be somewhat different. There are communities within communities everywhere. You go to some private parties and it seems like you walked into an ethnic convention. I refer here to the top 1% in all the communities. But among my community it's perhaps higher than in the other communities. Some of these supercilious elitists demand intermarriage from their children and only socialize among themselves. There is an air of superiority among this group, but it is a very small group which I, and many like me, have shunned. I and many like me do not belong to this group. I imagine that this elitism affects the top 1% in all the communities and it sickens me as being un-Trinbagonian behavior.

These nascent hatreds surfaced when this show was aired. In fact, for me, it showed me which cat really jumped out of the bag. An ugly, hateful one that wanted to scratch my eyes out.

So that is why I'm taking the risk of writing this letter publicly, of facing the scorn of certain members of my own community, and communities across our multi ethnic nation. These gentlemen created the wrong impression about me and my minority community. They unleashed a flood of hateful, racist diatribes from ordinary folk that I must face daily on the streets, at the Central Market, out at sea, and amongst fellow naturalists/humanists and sustainable development activists. I ask for fairness from them, and of course, from you, the rest of the sensible citizenry. It is time for us to confront this irrational bigotry. It is time to start a national conversation based on accurate, sensible data. It is time to unite around something more inspiring than venomous hate and bigotry.

Sincerely

Gary Aboud
St. James
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Jumbie

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2017, 04:58:54 PM »

Quote

I have no issue with the comments rendered or with the ceremony of the delivery. Indeed I consider them timely.




as a business man.. was it wise?


Offline Deeks

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2017, 11:26:40 PM »

Quote

I have no issue with the comments rendered or with the ceremony of the delivery. Indeed I consider them timely.




as a business man.. was it wise?



Well at least he is telling it like it is. He is being real.

Offline Deeks

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #12 on: June 29, 2017, 06:08:39 AM »
Uncle look half drunk with the grey goose lol .
Don't think that's the most powerful family ,there are richer but they won't brag .

was it about money?  :thinking:

Quags, Ah man say is grey Goose and coconut water that loosen the brain

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2017, 04:31:57 AM »
Quote
Mr Sabga-Aboud has commendably expressed regret for his boast but his apology for boasting about having power does not alter the fact that the power is held.

Now we need to ask the political leaders if their leaderships are captives of the power, which Sabga-Aboud has confirmed, and if they are also captives of the power that others have derived from the dangerous intersection of business and politics within the grubby state enterprise system.

--- Martin Daly

 :whip:

Offline Controversial

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #14 on: July 10, 2017, 01:10:12 AM »
As long as uneducated Africans and Indians (migrated Africans) fight amongst themselves, it will be business as usual..

As long as the Africans and migrated Africans continue to subscribe to the invented race construct they will continue to lose power and be manipulated and controlled... the majority shouldn't be mad, because they are to blame for their lack of control and enterprise

Notice that the Syrian and Lebanese families work together and support one another..

As quags said above, there are richer families but they don't show it, nor do they give back to TT as a whole ...

Once people stop voting based on the invented race construct and actually sit back and assess what is really going, then and only then will they gain some autonomy over their lives


Offline dtool

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #15 on: July 10, 2017, 07:54:01 AM »

The most Powerful Family will know what is happening in Trinidad with Crime, Drugs etc

They should be involved in determining  "How they can Help" (Big Joke!!!!!) .....

Agree??????

Offline Deeks

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #16 on: August 06, 2017, 08:48:36 PM »
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20170805/news/sabga-aboud-boycott-calls-too-far


What allyuh think about Roget call to boycott the Syrians buisness.Has he gone too far?

IT has gone too far.

This was businessman Mario Sabga-Aboud's response yesterday to calls for a boycott of his businesses made by Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) leader Ancel Roget.

Roget made the call while speaking at a rally on Friday, following a march by trade unions through Port of Spain.

Referring to comments made by Sabga-Aboud on the Trinidad and Tobago episode of CNN's Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Roget encouraged consumers to avoid shopping at some 120 businesses owned by the “one per cent” Syrian/Lebanese community.

He said a list of the businesses would be compiled and distributed to workers as JTUM advocates for a boycott.


http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2017-08-06/i%E2%80%99ll-fight-him-every-step-along-way

Outraged over the call by the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) leader Ancel Roget for a boycott of stores owned and operated by the elite “one per cent” in T&T - certain members of the business community has warned against holding all Syrian/Lebanese business owners to ransom.

Mode Alive Trading Company’s chief executive officer, Gary Aboud, urged Roget to use the law in the fight against corruption.

In a release, Aboud said, “If Mr Roget wants to tackle those who bribe their way into power let him activate the law against them.”

Aboud promised, “I’ll assist in any way I can, I promise.”

Unwilling to be drawn into a game of race and politics, Aboud also cautioned Roget against making inflammatory statements, “If he wants to widen or inflame the racial chasms in my native land, I will fight him every step along the way.”

As a descendant of Syrian/Lebanese immigrants who contributed to and have since enjoyed economic prosperity in this country, Aboud said he was “offended” as a citizen of T&T, by Roget’s call to shut-down businesses owned and operated by the one per cent.

Adding that he would feel the same if Roget was targeting any other race in T&T, Aboud said it was not only members of the Syrian/Lebanese community that was enjoying economic prosperity as persons such as parlour owners, barbers, building contractors, doctors, lawyers, soca performers, fishermen, artists and also trade unionists and their members were benefitting.

He said if Roget had a problem with persons enjoying such returns on their investments, “He should ask his local MP to present a bill in Parliament to outlaw the achievement of prosperity.”

Aboud said economic prosperity was a person’s constitutional right - as even trade union members had the ability to start any business of their choice.

The businessman also questioned, “He wants to put a cap on everyone who achieves prosperity? Or he just wants to put a cap on the achievements of one minority?”

Admitting he too had been outraged by the inflammatory comments back in June, Aboud said equally so was Roget’s call for a boycott.

He described the trade unions’ response as “highly irresponsible.”

The elite one-per cent was first mentioned by businessman Mario Sabga-Aboud in the airing of travel star Anthony Bourdain’s segment on T&T in his culinary show Parts Unknown, during which Sabga-Aboud claimed the Syrian-Lebanese community was the most powerful ethnic group in T&T.

Following public outrage over the statements deemed insensitive and irresponsible, Sabga-Aboud later issued a public apology.

Sabga-Aboud is the chairman of Global Brands Group of Companies and founder of the popular Rituals coffee shop chain.

Aboud said the remarks were not a correct and true representation of the entire Syrian/Lebanese community.

Declaring that it was a dangerous thing to demand economic sanctions against certain members of the business community for the arrogant remarks of two persons, Aboud said it was important to ensure the response was “commensurate.”

Aboud questioned if there was an ulterior motive behind Roget’s call as he wondered, “Now Mr Roget wants to close down their businesses because of their self-pride or arrogance in thinking that they’re powerful? Is that really a good reason? Or is their something nasty lurking beneath?”

Turning his attention to the employees of these businessmen, Aboud asked, “Does Mr Roget have jobs to offer them?”

He said during Friday’s march, loud speakers were blaring messages to citizens not to shop inside “Syrian” shops, but concern had arisen as to who would employ and provide for the tens of thousands of staff if these businesses were to close down.

Aboud said Friday’s march was synonymous of an earlier time when vehicles drove through Berlin and Munich in 1938, warning people not to shop in Jewish establishments.

Roget’s promise that a published list of the businesses owned by the descendants of the Syrian-Lebanese immigrants was, “Akin to the Nazis painting the Star of David on all their shops,” Aboud said so too, “He might as well go on to consider painting some symbol on the “Syrian” establishments as well.”

Claiming there was a better way to resist the oligarchs of every race in this country, Aboud argued that it could be achieved through lawful or political means, and in ways that do not injure the working class.

He proposed that as a first step, attempts can be made to isolate every member of the oligarchy of every race that have corruptly received favours from the State.

He went on, “For every crooked businessperson, there’s a crooked politician.”

“Let’s follow the money with the Director of Public Prosecutions and see where it’s coming from and where it’s going to. Let’s pay attent
« Last Edit: August 06, 2017, 09:04:02 PM by Deeks »

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #17 on: June 08, 2018, 07:24:32 AM »
RIP Anthony Bourdain.

Offline Deeks

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #18 on: June 08, 2018, 01:17:23 PM »
Breds, that was a surprise. Like a theif in the night.  I liked his shows. He was pretty down to earth. He never hid his faults and told it like it is. RIP. Thanks for featuring TT on your show.

Offline Controversial

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Re: Trinidad's MOST POWERFUL FAMILY
« Reply #19 on: August 08, 2018, 02:29:01 AM »
RIP Anthony Bourdain.

Did he reveal too much? Rip eat ah food

 

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