I think that sometimes, people seem to think T&T have different problems than other countries. The problem is that with a population of only 1.3 million, everything appears more extreme. Crime is dictated to a degree by saturation levels. There are only so many drug users and only so many pieces of turf that can be fought over. Many of the gang related murders are due to too many people fighting over too small a market and being too close to each other. Its just not that hard to find your enemy.
Some of this can be resolved by governments developing long term plans to move communities out of the "ghettos" and build new towns, designed with modern social principles. Give people more room so they don't rub up against each other. Give them some pride so they have their own front door, garden, fence.
It doesn't solve all of the problems, but it helps.
One problem, sadly, that is uniquely Caribbean is the male culture. aside from peoples personal experience, many social studies have identified poor parenting from Caribbean males as a root cause of anti social behaviour and the attraction of gang life. That is not to say that other cultures always spawn good fathers, God knows that every culture and country has its crime problems. But it is exasperated in T&T by other cultural quirks.
It seems to me, as an outsider, that those in charge seem tobelieve that if they give "opium to the masses" they will remain in charge. Let people focus on fetes and parties and they won't pay attention to the inadequacy of the politicians.
Carnival is immensly important for many reasons. But do we need so many fetes? It puts pressure on young men to buy tickets than can not afford. Like a peacocks mating dance or the stags fighting for dominence of a herd, a young guy must take his best girl to the party, coz if he don't, someone else will take her. This could cost $500. And guess what, next week theres another and another and another.
Where does the money come from? Add to that the need to own a nice car, nice clothes and buy premium drinks, a young man earning $4,000 needs to find additional income.
Add to this the wotless culture developed in teenagers by watching the soca artists and their older family members. Women in their 30's, partially clothed, wining on strangers, trying to catch a man to help with the rent. No social disdain for lack of family planning. People just not embarrassed to have 3 or 4 kids by different fathers. And the govt do not help matters.
Why are they not aggressively promoting contraception? I have been told countless times that the govt position on contraception is to promote abstinence. This simply doesn't work. In a country that is so overtly sexual, abstinence will always fail. The only societies in which abstinence works are those strictly religeous nations or countries such as China where the govt controlled population.
When did you last see a government funded condom campaign?
Next problem with the party culture is drink driving. Hello, if there's a party in Chagaramas, 3,000 people need to drive down one road. Why isn't there a police roadblock with breathalisers? I remember the weekend that the breathaliser was made law. I went to the pan semi finals and couldn't believe that the police stood by in large numbers watching clearly drunk people drive out. In the UK, you can be breathalised if you are next to a car and you are holding the keys. Anything more than 1 pint of beer and you're nicked.
Instead of wasting millions of $ on the SOE, blimps, helicoptors, just buy 100,000 breathalisers and hit the fetes. But of course, this would be unpopular. I had never driven while intoxicated before I came to T&T. Now, I'm ashamed to say, I do it all the time.
The reason is that there is no public transport infrastructure. If the fetes had to provide a bus service to major hubs, if there was a bus service to every village, if the govt stamped on the travelling culture maybe things would change?
My final rant concerns zero tolerance. Driving is a hazard in T&T. Private taxi drivers flood the streets and cause havoc stopping anywhere they feel to pick up or drop off. They have no licence, no police checks and pay no tax. Yet no one gives a damn. By not policing these drivers, the govt are encouraging them. Often, their cars are not roadworthy or safe. Its a necessary service as public transport is so poor. As a white man, it is impossible for me to reach home at night unless I pay a licenced taxi which is very expensive. If I travel, I run the risk of armed robbery which I experienced when travelling back in 2009. I will not get into a random car, which means I have to drive. The maxi taxis work well, but usually only get you to central hubs. More are needed on the routes around small towns and villages.
Ok, so I'll stop now. You probably already know these things. None of these issues are short term, but collectively will restore some order in the next generation. They are not popular measures, but government is not a popularity contest. A good parent doesn't always do the popular thing. They do the right thing. And when you grow up and look back you say "My parents were strict, but they brought me up the right way".
Just so you know, I love T&T, I love fetes and parties, I enjoy soca and I love to wine. But just because I love them, doesn't mean you have to forsake your moral fibre. Its time to restore some balance. Problem is, I don't see any politicians strong enough to bring change.
