Mentally Challenged, Drunk, Blimps - and the Politicians Who Love Them

A few things leapt out of today's Trinidad Express, and tied together they make for an interesting story. That there are problems with Crime in Trinidad and Tobago is no news here - the international community knows about it, but during tourist season the international community won't hear much about it. Odd that I mention tourist season, actually... 'Mutilated body found in Santa Cruz' is about a tourist - mind you, a Trinbagonian who served in the U.S. Army and now lives abroad - who was abducted at a bar. The U.S. embassy has a reward out for information on this.

It's just more crime. No surprise.

So, while the Prime Minister was Christmas shopping in Bethleham - apparently, buying American products in Israel is cheaper than buying the products from the U.S.¹, crime continues unabated. We have a new blimp so that some people get a closer view, but I can't help but wonder what would happen if someone shot it down with a rifle. I'm sure I'm not the first person to wonder that, and I certainly wouldn't encourage it, but there must be some who have rifles who look at that blimp and think, 'target practice'. Someone told me that the blimp(s), or 'airships' as the politicians like to call them, are costing $100 million TT/month. I don't know if that's true. I wouldn't doubt it. But what effect has it had on crime?

None.

OK, so that didn't work.

Then a UWI Lecturer says crime is causing a rise in mental illness.

...He said the number of people seeking help had increased by 300 to 400 per cent over the past three years...

Of course, I want to know what the 300 to 400 percent increase is based on. Does this fellow now have 3-4 patients? And if we go back in time a bit, this rocket scientist says that criminals don't like society. Connect the dots. Even a politician should be able to connect the dots.

The answer? the breathalyzer. Where we have police who cannot consistently enforce the laws of Trinidad and Tobago, it only makes sense to load another one on the pile to be selectively enforced. While it may be obvious to some people that drunk drivers are behind the abductions, I am somehow missing the point here. Certainly drunk drivers shouldn't be on the road - and from a P.R. perspective, this is a bold move by politicians who are allowed to thrive amongst a population that discusses politics at rumshops. (maybe because they are now among the mentally ill). With Carnival coming up, this is certain to be a big hit. Of course, it depends on who it's enforced upon.

Situation normal. This promises to be an interesting Carnival.

¹Actually, this is probably about export restrictions from the U.S. and the lack of them from Israel.