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How to Write a Manifesto (General Election • 05 November 2007)

01 November 2007 • 790 words

The Humanist Association of Trinidad and Tobago is committed to promoting empirical inquiry, rational analysis, and intelligent discourse in all areas of public life. We have examined the manifestos of all three political parties, and found them wanting in terms of a clear vision and articulating a coherent philosophy for our society. The following are brief statements of principle in five key areas of governance.

Constitutional reform:

The Constitution, which is the set of rules under which we agree to live and interact with our fellow citizens and the State, is a subject that has always been characterised by false or inadequate information, sloganeering, and too often by deliberate mystification of the public by those in office. And yet there is no area in which calm and reasoned consideration based on accurate information, and tolerant discussion in a climate of mutual respect, is more important to the formation of the citizen. The alternative is permanent discord fuelled by ignorance and fanaticism.

No principle, however entrenched, should be accepted without being subjected to dispassionate analysis. Established systems must be analysed on the evidence of their effectiveness, and compared on that basis with others. The experiences of other societies, present and past, must be factored into the process. Above all, thinking about the Constitution must be based on an objective knowledge of ourselves, our society and our history.

Good citizens are thinking citizens, and the habit of applying rational thought to all aspects of existence must be acquired in youth. Humanists believe it is a crime to deny people the possibility of acquiring that habit, and to substitute for the encouragement of free thought the inculcation of superstition and psychological terror through unexamined slogans and myths.

Health:

Life expectancy in T&T is 77 years for women and 72 years for men. The five leading causes of death for the population as a whole are heart disease, diabetes, cancer, strokes, and HIV. But, for the 15-34 age group, the leading causes of death are HIV, vehicular accidents, murder, suicide, and heart disease. The chances of dying from most of these causes can be reduced through exercise and a sensible diet. Murder, HIV, and suicide, however, are cultural and psychological issues which need to be tackled through rational initiatives, not prayer and exorcism. Moreover, positive action will be effective only in tandem with negative action – i.e. enforcing Clause 4 of the Food and Drug Act, to prevent purveyors of “alternative medicine” making false claims that help prevent people making rational and informed decisions about their health.

Education:

Young persons must be taught how to analyse problems logically and reach conclusions. They must also be taught scepticism, since credulity is the default position of human beings. This will take care of learning. Teaching superstition as fact, as happens in classes on “moral education”, is intellectual child abuse. Young persons must also be taught the value of cooperation, particularly with people who are not like them, since self-interest and prejudice are inherent in the human personality. This will take care of morality. The goal of education should be to make up for the shortcomings in our instinctive ways of thinking about the physical and social world.

Economy:

This country’s economy runs on oil and gas, and that fundamental fact creates most of our other socio-economic problems. These range from inflation, to weak agricultural and manufacturing sectors, to high inequality. While this “resource curse” problem is almost intractable, there are policy measures which can reduce the ill effects. Prime among these are curbs on government spending (to control boom and bust effects), transparency in dealings with energy companies (to ensure that contracts are negotiated to the advantage of citizens, not politicians), and multiple approvals for contracts (to reduce the possibility of corruption). It is also crucial to measure energy revenues as a sale of assets, not as part of GDP.

Administration:

A fundamental problem our society has always faced is the implementation of policy. This can be dealt with in four main ways: (1) transparency, including the writing of reports on policy ideas; (2) clear criteria for hiring and firing, which must be done by independent bodies; (3) devolution of authority, especially in the Public Service and in Local Government bodies; (4) good rewards for reaching goals, mild sanctions for failure.

What we have written here is merely the skeleton of a proper manifesto. It is a pity that none of the political parties seem to have had either the will or the capacity to challenge citizens on such fundamental issues. We suspect that a sufficient core of our people are well up to the task, and engaging them in a serious manner will pay great dividends in creating a prosperous and well-ordered society.

T&T Humanist Association

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