By Tom Clifford I had the good fortune to experience a day in both Philipsburg and Marigot. Consequently, I have a tale of two cities to tell. This is not, I hasten to add, an account that would pass close scientific scrutiny and inquiry. Nor do I suggest for one moment that I have any compelling attribute that would make my findings more persuasive. These are just the initial thoughts of a traveler grateful to indulge in the island’s offerings. The timescale of my experience also played a part. I started off in the morning in Philipsburg, fresh, enthusiastic and…
Author: The Publisher
By Tom Clifford A modest setting, in the cramped space behind the constantly ringing tills of a major supermarket, is the workplace of a man and his team that perform technical wizardry on a daily basis. Broken phones, cracked screens, loss of connectivity, who you gonna call? Well, no one because your phone’s broken but you will schedule a visit to arguably the island’s tech go-to man to get it fixed. Rish Vora, a graduate of Milton Peters College, studied technology near Brisbane before returning to the island and launching his own business. Twelve years ago he set up Tech…
By Tom Clifford Rising regional tensions are exacting an increasing economic cost as a key gas exploration project is jettisoned. The potentially lucrative deal with Trinidad and Tobago has been scrapped by Venezuela as Caracas highlights the island nation’s reception of a United States warship. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the “immediate suspension” of the deal to provide natural gas to Trinidad and Tobago. Its estimated 4.2 trillion cubic feet of reserves could be a lifeline for Trinidad’s energy-dependent economy. Several US warships have been deployed near Venezuelan waters by President Donald Trump’s administration. Venezuelan officials accuse the US president…
By Tom Clifford Admittedly, as expeditions go it was a modest affair. It was just me and my backpack. No teams of helpers. But the same impulse drove me as it did those brave souls who wanted to explore and chart the planet’s unknown interior in centuries past. I wanted to see it for myself, to be able to tell other humans about its fauna, landscape and inhabitants. I could maybe address geographic societies the world over and impress them with my endeavors. My photo would adorn newspapers, magazines and websites. And the source of my inquisitiveness? The French side.…
By Tom Clifford The trouble with sabre rattling is uncertainty over the outcome. Will the sword be drawn or remain in its scabbard? Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has threatened Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela. Colombia was one of the largest recipients of US aid in the region, channeled through Plan Colombia, a 15-year effort that saw billions of dollars to enhance country’s security and combat drug production. To the Trump administration, Plan Colombia was a failure. Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, accuses the US of murder, hence the withdrawal of aid. Quoted in the US political website The…
PHILIPSBURG -– In masterful diplomatic language, financial supervisor Cft criticizes the country’s second execution report 2025. The Cft received this report on October 7, two months after the deadline which is six weeks after the end of the second quarter. The supervisor also notes that the national budget is (again) too late. St. Maarten reports a projected surplus of 47 million guilders ($26.2 million) for 2025, 24 million ($13.4 million) higher than it had budgeted. “It is positive that St. Maarten has included a season-pattern or tax revenue, but it offers insufficient insight in the incidental and structural character of…
By Tom Clifford We are seeing the largest deployment of US maritime power to the Caribbean since the Cuban missile crisis as the Monroe doctrine again shapes Washington’s policy. Formulated in the 19th century, the doctrine established US hegemony over Latin America. Something has changed in Washington. A military buildup targeting the authoritarian regime of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro seems to make a mockery of US President Donald Trump’s often repeated pledge, both as candidate and president, to end US involvement in foreign conflicts. US forces have carried out eight strikes in recent weeks, killing at least 38 people. These strikes blew…
By Tom Clifford The Caribbean is in the crosshairs of the US military as Washington deploys a super carrier strike group to waters off Venezuela. The USS Gerald Ford and a large section of its strike group will be stationed in the Caribbean in a what is a major escalation. Officially the US insists that this is a counter-narcotics operation but there are growing concerns that this is the latest development that will result in a possible strike on Venezuela. The new task for the USS Gerald Ford carrier, with dozens of stealth fighter jets and surveillance aircraft, in addition…
By Tom Clifford You’d almost feel sorry for the car drivers. The only way to travel on this enchanted island is by….ah…what exactly? To me, they look like vans, but they are referred to as buses and taxis. For the purposes of this admittedly non-science based argument, let’s agree to call them buses. But regardless of their description, they have common attributes … people who use them have a sense of humor coupled with adventure and are willing to reach out to others. The very act of taking such transport reveals a mindset that is both admirable, compassionate and inquisitive.…
By Tom Clifford Sometimes the utterances, and I have to be careful here, of not exactly lies but untruths can be tolerated, even encouraged for the good of humanity. Congratulating a friend on a new hairstyle even though in your heart of hearts you think it resembles a plowed field is perfectly acceptable. There is one area of human activity where untruths are a frequent, indeed necessary, part of work. I refer of course to real estate agents. They can look a potential customer in the eye and tell them that the place of their dreams is within their grasp…
