Mose, good observations indeed. However, how free is the "Free Market" that the West harps about?  Is the Federal Reserve of the US and other Treasuries around the world not manipulating their current melt down, injecting billions of dollars, Euros, Yens, etc, which is ultimately going to impact the same Sara Ngai folks very negatively by virtue of our chord teetered to their tentacles?  No my brother, the market is never free for Sara Ngai's of this world.  It is the same nonsense with free trade.  How free is "Free Trade"?  Do we for a minute believe that growing rice is cheaper in Arkansas than in the Fonis, with their combined harvesters, high cost of labor, chemical, etc.?  Absolutely not.  Again, the US is heavily subsidizing the rice farmer in Arkansas to suffocate the rice farmer in the Fonis' around our world.  Thus, the price of adopting a prescription that the creators control to the detriment of Wanna Bees.  How come when the West manipulate their markets we clap for Ben, Alan, and Franco, et al, but label struggling economies as controlling prices?  We may have broken the chains of slavery, but our minds are still in chains and it is costing us an arm, leg , and life, in addition to our self inflicting strangulation from within.  So, just like the US is manipulating their market crisis as they see fit, others must do what is prudent for them, including controlling or manipulating prices.  We need to stop doing as we are told, while they do what's best for them.  Have we not learned anything with an assigned peanut economy?  Have you noticed that Gambia can produce their own riec, cooking oil, meat, tomato, onion, Kanja, Jahatou, etc., cheaper than imports?  So, what is our problem?  Got to go.
 
Chi Jaama
 
Joe
 
  > Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2007 23:46:04 +0000> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Mother's weep in face of a falling $> To: [log in to unmask]> > The Exchange rate:> > If the exchange rate index is an important determinant, or measurement of the Gambian economy, it is fair to say that things are beginning to show signs of economic upswing. But, is that the case? Or should I maybe ask the folks at Sara Ngai or Kerr Alpha. For us living in the Diaspora, specifically in the US, we are beginning to feel the falling of the dollar in relations to the dalasi, the dollars send to our folks generate fewer Dalasis, and unfortunately living them poorer. The $300 monthly allowance to my folks, this time last year was approx D9, 000.00; right now they are lucky to get D7, 000.00. The other reality - the economic basket – rice, oil, tomatoes, meat, fuel and cement went up in years past because of the value of the dollar in relations to the dalasi. Understandable, Business men had to buy the dollars to import these goods to the local market. Now, of course is costing them less to purchase the dollars for similar orders, but prices are not being reflected as th> ey were in years past. Hmn, what do we have here? What is the role of a serious government in a given situation? Do we want a government to step in with price controls, obviously that will make the Milton Freidman’s of the world to reecho to us the danger of government getting involve in a free market economy. As I ponder into such a frustrating situation, is it wacky for a government to get in and become a competitor by importing such goods and services and price them according to the exchange index with the added profit margin. Clearly, such a move can force businesses in the Gambia to move prices up and down base on this realistic index, that is if they want stay in business. Or should Government jsut stay away and allow the market to correct itself on its own pace.> I wonder want my brother Hamza, the grand wizard of Cambridge think of this problem?> > Musa JEng> > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface> at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html> > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l> To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:> [log in to unmask]> ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
_________________________________________________________________
Explore the seven wonders of the world
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=7+wonders+world&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤