Saul, this is a debate I will respectfully shy away from. I hope you understand. I also hope that by the time I am done with Jobe, you will see exactly where I am coming from. KB >From: saul khan <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Some answers to pt1 & 2 of why I can ... >Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 20:01:29 -0000 > >KB, > >I'm glad you've seen the sense in waiting for Mr. Jobe to give us his >complete overview before taking him on constructively. Based on the facts >alone, I don't see how the Brother's position can withstand scrutiny, but I >have to repeat: the man deserves commendation for putting up a coherent >case >for Yaya Jammeh. Frankly, I've never met/read anyone whose arguments for >the >APRC make any such sense. And I'll tell you what I mean by sensible >arguments. > >I red your exchange with Musa Jeng, and I'm not really clear about whether >we (I and Mose) are talking about the same thing. So, I'll clarify my >position so far. > >Curse my naivete, but I agree with Mr. Jobe on several things: > >1. I believe that the APRC govt deserves credit for the tractors, and >combine harvesters they've invested in. These are long overdue. If we are >to >ever become self-sufficient in food production, our agriculture HAS to be >mechanized. And I commend the APRC govt for the equipments they've bought >for this bed-rock of our economy. That they don't have any mechanism in >place to help store, or market agricultural produce, points to the type of >myopic, and knee-jerk management style we've come to expect from them, but >in any case, they deserve credit for giving farmers implements that would >lessen their physical labor on the farms. > >2. The revival of the rice production units in Kuntaur, and other places is >a step in the right direction. Jobe is right that the sector has been >neglected by the ancien PPP regime. And with that neglect, went many jobs. >Two of my own mom's younger brothers worked for GOMB down there. And how >that place was left to go down the tube is a shame. So in my view, the APRC >deserves credit for trying to revive all those sectors so that rice >production could be boosted. Our country needs it. > >3. I also give an extra kudos to Mr. Jobe's govt for the efforts they're >doing in the River Transport division of our Communication sector. We all >know from either personal experience, or Gambian Geography that the River >Gambia is one of the most navigable waterways in West Africa. And we also >know that river transportation is cheaper than land transportation. Not to >mention road building. It's therefore incumbent upon any govt of the day >back home to pay attention to that sector. Where roads are impassable >(which >is all over that tiny country,) boats could reach easily. But since the >Lady >Chilel went down in the mid-80s, the entire sector was left to rot. So, I >commend the APRC for investing in, and trying to revive the sector. The >country desperately needs it. > >4. I whole-heartedly agree with Mr. Jobe about the population issue. I've >personally had problems with some members of my own family about this crazy >"baby factory" mentality that is so prevalent among us. There are still too >many of our people (both men and women) who define their importance in >terms >of how many children they have. This is absolutely crazy! And it ought to >have been a subject of national discourse a long time ago. But the fact is, >most of the PPP leaders were not setting any better examples in that area, >so they regarded it as another "sensitive" issue that ought to be left >alone. Which is baloney, if you ask me. Jobe is right that our population >has doubled in two decades. Even when our economy wasn't growing at all, >our >population was growing at around 4.5% annually. How can there be any >meaningful change in our collective quality of life when such crazy >tendencies are so prevalent? And things would be great if only the elderly >people think like that. Sadly, people my age, and much younger, are even >worse. I have former classmates who have two wives, and more kids than I >care to keep track of. My own younger brother had a kid four years ago, >when >he didn't have any means of supporting the child. And I don't even want to >go into AIDS, and what's going on in that area. Talk about sexual >irresponsibility! So, I totally identify with Mr. Jobe's sentiments on this >issue, and I'm very glad that the APRC govt is taking the issue head on. I >can only hope that they'll aggressively use all means at their disposal to >hammer the message home that "one is not a man, because one has ten kids." >Our very survival depends on it. > >5. On the ideas they've stolen from the PPP, I have no doubt that that's >true. When it comes to ideas, the PPP had the best of them. But that's >simply not good enough. Back in 1989, I was in a MRC vehicle one day >travelling from Fajara to W. Kiang, when we picked up some guy I knew in >Mansakonko in Brikama. He lived in Mansakonko for decades dabbling in >everything: politics, business, PWD know-all, etc. This guy told me that >day >that, he had just come from some Minister's office, and that "they've >finally approved and secured the loan for a major hospital to be built in >Jarra Soma." This was 1989, five years before the PPP was kicked out! Did >they ever start building a hospital in Soma? Should we deny the APRC credit >for such a hospital because it was the PPP's idea? The PPP had plans for >everything, but they didn't do a darn thing! They had those plans, and >every >five years, they would pull them out of drawers and tout them to illitrate >voters just to get their votes. How can anybody develop a country like >that? >So, if the APRC looks at those plans, and recognize them for the good ideas >they are, and implement them, then the APRC gets the credit for the >progress >in my book. I therefore give them full credit for implementing all the >ideas >they got from the PPP. If this is what Musa Jeng meant, I'm with him >entirely. > >I just don't feel comfortable denying anyone what is due them. Besides, if >we are calling on the APRC govt to treat Gambians fairly, I don't >understand >how we can treat them unfairly because we disagree with how they're running >things. Fairness and justice go hand in hand -to me. And I believe in >applying one rule accross-the-board. Despite the terrible record of the >APRC, their efforts in these aforementioned areas are very progressive in >my >book. Also, I do not believe that accepting and crediting the APRC for the >good they've done will in any way ameliorate their overall gross >mal-handling of our collective destiny. The good they've done pales in >comparision with the terrible things they've done. I don't have any >problems >according them their 20% credit as long as I have the opportunity to >highlight their 80% damning record. I guess that's where we differ. But, >overall though KB, we're in sync about our fear of where the APRC is taking >us. And their record alone could be used to discount any claims they may >have to legitimate Gambian leadership. When Mr. Jobe is done with his >submission, I'll find time to give my take on why I think he's betting on >the wrong horse. > >Good afternoon, and have a nice weekend. > >Saul. > > >Everything is these were originally > > >Jobe, I can see that you are up to your neck trying to 'justify' why a >child >murderer should lead us. Therefore, I understand if you cannot grasp what I >wrote and answer my points in a logical and coherent manner. I will not > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >You may also send subscription requests to >[log in to unmask] >if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your >full name and e-mail address. >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------