KB, you gona take care of me well I love that this is just the start. If you think your mansa mentality will intimidate me you are for a rude awakening later. >From: Dampha Kebba <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: The Inevitable Economic Disaster Attn: Hamjatta >Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2001 16:41:30 -0400 > >Brother, please, please, please, ignore this moron. I just perused his >material and I can tell that he is saying absolutely NOTHING. Theories and >NOTHING else. You read him, you are NOT sure he is talking about Gambia. >Brother, just ignore the mental midget and deal with what matter, Yaya. I >will take care of Malick Kah. >KB > > >>From: malik kah <[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >><[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Re: The Inevitable Economic Disaster Of Another Jammeh Presidency >>Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2001 20:20:24 +0000 >> >>Hamjatta, you may be right by saying there is an impending economic >>disaster, but you lack understanding as to what is happening, even if it >>were the case that Darbo was in power I honestly doubt if the presentation >>and the conclusions would have been any different as Fams. After all the >>issues dealt with by Mr Famara Jatta are inherent in the capitalist mode >>of >>operation. Cyclical recession are part of the reality of any Capitalist >>mode >>of operation, you may wonder whty? >> >>To arrest such an impending economic reality is impossible under this >>system. It can only be dealt with under a socialist revolutionary >>approach. >>For socialists economic development, a revolutionary planning approach is >>imperative, free from the unprincipled pursuit of commercial or >>mercantilist >>goals. The revolutionary approach places humanbeings at the centre of >>planning objectives, and not cold economic abstractions such as th annual >>national produce, national income, per capita income, etc, figures which >>are >>really pointers to assessing results rather than the ultimate objective of >>planning. >> >>The prerequisite for successful economic planning is to understand in the >>first place that planning is a political action first of all, and not >>economic. A socialist planner plans for freedom; he makes a conscious >>effort to liberate the economy from the realm of necessity to the realm of >>freedom. Political leaders must have no illusions about the political >>nature of these objective; and they must articulate them to the masses. >>But >>to bourgeois economists, to assert this is to introduce into planning >>'value >>judgements' which do not form part of their economic terms of reference. >>An economist, in their view, is apolitical. He is strictly a technical >>tool >>for whoever rules the country. Tweedledee of Tweedledum. For these >>economists there is a dividing line between politics and economics, and >>the >>two should never be mixed up, otherwise there will be chaos. Accourding >>to >>this view an economy has its own dynamism, and, given certain conditions, >>it >>will be have in a preditable manner. If anything goes wrong,it is >>because >>certain rules havae not been observed correctly or strictly enough. >> >>For a socialist economist this approach is 'economism', and it is not only >>theoretically faulty but in the long run dangerous. A socialist economist >>is not only a techniciaan; he is also politically motivated, not to serve >>one party or another, a civilian or a military regime,but to serve >>socialism >>and to serve the oppressed in the transition to socialism. He is unsuited >>to serve any other kind of regime. This is because he begins from a >>premise >>which is fundamentally political-freedom. The objective of a plnned >>economy >>is freedom: to facilitate and hasten the move from the realm of necessity >>to >>the realm of freedon. Ever since we parted company with our cousins in >>the >>animal kingdom, ever since we made our first fire, we have been freeing >>ourselves step by step from the realm of necessity. The journey has been >>haphazard, with the class struggle as its main feature. Only now, in the >>epoch of socialism, is a conscious journey made possible through planning. >> >>What is planning for freedom? Freedom has three aspects: (a) freedom from >>natural fetters; (b) freedom from the constraints imposed by man; and (c) >>freedom to exercise one's essential powers. All those aspects are >>interrelated. As man continues to develop the productive forces, he >>getsfurther away from the bondage of nature; but as long as property >>relations are governed by the private appropriation of socially produced >>wealth man remains in man-made bondage. Under this condition man is >>obliged >>to sell his labour as a commodidty in order to subsist; and to that extent >>he cannot exrcise his third freedom, the freedom to exercise his essential >>power in productive labour. The journey to freedom, then, must begin by >>changing the relations of production, so that the wealth that is being >>socially produced is socially controlled, a precondition to real human >>freedom in all its three aspects. >> >>Socialist planning must ensure that(a)the productive forces are rapidly >>developed to hasten man's liberation from natural mecessity; (b)the social >>relations of production are radicall altered, to realize social control of >>socially produced wealth; and (c)a steady increase in the well-being of >>the >>working people through an increased supply of consumer goods takes place, >>followed by a steadty lowering of their prices and a steady increase of >>wages and agricultural income so that each year the masses see for >>themselves that they are better off than they were the preceding year. >> >>In the neo-colonies, however, the problem is rather more complex. The >>question which always confronts neo-colonies which want to extricate >>themselves from the clutches of the imperialists is: where do we get the >>capital and expertise essential for a genuinely independent and >>self-reliant >>economy? This is a valid and serious question and it will be worth our >>while to discuss it in greater detail. >> >> >> >>>From: Hamjatta Kanteh <[log in to unmask]> >>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >>><[log in to unmask]> >>>To: [log in to unmask] >>>Subject: The Inevitable Economic Disaster Of Another Jammeh Presidency >>>Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2001 13:57:10 EDT >>> >>>Impending or be it inevitable economic disasters like all >>>human-associated >>>calamities, have a subtle way of announcing their imminent arrival - be >>>it >>>to >>>the liking or disliking of those it will affect. Nay, oft times, the >>>imminence of such calamities are not subtle; but they are a >>>matter-of-factness as facts can be. In effect, and in lieu of the >>>aforesaid >>>truism, with some impending disasters, we've always seen the writings on >>>the >>>wall but for some reason or the other, we refuse to circumvent such >>>impending >>>calamities either because we figured the problem that seemed to be the >>>bane >>>of the difficulties will correct itself in the long term or simply the >>>problem is a problem because doom-sayers, cynics and alarmists say so; >>>i.e., >>>the problem is nothing but a figment of their over-worked imaginations. >>> >>>A feisty conservative believer in historical inevitability - or a >>>historical >>>inevitabilist, as Karl Popper would call them - once told me that every >>>impending life event comes with a harbinger: from environmental disasters >>>like El Nino to economic ones like the Great Depression, the signs were >>>there >>>- albeit in encrypted codes - for the wise and profound to read. In an >>>act >>>of >>>whimsical flippancy, she added that even if a bath is impending for an >>>individual, we can tell; for one such sign is that that individual is >>>dirty >>>and so it follows from the logical progression of this case, the >>>individual >>>must have a bath. Never mind the simplistic logical progressions inherent >>>in >>>her overall argument. Of course, there are inevitable things in life - >>>death >>>being the most obvious of them. Save in instances where one is diagnosed >>>as >>>terminally ill with, say, cancer, i.e., one's imminent death is >>>scientifically pronounced as a soon-to-be eventuality, can we generally >>>read >>>the sign boards that lead to one's death-bed? The point being that to >>>what >>>extent can we read signs of things to come? Is this a credible and >>>reputable >>>thing to do? Needless to say that there is now a vast array of >>>pseudo-sciences that employ such historical inevitability language to >>>sell >>>the idea of reading into the-yet-to-become future. This professed desire >>>to >>>read the supposed road maps that signally identify the-yet-to-be future, >>>admittedly, is not all pseudo-science; the economics profession tend to >>>cautiously use data - treading very carefully - to offer or suggest >>>insights >>>into the-yet-to-be future; and, of course, adding a very familiar caveat: >>>all >>>such predictions are conditional that otherthings remain equal or ceteris >>>paribus. >>> >>>My own convictions have little or no truck with such philosophical >>>alignments >>>of historical inevitability and lurches moderately closer to cautiousness >>>of >>>the economics profession's tendency to proffer conditional insights into >>>the >>>future. I happen to believe, like Shakespeare seemed to me to suggest, >>>that >>>men are sometimes masters of their own destiny and things sometimes only >>>become historically inevitable if men choose not act upon them to >>>circumvent >>>impending disasters. Sometimes our inability or inaction to circumvent >>>situations or problems that present themselves as harbingers of impending >>>disasters is what make them historically inevitable. I wax philosophical >>>to >>>properly introduce the philosophical difficulties associated with my >>>essay >>>which treats a yet-to-be-declared future and assemble the delineated >>>philosophical rationale for justificationist purposes. >>> >>>When Jammeh foisted his own brand of Peter Pan economics on the Gambia >>>since >>>he illegally usurped power from a democratically elected government in >>>1994, >>>few doubted the economic malaise and suffering his ill-thought out >>>"policies" >>>would help unleash on the Gambian poor. By Peter Pan economics, i refer >>>it >>>to >>>mean the view that the political economy of a government in a polity is >>>to >>>tax, borrow and spend irresponsibly. More like slash-and-burn >>>agriculture; >>>only difference is that with Peter Pan economics, the slashing and >>>burning >>>are not only literal and figurative but also consequential. Today, >>>Gambians >>>are 9% poorer under the watch of the AFPRC/APRC than they were under the >>>previous PPP government. This is a fact even the APRC government doesn't >>>deny. What makes matters worst, is the fact that there are no clever >>>policy >>>initiatives and or drives that can genuinely ameliorate the increasing >>>legion >>>of Gambian poor. The regime's "policies" are devoid of direction, >>>coherence >>>and worst, consequentially designed to reduce the Gambian poor to the >>>ever-increasing slum poverty that permeates both the Gambia's rural and >>>urban >>>settings. Today, whereas in the past Gambians could afford or struggle to >>>afford three square meals a day, this is simply not the case any more. At >>>any >>>rate, today the average Gambian struggles to have a decent two sqaure >>>meals >>>a >>>day. Without any fear of exaggeration, it is fair to say that today >>>poverty >>>has spiralled out of control as both the urban and rural poor see their >>>economic fortunes take a disastrous nose-dive: self-employed farmers >>>cannot >>>sell their yields on time and they are owed large sums of money by State >>>sanctioned corrupt trading monopolies whilst the urban areas are a tragic >>>wreckage of neglect, long-term unemployment, youth restlessness and all >>>those >>>assorted typical themes of urban deprivation. Even those rich businesses >>>or >>>commercial retailers and wholesalers that once upon a time make places >>>like >>>Leman, Wellington, Anglesea and the Albert Market environs the hub of >>>regional entreport economic activities, has and continues to see its core >>>economic pursuits decimated by the Peter Pan "policies" of the APRC >>>regime. >>>Tourism has not been spared: that sector is in dire straits as other >>>non-existent sectors like manufacturing and industry continue to register >>>negligible gains - if one may call them that given the unharnessed >>>potentials >>>of these sectors. >>> >>>That is not the end of the story. If we for a second believe that this is >>>the >>>end of the story or things are beginning to make positive renewal, then >>>we've >>>misunderstood the extent of the economic malaise Jammeh has helped >>>wrought >>>on >>>poor and rich Gambians alike.The economic situation in the Gambia has >>>become >>>so dire that another Jammeh presidency can only signal inevitable >>>economic >>>disaster for the Gambia and the Gambian peoples. Take for instance the >>>extended family network - which is/was Africa's variation of the Welfare >>>State or a social safety-net for the vulnerable. A recent visitor to the >>>Gambia put it to me that the extended family network as a source of >>>social >>>safety-net and economic amelioration for the poor, vulnerable and >>>underprivileged, is now being rendered obsolete by Jammeh's summary >>>dismissal >>>of seasoned civil servants - who happen to be the sole bread-winners of >>>extended families - and the telling effects of the Gambia's shrinking >>>economy >>>continues to negatively bear upon the overall social fabric of the >>>Gambian >>>society. It is fair to say that with Jammeh's Peter Pan economics, the >>>extended family network as a source of social safety-net and economic >>>amelioration for the Gambia's vulnerable is getting increasingly >>>decimated >>>and on the wane. With the Gambia's current unsustainable and increasingly >>>worrying economic, political and social milieu, the question becomes >>>relevant: whither the poor, the destitute and vulnerable in today's >>>Gambia? >>>Alas, the answers are not to be found with this APRC regime, with its >>>disastrous economic record; and which most certainly remains responsible >>>for >>>the current economic mess. >>> >>>The general economic mood of the Gambia as things stand, is one >>>epitomised >>>by >>>the basic ingredients of an economy wobbly hanging on the slopes of a >>>freefall. All the themes of a wobbly economy teetering on a profound >>>crisis >>>have manifestly identified themselves from 1994 to date. From fiscal and >>>monetary imprudency to spiralling inflationary upsurges to an almost >>>non-existent macro-economic framework to withstand the economic freefall >>>the >>>Gambian economy seemed damned to by the APRC regime. This bleak and >>>damning >>>economic portraiture then is the economic legacy of the APRC regime - as >>>things stand. Or so we think. But already - as with everything with the >>>current state of the APRC - the panic buttons are being frantically >>>punched. >>>When the Alliance in a recent rally warned of the prospects of another >>>Jammeh >>>presidency and the repercussions it will have on the ailing Gambian >>>economy, >>>the APRC felt the need to refute any such claims the Gambian economy is >>>in >>>a >>>very poor shape. Not renown for his eloquence and or insights in >>>economics, >>>SOS Famara Jaata issued the usual pathetic denial to an ignorant "Daily >>>Observer" reporter with no inkling about the nonsense he was helping to >>>peddle to the general public. Let us revisit the most appropriate segment >>>of >>>Jaata's interview with the "Daily Observer" where he dishonestly informed >>>us >>>that all is well with the Gambian economy: >>> >>>"I am sorry if they blame the government for that but I think one has to >>>be >>>realistic - Our programme has been commended by the IMF and World Bank. I >>>think we are on target with all our programmes and if these international >>>institutions are saying that the government has done well in terms of >>>reducing inflation, having adequate reserve, having a good macro-economic >>>framework and also doing most of the structural benchmarks we've met, the >>>whole world will say you are running good." >>> >>>Anyone conversant with the current state of the Gambian economy will look >>>askance at Jaata's disingenuous and manifestly disreputable statement >>>that >>>the APRC gov't is on target with all its programmes. SOS Jaata's >>>statement >>>that the Gambian economy is on course to make gains vis-a-vis the stated >>>economic programmes of his gov't is nothing but a total fabrication and a >>>very misleading statement on the current state of the Gambian economy. >>>Before >>>i debunk his lies with the true figues, i would like to state - >>>judiciously, >>>if you like - what has always been whispered in certain quarters of >>>international financial institutions about economic figures from the >>>Central >>>Bank of the Gambia [CBG] from 1994 to date. Not known for their honesty, >>>the >>>AFPRC/APRC has always been suspected of fraudulently manipulating >>>economic >>>data and key international institutions have since 1994 raised eye brows >>>at >>>figues supplied by the CBG. Perhaps Jaata's current mendacity vis-a-vis >>>his >>>statement that all is well with the Gambian economy should be a pointer >>>to >>>the truism inherent in questioning any data emanating from an APRC >>>controlled >>>and manipulated CBG. Let the APRC gov't be warned that questions are >>>really >>>being raised in certain international financial quarters as to the >>>veracity >>>of their economic figures. >>> >>>Now back to the veracity of Jaata's contention that the APRC gov't is on >>>target with all its programmes. Where to begin? Let me simply begin by >>>bayonetting to death Jaata's contention that the Fund and the World Bank >>>are >>>happy with the performance of the Gambian economy with the >>>incontrovertible >>>facts and nothing but the facts. Current data from key lending and donor >>>institutions make a complete sham of Jaata's spurrious and wild horse >>>claim >>>that they are on target with all their programmes. For instance, fiscal >>>deficit is on its way to surging to 4.4% of GDP from the original target >>>of >>>2.5%; which in essence represents a 1.2% increase on top of the targeted >>>2.5%. Revenue performance, unsurprisingly, continues to dwindle year in >>>year >>>out as the volume of international trade continues to shrink. From a >>>targeted >>>D654.4 million revenue performance in the first half of 2001 actualised >>>only >>>D500.7 million; representing a 23.7% below target performance. Most >>>worrying, >>>is the deplorable state of the Gambia's volume of international and how >>>it >>>undermined significantly the gov't's revenue targets. From a target of >>>D374.9, revenues collected on international trade only actualised D252.6: >>>representing the gov't's worst revenue performance; a sharp fall of 32% >>>below >>>target. Heretofore, the gov't's greatest worry used to be how servicing >>>its >>>external debts was petering out foreign reserve and cash and undermining >>>investment. Today, the story has but changed slightly with the twinning >>>of >>>domestic and external debt servicing vying for the attention of the >>>meagre >>>resources of the country. Now the biggest obstacle to fiscal discipline >>>seems >>>to be coming from a spiralling domestic debt servicing and its >>>concomitant >>>interest payments which makes the current overall debt portfolio >>>unsustainable. From D102.7 million in 2000, interest payments on domestic >>>debts soared by 8% to D112.3 million. Some economy in some good shape, >>>huh? >>> >>>When an economically irresponsible gov't loses the plot completely, it >>>resorts to pointing fingers at those at the receiving end of their >>>irresponsibility. Suddenly, the price hikes and the economically >>>disastrous >>>Consumer Price Index of the Gambia is the fault of poor taxi drivers and >>>the >>>poor peoples of the Gambia who continue to bankroll the profligate >>>life-styles of the APRC elites. Without a shred of decency and >>>callousness >>>galore, SOS Jaata in his interview with the "Daily Observer" intimated to >>>the >>>naive "Daily Observer" reporter that: >>> >>>"... government hoped to engage these commercial drivers in dialogue >>>whenever the world market pronounces a decline in fuel price. In the >>>event >>>the commercial vehicle drivers insist on maintaining fares at the current >>>level, government would come up with tax strategies but expressed the >>>hope >>>that such a situation would not arise. He said when he assumed office as >>>finance secretary a year later, government reduced the prices of gas oil >>>and >>>petrol yet drivers did not bring down fares consequently." >>> >>>Maybe if Jaata were an honest bloke he would have informed the "Daily >>>Observer" reporter how much tax he has slapped on gas oil and petrol >>>since >>>he >>>became SOS for Finance to date. Since he didn't have the decency to >>>inform >>>Gambians, let me do the decent thing and inform everyone that current tax >>>for >>>both gas and super oil was 53% and 58% respectively in 1999-2000 fiscal >>>year. >>>It stands to reason that Jaata may have increased the said tax again for >>>the >>>2000-2001 fiscal year. Now, would Jaata do the decent thing and tell poor >>>Gambians that his absurd and graft-designed tax hikes are partly >>>responsible >>>for the current price hikes in every basic commodity? I'm not holding my >>>breath. >>> >>>As i philosophically delineated in my introduction, human disasters - be >>>it >>>economic or environment ones - have their own lines of communications and >>>it >>>is left to us decode the codes they come encrypted in. With Jammeh and >>>another five years of his maladministration, the codes foretell an >>>inevitable >>>economic disaster. The current malignant economic tumour in the brain of >>>the >>>Gambian economy - i choreographed at lenght in this essay - can only >>>foretell >>>an inevitable economic disaster for Gambians - should they allow Jammeh's >>>Peter Pan economics to reign for another 5 years. I dare say the economic >>>disaster may have already started. >>> >>>Hamjatta Kanteh >>> >>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>>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/intl.asp >> >>---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>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/intl.asp > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >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/intl.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------