>From: Joe Sambou <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Our State of Nationhood; Our Lunacy (Part Two) >Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003 21:38:03 +0000 > >Culled from Allafrica. "This is lunacy. Allah has absolutely >nothing to do >with our incompetence, greed, hypocrisy, arrogance, dishonesty and >out right >dishonourable and uncourageous attitude that has been the result of >the >present situation in which we find ourselves today instead, we do. >And this >is the state of our nation. We never learn because of our lunacy but >it >takes a realization of this lunacy to make this possible. If we >cannot then >it goes to show the extent to which our lunacy has deepens." This >quote to >me, sums our mindset regarding the Gambian state. Please read on. > >Our State of Nationhood; Our Lunacy (Part Two) > >The Independent (Banjul) > >EDITORIAL >March 3, 2003 >Posted to the web March 3, 2003 > >Banjul > >We are in desperate times and our lunacy is getting all the more >obvious if >not incurably blatant. > >It is lunacy because transportation fares have increased, whilst >salaries >have remained the same, and yet no-one it seems, wants to know why >but >instead turned up to work late, or don't bother turning up at all >and would >rather place blame on taxi drivers with the hope that they would >look kindly >on passengers and reconsider the tariffs. And yet it is largely >ignored that >these taxi drivers also have families that are hard hit by the price >increases in the domestic market. This is lunacy. > >It is lunacy that those who have to address these problems, have >elected to >make a complete detour from the burning issues of the day. The >president and >his entourage during their Meet the Peoples Tour rather expended >their >energies on declaring an anti-nawettan policy with the vain hope of >boosting >agricultural yields. Even if we are to agree that such a ban would >discourage "footballing idleness" and encourage "agricultural >usefulness" >what guarantees are there that the "good yields" at the end of the >day would >be bought by the government. > >What guarantees exist that out comfortless farmers would not be >provided >with annoying promissory notes that does not pay school fees, secure >a bag >of rice and provide for the general upkeep of the average farming >family. It >is lunacy to ignore the fact that nothing works by coercion >especially for >the youth who need sport to liven them up in these days of dampening >national morale. > >It is lunacy that while we should learn from the bitter and bloody >lessons >of our war-ravaged neighbours, we hear and entertain, inflammatory >statements. It is lunacy because this as in the past will fan the >flames of >political hatred and antagonism and eventually set us on the path of >self-abnegation. > >It is lunacy that while other nations the world over are striving >for >excellence we in The Gambia cushion ourselves and are apologetic >about our >poor performance as a nation by always looking at countries that are >obviously less fortunate than we Gambians: Liberia, Sierra Leone, >the >Democratic Republic of Congo and of late Ivory Coast and dare to >compare >ourselves with them and in the process convince our sorry selves >that "at >least we are not as bad as they are". As obvious and as pathetically >clear >that we are certainly not as bad, we should also realize that we >couldn't >get any worse than they are. In essence, if Gambians are only good >enough to >compare themselves with the down trodden, and nations afflicted by >brutal >civil strife, then this is lunacy. > >It is lunacy because in the same vein we muster on blaming all our >domestic >woes on "external factors" -"there is a world recession going on so >we are >affected by it" our leaders trumpet, fine then why do we not benefit >when >there is boom in the same global economy? We instead either remain >the same >or plunge even further down the economic ladder? > >This is lunacy. > >It is lunacy because all of these concerns are not alien to >Gambians, we >have experienced them before, and yet we pretend that it is an a >primary >occurrence, and would as a result fade away with the magic wand of >fatalism- >"Allah's wish" - > >This is lunacy. Allah has absolutely nothing to do with our >incompetence, >greed, hypocrisy, arrogance, dishonesty and out right dishonourable >and >uncourageous attitude that has been the result of the present >situation in >which we find ourselves today instead, we do. And this is the state >of our >nation. We never learn because of our lunacy but it takes a >realization of >this lunacy to make this possible. If we cannot then it goes to show >the >extent to which our lunacy has deepens. > >Sad for us all. > > > > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. 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