Dad, this is inchoate counsel but I didn't know Forovda had a resident chaplain!!!!!! You can do better than simply deride leadership, power, and wealth. There is nothing wrong with these and the pursuit thereof. Most good is done by sober leaders, the powerful, and the wealthy. I'd like to see you address the crimes of leaders, the wealthy, the poor, the powerful, and the powerless. Vat is zis???? In PDOIS there is leadership, there is the powerful, and there are the wealthy. And the rank and file are inspired by these so they toil, worship, and sing the praises of these folk for ambition's sakes. So there is nothing wrong with inspiration or ambition. it is the quality of method and gratuitous crime used to acquire these. Let folk worship who and what they want to. Let them sing the praises of whomever they fancy. Just don't let them commit crimes and or become hopeless. We have not tasked Obama with putting a cap on the deepwater gusher. We want BP, Transocean, and Halliburton to do that. Haruna. It is an act of terrorism against the contiguous US. If there is anything Gambians need right about now, it is inspiration and ambition. Even if it is a toad that inspires them. I say go to it. Kneel down. bend over. Just kidding Dad, but live and let live. Until a crime is committed. Forovda and or PDOIS is not responsible for the actions and behaviours of Gambians. Dad I haven't seen yours or Forovda's donations to the Kanyibaa Kanyi family fund. You know it closes at June's end don't you???? And next time you send us editorials from Forovda, it'd be nice to attach the author's name. C'mon men!!! -----Original Message----- From: Modou Nyang <[log in to unmask]> To: GAMBIA-L <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Fri, Jun 4, 2010 2:46 pm Subject: Foroyaa Editorial: Leadership, Wealth and Power Leadership, Wealth and Power Most Gambians wake up in the morning to pray for power and abundant wealth. Many people are willing to do anything and everything to have power and wealth. Since they want to be worshipped when they possess such power and wealth they do not hesitate to worship those who possess them in anticipation that sooner or later their time would also come. It is such people who yearn to be worshipped when they possess power who become praise singers and flatterers of those they rely on for patronage because of their possession of power and wealth. Since they would have wanted to be treated as demi gods if they were in possession of wealth and power they easily become sycophants who would give the impression that their patrons could create the heavens and the earth and do everything imaginable under the sun. They spread information that would enable them to mystify the patrons. This made them not to see their shortcomings. Unfortunately for the Gambia the culture is still rooted in monarchical traditions. This is reinforced by the various ceremonies associated with marriage, birth, etc. Many still try to trace their blood ties to the nobility of the past just to feel important. Musicians capitalize on their aspirations for grandeur by flattering them. Many would give what they don’t have and even go into indebtedness just to perpetuate an illusion. This culture of craving for wealth and power and mystifying the nobility is affecting every aspect of national life. Competition for wealth and power among Gambians is rampant at home and in the Diaspora. People seek supernatural intervention with the hope that they will be blessed with position or wealth. Those who pray or their children also invite supernatural intervention to enable them to rise above their peers. It is therefore no surprise that extravagance is rewarded while humility is seen as a sign of mediocrity. The society promotes extravagance and mystification of power and sees nothing wrong in leaders displaying their wealth and power. In fact they do romanticise such displays. Today there are some who believe that wealth and power could be derived from magical power. The irony is that such magical powers cannot be used to help Obama to put a lead on the leaking oil well which is polluting the waters and causing environmental degradation. A society gets the type of leaders they deserve. This is the verdict of common sense .Gambians therefore need a change of vision of life and attitude. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤