The New Nation - Internet Edition

Help farmers overcome cyclone losses

THE recent cyclone Reshmi damaged standing crops on about 2.6 lakh hectares of land in 30 districts, mainly in the coastal and south-western region of the country. According to a preliminary assessment of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the cyclone damaged Aman paddy, vegetables, chillies and other crops. Damages to Aman crop range from 10 to 35 percent from place to place. In some areas the damage of rice may reach as high as 50 percent. Most of the affected districts had been seriously ravaged by the tropical cyclone Sidr last year. Before the farmers could recuperate losses, they have been hit by another calamity.

The crop damages just before the harvest of Aman paddy have thrown the farmers into a very difficult situation. Many of the farmers will harvest little or no grains. The concerned agencies of the government must initiate agricultural rehabilitation programme for them in right earnest. The Ministry of Agriculture is going to start agricultural rehabilitation programme in areas severely hit by the recent floods in the first week of November. This programme should be extended to cover the cyclone-hit regions.

Farmers should get all the support and encouragement to make all-out preparation for growing an extra crop to overcome the stress. Extra crop production has become all the more imperative, as the government drive for food procurement reportedly did not meet the target. There is thus no strong buffer stock of foodgrains at the disposal of the government. Before the cultivation of the next major crop, the affected farmers shall have to be given all possible support for cultivation of short-duration crops. All preparations should be made from now onwards to help achieve a bumper production of the next Boro crop which is relatively free from the vagaries of nature.

Africa's infrastructure revolution

THE World Bank in a report has said that China is 'spearheading a massive infrastructure revolution' in the African continent. China's growing infrastructure commitments in Africa are helping address the huge infrastructure deficit of the continent, said World Bank's vice-president for the African region in a recent report. Besides China, a few Middle Eastern Gulf nations and India are also financing an unprecedented number of infrastructure projects across Sub-Saharan Africa - both in scale and the focus on large infrastructure projects. Investment commitments in Africa by these emerging financiers jumped from less than one billion dollars per year before 2004 to eight billion dollars in 2006.

The co-author of the report and a World Bank lead economist, Viven Foster has remarked that the growing South-South cooperation is driven by strong economic complementarities between China and Africa. China's growing demand for natural resources is matched by Africa's significant and often under-developed oil and mineral reserves. Africa's urgent need, on the other hand, for infrastructure is matched by China's globally competitive construction industry. The report said that in a changing world, with new actors and financing modalities coming into play, there is a 'learning process' for both investors and recipients.

This will place new demands on national capacity to negotiate complex and innovative deals and apply appropriate environmental and social standards needed for the long-term success of such partnerships. Africa, undoubtedly, faces daunting challenges in improving its infrastructure and development experts agree that creaking infrastructure is cutting the growth rate of African economies by as much as one percentage point every year. Oil-rich Gulf states and Arab donors committed on average 500 million dollars every year over the past seven years while India has become an emerging financier in Africa's infrastructure development. Can Bangladesh make better use of the emerging financiers to strengthen its infrastructure?

Trouble with economics

Guy Dammann

I've often wondered why economics was labelled a "dismal science", and now I know. In most sciences, there's an element of mastery such that the more you know your subject, the better you get at it. But with economics, the reverse seems to be the case.

Thus, while even though all of us lowest-common-denominator joe-schmoes have known that the economy has been heading for recession for some time, it's taken until this week for the news to reach both the governor of the Bank of England and the prime minister. When Brown's faithful replacement as chancellor called time on growth way back in August, he was roundly criticised from every quarter.

The problem, of course, is that because the science of economics is not only dismal but soft, the credibility of those whose power is rooted in economic analysis rests not on solid findings but on something like a credit scoring system. To the extent that they guess right, or gamble successfully, they build up credibility, or creditworthiness, and because no-one can hold anyone to account on the basis of the facts of the matter - because, by and large, there aren't any - then their credit rating is, again by and large, pretty much all they have.

But in the case of figures like Brown and Mervyn King, there's so much credit invested in them by virtue of their position that they're left with few options but to oversell everything that they do announce, or - in cases such as the present one, where the bottom has fallen out of whole system - simply come clean after the fact in a kind of credibility correction.

Now we're in this mess, of course, it doesn't help to have people like me poking fun at the whole thing, any more than it helps to have what Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins the other day called "Guardian writers" pretending that capitalism has eaten itself. Capitalism is more likely to eat us before it eats itself.

But there is one interesting absence in the melee of commentary on the recession, which is that there don't seem to be any Marxists left to take a moral stand. You'd think, to continue the economics analogy, they'd stand to profit from the situation, buying up dirt-cheap political stock in what must surely be a bear market for anti-capitalist ideology. But while there has been slight increase of the visibility of Socialist Worker sellers amid the usual swarms of London Lites, of high profile told-you-so-ing there has been little sign. Even Brendan O'Neill has kept quiet, perhaps preferring to cry for alms rather than arms.

It has been said often enough, since the Soviet bloc crumbled into nothingness during the early 1990s, that Marxism has been thoroughly "discredited". Yet, in its absence, as the pragmatics of free-market capitalism have, in various guises, filled the ideological vacuum, I wonder if we don't miss it. By this I don't mean that we miss the Cold War - although it is clearly the case than many do - or that anyone should want to bring back Stalin. Rather, it is simply that, in the absence of any even weakly viable alternatives, the tenets of capitalism come to be presented as self-evident truths.

But you don't need to be Marx's little brother to see that most of the central tenets are far from being self-evident. Indeed, the central idea of capital ownership - that you can, effectively, get money for nothing - is being roundly, and literally, discredited at this very moment. There's no such thing as a free lunch - at least not in a capitalist society - and there never will be. At the same time, the astonishingly pervasive myth that the acquisition of excessive wealth has ever made anyone any happier is as far from being grounded in anything resembling reality as ever. We're all - if Oliver James has it right - simply sick from it.

For all its grim analysis and frequently turgid prose - not to mention the lack of allowance for the simple law that absolute power corrupts absolutely - Marxism was at least a system of political thought predicated on the idea of destroying inequality and, ultimately, creating a society whose citizens could be free not only of physical but of spiritual want. It at least held on to the hope, in other words, that man can improve his lot without taking for granted that this improvement must come at the expense of others.

In capitalism, on the other hand, we have established a power base which answers to no rational authority but rather to the forces of "the market", a blind force which has none of the nobility of "blind nature" but which derives from the whim, unhinged thrill-seeking, naked greed and kneejerk fears of individuals who have traded in compassion for the illusion of power and wealth.

If the masked ideology of capitalism contains anything that still counts as truth, it is that human nature directs us to oppose the status quo.

Yet, sadly, it seems precisely to have been the forces of capitalism that keep us imprisoned in the status quo, taking what we already have and selling it back to us under the guise of change and progress.

Surely, during the little break from rampant growth the next two years promise to offer us, some effort could be made to come up with some fresh ideas?

Can't we put at least one tiny portion of that vast expanse of intellectual effort, presently consumed entirely by the effort to get something from nothing, to the task of getting something out of the realisation that it can't be done?

US election: More money more votes?

Dr. M. S. Haq

Money speaks, in a variety of ways - though, in elections of various nature and types in the contemporary world - relative, however, to time, space and other variables. Specially speaking, the role of money in shaping and sustaining final outcomes of elections varies from country to country, from community to community, from voters to voters, and in terms of degrees of impact, to mention a few. The US election - 2008 is no exception to that.

As regards the mass of election money and the size of spending (I mean election money) in this year's US election, Senator Obama has so far been found to be enjoying a relatively better position than that of Senator McCain. Senator Obama has spent so far millions of dollars for say, buying big and multiple ads in support of his effort towards energizing his election campaigns.

Interesting though, the spending spree of Senator Obama is taking place at the time when chances of world poor - especially, poor people of the US - being affected by for example, life threatening consequences of impending recessions in the US and elsewhere in the world - are at all time high given the contemporary history of recession in concerned countries. Taking into cognizance above and other related developments, it might perhaps be difficult for conscious voters, objective plus future minded voters and other concerned voters to internalize at this point in time Senator Obama's present day stance on spending the tax money during his administration - if elected, though. In other words, the possibilities of for example, what I would call incompatibilities associated with spending the tax money in an Obama administration (if that happens in the future) can not be ruled out.

Further, taking into cognizance, Senator Obama's present day spending mindset, it is difficult to predict as of today - 29th day of October 2008 - on: how best and quickest outcomes of his plans associated with spending on middle class would be instrumental in inter alia protecting the poor from ramifications of the global recession and controlling entry and re-entry of people into the country's poverty domain during his administration - if elected, though?

It is will be interesting, among other things, to observe this time: to what extent and how the super money powered media (print, electronic, others) campaigns of Senator Obama will be able to buy additional votes for him in the election? In other words: what role, if any, will Obama's huge media investment play in the determination of his future in the election?

If Senator Obama's additional votes come this time from sources such as outcomes of the media influences, it could then be a matter of concern for the people of US, among other things. Because a wind fall from the development could inter alia be instrument in mainstreaming the money power in future US elections (including outcomes of those elections) in a sustainable fashion and in promoting, in a more aggressive manner than at present, commercialization of the media at local, national, global and other levels. A development that could, in many respects, be compared to for example, that of money driven elections in many poor countries in the present time.

By the way: Who are the influential behind-the-scene subscribers (I mean to whom it might concern, money-wise, per se) to, and mover, as well as shakers of, Obama campaign? What are their real faces? What are their real motives? To what extent and how their agendas will, in the foreseeable future, be compatible with local, national, regional, global and other missions, goals and objectives (goals and objectives are two different things in a deeper sense) of the US? When and how Senator Obama and the democratic party will compensate them and at what costs? To what extent and how the Obama-promised-change will be instrumental in inter alia promoting the US as for example, a defeated nation in the war on terror or a winner in the war on terror - in the foreseeable future? Whether or not the Obama-promised-change will be able to maximize for example, benefits for the US and benefits for people of the US from investments in areas of war on terror, per se? How best and quickest his plans, strategies and programs in areas say, growth including inter alia economic growth, people's welfare, international relations and environmental management could for example, withstand uncertainties including inter alia those emanating from an impending global recession? Will he be a simple figure head or a powerful president, or a defiant president or otherwise in the white house, if elected, though? A white person with a black person's face in the white house or otherwise!

In light of above, I believe, Senator McCain, Governor Palin and the republican party have still got enough spaces for rescuing willing voters from questionable, unsubstantiated and rhetoric laden election related stances of Senator Obama, Senator Biden and the democratic party. In that respect, it is expected Senator McCain, Governor Palin and the republican party will explore and exploit further their comparative, competitive and other advantages in terms of what has been discussed so far in the article and not discussed in the article - with a view to affording people of the US to transform - God Willing - Senator McCain into President McCain in the near future.

The last word: one of the most immediate challenges before Senator McCain & Co is - how best and quickest they could liberate genuine votes from their present status, apparently wrapped up in money. In that respect, it is hoped - NBC; FOX News; Zee News; CNN; Bloomberg TV; BBC; PTV and GEO (Pakistan); Al Jazeera; Saudi TV; National TV and ETV (India); CCTV 9; TV5Monde; Peace TV; DW-TV; BTV, ETV, ATN, Channel I and Ntv (Bangladesh); and others TV channels, plus national dailies, the New York Times; the Washington Post; and others including those of Bangladesh for example, The Bangladesh Observer, The Daily Star, The New Nation, Ittefaq, and Prothom Alo - will step up their efforts towards assisting Senator McCain & Co. All the best!

No winners in N. American Vote

George Abraham

Canadians have been scratching their heads wondering why their government just spent $300 million on federal elections that resulted in no clear winner. Although the Conservatives retained power, fewer people showed up to vote than ever before and gave the ruling party a mandate that was well short of the majority they yearned for.

An immediate casualty has been the leader of Canada's "natural governing party," the Liberals. Stéphane Dion, after much introspection and a prolonged silence following his party's poor showing, announced last week that he would step down, but not until a new leader is chosen. He thereby ensured that his unlikely political career - he was hand-picked from a university campus and catapulted to Cabinet by former prime minister Jean Chrétien - would continue to flicker for a few more months, giving him breathing space and perhaps allowing him to raise money to repay his substantial debts from his successful party leadership contest two years ago.

On election night, even as the results were trickling in, commentators wrote Dion off as "toast." He was derided as a poor salesman of his Green Shift platform that failed to resonate with an electorate that was hungry for an eco-friendly message, but wanted one that would not hurt their wallets either.

Unlike the Conservatives, the Liberals have a pantheon of leaders, including the renowned former Harvard professor Michael Ignatieff and a former premier of Ontario, Bob Rae. There are many more horses that will enter the race, with many in the now humbled party arguing against continuing with more of the same, instead passing the torch to a younger generation of leaders, among them freshly-minted MP Justin Trudeau, the son of legendary prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

Other than the rout of the Liberals, the Oct. 14 elections were a non-event. Voters gave Stephen Harper's Conservative Party their trust, although not enough for his government to survive no-confidence motions in Parliament on their own.

With more seats than the last time round and an electorate that is clearly suffering from ennui, the Opposition would be well-advised to pull its punches and keep the Tories in power for a while. With three federal elections in the last four years, voters have already had one too many.

The results were also a cautionary signal for the Conservatives because they failed to win a plurality of the votes. The centre-left parties including the Liberals, the New Democratic Party (NDP), the Greens and the separatist Bloc Quebecois, won two-thirds of the votes cast - a less than reassuring mandate for the ruling party.

Although the American credit meltdown struck in mid-campaign, throwing the Harper campaign's playbook off kilter for a few days, the Conservatives faced the feeblest of foes in this campaign.

Harper is expected to name a new Cabinet this week to reflect the geographical and demographic inroads that his party has been able to make. It is expected to have more women and may also include more non-white ministers as an acknowledgement to the new immigrants who helped elect Conservative MPs in urban ridings in Ontario and British Columbia. To the consternation of the Liberals, the so-called immigrant vote is trending right - just like the rest of Canada - and does not appear to have recoiled against the recent immigration reforms.

Other than some residual interest in the faces that will be dropped from Cabinet and seeing the new Tory stars, Canadians have already switched channels to the American elections. Even during the campaign up north, most of them had their ears cocked to the much more exciting duel between Barack Obama and John McCain, clearly preferring the Democratic contender long before former Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State Colin Powell lent his clincher endorsement. If Obama were running in Canada, it would be a no contest, and there has been considerable soul-searching here over why this country cannot give birth to a leader with his cadence, eloquence and brilliance.

But, pundits have been quick to point to the anomaly in the making as Canada trends right, while Americans vote liberal. Throughout most of Canada's history, it has been the opposite. The last time Canada voted Conservative and the Americans went for a liberal president happened with the election of Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, at a time when a Conservative was prime minister in Canada: Richard B. Bennett. This was the era of the Depression, a circumstance that bears close resemblance to present-day conditions.

There is already talk of New Deal workfare programmes in the US, something that is unlikely to be popular among conservative true believers, those who swear by small government. Like it or not, Canada must take its economic cues from Washington, just as it will do on Nov. 15 when the world's leading economies meet in Washington to discuss more robust counter-measures against the global credit contagion.

Opinion: Allowances of mofassil journalists

Abdul Khaleque

The recommendations of the 7th Wage Board Award 2008 framed by the present Caretaker government has opened a new wheel of fortune for the working journalists, press workers and non-journalists as their salaries and allowances have been doubled keeping in view the prevailing costly and expensive essential commodities in the market to maintain their standard of life.

The award formed in consultation with a 9-member Wage Board committee headed by Chairman Justice Habibur Rahman Khan after 11 years of 5th Wage Board formed in 1997.

The main objective of the 7th Wage Board was to remove anomalies and discrepancies relating to salaries, allowances on the basis of discussion participated by all concerned.

The Chairman and the Wage Board members held several rounds of meetings and view exchange opinions to reach a consensus. The Chairman and Wage Board members sought opinion for reasonable increase in monthly salaries and allowances, fringe benefits, formation of Workers Welfare Board, letters of appointment and introduction of service book, etc.

They made thorough discussions about the prevailing prices of essential commodities, currency depreciation, and rising inflationary tendency in money market, which has put the newspaper and News agencies in cumbersome condition. The prices of newsprint, ink, chemicals, electricity and the rate of commercial advertisement in the newspaper came up in the discussion for the survival of the persons involved in the Industry. The 7th Wage Board was adopted in the line of the recommendations of the 5th and 6th Wage Board Award and in the light of provisions of the Newspaper Employees (conditions and services) Act 1974 and Labour Laws under Clause 143.

The Board also took into cognizance the Government Pay Commission Report and the overall economic situation prevailing in newspapers and news agencies in the country.

The Board recommended 100 percent increase in the salary structure from 120 percent as prescribed in the 5th Wage Board. The representatives of NOAB said they have no objection to increase salary to 70 percent from 60 percent.

Resentment swept in the newspapers and news agencies offices over the implementation of the 7th Wage Board Award. To quell the disturbance a monitoring team consisting of the leaders of DUJ and BFUJ took step to look into the problems of the Industry with a view to implement the 7th Wage Board and they did it in some newspapers and news agencies on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Few newspapers and news agencies implemented the 7th Wage Board award but the bulk of the industry could not implement it as those are running limping. Of the facilities recommended for Mafassol correspondents the group insurance policy, medical allowance of Taka 680 and two festival bonus equivalent to one month retainer allowance is good. But the management is not willing to implement those and they are being deprived.

The prescribed retainer allowance of Taka 2200 is too inadequate and meagre in view of their academic qualifications, efficiency and troublesome work they undertake in collecting news in different parts of the district. It should be reviewed and up-graded Other service benefits for the journalists should also be incorporated in due course.

Mofassil journalists are part and parcel in the media world of Bangladesh as they are contributing to the development of healthy society by disseminating news and views of the people in the newspaper as they are considered the 4th Estate in press freedom.