The economic plight currently being experienced by the United States really impacts when one arrives in a foreign country like Canada and exchanges US dollars for Canadian. American travelers once enjoyed having a strong dollar, in which exchange usually resulted in a gain of foreign currency. But, things have changed and the stark realization of the weakness of the once almighty US dollar is further impacted when the clerk at the currency exchange, seeing the concern on the American’s face, exclaims, “Don’t be so surprised. Don’t you know your dollar is a very weak currency?” So much for the economic might of America – that’s now a myth.

When Americans travel and realize how weak the US dollar is against other currencies like the Euro, the Japanese Yen and the Canadian dollar, it makes us realize that it is the state of the nation’s economy that should, after all, be the most important issue in the next several months leading up to November’s general elections.

Taking a real close look at the current state of our economy several weaknesses are disclosed.

Last week, while delivering the keynote address at the University of the West Indies Commemoration Dinner in Mona, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Patrick Manning called for greater regional coordination in combating the escalating problem of crime throughout the Caribbean. This suggestion by Manning must be commended, as this crime problem is not plaguing just one or two Caribbean countries but the entire Caribbean, and there are no signs that the problem is being solved anywhere. Just last week there was the second incident of a mass killing spree in Guyana, and an assault on a police station.

The fact that the crime rate has grown drastically, not only in Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana, but in several of the smaller nations, traditionally known as peaceful and safe countries, indicates that there must be a common cause for this surge of crime. Analysis of the problem has pointed out to the deportation of Caribbean nationals, convicted of criminal activities in North America and Britain, and, to a lesser extent, the challenge in social and economic development, as among the common reasons for the rise of crime in the Caribbean. But, although those may be valid reasons, the often violent and ruthless nature of some of the crimes throughout the region indicates that there is another more serious common thread.

This thread, Manning rightly identified, as the illegal drug trade, which is taking place throughout the region. As if to support Manning’s point, a few days after he gave his speech a plane laden with ganja crashed in Clarendon, Jamaica, while the smugglers fled. It is becoming increasingly obvious that there is now a strong linkage between the deportee problem, economic hardships, and the drug trade. The deportees unable to find lucrative traditional jobs when they return to the Caribbean, are sucked up into the illicit drug trade by unscrupulous operators, who are willing to aggressively perpetuate and protect this trade, not hesitant to use very violent measures.

Last December, weeks before the Democratic primaries for that party’s presidential nominee commenced and while the argument that America was not ready for a Black president waged among African Americans, we urged Blacks to free themselves from mental slavery. That mental slavery brought about by the unfortunate experiences emanating from slavery, segregation and the perpetual effort to juxtapose positively among the other races. Then, Barack Obama won the Iowa caucus, a predominantly white state and indications appeared that Blacks believed that real change was possible - a Black man could really be president. Gradually, all over America there are now signs that Blacks could be freeing themselves from mental slavery, at last.

Indeed, this February 2008 may be the most significant February in America’s Black history. Unpredicted by most people Obama, during this month of February alone, has won over 20 contests in the race for the Democratic nomination. Remarkably, he won in several states like Idaho, Utah, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Maine, states without significant black voters. Since winning Iowa, Obama has commanded an average of over 80 percent of the Black vote and has also been getting significant support from white voters. Obama is now seriously poised to be the Democratic nominee because he has bridged the racial divide without even making race a platform for his nomination.

With the Democratic Party nomination seeming to be headed to a delegates showdown between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) can either do themselves justice by appointing Barack Obama as their presidential nominee or injustice to the party by not doing so.

Barack Obama single-handedly has raised the Democratic Party from the dead especially when its leadership of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Senate, Harry Reid, have by their action or inaction, turned off or alienated several of their party faithfuls.

Obama has brought great optimism and hope, not just to party faithfuls, but newly-found Democrats, Republicans and Independents by inspiring them with his message. At a time in our country’s history when most think that this great nation has bottomed out in its world standing, economically and morally, more and more Americans are finding a ray of hope (Yes We Can) in what the Illinois Senator has to offer.

Air Jamaica employees in the Diaspora recently received a very harsh blow from the chairwoman and board of the airline. First on Monday February 3, the airline’s staff at the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airport were summoned to a meeting where they were informed by representatives of the airlines Human Resource Department that the overwhelming majority of the staff would be reduced from full time employment to part-time agents, resulting in fifty percent reduction of their incomes effective March 1. This cut affects some supervisors who have up to 36 years service with the airline. The switch from full time staff to part time agents also applies to junior and supervisory staff at airports in Atlanta, New York and Toronto.

However, that was not the deepest cut, as the next day, Tuesday, February 5, the airline HR emissaries, again acting on behalf of their chairwoman and board of directors, informed the sales and marketing staff at the airline’s Doral office in Miami, that some seven members of staff there will be laid off effective February 11. This decision also affects staff in the sales and marketing in the airline’s North American offices.

The impact of these decisions resonates not only on the airline’s South Florida staff but throughout the community, as most of the employees have been active within the community for several years. Naturally, the news has not been well received, with calls being made to radio shows, and letters written to newspapers in support of the employees.