The Human Breath is a Dangerous Weapon

"The Human Breath is a Dangerous Weapon"

A Look at the Economic Conditions of Jamaica and the Lyrics of Reggae Music and Poetry

The title for this paper is a quote taken from the poem, "Listen Mr. Oxford Don"

Rastafarians use Reggae music and poetry to express themselves; one of their major themes for expression is economic oppression. Jamaica and the Rastafarians suffer more than their fair share of oppression, or as they would appropriately say, downpression, and poverty, yet they are still raising awareness, happiness, and hopefulness. The past and current struggles of the country give way to many powerful words either spoken or sung to the rhythm of Reggae.

The General Economic Conditions of Jamaica Compared to Those of America

The economic conditions of Jamaica lead to a hard life for many of its citizens. The percentage of the Jamaican population below the poverty line was 34% in 1997 ( 1999 World Development Indicators CD-Rom, World Bank). Like poor people all over the world, the poor people of Jamaica are oppressed, unhealthy, and worried. They do however; know what is going on. They know who their oppressors are, who is in control, who has money, and who has power.

Economic numbers, ratios, and statistics can be hard to understand on their own; if they don’t bore you to death first, but once compared to something similar they start to make sense and become interesting. I decided to compare Jamaica’s economic and social indicators with the United States, for two reasons: 1. We are all familiar with the U.S., and the numbers will have more resonance, and 2. " Most tourists to Jamaica arrive from the U.S, which is also Jamaica’s principle supplier of imports and chief market for exports." ( 1999 ABC - CLIO, Inc. Kaleidoscope(Lexus-Nexus))

Some key economic ratios are the GDP and the GNP, these are a measure of income. The GNP(Gross National Product) measures the total domestic and foreign income claimed by a certain economy. It includes the GDP and the money spent in Jamaica by visitors, minus the payments Jamaican’s made in other countries. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) measures the total output of goods and services; it is the sum of "gross value added by all resident and non-resident producers in the economy, plus taxes, minus subsidies not included in the value of the products. (1999 World Bank CD-Rom).

The GNP for Jamaica was four billion dollars in 1997.