I would like to comment briefly on the issue of whether or not it would have been better to place Bob Marley as opposed to Hugh Shearer on the $5,000 note. First, while I accept the reasonable explanations for the need to print such a large denominated currency, I cannot but express great sadness that as a country we have had to resort to this.

More to the point, however, I agree that we need to continue the debate about how best to recognise the contribution of Bob Marley to Jamaica's culture and national identity. However, I don't think that placing his image on the $5,000 banknote would represent the importance of his contribution.

Sadly, for me, the need for this new banknote represents the cumulative failure of past (and present) governments, general apathy of us Jamaicans as well as the impacts of the New World Economic Order. As we know, this new world order, is also known (especially by Rastafarians) as 'Babylon system'.

Placing the image of a well-known anti-oppression, anti-Establishment Rastafarian ambas-sador and cultural icon such as Robert Nesta Marley on money would, in my opinion, represent that he is now part of the Babylon system. The very system that he fought against through his music.

I think that our time would be best served figuring out how to prevent the need for printing a $10,000 note, rather than quarrelling about whose image will need to be placed on it.

I am, etc.,

Peter E.T. Edwards, PhD

pedwards@udel.edu

University of Delaware