Makheru dropping knowledge

Obama’s Neo-Colonial Mission in AfriKa

Jambo.

Q. Is Obama better than Bush?
A. It depends how you like your imperialism – with a white face or a black one. (Stephen Gowans)

[It was “a message no pink-faced Western leader could have delivered without arousing resentment in Africa and politically correct abuse from hand-wringers at home,” Libby Purves, a columnist for the London Times noted.]

After reading President Obama’s interview with AllAfrica.com, and his speech in Accra, it’s crystal clear why he was chosen to sit on the throne of Anglo American Imperialism.

[I’d say I’m probably as knowledgeable about African history as anybody who’s occupied my office. And I can give you chapter and verse on why the colonial maps that were drawn helped to spur on conflict, and the terms of trade that were uneven emerging out of colonialism.] – President Obama

Anyone who is as “knowledgeable about African history” as the President claims he is, surely knows when he is deliberately revising history and distorting the truth.

[I think part of what’s hampered advancement in Africa is that for many years we’ve made excuses about corruption or poor governance; that this was somehow the consequence of neo-colonialism, or the West has been oppressive, or racism. I’m not a believer in excuses.]—Obama

Of course the colonial system reduced many Afrikan economies to monocultures, economies largely dependent on one cash crop (e.g. cocoa in Ghana), whose prices were then manipulated to destabilize the post-colonial governments of leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, thereby setting the stage for CIA organized coups all over Afrika, which sometimes resulted in assassinations, as was the case with the democratically-elected Patrice Lumumba in the Congo. And all of that was “somehow the consequence of neo-colonialism” which is no excuse for underdevelopment.

Most certainly this student of Afrikan history would not dare to mention the devastating impact that the Structural Adjustment Programs of the IMF have had on Afrikan economies and governance.

However of all of the fork-tongued words spoken by the President, these words capture the essence of his Gobellian propaganda:

“The West and the United States has not been responsible for what’s happened to Zimbabwe’s economy over the last 15 or 20 years.”

So the United States and the United Kingdom did not renege on the Lancaster House Agreement. The United States did not enact “The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act” in 2001, and President Obama did not renew that Act in March 2009.

[The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act states that U.S. sanctions will remain in place against the Zimbabwean "government" [euphemism for "the people"] until the U.S. president certifies that the "rule of law has been restored in Zimbabwe, including respect for ownership and title to property. . . and an end to. . .lawlessness."] –Connie White

[President Obama talks of the last 15-20 years as if the problems bedeviling the continent started then. Why the last 15-20 years? Is it because that’s when he developed an interest on the continent? The US system of segregation which started centuries ago is still affecting black people in that country; some of whom live in absolute poverty in a country seen as very rich by the rest of the world. The Apartheid system in South Africa left a dent which the current Government is still battling with. The land problems in Zimbabwe and elsewhere on the African continent started many years ago, not 15-20 years ago.]—Africa Speaks

The objective here is not to absolve Robert Mugabe of his mistakes, the first of which was trusting the Anglo American imperialists by signing the Lancaster House Agreement. However, problems of this magnitude cannot be solved without a clear objective analysis of the historical situation. And on that account, the student of Afrikan History, President Obama, was an abysmal failure or a deliberate liar.

The President also painted a false picture of Afrikan American reality:

“In my country, African-Americans – including so many recent immigrants – have thrived in every sector of society. We have done so despite a difficult past, and we have drawn strength from our African heritage.”

While it’s true that many Afrikan Americans have made enormous material progress since the Civil Rights Movement, that assessment does not capture the total picture. Afrikan Americans are currently suffering Great Depression levels of unemployment.

[The differences in unemployment rates are even more dramatic when broken down by race and age. For example, white men's unemployment rate in June was 9.5%, while black men's was 17.8%. For white women it was 8%, and for black women, 13.1%, according to the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here's a sampling of unemployment rates in June for various groups:

• Black men 20 and older: 16.4%.
• Black women 20 and older: 11.3%.
• White men 20 and older: 9.2%.
• White women 20 and older: 6.8%.
• Black males age 16 to 19: 50%.
• Black females age 16 to 19: 40.6%.
• White males age 16 to 19: 26.5%.
• White females age 16 to 19: 23.5%.]—Market Watch

And these numbers don’t capture the totality of unemployment because they are based on the U3—the official unemployment rate. I would like to see these numbers crunched for the U6 which gives a broader, although not total, scope of unemployment in America.

The Ghana Speech can be read here:

http://enduringamerica.com/2009/07/11/transcript-obama-speech-in-ghana-11-july/

Obama Talks to AllAfrica at the White House:

http://www.africaspeaks.com/blog/?p=2703

Obama’s neocolonial mission in Africa by Ann Talbot:

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jul2009/pers-j16.shtml

As always, your responses and challenges are welcome and appreciated.

Bado Mapambano, Makheru