It might be added as well, that Americans and Europe have been adept at creating weapons and armaments more than anyone else. America spends more money on its military industrial complex than it spends on anything else. America is the country to have used weapons of mass destruction and ironically, the country that pursues North Korea, Iran and every other country in connections with weapons of mass destruction.
America has committed war crimes in the past and continues to commit more war crimes now. America has invaded many countries in the last twenty-five years more than any other country. Count Grenada, Panama, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq and there was Vietnam etc before these. Just imagine if it were an African country that has behaved in the manner that America has over the years?
Why imposed policies with pre-determined outcomes on countries and if they resist or quibble, their leaders are cut down. But if they follow such wrong headed policies and they fail as they do, then they are incapable imbeciles? Why do the Americans prefer particular Iraqis to be Prime Ministers now?
Could it be, perhaps to influence policies and their outcomes? Why seek puppets everywhere? Puppets are usually not in the business of serving the local people!
Catastrophic hurricane Katrina happened in America with images of helplessness and extreme hopelessness or desperations, the types that people are quick to associate with Africa and yet, this was twenty-first century America!
After September 11, 2001, the US federal government has conducted itself like a dictatorship without a care about civil liberties and constitutional rights. There have been detentions without trials. There have been wire tapping and eaves dropping on American citizens and resident aliens. There have been countless cases of torture and abuses.
There have been inordinate amounts of searches and seizures. Road blocks have multiplied and code red, code orange and other terror alerts now permeates. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/world/middleeast/24amnesty.html
CONTRACTORS; Rights Group Criticizes U.S. Over ‘ Outsourcing’ in Iraq
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Human-Rights.html
Amnesty Urges U.S. on Iraq Contractors
These used to be indices of dictatorships, usually outside the United States!
Some have called President Bush an emperor or king for good reasons! How is the American federal government materially different from African governments apart from the difference in the size of wealth? Who hasn’t heard of the cronyism and conflicts of interests in appointments by the Bush White House? Who hasn’t heard of reconstruction contracts in New Orleans and Iraq as unbidden and reserved for friends of Bush in the Carlyle Group or at Halliburton? What are the differences in these and African government’s cronyism and disregard for conflicts of interests?
I have no difficulty in comparing African crises to the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, prison abuse and the outsourcing of torture and imprisonment without trials in Guantannamo Bay etc. Oh Bush uses more sophisticated methods?
Mr. Abidde also would have had a more balanced essay, if had generously spiced it with accomplishments and innovations in Africa. As I read his essay, I kept asking myself, how come he did not highlight the good things in Africa? He is almost sounding like the Western press who are often quick to eloquently describe the challenges in Africa and stops without references to hopes and redemptive pathways.
Additionally, I wondered why he did not question why BBC, CNN, Fox etc never talk to or about Nigerian/African medical doctors, lawyers, bankers, stock brokers etc why the fixation and auto focus on adversity and perversity? Or the man bite dog angle? There is a stock exchange in Nigeria and there are brokers there, there are companies there. let CNN and the BBC talk about the Nigerian Stock Exchange for a change!
Let the Western media talk to some Nigerian/African doctors and lawyers and business persons for a change! Let the western media leave their voyeurism for a week and talk instead about marriage, birth, death, sunrise and sunset in Africa. Human angles presented without the usual gory adversities and perversities. Is there joy in Africa?
If you watch or listen to Western media long enough, you will start to believe that there are only wars and famine and ebola in all of Africa every time, anytime and all the time!
Why is it so much easier to sell weapons to Africans than to sell technology and economic development tools to the same Africans? Why is it so easy to Westerners dealing with crooks in Africa and why is it so easy for Westerners to become strange bedfellows with the Mobutus of the world, the Saddam Hussein of the world or even the Pakistani Perverz Musharaf of the world?
When Westerners interests are involved…. private individuals and western governments are quick to look the other way…. when diamond or oil or some other strategic private or national interests of westerners are at stake!
It should occur to Nigerians and Africans humans are the same, there are virtues and vices every where in the world, Africa, Europe, America, Asia etc
Bribes are illegal, but Congressman William Jefferson is alleged to have accepted bribes on behalf of Ghanaian and Nigerian officials? Bribes are illegal in America as they are equally illegal in Nigeria. Why collect bribes on behalf of Nigerian officials and then complain about how corrupt Nigerians are? Why protect illegal loots in your banks on the behalf of the corrupt officials and then lecture us, on their warped and twisted ways/
Just look at history….. Slavery, Colonialism, Cold War…. how Africans were deeply affected by all these and the ping-pong and toss-ball roles imposed on Africa by Europeans and the Americans…. African have always been pawns in the hands of American and European struggles for superiority and world domination
Africans do badly by themselves, but too frequently, the Africans get IMMENSE help and assistance from America and Europe for the ruination of our continent
True