THE NEW RECOLONIZATION IN AFRICA
[Col. Writ. 8/9/03] Copyright 2003 Mumia Abu-Jamal
"Political independence, without economic independence, is but an
illusion." -- Kwame Nkrumah
Several weeks ago, the President of the Empire, George W. Bush, paraded
throughout West, and southern Africa, to pave the way for corporate
expansion and, of course, further Western exploitation of Africa.
He gave some mindless speech about freedom at Goree Island, in Senegal
(which, like his infamous State of the Union speech, he didn't write);
even as he defiled the place of colonial rape of a continent, he comes
to Africa with shackles in his pockets, designed to re-enslave the
people for the wealth and enrichment of others. This time, he came to
chain African workers to the leeches of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), the World Bank, and the neo-liberalists of the World Trade
Organization (WTO).
These institutions, leaders of the global credit cartel, have done
untold damage around the world, forcing governments to follow socially
destructive policies against their own people, in order to gain access
to Western markets. The IMF/World Bank are, to use a now-common phrase,
weapons of mass destruction. These are instruments of U.S. imperial
policy. In the book, "Power Trip: U.S. Unilateralism and Global Strategy
After September 11" (Seven Stories, 2003), the writers explain how
powerful these groups are:
These are ostensibly multinational organizations, but it is well-known
that the IMF is primarily controlled by the U.S. Treasury Department.
The World Bank is subordinate to the IMF, and most other
lenders--including the governments of the major industrialized powers
and even much of the private sector--defer to the IMF's judgment.
The creditors' cartel, in conjunction with what Columbia economist
Jagdish Bhagwati has called the "Wall Street-Treasury complex,"
confronts most low - and middle-income countries with enormous power. It
is analogous to the power that the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries
(OPEC) have over oil. OPEC uses its cartel to control, as much as
possible, the price of oil; the IMF/Treasury uses the creditors' cartel
not to control the price of credit, but to decide the economic (and
sometimes political) policies of borrowing countries.
In other words, *the IMF is able to tell most governments that if they
do not adopt its policies, then they will not get credit from most other
sources.* This is the most concentrated power in the world, *greater in
its efficacy than the might of the U.S. military.* (p. 86)
Imperial President Bush came to Africa for the same reason that Henry
the Navigator sent ships down the West Coast of Africa 500 years ago,
and Arab dhows sailed the eastern African coastlines for a thousand
years -- to exploit Black life for their own enrichment. Period.
Does anybody think this guy, who presided over the racist death penalty
in Texas, who mis-governed the state as it experienced a racist, violent
resurgence, who became president only because tens of thousands of Black
so-called citizens were disenfranchised of their right to vote in
Florida, gives a hot damn about Africans?
Texas, we should recall, fought a war with Mexico, to extend slavery
into its territories.
And so, he comes to Africa, to sit and have photo ops with African
leaders, while they both look at the people the way lions look at
gazelles -- like prey.
The lion doesn't announce his presence. He creeps in the tall grass, its
color blotting out his intent and his threat, until he gets close
enough, to pounce.
The People of Africa must unite, across borders, across languages,
across tribes and clans, to beat back this perverse second colonization.
It is possible. It is necessary. All it takes is will.
The Americans today are not the friends of Africa. They weren't a
century ago; they ain't today. They come with smiles and suits, and
promises. History has taught us that where they walk, bones will surely
follow.
This should be an important part of the anti-globalist movement that has
grown, and blossomed since the surprising explosion of Seattle.
If we could've saved centuries of heartache for our ancestors, what
would we have done?
We are the living ancestors of those to come; it is our duty to save
them the heartache that America wants to bring - again.
Copyright 2003 Mumia Abu-Jamal
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LegacyofColonialism/message/1162
[Col. Writ. 8/9/03] Copyright 2003 Mumia Abu-Jamal
"Political independence, without economic independence, is but an
illusion." -- Kwame Nkrumah
Several weeks ago, the President of the Empire, George W. Bush, paraded
throughout West, and southern Africa, to pave the way for corporate
expansion and, of course, further Western exploitation of Africa.
He gave some mindless speech about freedom at Goree Island, in Senegal
(which, like his infamous State of the Union speech, he didn't write);
even as he defiled the place of colonial rape of a continent, he comes
to Africa with shackles in his pockets, designed to re-enslave the
people for the wealth and enrichment of others. This time, he came to
chain African workers to the leeches of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), the World Bank, and the neo-liberalists of the World Trade
Organization (WTO).
These institutions, leaders of the global credit cartel, have done
untold damage around the world, forcing governments to follow socially
destructive policies against their own people, in order to gain access
to Western markets. The IMF/World Bank are, to use a now-common phrase,
weapons of mass destruction. These are instruments of U.S. imperial
policy. In the book, "Power Trip: U.S. Unilateralism and Global Strategy
After September 11" (Seven Stories, 2003), the writers explain how
powerful these groups are:
These are ostensibly multinational organizations, but it is well-known
that the IMF is primarily controlled by the U.S. Treasury Department.
The World Bank is subordinate to the IMF, and most other
lenders--including the governments of the major industrialized powers
and even much of the private sector--defer to the IMF's judgment.
The creditors' cartel, in conjunction with what Columbia economist
Jagdish Bhagwati has called the "Wall Street-Treasury complex,"
confronts most low - and middle-income countries with enormous power. It
is analogous to the power that the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries
(OPEC) have over oil. OPEC uses its cartel to control, as much as
possible, the price of oil; the IMF/Treasury uses the creditors' cartel
not to control the price of credit, but to decide the economic (and
sometimes political) policies of borrowing countries.
In other words, *the IMF is able to tell most governments that if they
do not adopt its policies, then they will not get credit from most other
sources.* This is the most concentrated power in the world, *greater in
its efficacy than the might of the U.S. military.* (p. 86)
Imperial President Bush came to Africa for the same reason that Henry
the Navigator sent ships down the West Coast of Africa 500 years ago,
and Arab dhows sailed the eastern African coastlines for a thousand
years -- to exploit Black life for their own enrichment. Period.
Does anybody think this guy, who presided over the racist death penalty
in Texas, who mis-governed the state as it experienced a racist, violent
resurgence, who became president only because tens of thousands of Black
so-called citizens were disenfranchised of their right to vote in
Florida, gives a hot damn about Africans?
Texas, we should recall, fought a war with Mexico, to extend slavery
into its territories.
And so, he comes to Africa, to sit and have photo ops with African
leaders, while they both look at the people the way lions look at
gazelles -- like prey.
The lion doesn't announce his presence. He creeps in the tall grass, its
color blotting out his intent and his threat, until he gets close
enough, to pounce.
The People of Africa must unite, across borders, across languages,
across tribes and clans, to beat back this perverse second colonization.
It is possible. It is necessary. All it takes is will.
The Americans today are not the friends of Africa. They weren't a
century ago; they ain't today. They come with smiles and suits, and
promises. History has taught us that where they walk, bones will surely
follow.
This should be an important part of the anti-globalist movement that has
grown, and blossomed since the surprising explosion of Seattle.
If we could've saved centuries of heartache for our ancestors, what
would we have done?
We are the living ancestors of those to come; it is our duty to save
them the heartache that America wants to bring - again.
Copyright 2003 Mumia Abu-Jamal
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LegacyofColonialism/message/1162