I spent a good deal of today talking to my colleague about the continent Africa. She started by wondering why anytime she sees Africa portrayed on TV, she said, it’s only desert, wild animals and starving children that’s shown — before you start judging the media she’s exposed to, remember, this is America and if what the media shows you wouldn’t bring them profit, you most likely wouldn’t see it. And is starving African kids bringing American media profits? Just ask yourself why Oprah Winfrey loves to have some camera crew with her when she goes to do philanthropy; I would let that rest for a different post , I’m going off tangent here.
My American friend tried to draw a map of Africa and it looked like a circle. To that I protested: “No! Africa doesn’t look like that!” After her many failed attempts to draw a representative map of Africa, I came to the rescue. The discussion went from pre-colonial Africa, colonized Africa South Africa’s apartheid, the white Africans and why that is, the concept of western white in Africa and racism as perceived in Africa.
Racism? That was a word the west invented and used to make themselves feel better about themselves. I told her, in Africa, I had no idea what that word meant (in practice). You are seen as a brother or a sister, the color of your skin is oblivious. Our culture (which I henceforth call the ‘African Spirit’) see you as I would see myself, we welcome you undoubtedly..
Prior to this discussion, I was discussing with a Kenyan friend on the unionization of all African countries and as good as his proposal of having an AU (African Union) sounded — a one African state with a single Economy, the African spirit would work against it. I can brag to my non-African friends about how I love my continent, my race and its culture but deep within I know that there is a worm eating away at Africa’s best.
There is the natural resources, the great topography, tropical weather, everything naturally is in Africa’s favor but, the big BUT, the African mentality stands in the way. That mentality of “it’s all mine and I will take it all”. The greedy African leaders (Mugabe?), the very corrupt ones (almost all of them), the repressive state of the continent, I’m forced to ask, where is Africa headed?
My American friend tells me about not knowing anything about Africa and I wonder, for all I know, what impact is my generation making? Recently, I’ve even being more angered at knowing that the current criminals are already recruiting their siblings to continue their awful jobs as leader of the various African countries.
I proposed one solution to my Kenyan friend. To move Africa forward, we have to go hard and there is only one way, eradicate all this criminals — not jail, not exiling, not impeaching (does that even work in African democracies?), I mean to literally have them cease existing. That’s hard, but I’m that frustrated.
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I think we will soon see a complete African Union and then a singular currency amongst all countries. From your 'former religion' you know why that terrifies me – one world government and currency, that is.
Twitter: delomos
says:
Hahahhhaa.. my 'former religion', I guess you're referring to the 'Apocalypse'?
Africa wouldn't unite in the nearest future for mainly economic reasons, the gap between the rich and poor African nations is just too wide but, what do I know.
Let's say One World Government happens, and all countries are borderless, I would invoke Christianity's argument, isn't that how God originally designed the world to work? We all, in one accord, living peaceably (Adam and Eve?)–but again, who I'm I, God might just like practical jokes.