Africans, we are often our own enemy - many are greedy (for money, power, influence, etc.) and lack loyalty to the cause of the motherland. They betray their brother at a wink and sell their soul to the devil for a piece of porridge. So is the story of Patrick Lumumba and the dreaded Mobutu Sese Seko - the ruthless leader of Zaire now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mobutu was a right-hand man to Lumumba but he sold him out to the Americans and the Belgians who wanted to topple Lumumba who they saw as a threat to their national interest - interest in Uranium by the U.S., and Belgium's interest in neo-colonialism.
Mobutu allegedly overthrew Lumumba with the help of the West and began three decades rule of terror on his people while the West looked the other way. This is why some people castigate and criticize the U.S. and Europe for taking a stand against Russia for its atrocities in Syria, Georgia, Chechnya and now Ukraine. The U.S. has done worse directly or indirectly, and Russia is taking from America's history and strategy book. Some wonder why many African countries refused to criticize Russia. Not that they do not know what Russia is doing is bad but because of the hypocrisy of the U.S. and the West. America is yet to acknowledge its role in overthrowing Lumumba, let alone apologize for the role they allegedly played in his death because of a strategic interest in the Congo's Uranium. The West does not have any moral compass until they apologize profusely and pay reparation.
What troubles me is that things are still the same in Africa .... perhaps, it is because poverty still pervades the continent. You hire students for graduate school, you fight for them when they are discriminated against and become the enemy of the system because of them. And these same set of students become prime witnesses against you in a campaign of calumny to punish you for speaking out against discrimination. Just like Mobutu against Lumumba, how best can an imperialist deal with someone they see as a threat other than to use someone they elevated that looks like them? We wonder why most of the major conflicts in the world are located on the continent of Africa. It is not just because of our diversity, it is because we do not love ourselves, we do not bond together to fight against a common enemy. I see the same among our folks in Historically Black Schools and Colleges (HBCUs) in America. The level of self-destruction in these schools is worse than what you see on the continent of Africa. Africans everywhere (including African-Americans) must stand up for themselves, help themselves, patronize themselves, and join hands together to fight common enemies .... The Jews are a perfect example of what can happen to a people when they love themselves and bond together ... Jewish business will first be for a Jewish person before any other ethnic group. When we come to this realization and begin to act on these then will we begin to heal as a people and start our journey to true prosperity not based on hands-out.
Communism died, and capitalism survived. Capitalism is a supposed system that allows freeness in an economy - market forces in the hands of private owners control what happens to the economy with minimal influence by the state. Capitalism has produced enormous wealth in the West. There are so many millionaires and billionaires. The question is, what is the ratio of the stupendously rich and those who are just scraping by - living from pay check-to-pay check? The gap is huge between the rich and the poor in most capitalist states. When President Trump was going to deliver his tax reform, it favored the rich with about 80% of the tax benefits going to the top 1% richest people in America. The argument was that they create jobs, they should benefit more - money is being given to those who really do not need the extra cash but those who need it the most, aids is been taken away from people who are at the bottom of the ladder because of a few who lie on their social welfare claims. I h...
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