THIS WEEK IN THE STRUGGLE (A look at topics, issues and personalities in the struggle) VOL.#3; AUGUST 7TH TO AUGUST 14TH 2014: Its a great thing that however hard we mortals try, non of us has control over time. The great wheels of time and history churned on and all we can do is to plan; plot and make machinations within the space time provides. Thus we find ourselves within a stupendous phenomena, whose expanse and infinity defies our audacity at creation and innovation. THE US-AFRICA SUMMIT: Consequently, The US-AFRICA summit within a broader scheme of things ended this week. The United States of America pledges to invest more than US$30 billions in the summit attendee countries which were fifty of Africas fifty four countries. This is just a drop in the sea of money that the US spends around the world in pursuit of her foreign policy. The amount is significant in the context of those African countries who are having to grapple with all kinds of development issues. The investment portfolio however is not structured in any meaningful way which can render any sense of optimism that it will bring a windfall of benefits to the continent. As private investments, the overriding objective remains profit for the investors. This readily brings to mind that abominable imagery of the benefits to Africa being a mere trickle from the top. Besides not even being in the nature which can start to touch on our development problems, it can further complicate matters by worsening levels of economic crimes by a political leadership which does not look to be anywhere near redeeming itself. The last fifty years of the twentieth century in regard of African development has been a period of development impasse because of certain structural issues in our economies. We are producers of raw materials and purchasers of manufactured goods. In this context, it is impossible for countries to register any meaningful development through international trade which is still driven by the desire for profits through the morally bankrupt principle of beggar thy neighbor. African countries require change not only in the way they are mostly run internally, but also in the basis of their trade relations with the rest of the world, particularly Western countries including the US. Significantly, they need to move away from mere producers of primary commodities. THE WASHINGTON DC DEMONSTRATIONS: While The US- AFRICA summit was in progress, the US capital was engulfed in a number of demonstrations which were directed at some of the visiting heads of state by their exiled compatriots. The president of The Republic of The Gambia, dictator Yaya Jammeh who has been in power for over twenty years, was holed up in his hotel for the best part of the first day of the summit, by protesting Gambians. Various images of the manifestation reveal there was a handful of the the dictators supporters at the scene a couple of whom were both provocative and confrontational. On the last day of the summit, journalist Fatou Camara and activist OusainouMbenga were attacked by members of the security Draft of Gambian dictator Yaya Jammeh. Journalist Fatou Camara was made comfortable in hospital for the bruises she received. One of the culprits is reported to have been expelled from the US while another at the Gambian embassy in Washington DC is reported to be cooperating with investigators. The Gambian dictator and his henchmen and women once again made obvious that their modus operandi is beyond civilized ethics. The arrogant mannerisms some of them showed in the face of a bigger albeit more disciplined group of demonstrators, speak volumes of them. They manifested absolute lack of discipline and remarkable signs of desperation. For that to come from people who are suppose to be supporting a government is indicative of how high the stakes are for any activist who dares to take to the streets in the home country of that government. The Jammeh dictatorship is so bereft of ethics and civilized manners that anyone who treats them with such civility is merely playing into their hands. They have got to the point of no return in terms of the evil they perpetrate. The only way that evil can be stopped is a revolution!
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 15:43:02 +0000
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