Chris Agbiti
26 December 2008
opinion
November 4th, 2008 will, undoubtedly go down in world history as epoch making.
It was a day that signposted the final internment of the age-long divisive philosophy that held one race superior to another (apology to the legend, Bob Marley); it was a day the entire world came together, irrespective of creed and religion, to recite Dune Dimitis (however, not with long faces) for the monster of racial discrimination that had for long defined the political climate of America but now chased away; it was the day Barack Hussein Obama won in landslide, the U.S Presidential election.
The U.S. Presidential Election has come and gone but the echoes of it continue to reverberate in every nook and cranny of Africa especially in Kenya where Obama traces his patrilineal descent from. The euphoria of Obama's victory will for long continue its ripples in the Negroid race of Africa.
However, the point is worth making that for the Americans, the euphoria of joy sweeping through its entire nation is understandable: That, at last, someone who has a clear vision and a good grasp of the issues that need to be addressed to restore U.S. lost glory, consequent upon the lacklustre performance of the out-going president, was not held back from realizing that ambition by prejudices. But for Africans, what other reason beside the sentimental consideration that a fellow brother African now becomes President of U.S., can we adduce to bedrocks our own euphoria at the election of Obama?
If one may ask, what business do African countries, together with their stinking leaders, have in rejoicing over Obama's victory at the U.S. poll when we know in our hearts of hearts that we will never allow the kind of system that has produced Obama in U.S. election to be replicated in our own land?
Or, are we under a delusion that, with Obama's presidency, African countries shall wake up one morning, like the fabled Alice in Wonderland, and find all the good things of life in sufficiency for all as obtain in the western world, even while our leaders and people continue in their culture of greed, corruption, ethnic hostilities and all such practices antithetical to the dictate of modern civilization?
It bears repeating to state here that it borders on crass hypocrisy for African countries such as Zambia, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, et al, to rejoice at Obama's victory even when they are all still involved in various acts of prejudices, this time around, not even against a coloured person but against their own black brothers.
We have witnessed instances in Zambia where the first post independent Kenneth Kaunda had his citizenship withdrawn on the allegation that his ancestry is somewhere in another African country! Similar acts have played out in Ivory Coast and Nigeria (Shugaba's case). The xenophobic hostilities in South Africa and Zimbabwe are all still fresh in our memories. Africans must be reminded not to expect too much from the presidency of Obama any more than they expected from the presidency of Bill Clinton.
Our only obvious claim to Obama is his blood ties to his Kenyan father. But we must call to memory that, for all the time the elder Obama lived, his conduct in juxtaposition to what Obama Jr. is and stands for today shows, in very lucid details, those sad commentaries of a pure bred African man. The elder Obama came to America and deceitfully led Obama's mother into marriage, even while he was already married to another Kenya woman back home.
He was to later abandon Obama's mother and returned to Kenya, leaving young Obama in the care of his maternal grandparents in America. It was recorded that he died drunk-driving. Should Obama's father were to be alive, one imagines that he too may be rejoicing just like the other African leaders are hypocritically doing.
We must stop deceiving ourselves. It is high time we told ourselves a few home truths. Whatever Obama is today or stands for, he owes it all to the American society.
If he were to be brought up in Kenya, his fatherland, with all his seeming immeasurable grace of intelligence, he would have ended up, at best, as a very brilliant but frustrated university don holed up somewhere in one of our glorified secondary schools, called university, like many other frustrated Obamas in our African society today. The American society that shaped Obama to become what he is to day places a higher premium of kinship of ideas over and above that of blood.
That explains the acceptance of Obama's candidature across the racial divides. If Obama were not of the rare breed of mankind (who recreates themselves independent of genetic force), he would not even be identifying his African root. It is only for Obama's high sense of humility and decency that he does so and I commend him for it. Africans must be reminded that as we cheer Obama's victory, we must cast away that extra baggage of hypocrisy and begin to reflect on the need for us to home-grow a system similar to what sustains in the U.S. that has made possible the Obama phenomenon.
The world today is ruled by ideas. It is not enough for us bank on blood kinship to Obama and think that alone will be the open sesame to our El Dorado.
In today's modern world, kinship of ideas, as aforesaid, rather than of blood or ethnicity is one of the driving force of attraction. In doing so, we must remind ourselves that until we jettison that negative attitude that encourages subjugation of fellow man rather than our environment which is what the white man has effectively achieved, we shall continue in our collective grope.
Chris Agbiti wrote from Port Harcourt.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
Linguistic trash. America ain't no "idea." America is a country, the head of the monster called "Western Civilization."
If, arguendo, America is an idea, then it is an idea that, philosophically speaking, needs to be objectified. And, there is the rub: objectified in whose image?
Cheers from the City of Western Deconstruction, HARARE
jallohlaw:
What are you writing ? It doesn't make any sense. I understand you are taking a defensive stand against the US (what happened to UK the ones who colonilised the whole world), but the US too shook off colonialism.
You are misguided Mugabe supporter who has nothing to say except indulge in victimhood and self pity in the hegemony of the USA.
The point is Africa (and Zimbabwe after they replace Mugabe) need to develop their own ideas -- whatever those are -- instead of the usaul puerile, insistent, and reactionary mumbo jumbo.
The western isn't all that overpoering in your mind at leats if Africans learnt to work together with a purpose.
PARALYSIS OF UNDERSTANDING: FIRST, REREAD MY POST---THEREIN, IF ONLY you are willing to understand, you will find clearly stated that the US is the head of a cabal and, if read in context---the context of my opus in this Website---it would be nonsensical to claim that I "stand against the US...."
Au contraire, I denounce, by and through a movement, determinate reactionary political TRADITIONS in the US, UK and France.
Regarding your moronic averment that I am a misguided Mugabe supporter: silly---is it misguided to affirm the truth? The truth that ZANU/PF, LED BY Cdr. MUGABE FORCIBLY GRABBED THE LAND THAT RHODIES STOLE FROM AFRICANS UNDER THE HEGEMONY OF CECIL RHODES,THE BRITISH IRRATIONALIST IMPERIALIST is certainly NOT MISGUIDED. Should you think otherwise, just ask the 'rhodies' how they feel about the LAND LOST FOREVER---or, shall I suppose that you hope that it will revert to 'rhodies' by and through the machinations of THE REACTION in the West?
Your claptrap about "victimhood" and similar verbiage is objectively and decisively trumped by our view that AFRICAN DIGNITY IS AN ABSOLUTE PRAGMATIC PRINCIPLE, AND THAT we Africans do not need the intellectual tutorship of the West.
Get it, rhodie with reflective wings?
Cheers from the City of authentic African Dignity, the City that would NEVER give the land back to 'rhodies', the CITY OF REFLECTIVE INDEPENDENCE, HARARE.
Nyerere left behind a country bigger and better than the one he started with; he created Tanzania from Tanganyika and Zanzibar. To date, the union still holds.
He played a key role and worked hard to liberated, yes, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nambia, and Angola. All freedom fighters from these countries passed through Daresalaam under the tutelage of Nyerere, including training in Tanzania.
After solidiers tried to mutiny in 1964 he build the most displined effective armies to date.
Even when Tanganyika could have got independence ahead of Uganda and Kenya he waited for those to get independent for the sake of unity.
He had the the hunility to admit that his economic ideas were a failure. He over socialised the economy. But unlike Mugabe he didn't wallow in excuses of anti-capitalist west that fought hard to make sure that his socialist agenda failed. He took responsiblity for his economic "failures".
Most importantly of all he step aside from the political spotlight when he could have stayed on for life. He knew it was time for fresh ideas.
He ultimately helped Uganda rid themselves of Idi Amin. After showing so much restraint towards Idi Amin's belligerence and sometime outright personal insults he sent his army into Uganda and helped exiled Ugandans drive Idi Amin out once and for all. This only after Idi Amin stupidily mistook his restraint for weakeness. After invaded Tanzania Nyerere had had enough.
Nyerere was the one to envy other "civilizations" and use it as an excuse to cling to the power. He translated Shakespear. He was multiculturalist before multiculturalism became an academic fascination around the world. he wore a muslim hat even though wasn't muslim he was a christian.
His was an exemplary work of what an African political hero is supposed to be.
Why is Mugabe freindly with Rhodies like the Bredenkamps!!!! Bse he is so GREEDY Yr people here are so proud u cud think there are in Zimbabwe Ruins - No african country can take care of them like here- while just now reading u are still giving the WHITE FARMERS HELL!!!
Mugabe is a worthless sadistic eunuch that was castrated while in jail by Ian Smith.
See all comments (33).
Your opinion sounds much like a rehash of an article that has better thrust to it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-ayittey/obamas-victory-shames-afr_b_14 7735.html