Democracy, like so many human affairs, cannot be learned or practiced outside the socio-historical conditions and politico-economic circumstances defining the need for it. This is why there are so many versions of, and perspectives on, democracy.

What Africa needs is the capacity to develop its perspectives and traditions of democracy which reflect its interests, experiences and the general aspirations of its peoples. In order for this to be very effective we need to be able to distinguish between strategic objectives and tactical or operational strategies. The latter is a means to the former where its success, or relevance, is purely determined by the degree to which the former was, or was not, achieved.

Significant as learning from other sources might be it is secondary to learning from our own experiences and histories. A significant lesson in this regard, from the study of American politics, is the extent to which the USA has always had, as their primary reference point, the historical experiences of the American people in terms of its evolution, achievements and problems. On the other hand politics in Africa due to its imperious character, tend not only to make a mockery of, or ridicule and caricaturize the African indigenous past as well as its contemporary essence to nation-building, but to also promote an unhealthy and wholesome imitation of foreign ideas, systems and institutions to the detriment of its own real achievements and problems. One of the most important drawbacks to African politics is that it tends to chase shadows rather than substance. This is mainly because Africa's political actors fail to recognize that the most essential, and strategic objective, as well as character, of real politic is the ability to identify, fortify and edify the most common achievements and aspirations of the society, on the one hand, and also design a strategy which leads to the proper management of disagreements in a manner that generates the achievement and consolidation of greater consensus on issues as well as accommodation and tolerance in the society as a whole.

It is important to observe that the functions of the national political establishment, the activities of the national intelligentsia as well as the participation of the general population need to be organized, managed and guided by the state in such a manner that will greatly promote Constitutionalism, Federalism, Due Process and Transparency as is evident in the American elections. As we noted above the achievement of democracy in Africa is, to a large extent, contingent on the extent to which National independence is truly achieved and translated into popular sovereignty for the population as well as the extent to which the achievement of common national, and democratic goals, are constituted into basic political objectives and promoted through regimes that greatly observe, and enforce, the Rule of Law. These are, in turn, dependent on the extent to which political parties, pressure groups, popular movements and professional bodies on the continent are able to, substantially, influence the conduct of both national politics and Regional integration in line with the role played by the earlier PanAfricanists and Nationalist forces in the development of the Continent.

Change is certainly needed not only in America but also in the world as a whole. More so in Africa than any other part of the world, if it is to overcome its conditions of extreme poverty, social strife and political insignificance in global affairs. Change in Africa is not only highly needed but long overdue. In this regard it is important to note that the interest shown by many other nations of the world in American elections is more than just a question of mere curiosity, or a quest to learn, but more importantly do constitute various attempts to influence American politics, and fish for new American allies, that might prove relevant in the pursuit of their national, as well as regional, interests in global affairs.

If African countries are to change their own circumstances then they need to articulate, and implement, their own visions and programmes of democratization at both the national and regional levels. They need to assert such a vision at the global level and bring it to bear on the democratization of the international system. In this regard they need to confront the persistent imperial relations, as well as local vested interests, that undermine their independence and development as much as Obama's campaign stood up against the subversive role of special interests in American domestic politics.

African nations need to discuss, and solve Africa's internal problems through the AU without any form of foreign interference from any nation or group of nations. Only in this way can Africa develop the common cause that it can, and indeed needs to, promote through common action in opposition to the present situation where African leaders are set up one against the other leading to their common incapacity to assert, defend and promote Africa's common concerns both at home and abroad. African nations can look for true allies in the United States, as in well as the rest of the world, who can work with them to promote genuine independence, and real democracy, for all the peoples of the world rather than remain the eternal subjects, and global diplomatic pawns, of foreign imperial powers whose only interest, and eternal quest, is to prey on them.