By Gregory Elich
November 21, 2017 – gregoryelich.org
Long-roiling factional conflict within Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF political party exploded last week in a military coup that quickly seized control of the government and state media.
The coup was led by Commander of Zimbabwe Defense Forces Constantino Chiwenga, who is closely aligned with former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Emboldened by President Robert Mugabe’s declining mental sharpness and physical health in recent years, Mnangagwa actively maneuvered to ensure that he would succeed the president. Mnangagwa served as one of Zimbabwe’s two vice presidents. From that position, he and his supporters, known as Team Lacoste, became embroiled in a bitter struggle with younger party members who coalesced around Secretary of Women’s Affairs Grace Mugabe, wife of the president, and whose group was known as Generation 40, or G40.
As early as 2015, Mnangagwa began reaching out to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to discuss plans to implement a five-year transition government, in which both men would play a leading role. The unity government would compensate and “reintegrate” dispossessed former owners of large-scale farms. Reuters obtained hundreds of internal documents from Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organization that revealed the plan. “Key aspects of the transition planning described in the documents were corroborated by interviews with political, diplomatic and intelligence sources in Zimbabwe and South Africa,” reports Reuters. The same sources left open “the possibility that the government could be unelected.” In one report, it was said that Mugabe feared that Mnangagwa would attempt to reverse land reform.
Full Article : raceandhistory.com
Also:
WPFW Audio Interview: The Zimbabwe Coup in Context
Gregory Elich interviewed by Netfa Freeman, on the Voices with Vision Program
Thank you Trinicenter… This has relevance for T&T with South Africa next.
I am happy it turned out bloodless and we must thank the people and military of Zimbabwe for their restraint.
Now, Imagine your own party drafting ‘impeachment’ papers against their own leader. Like I said, South Africa’s next, and Trini may follow..
*Emotions run high at PNM Convention
As the Grand Stand of the Queen’s Park Savannah filled with red t-shirt clad Peoples’ National Movement (PNM) delegates there was an air of anticipation of what will come out of the party’s 47th Convention yesterday.
It took Wayne Griffith of Laventille West to totally engage delegates which resulted in vociferous applause at the end of his report.*
http://newsday.co.tt/2017/11/13/emotions-run-high-at-pnm-convention/
After 37 years of Mugabe rule Zimbabweans now face an uncertain future as Robert Gabriel Mugabe steps down. As all dictators do they like to plan successional leadership. In this case Grace Mugabe was positioning herself to lead the nation. Grace lived in material opulence and spent money like it was nobody business. Robert Mugabe is know to have funds totaling over a billion dollars. And why shouldn’t Grace indulge in these excesses.
Whatever the future holds for Zimbabwe I can only wish them the best. Much would be said and written about Mugabe leadership. We just take the time to digest it all. I trust that Dr. Rowley and Chief Justice Ivor Archie would make a trip to Zimbabwe and assure them of tribal support. Would not hurt knowing that Zimbabwe is mineral rich.
Here Mamoo, this is Zuma’s home, I guess he has a hard time deciding where to rest at nights… Dham!
https://zululandobserver.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/56/2014/03/Nkandla2.jpg
Bet yuh never talk about the wealth of Zuma…. Not when he loves Gupta’s curry… Allyuh good we.
Internal fighting of the ZANU-PF revolutionary party, added with the far reaching hands of imperialism, finally created the down fall of Robert Mugabe. Mugabe’ hardline stance vis-a-vis the land issue, made him a marked man, a sanctioned one at that, with the Europeans and Americans at the forefront of victimizing this African liberator, all because of the natural wealth Zimbabwe possesses. No discourse on Mr Mugabe will be plausible, if the Lancaster agreement signed by Mr Mugabe and Mrs Margaret Thatcher is not in the discussion, and which was renege on by War criminal Tony Blair, just like Haiti before, Zimbabwe had to pay a vicious sanctioned price for self determination. The West have manipulated their way, the last 4 decades, with only Robert Mugabe standing between them and the riches of Zimbabwe. Did Mr Mugabe stayed too long in political office? was there enough trust among his cadres, seeing that the Independence that was fought for , is still in infancy? Africa, with its vast wealth of natural resources, creates a vulnerability to all the States that makes up the Continent. Mr Mugabe’ mass support comes from the rural Zimbabwean populace, the urban opposition, had it all thought out, a well planned coup de tar, with a lot of foreign support. Over the days , weeks and months, a clearer picture we will see. It never ceases to amaze me, that behind every black Gov’t be it Zimbabwe or Trinidad, the unseen hands are forever lurking behind the scenes, doing everything possible, for inevitable failure, if the Country refuses to go along , to get along. The people on the streets of Harare, doesn’t show the true picture, a small group of powerful Black Men, together with Euro-American interest, have taken over Zimbabwe, time will reveal all.
“It never ceases to amaze me, that behind every black Gov’t be it Zimbabwe or Trinidad, the unseen hands are forever lurking behind the scenes, doing everything possible, for inevitable failure, if the Country refuses to go along , to get along.”
I did not know that Trinidad had a Black government.
Cooper, thanks for adequately summarising the situation in Zimbabwe. Mugabe has been demonized in the West, not because of legitimate governance issues but because he legalised the process of reclaiming lands from Whites and returning them to Blacks in Zimbabwe. He has been targeted ever since. Europe and America do not want that example replicated all over Africa, so they have targeted and wrecked the economy in Zimbabwe to force his exit. For his efforts to redress the land issue, Mugabe remains a hero to many Africans.
“Mugabe remains a hero to many Africans”.
To many ‘dotish’ Africans, yuh mean.
You are trolling here…
I wrote, “For his efforts to redress the land issue, Mugabe remains a hero to many Africans.”
This is the sentence that gives context to the reason many consider Mugabe a hero.
No one is arguing that he was the greatest leader or that he was perfect. He was no saint! He did something that should have been replicated all over Africa. It is easy to disparage Africans when they are not allowed to manage their own politics, land and economies. Africa has poor leadership because many poor leaders are armed and propped up by European and American interests to sell out their countries.
Mugabe was not disliked by the American and European governments because of his poor leadership. He was disliked because he dismissed their economic adjustment programs and, most of all because he reclaimed lands from whites. Most of the best agricultural lands in Africa are in the hands of colonial whites and others for growing crops, mostly for Europe. Most of these lands were stolen and African governments should put up a fight to have them returned. For this reason, which is very dear to many Africans, many still regard Robert Mugabe as a hero.
Not trolling.
“For his efforts to redress the land issue, Mugabe remains a hero to many Africans”.
Efforts are judged by results. The wisdom of any decision or action is determined by its consequences. And Mugabe’s efforts resulted in disaster for his country. End of story.
That is the reality regardless of the numerous reasons proffered by apologists for the failure of African governance and African leadership in that country.
In retrospect and as Zimbabwe’s history has shown, neither Mugabe nor Nkomo was motivated by genuine nationalist sentiment, ideals or ambition. They used those lofty principles to hide their naked greed and lust for power.
Whether good or bad, the white farmers were chased out, their holdings appropriated to the State only to wind up in the hands of Mugabe and his parasitic cronies. It is said that he alone owns 14 prime farms. I have not heard him or anyone anyone deny that.
The fact that Britain and the West did not render assistance to Zimbawe under his rule… BOO HOO… SO WHAT?
Yuh chase out de white people, yuh kill those who did not want to go but yuh expect white governments to hold yuh hands and help yuh out.
Again, poor vision. Did Mugabe really expect cooperation from the West after his confrontational anti white tirades and campaigns.
Did he really think that his ‘bow and arrow’ dotishness would have taken Zimbabwe into new prosperity or that he could have even sustained what he inherited from Ian Smith?
Did he really believe that by simply printing more money the country’s economy would have survived?
Today under Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s inflation rate is somewhere in the vicinity of 231 million percent and he own prime real estate orl over de world.
Yeah! And he is ah hero! Man gimme ah freaking Ian Smith Break.
TnT Monitor said: “Efforts are judged by results. The wisdom of any decision or action is determined by its consequences. And Mugabe’s efforts resulted in disaster for his country. End of story.”
I am offering two pieces of research (I can suggest a book or two on the topic) for those who wish to evaluate the successes and failures of Zimbabwe’s land reform and reclamation exercise under President Mugabe. Contrary to mainstream media reports it was not a failure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETl6gsUZ8gg
Challenging Western Distortions about Zimbabwe’s Land Reform
JustRight:
“I am offering two pieces of research for those who wish to evaluate the successes and failures of Zimbabwe’s land reform and reclamation exercise under President Mugabe. Contrary to mainstream media reports it was not a failure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETl6gsUZ8gg
Challenging Western Distortions about Zimbabwe’s Land Reform”
————————————————-
The end result was disastrous for Zimbabwe’s economy. Most of the new farm owners were inexperienced. Farms failed by the thousands. The banking system went bust as a result. In addition to that, international sanctions were imposed on the country because of the reckless and violent manner in which farms were expropriated by the Government.
Latest estimates put Zimbabwe’s rate of inflation at 76 billion 600 million percent. The country has abandoned its own currency. Where are these maudlin and hypocritical pro Mugabe accolades coming from?
Referring to Mugabe as a “Frankenstein” and “a cartoon figure of an archetypal African dictator”, Former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu once called on him to step down or be removed by military force for destroying a beautiful country, a country that used to be a bread basket but which under Mugabe had been reduced to a basket case.
The world recognizes Mugabe for the incompetent, corrupt and murderous tyrant that he is. It is only our T&T apologists for African failure in Zimbabwe that seek to cast his failed leadership in a palatable lighty.
TnT Monitor, I genuinely believe you are not reading the articles or looking at the video presented. You are not even addressing the substance of responses. You are simply a distraction and are flamebating and trolling this blog.
Ian Smith must be laughing his ass off wherever he is. Mugabe proved Smith and his misgivings about African governance of Rhodesia right. Of Course, the apologists and defenders of African failure in Rhodesia regard Mugabe a hero and not the uncivilized, murderous and barbaric tyrant he is. But “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” so Mugabe will simply be replaced by another African tyrant, equally uncivilized, equally murderous and equally if not more barbaric, and just as much a failure.
Funny how Most Motto mouth Trinis, know so much about Africa, and the Negative side only. Again always comparing the Government in power, that is run by Nationals of the Negro persuasion with those Countries that having trouble. Never hear from these know it all, about countries that Bomb/destroy/cause suffering to innocent women. and children. Maybe its because these leaders are WHITE.? We suffer from so much inferiority complexes. Maybe we are still SLAVES in our mind? If Trini Government was giving away most things these Brain damage folks think they want, there will be no comparison. We suffer from so much NEGATIVITY, and HATE. Are most of us any different from TRUMP.??
Monitor the Reptile, your comment should not go unanswered, what type of Man beast are you? why all your written diatribe? you copy and paste an entire article from an anti Mugabe/Africa British news paper, without any input of your own , the burning desire of nestled hate that engulfs you, makes one wonder if an African haven’t taken something personally valuable from you. Hiding behind your Moniker Monitor, gives you no right to say what you like. Remember, your ancestors was brought to Trinidad as SCAB labour to undermine the African struggle for better wages post emancipation, today the very same African you continue to subvert, you can’t find enough Tags to designate. From your writings,History past and current, have left you in the dark, your ineptness gives you no right whatsoever, to put your unreseached trash in print. By your writings, you seem to be an AGED ignorant Male, very bitter, wavering between Good and Bad, Night and Day,Heaven and Hell, Karma of a Man Beast. Does Trinidad need the likes of you? don’t hide behind your Moniker T&T Monitor, identify your self, you corrupt minded old vagabond. Trinidad, where every creed and Race should find an equal place, and by the way, it was an African oriented Independent political party that coined the MOTTO, today your diminished mind find nothing in the positive to say. Everything you know or say about Africa, was taught to you by your White Indentured Masters, the Hate accompanying your SADA ROTI, is also part of it.you know nothing of Africa or India, their past or present, you are not too old to learn, but first, Hate must leave your old feeble self, Creep out of the Darkness that encircles you.
LOL….. Amen to that crock of Bull Tata
Most of those who write offer opinions that are neither here nor there. Some empathize with the people of Zimbabwe and some again, see and express indignities from their privileged sense of always having an unfair advantage by reaping the cream of their colonial conquests. Some who empathize, have either experienced the indignities of colonialism or have parents who relate their upbringings under the savagery of European domination. This, in essence is what Zimbabwe is going through, close to thirty years after being freed from British colonialism. My biggest problem with Mugabe, is that he should have retired a long ago to allow a younger generation to continue with change.
At the time of Independence, the whites owned and operated more than 80% of the arable land. The African population (under the brutality of colonialism), were never allowed the same opportunities afforded people like TnT Monitor, who never had to sweat for what he automatically. He was the recipient of ‘the unfair advantages’ offered to people of European extraction over the Africans. So his hate is understandable. His history would want us to believe that crimes committed under Ian Smith’s reign was more benign that that of Robert Mugabe. But that is not true. The whites never had the welfare of the Africans at heart.
Being a freedom fighter, Mugabe was consumed by his fight for freedom from white rule, even after the whites conceded. He never made the transition to a purposed African development that would seal his success. He was never allowed the help with resources necessary by white western nations to build a developed nation under African rule. The best he could have done (and he did it) was to educate his people but without the economic stimulus needed for true economic development. While he offered them land, there were never the funds necessary to reach the desired goals. This in a nutshell was his failing.
His resignation offer those who will succeed him, the opportunity to seek the necessary funding to begin that development.
Mugabe may be gone but his corrupt Zanu-PF still lingers on and like other African nationalists movements that overthrew white rule across the continent, it will continue to be a conduit through which State resources and State patrimony could be funnelled to its loyalist and party supporters, maybe even Mugabe himself. Already he and his family have been granted full immunity from prosecution.
“plus ça change plus c’est la même”.
CORRECTION:
“plus ça change plus c’est la même chose”.
Look People, you can have your opinions,but the People of Zimbabwe are out in the streets in volumes….That speaks for itself…They rejoicing that Mugabe gone. Dont that Trump all.????
lol…excuse my spelling…ah mean Thrumps…Chupiddy mee.
Monitor the Reptile, “AMEN” derived from ancient KEMET, and have been plagiarized by all known religions, it means undeniable truth, or so be it. You are not aware that at one point of your South Asian History, before the Arayans enslaved you into perpetuallity the Land of your Ancestors was colonized by both Ethiopia and KEMET, today, being transferred from South Asia, you have practically refused to seek and learn of your past, like the HUMAN ANIMAL you are, and a minority in the Caribbean at that, your base is Trinidad, a very small multi-ethnic island. I don’t have to hide behind any MONIKER, my name is well represented in Trinidad. Soon after the American War of independence with England, My ancestors, Free Africans in America, decided to fight against the Slave holders, George Washington and his Criminal elements, England lost the war, and was asked by America to remove the Free Africans from the country, fearing them influencing their enslaved brothers and sisters. As soldiers, they were shipped out in Regimental companies, the majority of the said companies, were sent to Trinidad, one to St Lucia, the other to Jamaica. My Ancestors are based in New Grant, and MORUGA, the Americanized names are very much distinct. They brought with them a lot of Agricultural activities, and a greater number, worked as civil servants in the then English colonial Gov’t of Trinidad.As fourth people coming to the Island as SCAB labour to undermine my peoples forward march, i will and continue to rebuke you REPTILE, you will not disrespect my peoples contribution, you OLD mis-Educated THUG. I’m aware that you are of the LAGOON type, didn’t attend School in my time, where my Indian Brothers and Sisters and I sat in the same class, desk, have fun and eat from each other, I refute and rebuke you MONITOR THE REPTILE, in my presence, your HATE will be dumped into the CARONI Filthy waters.
Cooper wrote,
“I refute and rebuke you MONITOR THE REPTILE, in my presence, your HATE will be dumped into the CARONI Filthy waters”.
——————————————————-
Yeah Betah, Dem damn dirty Caroni Waters. Yuh making meh feel to soak in de pristine, clean refreshing waters of the East Dry River as it passes through Laventille, Morvant, Beetham and Sealots.
But I must as the question, why do you close minded people interpret simple criticism and the pointing out of the failures and faults of a group as being negative, hateful and racist? Why?
Racism is rooted in the belief that one race is superior to another. No one here has expressed that view, yet accusations of racism and hate are being hurled left right and center in response to the view that the violent criminality of African-TrinBagonians has Society under siege, and that it is the 46 years of African-TrinBagonian Political Leadership that has us in the deep sh*t we’re in today where crime is concerned.
Who else can we blame? ….The two East Indian led governments that held office for five years in the 1990s and the other that held office for five years and three months in the 2000s?
Facts are facts, regardless of the blame game being played. PNM has been here for longer than any other party.
And again, what is so racist about those statements?
Cooper also wrote,
“I’m aware that you are of the LAGOON type, didn’t attend School in my time, where my Indian Brothers and Sisters and I sat in the same class, desk, have fun and eat from each other”.
Get with the times, Cooper. In those days we sat in the same class, same desk and ate together. Today your offspring are bully and beating up mine in the classroom and simply taking what they want, extorting taxes from us.
And the PNM Government’s response? “Don’t expel Cooper’s offspring or have the police lock them up. Send them for counselling”
CORRECTION:
your offspring are bullying and beating up mine
The vision of Dr Eric Williams, i will forever cherish, you see in 1978, during the Independence struggle in Zimbabwe, the PNM administration under Dr Williams, invited 13 Zimbabwean Nationals, 12 young women, one male to be trained in the Civil services of Trinidad, in their spare time, some would be at the AFRICAN BOOK STORE, situated on land mark GREEN CORNER, they would always be as a rule participate, and be part of ALL OWTU’ activities during their stay in Trinidad, as a matter of fact, my first Child is named after the groups leader, a tremendous African woman and just as her namesake my Daughter has become a very astute woman in her own right. Comments are being made of volumes of people on the streets of Harare, mostly opposition forces at that, lets not forget, soon after over throwing of the White minority Bastard occupiers, internal conflicts between Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo , partners in the War for Independence almost ripped the country apart, the people in the streets, are Mugabe’ historical opposition, together with powerful ZANU-PF’ party hacks. We had the very same thing in Trinidad, with Mr PANDAY, being ostracized from his founded political party by KAMLA and her minions. Robert Mugabe, a true African master, the Whites could not manipulate him, it had to takes his own people to force him down, and by the way, it only happened in waning strength and years. Unlike Nelson Mandela, Robert Mugabe never compromised,and he was hated for that. The white man’ press have character assassinate Robert Mugabe, thats all the likes of MONITOR and countless others know, and continue to be influenced by.
Cooper wrote,
“The white man’ press have character assassinate Robert Mugabe, thats all the likes of MONITOR and countless others know, and continue to be influenced by”.
————————————————–
White Man press, my anti PNM arse!
Virtually every black owned newspaper and every government on the African continent, all of them black, have welcomed Mugabe’s overthrow. Those that do not describe him as a dictator, call him an embarrassment.
Jojo, Your analysis is juvenile and lazy. Except of course if you just playing a fool. This play book has been used so often, it is remarkable people are still perplexed. You are excused if you are young and still learning. In that case I take back my admonishing.
Look, my friend, The world economy is run by a cabal of EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONs. They choose when to tighten or release the spigot of cash flow in nations around the world, this include trade in OIL as we observe the chaos they have created presently in Venezuela. Generally, you cannot trade your goods if you are shut out of the market, especially so if you don’t have very big guns That Simple. Sanctions is a tool or war that effectively subvert and distorts local economies. Need to explain further? Even the mighty Russia is not quite immune! It is the modern slavery nations and people don’t like to acknowledge. It is also the most effective form of slavery today.
When you see people in the streets as is the case in Zimbabwe today, they are registering the desire of their bellies or some sort of creature needs. You squeeze the economy to squeeze the people. Need more explanation, Jojo ? Same thing happened in Ghana when Nkrumah was overthrown under American and British schemes, Burkina Faso when Sankara was murdered under French schemes, same in the Congo when Lumumba,be was murdered under American and Belgium schemes, in Libya when Kaddafi was murdered under Obama and Sarkozy schemes, Iraq after the sanction had killed more than half a million people and Saddam subsequently hanged under British, American and French schemes. Same story in Haiti under Aristide, Chile under Allende. These were all great dedicate uncorrupted leaders. They among dozens upon dozen upon dozens scattered through recent history. They murder the great ones and replace them with watered down pretenders. Yet they people scream “ the beautiful ones are not yet born” Let me say, they are born, but are continuously “droned” . MLK and Malcom X had to die for Obama to be president. Nkrumah had to die and so did a constellation of virtuous Africans for the current crop of misleaders to find their place. Did the same thing not happen to Walter Rodney and to a degree Maurice Bishop?
I do not fault t Mugabe an Iota. He did the best with the hand that was dealt him. It is i8nded a truism If the west in not doing anything against a African leader, it is perhaps because that so called leader is doing nothing. I don’t judge President Mugabe on any faults the usual suspect will drag out. I judge him on the load he chose to carry for his people.
This is my prediction for Zimbabwe. The usual suspects, the cabal of thieves in the west will descent on the new president and make sweet offers in exchange for the countries resources for peanut.
They will do tactical good for strategic evil, as has always been the case, since the thieving colonial missionaries. They will civilize the Zimbabwean stomach and rot their minds through their lying dependent leaders.
Same story in ALL of Africa today except Eritrea. The markets will be flooded with cheap good and GMO edibles, the people will fill their bellies and go to sleep, a generation later they will be wondering how things went so wrong. To answer that question, they don’t have to look further than across the border in SA where Mandela is a saint and the people live in abject poverty, white are more enriched than before, a sprinkle of black multi millionaires here and there and the vicarious envy that goes with it, rampant crime in what is left of the black community, xenophobia and routine murder and killings among the working class black folk against fellow Africa immigrants and not a sprinkler against their white parasites that have tormented them then and now….. The people have become dysfunctional as a result of dysfunctional and frighten leadership. Where from here Africa? But seeing what happened to Kaddafi, Nkrumah, Lumumba, Sankara, Chavez. Aristide, Olympio, Allende, Arbenz, Rodney, Malcom. Martin, Anwar Al awlkaki, and many others who want to take on the beast? Are we frightened into hopelessness? Hopelessness breeds corruption. Even President Gbagbo’s feeble admonitions against the French earned him out of office and imprisoned. With his wife. On a slightly different note I cannot resist telling this story I first though was a joke. It turns out the presidential compound in Gbabo’s ivory coast is rented to the Ivorian by the French. If this does not represent what Mugabe has been railing about in many voices, I do not know what could be more outrageous. This outrages are replete in Africa. In all truth Africa today is a giant plantation controlled by America, the Ueropean Union and the joke called francafriue. The president a nothing but planation supervisors. We mistake the bank teller to be the bankster
http://howafrica.com/did-you-know-that-ivory-coast-pays-france-rent-for-using-the-ivorian-presidential-palace-in-ivory-coast/
I will like to say this, If President Mugabe had sold his people out, kept the land in the hand of the white settlers, left the economy in their hand and served empty platitudes to the people, the west will be celebrating him today as an equal to Mandela who sold his people out. All this talk about Grace, corruption, Matabeleland land acquisition …. … will be muted.
Read what happened to John Africa and Move, or David Koresh, The black panther, Cointelpro. Ruby ridge and many others who chose to rebel against injustice in America.
I am baffled by why one has to take the time to write what should be obvious to an attentive high school juvenile equipped with only common sense.
In truth, I am not quite baffled because the medium through which Africans and black folk consume their daily news if almost 100% western media, western entertainment sources and western institutions. Np wonder it appears folk these days to be in trance when they speak or speak in nonsense tongues. How can people remain stupid in the age of google?
To hell with CNN, Yahoo new, BBC, AL Jazeera, Fox, Sky, US, WHO, ICC, ICJ, WTO, AI, HRW and an alphabet stew of institutions control by a small group of Whites and their black constables like Obama. Finally, to hell with the “international Community” which of course is another euphemism of America/ European conspiracy of thieves.
In today’s world, presenting this POV is risky. The cancer has spread.
Reference:
Confessions of an Economical Hit Man – John Perkins ( Find his numerous talks on youtube.)
Trade is War – Yash Tandon
How Europe Under developed Africa -Walter Rodney
Overthrow – Stephen Kinzer
Do a google search on: “Make the Economy Scream”: Secret Documents Show Nixon, Kissinger Role Backing 1973 Chile Coup
https://theintercept.com/2017/01/30/obama-killed-a-16-year-old-american-in-yemen-trump-just-killed-his-8-year-old-sister/
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/analysis/2015/08/26/Fran-afrique-The-evolution-of-France-s-interference-in-Africa.html
Kofi,
Yuh take yuh medication today? Ah find yuh ranting a lil more dan usual. Go relax yuhself ah lil bit.
BTW, WHite peeple didn’t kill Walter Rodney and Maurice Bishop eh. is dey own black peeple kill dem.
This is a completely asinine comment and another distraction. You do not seem to have any useful responses and are just flamebaiting.
Kofi from Ghana…from your reaction to my simple statement derived from current African newspapers, i derive that you are a close pal to the nutty professor.Can’t be anything else. I was always expecting a reaction from The Piper,but i see he using you . Both ah alyou went to “white man” school,Both ah alyou woking for the whiteman, but yet speak ill of them……I know YOU man…AH does meet you on every sidewalk in Capital and other big Cities selling illegal and fake Brand Names Fashions while Caribbean Africans,{the children of slaves…as YOU call them}, working in Hospitals and other Gov’t Services.One in every five ah alyou name PRINCE.lol…lol…To copy from Cooper,..DOH PUT MY NAME IN YUH DUTTY, SEXUAL INTERCOURSE MOUTH…I really Hate to converse in this way, as is not my thing so ah go stop right here before Jah Jah geh meh ah stroke in meh one throat.
PS…The Indians from India does refer to west indian Indians in the same fashion. So doh try and tie me up with making any racial comment.
Jonjo said, “I really Hate to converse in this way…”
Why respond that way then? I mean, this comment is an over the top attempt at righteous indignation, given the tremendous substance in Kofi From Ghana’s reply, well, except the part where he called some leaders, “dedicate uncorrupted leaders”. I think you can do better than that given that you said you really hate conversing this way.
I believe we all can do better.
Monitor, you are exactly what i perceived, ARE YOU A TROLL? KOFI FROM GHANA, just gave you TRUTH to park you in your KOTIA, MIS-EDUCATED BACKWARD SCUMBAG.
Here is a flashback to a useful perspective to keep in mind as the western and majority white owned media in Africa continue their demonising campaign against Mugabe.
Why the West Loves Mandela (and Hates Mugabe)
By Stephen Gowans – December 9, 2013
In the wake of Nelson Mandela’s death, hosannas continue to be sung to the former ANC leader and South African president from both the left, for his role in ending the institutional racism of apartheid, and from the right, for ostensibly the same reason. But the right’s embrace of Mandela as an anti-racist hero doesn’t ring true. Is there another reason establishment media and mainstream politicians are as Mandela-crazy as the left?
According to Doug Saunders, reporter for the unabashedly big business-promoting Canadian daily, The Globe and Mail, there is.
In a December 6 article, “From revolutionary to economic manager: Mandela’s lesson in change,” Saunders writes that Mandela’s “great accomplishment” was to protect the South African economy as a sphere for exploitation by the white property-owning minority and Western corporate and financial elite from the rank-and-file demands for economic justice of the movement he led.
Saunders doesn’t put it in quite these terms, hiding the sectional interests of bond holders, land owners, and foreign investors behind Mandela’s embrace of “sound” principles of economic management, but the meaning is the same.
Saunders quotes Alec Russell, a Financial Times writer who explains that under Mandela, the ANC “proved a reliable steward of sub-Sahara Africa’s largest economy, embracing orthodox fiscal and monetary policies…” That is, Mandela made sure that the flow of profits from South African mines and agriculture into the coffers of foreign investors and the white business elite wasn’t interrupted by the implementation of the ANC’s economic justice program, with its calls for nationalizing the mines and redistributing land.
Instead, Mandela dismissed calls for economic justice as a “culture of entitlement” of which South Africans needed to rid themselves. That he managed to persuade them to do so meant that the peaceful digestion of profits by those at the top could continue uninterrupted.
But it was not Mandela’s betrayal of the ANC’s economic program that Saunders thinks merits the right’s admiration, though the right certainly is grateful. Mandela’s genius, according to Saunders, was that he did it “without alienating his radical followers or creating a dangerous factional struggle within his movement.”
Thus, in Saunder’s view, Mandela was a special kind of leader: one who could use his enormous prestige and charisma to induce his followers to sacrifice their own interests for the greater good of the elite that had grown rich off their sweat, going so far as to acquiesce in the repudiation of their own economic program.
“Here is the crucial lesson of Mr. Mandela for modern politicians,” writes Saunders. “The principled successful leader is the one who betrays his party members for the larger interests of the nation. When one has to decide between the rank-and-file and the greater good, the party should never come first.”
For Saunders and most other mainstream journalists, “the larger interests of the nation” are the larger interests of banks, land owners, bond holders and share holders. This is the idea expressed in the old adage “What’s good for GM, is good for America.” Since mainstream media are large corporations, interlocked with other large corporations, and are dependent on still other large corporations for advertising revenue, the placing of an equal sign between corporate interests and the national interest comes quite naturally. Would we be shocked to discover that a mass-circulation newspaper owned by environmentalists (if such a thing existed) opposed fracking? (Journalists will rejoin, “I say what I like.” But as Michael Parenti once pointed out, journalists say what they like because their bosses like what they say.)
Predictably, Saunders ends his encomium to the party-betraying Mandela, the ‘good’ liberation hero, with a reference to the ‘bad’ south African liberation hero, Robert Mugabe. “One only needs look north to Zimbabwe to see what usually happens when revolutionaries” fail to follow Mandela’s economically conservative path, writes Saunders.
At one point, Mugabe’s predilection for orthodox fiscal and monetary policy was a strong as Mandela’s. Yet after almost a decade-and-a-half of the Western media demonizing Mugabe as an autocratic thug, it’s difficult to remember that he, too, was once the toast of Western capitals.
The West’s love affair with Mugabe came to an abrupt end when he rejected the Washington Consensus and embarked on a fast-track land reform program. Its disdain for him deepened when he launched an indigenization program to place majority control of the country’s mineral resources in the hands of black Zimbabweans.
Mugabe’s transition from ‘good’ liberation hero to ‘bad’, from saint to demon, coincided with his transition from “reliable steward” of Zimbabwe’s economy (that is, reliable steward of foreign investor and white colonial settler interests) to promoter of indigenous black economic interests.
That’s a transition Mandela never made. Had he, the elite of the imperialist world would not now be flocking to South Africa for Saint Mandela’s funeral, overflowing with fulsome eulogies.
https://gowans.wordpress.com/2013/12/09/why-the-west-loves-mandela-and-hates-mugabe/
Kofi from Ghana and JustRight spoke a mouthful. They spoke for the masses who are victims of colonialism, economic hardship, war, famine, misunderstanding, earthquakes, hurricanes, imperialism, exploitation, greed, speculators and European might.
Most of what is said by TnT Monitor is in defense of opportunists who use these tragedies for self gain and personal enrichment. Purveyors of good tidings come in all forms and use any means necessary to fill their pockets. The most common is the use of the bible. They use the hope the bible offers to the victims to plough their lands for gold and diamonds. They treat you with hope at the same time they are making way for the exploiters to come and take whatever materialistic opportunities are available. Take for example, the disasters resulting form the most recent hurricanes Harvey and Irma, as disastrous and devastating as they were to Houston and mainland US, no effort was spared to bring them back on their feet. As a matter of fact, in the recent Major League baseball playoff Houston came back to become the league champions. Was this by design or natural ability?
All this happened while the capitalist President of the United States made excuses for not acting with the same dispatch in Puerto Rico, calling it “a piece of land in the sea”. Why?
Perception! He did not see Puerto Rico with the same lens he saw Houston. In Houston he visited to ‘help’. In Puerto
Rico, he visited for a ‘photo op’. To add insult to injury, he even threw paper towels around to the grieving people and “had a little bit of fun”. These behaviors do not occur in a vacuum.
They are established and cultured behaviors nurtured by hundreds of years European use of the ‘divide and rule’ dictum. No different from the formulae that was Trinidad and Tobago, bringing in warring factions from different geographic locations to become the ‘working class’ while they were the ‘governing class’. Classic colonialism. The unfair advantage, sought and taken by the conqueror (the Europeans), will always make them the ‘ruling class’. Every utterance by TnT Monitor expressed this “I am better then you” mantra. It is something that comes naturally to people like that, he can’t help it. He is privileged, haughty and mighty (in his mind), with no apologies for the way he feels and expresses himself. He is angry because for him this is a way of life and for us who question his motives, we are backward and harbor an undeveloped mindset.
The world resources are dwindling. As we deplete the oil reserves, we are now turning to electricity – solar. That is the next frontier for the airways, roads and travel. Water as we know it now, is not what it used to be. We in Trinidad used to ‘drink rain water’, that is water in its natural rainfall from the sky. We can do that no more, water now have to be “purified”. And so we have taken what God has given us naturally (water) and made a product for our won consumption (marketed of course). This is not to say that these developments are bad but what we must look at is this – are people’s behavior becoming better? Look at who are the world leaders today, do we see any brightness for our future?
I thank Cooper, JustRight and Kofi from Ghana for the perspectives that they add to this conversation. As abhorrent as TnT Monitor might sound, he represent the truths of the rich and powerful. Most of the powerful we don’t see or think little of. But they are there in enormity. The might America had its 2016 general elections hacked and subverted by cyber elitists from Russia. Facebook, as friendly and comforting as it may seem to the least unsuspecting, carries its dangers to almost every household around the world. Twitter can make or break our lives as we know it. Just think of how our present ‘world leaders’ use it!. Yes, this is our world and while this conversation our varied opinions of it. It is all real, promising and dangerous at the same time.
Kian’s comments are well thought out and true,but he neglects to discuss an important point or admit to the failings of colonized countries.Africans countries, once colonized by European powers have failed to manage their own affairs successfully after gaining independence. These African countries, including many independent Caribbean nations, are consumed by corruption, incompetence,crime, ethnic strife and dictatorial leadership.
Nationalization of local industries have failed for many of the same reasons.The locals have proven that they cannot manage their own affairs,Puerto Rico included.
The irony of the situation is that the Chinese, Indians and Brazilians are becoming the new colonizers. These countries and investors from these countries are buying up good agricultural land and industries in all parts of Africa and employing the locals at poverty wages.
You are partially right and wrong. African countries, for the most part, have not been allowed to manage their own affairs.
Yes, African governments are complicit in the deprivation of Africa due to corruption, but quite often that corruption is encouraged by western countries if it serves their interest. It is not like the people can easily remove their governments that have been armed by western powers.
Most African leaders also fear assassinations or to have their countries further economically strangled and be treated like Mugabe. The American and European powers are not going to stand by and allow African countries to put the interest of their people above that of their coveted multinational corporations. Racism is at the heart of their conduct. They rape the countries then throw a pittance of aid at them. Many African countries are not in charge of their economies and efforts to remedy this situation, like what exists in former French colonies, are met with assassinations and western orchestrated coups.
How France loots its former colonies
Just before France conceded to African demands for independence in the 1960s, it carefully organised its former colonies (CFA countries) in a system of “compulsory solidarity” which consisted of obliging the 14 African states to put 65% of their foreign currency reserves into the French Treasury, plus another 20% for financial liabilities. This means these 14 African countries only ever have access to 15% of their own money! If they need more they have to borrow their own money from the French at commercial rates! And this has been the case since the 1960s.
France’s Hold On Former African Colonies Important To Its Sense Of Self
Audie Cornish talks to Howard French, associate professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a former, longtime foreign correspondent for The New York Times, about the relationship between France and post-colonial Africa.
Stealing Africa – Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ybGXSFknfs
Well said TMan!
Independent countries have to take some responsibilities for their own development. In voting into power people of leadership qualities take more than having a vote-getter. Leadership, as the word applies, need people who understand capitalism, their roles as leaders, government, how their governments should run, goals and aspirations for future development as well. As well rounded as Dr. Eric Williams was, he made some simple mistakes that made a difference between success and failure. It is too bad that therein not a school to prove leadership qualities before they face the electorate. Many would fail that test of course, that is why African, Caribbean, South American and some Asian countries fail.
Leadership training is necessary in order to bring out the best in a population. A leader to watch is France’s Macron. He might be inexperienced but he sure does operate as a seasoned professional. The spoils of politics is too intriguing in order to elect quality people.