Happy New Year China! Whither Africa?
The scenes on television are scenic. Happy and proud Chinese faces celebrating their New Year. This is the year of the Dragon. Reports abound about families planing to have children during this year because Dragon children are supposed to be gifted among other qualities. Many of the Chinese interviewed by international news outlets demonstrated a strong sense of nation and pride -- beyond patriotism to the level of complete ownership of the means through which Chinese prosperity will continue to grow together with a strong ownership of the means through which a guaranteed Chinese future can be fashioned for posterity. Love of culture; self-confidence; strong feeling and celebration of Chinese identity; determination to lead the world and usher in what may be indeed the Chinese Century rather than the hope for an American Century by American neocons. By the way things are progressing, it may very well be a Chinese Century. Someone remarked during an interv iew recently that China is now replacing the IMF in Africa. The loans keep flowing without much focus on risks associated with African countries, highlighted by the IMF and Western nations. In addition to loans, China is digging deep into the wealth of Africa, through agreements with African countries that give the Chinese a firm foothold on the agricultural and mining sectors. As I reflect on such developments, I recall vividly a mission I took to Germany in the mid nineteen eighties. I had a meeting with one of the non- governmental groups interested in African affairs. The office in which I had the meeting was located not too far from the airport in Bonn. As I spoke with the German official, a plane from Israel was landing. The official said he could set his watch by such landings because they were always on time, bringing horticultural/agricultural produce to Germany. He said Africans should also strive to send such needed produce to Ge rmans. The Chinese are gradually moving in to Africa and engaging in negotiations to get a hold of land for agriculture. Who knows, we may soon be sending produce and other items to feed Chinese, while African "tribesmen" at the helm would continue to lead nations of hungry and displaced Africans. And what would be more interesting is that China Airways would be carrying out the transportation since African countries with very few exceptions have demonstrated absolute lack of ability to create and manage national or even regional airlines. Yes, the Chinese have a lot to celebrate this year and beyond. If I were Chinese, I would wave my national flag, eat voraciously, drink copiously on this day as I observe my nation move towards the attainment of the status of a super power. Personally, I celebrate with the Chinese on this day and wish them a happy New Year and best wishes as well, for every success in all they strive to achieve .
In the meantime, African "tribesmen" -- for that is what they call themselves -- are busy fighting each other along "tribal" party lines, paying homage to a system of social organization that has proven to evoke "tribal" hatred and entrenched regionalism. The "tribesmen" think "tribe" and not "nation." They can not celebrate national culture because primeval allegiance is first and foremost. Secondly, personal and party aggrandizement with praise singers pitching high notes about the prowess of leaders, and other forms of hyperbole are the order of the day. In the midst of such cacophony the leaders do not critically assess what is going on internationally. For instance, there is now a global court -- the International Criminal Court, that has focused on taming "wild" and "ferocious" African "tribesmen" who subvert the grand design of democratizing Africa. The scenery today in Netherlands was tremendou sly instructive: three white judges announcing that four Kenyans have been indicated for crimes against humanity -- one of them the son of the Mau Mau leader, the late Jomo Kenyatta who led a successful revolution against white oppression and genocide in Kenya. I leave you to draw the conclusion. To the best of my knowledge, I may be wrong, only Africans so far have been indicted by the ICC. I consider the the Gaddafis Africans. You see, since the Africans, with the exception of the Ethiopians and parts of the Magreb -- North Africa region (if there are other countries please let me know) have no New Year to celebrate other than that recognized by Western countries, and no great world renowned epics to celebrate -- national or continental -- that would call for the type of pride one saw among Chinese in China and in Diaspora today, they need to be instructed, closely watched and severely regulated. After all, their intelligentsia and politicians are mere "tribesmen" who need to be told how to become civilized and how to govern themselves. Deviation from instruction calls for severe punishment. Whither Africa? Go figure.
Cecil Blake