OBAMA’S VICTORY-MATTERS ARISING (from my reflections)

There is no real difference between the Democratic “fox” and the Republican “wolf.” One is prepared to frighten the people so badly that they will wholeheartedly embrace the sly fox to escape the fangs of the wolf. In short, this does not avoid the fact that one will be eaten. - MALCOLM X

All over the world and especially in Africa, people are excited over the victory of Barack Obama in United States presidential polls. This excitement began during the head to head race between the African-American Senator for Illinois and the former first lady, Hilary Clinton also Senator for New York for the presidential ticket of the Democratic party. Barack Obama happens to be one of the three Black Senators that America has today.

Today, Barack Obama has made history! For 232years in the history of the United States, he is the first African-American to become president of this powerful nation.

Indeed this is the time to be proud being Black. For a lot of young people including myself, we’ve witnessed an historic act in our lifetime. Many will live to tell their children’s children about this accomplishment; the achievement of a Kenyan-born called Barack Obama. It will be told and told all over again even long after those who witnessed it have passed on. His speeches will be read, meditated and reflected upon, for it brings hope where there’s none. The refrain I’ve been hearing about this meteoric rise suggests that many are going to draw inspiration from his success to overcome their own challenges to reach great heights. It’ll only be possible if they walk the talk and see no limits to which they can soar above.

ORGANISATION

One of the greatest lessons to be learnt from this historic feat, especially for people who have political ambitions, is ORGANISATION.

“We must get ORGANIZED” just like Kwame Ture (Stokley Carmichael) used to say. It’s important to build a true and an appealing mass organisation for the people and by the people, an organisation that can force a power shift to ultimately overturn the undesirable status quo. History is replete with examples, for instance Kwame Nkrumah’s formation of the C.Y.O (Committee on Youth Organisation).

There was a painstaking exercise of exertion at the grassroots level with the masses that he identified with. The strong organisation made it possible to pursue an agenda; this agenda was SELF-GOVERNMENT NOW (SGN) contrary to the gradualists’ approach of “Independence within the shortest possible time”. They wanted to wait for things to work.

“There’s no point in waiting we have to act now.” There was no way independence could’ve been won in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa. Indeed Ghana’s struggle to independence opened the floodgates for our oppressed brothers on the continent to follow suit. It was a wind of change that swept across the Africa. Many years down the line, Africa cannot be too boastful; the neo-colonial strings have not been entirely severed. The neo-cons are still lurking in our shadows having a field day, leadership has failed and many Africans are still living in abject poverty; hewers of wood and drawers of water.

Is it not also significant that even with the struggles of the freedom movements in apartheid South Africa, Chief Buthelezi’s Inkatha Freedom Party and the oldest liberation movement on the Africa continent-ANC, independence became a reality as recently as 1994?

Undoubtedly, it wouldn’t have been attainable on a silver platter without an organisation in motion. The oppressor minority does not care to exploit all manner of tactics to keep the oppressed majority down at all times. The subjected people met them not with flowers in the countenance of violence.

Barack Obama has been able to establish a networking body on low profile to fraternise with the American people through the internet, at Obama organizing meetings and events, volunteers collect information on where the participants live, their phone numbers, e-mail addresses and their text addresses. A virtual organisation, but it was worth it After his selection to speak at that Democratic Party’s congress; which apparently initialled his bid for the presidency, he’s been able to appeal to the majority of Americans with his confidence cum inspirational tough talking posture. You can google his views on Cuba, Jerusalem and Iran.

More to the point, his ground roots alliances reflected in the financial support he garnered through the paltry contributions from people of diverse persuasions. In the end the modest donations added up to an all-time record-breaking political fundraising campaign in the United States. Back home in Ghana, folks want to don and flash free party paraphernalia without making a single donation. I have no doubts that this support can be whipped up here on the motherland with the spot on message of truth.

IRAQ WAR

President-elect Barack Obama ascends to the presidency on a huge pedestal of goodwill emanating from the recklessness and misfortune of the illuminati agent, George W. Bush jnr, it appears that majority of Americans want a new face. It’s trite knowledge, the latter came into power to execute his old man’s agenda. George Bush snr turned the late Sadam Hussein against Kuwait; apparently he fell out with the Yankees who also set out for him in the infamous Gulf War.

Fast forward to the year 2000, junior Bush becomes president and in 3yrs we witnessed the downfall of Sadam Hussein. America under Bush junior was able to enter Iraq defying UN’s resolution that there was no WMD (weapons of mass destruction) in the Arab State.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under Hans Blix and Moammed El-Baradei had gone to quarantine Iraq for WMD. There was no single evidence in sight. Today Colin Powell, who has expressed his support for Obama, then US Secretary of State, has confessed they were deceived into believing that Iraq possessed WMD. The war in Iraq has made America unpopular. Insurgency is on the rise day in day out; death toll of their troops is pegging at 5000 and counting. Families want back home their husbands, fathers, uncles, sons and daughters.

The war has not been won. It’s now clear; Operation Iraqi Liberation (O.I.L) was an economic adventure for the just mentioned abbreviation, the black gold. It had been carefully planned and well-thought out to work in the interest of the powers that be. These neo-con capitalists are very smart. This unnecessary intervention in Iraq has been dollar-sapping; millions and billions of the “dead presidents” has been pumped to finance the war.

FINANCIAL TURMOIL

Fate will have it that the war will take a negative toll on the economy, apparently corporate America has been massaging the balance sheets to show virtual profits at the same time paying huge bonuses to management. In effect middle class Americans have lost their mortgaged properties as the banks file for bankruptcy.

Credit crunch is what you get when you run the whole economy on credit capitalism and inequality. What is bailout if it’s also not your much hated Marxist-Leninist ideals of Socialism? The consecutives have always refrained that there should be no state interference in the free market, which has never been free and fair, today they are clutching at straw in the face of reality. With their profits, all they had to do was to skip the tax ropes.

Obama claims to offer hope with change to do things differently. The mantra has been “yes we can”, “change we can believe in”. His victory is a loud statement from the masses that the G.O.P (Grand Old Party) cannot be tolerated in power for the next four years. They’ve caused too much trouble, its enough.

Within this hope and goodwill lies another likely misfortune which can befall Mr. Obama’s presidency. It’ll be suicidal to overlook or pretend it wouldn’t happen. I’ll play the devil’s sponsored advocate; there’s the possibility of Obama not being able to position the economy back on its feet satisfactorily as well as curb insurgency and the purported terrorist threats (which America with Bush is no different) that they claim to face. This is where questions and doubts will be raised about the Blackman’s capability and inferiority when he was given the opportunity to carve a deep niche for himself in history. The confidence and pride gathered over this period face setback of being thwarted again.

The World Bank has in fact projected a possible 5yr span of this crisis. I would also want to think that if all ends well happily ever after in the evening of Obama’s reign, due praise and recognition will be accorded to him as leader of the regime that salvaged the nose-diving economy.

The Kenyan-born quick rise to fame has been well over two years as a member of the Senate. In forums and discussions in both the electronic and the print media, there’s been much talk by analysts about Obama’s political experience and whether he has the wherewithal to lead his charges to a well-deserved recovery, economic salvation if you like.

FOREIGN POLICY

The oft-repeated catch phrase for the past week has been “policy-shift”, with reference to the America’s foreign policies. Will the world see a different approach being undertaken by the USA? Will things change considering the make-up of the new cabinet, with men who’ve been in the corridors of power with known stance? Same faces? Most people are sceptical, especially with the naming of the feared Zionist, Rahm Emmanuel as Chief of Staff, who has a strong pro-Israel leaning.

A couple of days ago, Rahm had to apologise for his father’s blatant admission that his son’s inclusion in the cabinet clearly emphasizes Obama’s posture towards Israel. This angered the Arab Committee in America to cry foul. This puts me within a certain imbalance. Will Obama deny, expose or maintain the agenda of the Establishment? Is Obama inheriting an unchanged system of power?

Like an albatross, Israel will be hanging around Obama’s neck in the Middle East. Obama has been daring enough to say Jerusalem would remain the undivided capital of Israel and that no body should question his support for the Jewish state because he is the best person when it comes to their security. I can’t wait to see how he will manage to balance safely on the tight rope with his tough talk. Certainly, the Arabs will not be excited over this comment.

Already Iran’s Ahmadinejad has sharply responded to his call against their nuclear initiative. He says “I do everything in my power to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.” Why should Obama be bothered? They are also a sovereign nation.

THE ESTABLISHMENT VRS PAN-AFRICANISM & CIVIL RIGHTS

In Black Africa, people have tried to link Obama’s triumph to Pan-Africanism. This is not true and accurate! Personally, I don’t even perceive it to be the culmination of Civil Rights Activism for people of colour. This false impression seeks to establish that the Blackman taking up the reins of command in America is what Pan-Africanist proponents like Nkrumah, Padmore, Dubois and others were struggling for.

Throughout Barack Obama’s campaign, he never mentioned what his plans for Africa were. But one can understand, he’s going to be the president of America not Africa, period! Africans have been exceptionally overwhelmed to see a fellow kinsman enter the Oval Office “to call the shots”. He does not extend his much talked about hope to Africa, perhaps only recognising his roots (which I admire) and paying his Kenyan grandmother a visit.

Beyond his colour, I’ve not heard any cogent argument on why he draws the support of many Africans. We’ve been simply racist in this regard. “He is a fellow brother”, is all I hear.

Obama’s victory would’ve been meaningful to the Pan-Africanist cause if he had sought to promote and called for unitary government for Africa. An Africa that is free from the machinations of the West and not a playing ground for supporting local agents and cronies to act in a certain interest that is detrimental to Africa’s development. Am talking about Africa taking her rightful place in the world given the undisputable natural resources she feeds to the world. Not to even talk of reparations for our looted resources including the “human gold”.

I’m not enthused about Obama’s US-Africa relations and policies to be. Trust me; the arrangements which ensure that our resources are looted away under unfair trade agreements will be unwavering. Those arrangements cannot change overnight against the interests of huge multi-national corporations. I have no doubts; it’s not going to be about Africa. The American presidency as it stands today is about the protection of the dwindling fortunes of the Establishment. When Obama visited the White House sometime last week, Bush made it clear at the Oval office “the election of Barack Obama is good for our country”. The fortification of the Establishment is extremely crucial; Africans must wake up to this reality.

There’s nothing in Africa to boast of in attribution to Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice in their tenure of office as Secretaries of state. Is there any? Tell me. Our own brother and a sister! Do not forget.

I feel so emaciated that even Turkey (a single country that can be a small fraction of Africa) can organise a summit on their land for all African leaders “to strengthen ties”, as they put it (see New African magazine-November ’08).

The civil rights struggles in the United States have been fought hard with brazen resistance. Many lost their lives in violent apprehensions whilst others too were assassinated. It was all in the attempt to end segregation and have a free society of equal rights and justice, equal opportunities and peaceful co-habitation between people of colour and whites. Is that the situation today? Can America confidently beat her chest to have dealt with injustice against coloured people? That just by the colour of your skin you’re more likely to face an unwarranted arrest or get shot by the “popo” (police as referred to as by black Americans). Innocent Guinean immigrant, Amadou Diallo, who was shot 41times by the police on February 4, 1999 in a multi-racial city like New York and many others, has not been forgotten. The culprits have always been left free.

Is not worth noting that even with the claim that Obama’s vote represents those from the middle class, the statistics of coloured people within this group is nothing to at all to write home about?

Obama’s utterances has been loudly silent on these matters even to the extent of denouncing his own pastor, Jeremy Wright, for what has been labelled as incendiary comments (that America has been paid up for injustice) after the 9/11 attacks whiles his allegiance to his Hawaii resident grandmother has been firm and unflinching till her death on the eve of the elections. Many have remarked that such distancing act is only strategic for him not face the wrath of white supremacists else he sees his end just like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jnr. He’s chosen his words carefully not clearly align himself with the civil rights movements, on whose efforts and struggles he’s been able to aspire to become president-elect.

When Obama was born between the 1960’s, civil rights struggles were at a peak. How come he has failed to give them an overt acknowledgment? But while the State itself projects the Baptist Reverend from Georgia (MLK Jnr) as a national hero and getting mentioned in this light, nothing much absolutely is been said of Malcolm X. He is considered as an extremist, or is it because he was a Moslem? Were these two men not fighting for the same cause only to suffer the same aggression and end? How come again that one has become more acceptable than the other?

For me, anybody outside the United States, who accepts Barack Obama as the man to give America a clean face (without any animosity for him) is indirectly endorsing America’s hegemony in world affairs to be unshakable by China, that they should continue to be a super-power as they intervene in areas where they are not welcomed.