The Black Africans Running The Congo Today Are Inferior To The Corporations And The USA

No the title of this piece was not said by the two guest commentators in the audio report linked above from NPR's "Tell Me More". However this is the conclusion that I come to after making note of the 5 million dead "equal human beings" during the war in the Congo and the insistence by the two guests that corporations and the "ubiquitous White man" are the reason for this mass death.

When you listen to the audio report note how even after the host, Michelle Martin, acknowledges the colonial past of the Congo and than asks them to detail the hand that African leaders played in the present fate. Notice how they make a glancing reference to the sins of these Black African leaders but then quickly return to their indictment against corporations and the United States.

When I listen to this type of analysis I think of one of two things:

• I am so out of touch on the realities of this world and have no idea of the murderous tendencies of the United States and corporations in pursuit of material and land based conquests 
• Once again a world view held by the Progressive-Fundamentalist has him inclined to register indictments rather than notate how a group of people have an incumbent responsibility to defend their permanent interests lest they get rolled over

Again please note how this was a discussion that was less about "Congolese Independence" than it was about the murderous consequences of "American Corporate Imperialist Hegemony".   When I heard the labels "TransAfrica Forum" and "NNPA" I knew already how this interview would go down.

The History Of The Middle East

Those who prefer to make the indictment about the exploitation of Africa for her mineral and oil wealth fail to made note that the places around the world that are receiving boat loads of cash that are stuffed inside the empty oil tankers (OK not really inside) as they make their return trip to the Middle East for another run are places that were once occupied.  The British are largely responsible for kick starting the multi-billion dollar oil industry in the Middle East.  After strife and political upheaval the "natives" were able to take control over their own oil fortunes.  As a result today places like Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Iraq and Iran enjoy massive inflows of money from the West.

At some point we have to ask painful questions about various regions in Africa and why they too have not been able to capitalize on their mineral advantage and have this benefit spread to more of their own people.

While indeed there have been wars in the Middle East (Iraq vs Iran, Yemen, etc) but few have been as deadly and economically derailing as is the case with the Congo.

The Last King Of Scotland

The two guests on the show argue that the European colonizers failed to train the African government regimes that took over in their wake.  In fact they retained control over the governments because they fed these former colonial protectorates a string of money which they grew dependent upon and yanked it where necessary.  (Did someone say 'No organic competencies' developed?) .  

The truth is that these African governments had their financial concerns (in line with their own understanding of their full potential) addressed via this foreign source of money while having failed to develop a full sense of independence and the RESPONSIBILITIES that come along with it.  

The intensive civil conflicts that took place was a result of the heavy handed rule that transpired as a result of the failed model of governance that was in place.  The guests were satisfied with the indictment that the colonial rulers failed to teach the new governments how to democratically rule and in effect they continued to rule as the Europeans did.  The truth is that not even Patrice Lumumba as one man would have been able to reverse the tide of this indictment against the dysfunctional governments.  Instead his assassination is used as part of the indictment that is rendered about "what could have been" without external interference.

It is clear to me that the Progressive-Fundamentalist seeks mental understanding of "Who Did This To Us?" as  a means of achieving a state of contentment.  This is far beyond their inclination to realize that places like "The Congo" are a treasure-trove of wealth and opportunity that will allow those who can manage the human and material resources the chance to create the eco-system that they desire for mankind.

To be clear - we should not confuse the notion that someone who can render indictments with someone who has the skills and competencies to manage the situation  and produce results that are different in the future.

I fear than in 100 years from now some people will still be talking about the damage that colonialism has wrought.