In my last piece two weeks ago, I choicefully shed light on colonial effigies littering the world. Today, I’d like to push the narrative further in order to augment the conversation. I regard this as a crack of the dawn for the decolonisation of the narrative on which everything’s revolved since colonisation. Thus, I’ll put colonial economies in the spotlight in order to make a strong case against not only falling colonial symbols but also for redressing African countries and others that suffered from colonialism and slavery. We’ve to do this brick by brick up until we uproot the entire edifice. We need to close the walls in for this crime and criminals behind it. Before the George Floyd uprising, talking about such issues was regarded as being out of one’s depths.
Just imagine. How many years did the west exploit their colonies not to mention slaves; and how much economic leg ups it got while their victims were left to mend and make do with everything in their miserable lives? Africa’s colonised officially from 1884 to the 60s for the many African countries and 70s for some such as Angola, Cape Verde, Comoro, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Seychelles and 80s and 90s for Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively. This makes the period of the colonisation of Africa to be over 80 years. As for African slaves in the US, Latin and South America, were enslaved for almost 350 years whereby they offered free labour not to mention the consequences of being stamped out from Africa. This adds up since most of the slaves shipped out Africa were energetic young men and women who’d have contributed enormously in developing their mother continent the same, they did in the diaspora for free. Those who were taken to the Far East and Middle East were exterminated after their services were no longer needed. How much worth of labour did slaves offer to the countries in which they were enslaved? If the world wants to resolve colonial and slavery issues, it should strongly embark on forcing all countries or parties that benefited from those crimes to redress their victims. We know many so-called international banks and institutions that benefited from these crimes.
To cap it all, let it be known: slaves contributed hugely to the industrial revolution that saw Europe take an economy lead globally after enabling it to make a giant leap up until slavery was abolished simply because it no longer was productive. In fact, industrial revolution, as a product of slavery, rendered slavery economically moribund. By the way, was slave trade abolished based on humanitarian grounds as we’re brainwashed and hoodwinked to believe or phased out by the discovery of machines which took over from slaves after Europe acquired capital from slavery; and thus, embarked on the industrial revolution? The answer is: the latter’s the reason. Folks go back to the drawing board and re-write our misconstrued and misrepresented history as it was feloniously concocted by the West. Remove from your streets and towns all banners praising your tormentors you adore for no reason except gullibility and myopia.
Apart from labour, how many tonnes of minerals, timber were stolen from Africa not to mention the taxes the culprits would have to pay for many decades they robbed and vandalised Africa had they dealt with it legally? This is the secret behind the prosperity of Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, the US and other countries that profited from slavery and colonialism. At the same time, this is the same reason why Africa has remained poor. Let’s push it further. Ask yourself. How many Africans were killed for refusing to work as slaves? Despite all such tainted history, the perpetrators are today teaching us human rights while they’re the chief violators of the very rights. To the contrary, when Hitler assassinated Jews, the same countries were kind enough to force Germany, its conspirators and all those who participated in one way or another to redress them. This is why the Jewish nation of Israel is rich. It is rich not because it is inhabited by geniuses or hard workers. It is because of the redress and special treatments it’s always lapped up from rich countries thanks to their conspiracy about Jewish persecution. Thanks to international conspiracy and racism against Africa, nobody talks about redressing Africa today. Instead, everybody is scheming about how to exploit and make it poorer than it is. Despite this international denialism, the death of Floyd’s unearthed the brutality and hypocrisy committed by those who pretend to be the leaders of the world. Leaders in what other than animality, bestiality and brutality?
Switzerland, Isle of Man and other tax heavens are not swimming in lucre simply because they’re smarter or endowed with humungous resources as Africa is. They’re thug nations that conspire with our own homemade thugs that stash our money there. Further, they’re enhanced by our wealth hidden there by our rat-like thugs in power and contemporary slave masters. If such countries can be forced to redress Africa along with other nations that benefited from this loot, I’m pretty sure Africa will become as strong as Israel is today. Again, without reunifying Africa, redressing Africa becomes a mere bad dream if not a nightmare since there’s the luck of a united voice that such countries can respect.
There’s another hovering menace, globalisation. Despite being touted to be the best thing for the world today, it seems to be counterproductive. Sadly, Africa seems to have been left out. One’d think that a globalised world would make it much easier to protect the rights of everybody in the world than the time before the concept came to effects. If countries that amassed their riches through robbing Africa are facing the music what’ll be the fate of Africa in this unequal globalised world? Methinks. This is where the demands for countries that benefited from plundering and enslaving Africa to redress it arise.
There’s yet another jeopardy. Western scientists are testifying themselves to the truth that industrialised countries, as connected to colonialism and enslavement, caused global warming, which ironically is adversely affecting poor countries. Is there any question about forcing them to redress poor countries that are going to be affected by the work of the hands of industrialised countries? Keeping mum while the beneficiaries of global warming are amassing wealth and forcing poor countries not to follow their trajectory of production and development isn’t only double standard but also contemporary colonialism that needs to be taken head on.
Now, let’s bring slavery in a different context. The same violators of our lives are now making rules almost on everything as they force us to follow even illogical things such as neo-colonialism and imperialism. Refer to how they’ve refused to sign up to the International Criminal Court (ICC) that they now call a kangaroo court after it wanted to go after them and others that seem not to dance according to their jingle. Refer to how they’ve always protected their markets while they force us into the so-called free market that’s never been free for all except themselves. Refer to how they’re now barring us from entering their countries while they entered our free to colonise us. Refer to how they overthrew many competent African governments in order to prop their stooges to keeping on colonising Africa by proxy as were the cases in Burkina Faso, CAR, DRC, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and many more whose leaders were overthrown to be replaced by western puppets.
Indeed, if we face it, shall African rulers demand for the redress in order to develop Africa and catch up with others as the way of redressing history, they’ll have all rights to enjoy the riches and monies they’re now begging for or stealing from their own coffers. To the contrary though, what African rulers have been doing through begging is like fish that strive to eat foods made of other fish. They’re begging for their own money that rich thugs robbed them under the colonialism and slavery. So, instead of some Africans self-humiliating by betraying their cause for various reasons, they’d stand up and reunite and make their case strong to see to it Africa is redressed for all miseries it went through.
In sum, there’s no way Africa can develop by either keeping quiet while its robbers are enjoying the loots or by begging. No way, begging can; and has ever been the means to develop a country or a continent. Instead, justice can, shall it create conducive environment globally based on rectify past historical crimes and errors that enable some to excel by disabling others as has been the case for the west and Africa respectively. Importantly, Africa and other victims need to underscore the fact that those who have comfortably lived on their backs will not easily give in though someone has to give. African saying has it that the capon is not easy to chaperon. Beware everybody.
Source: African Executive Magazine
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