Read article here: Modern slavery of Ethiopian women

The world of American politics, especially presidential politics is blatantly and unashamedly opportunistic. It’s all about hype, slogans and who can capitalize on the latest story capturing the short attention span of the fickle public in the 48 hour news cycle, and/or trending within the world of social media.

Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich can learn from the master politician, President Barack Obama, on how to jump on an opportunity like a pit bull on a 4 year old. When Rush Limbaugh referred to Sandra Fluke on February 28th as a “slut” and “prostitute” for voicing her support for birth control during an unofficial House Democratic hearing, 2 days later she got a call from the President asking if she was “okay”. The parents of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was murdered in a racial motivated shooting on February 26th, has received no call (as yet) from the President to ask if they were “okay”… and they probably won’t.

See… Obama knows he needs the white woman vote to get re-elected, so he strategically decided to show empathy for Fluke’s hurt feelings when she was called a couple of derogatory names. On the other hand, he knows he’s got the Negro vote sown up, so why would he need to show any concern for their pain? Why risk his re-election by being accused of showing favouritism (i.e. sympathy) to people with the same skin colour as him in their time of grief for their murdered son… a grief caused by the imbedded racist attitudes of the “other” people he needs to support him for a second term in office?

The Republican contenders should take a page from Obama’s playbook and call Martin’s parents to offer their condolences. They should also put on a hoody, have a bag of Skittles in one hand and an Iced-tea in the other, take a pic and post it on their Facebook page with the caption: “We’re All Trayvon Martin!” Sure it’s blatantly insincere and strategically opportunistic, but that’s what American politics is all about. It’s about taking advantage of the hot story and manipulating the story line for your own benefit. After the Fluke affair the media was on them, particularly Romney, for not calling Fluke or publicly admonishing Limbaugh, especially after President Obama did so. By calling the Martins, maybe the media… and African-Americans… may finally wake up and realize that “Barack Obama doesn’t care about Black people”. The republicans may even get a few more black votes.

Hmmmm… I doubt it.

Most of you have not provided any logical arguments refuting that assertion.  Instead, many of you have resorted to ad hominem attacks. It is easy to call me “Negro pseudo intellectual”  and “only a mouth”, question my level of activism and make disparaging remarks about African Americans.  It is far more difficult to challenge my argument.  I challenge you to debate me on substance.”

@Ana..I did not “deny that some blacks have been and are the enemies of other black people”.  In my article, I condemned Joseph Kony and called for him to be brought to justice. All groups, including black people, have their traitors. I never said or implied that the victims should wait. I said that Africans should and can solve their own problems. Anson Asaka

Brother Anson,

First, I had made it quite clear in my previous post that the article and term “Negro pseudo-intellectual” wasn’t directed at nor a personal attack against you. I also directed you to analyze my definition and clearly stated: “My definition is above and if you personally don’t fit into that category, then it doesn’t apply to you.” However from your above statement: “It is easy to call me “Negro pseudo intellectual”,  I can only surmise that you did analyze my definition and have determined that you do fit into that category. I will therefore defer to the substance of your superior logical argument and surrender that point to you.

Secondly, I did read your well written and well researched article explaining your position. Interestingly, I found it ironic that all the sources you used as the substance of your logical arguments were taken from “western organizations”, as you previously branded Invisible Children. You freely quote Wikipedia, ABC News, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Council of Foreign Affairs, Amnesty International and the Wall Street Journal. You are correct that I didn’t challenge or debate you on the substance of your argument. However, if I ever do wish to challenge or debate the substance of logical arguments based on an eurocentric point of view, I’ll find a white man to debate with… and not one of his black surrogates.

Thirdly, I have observed that when those of African descent outside of the USA, don’t conform to the narrow-minded beliefs, opinions and logical arguments of our African-American brothers and sisters… and have the audacity to be critical of your arrogant view of the world, you make accusations that we “make disparaging remarks about African Americans.” I have discussed this attitude before in my post and adjoining comments: “African-American Arrogance”. I invite you read the post. You may learn something about people of African descent who are not African-Americans. You may also learn something about yourself.

Finally, your above comment has inspired me to analyze the issue of the miseducated Negro pseudo-intellectual. I observed on your blog that you proudly disclose all your educational achievements. It’s impressive and I sincerely congratulate your academic successes. I am constantly teaching my son that education is certainly a powerful and invaluable tool for our people… if it is utilized as the foundation for action and enlightenment! However for the miseducated Negro pseudo-intellectual, education is the basis for inaction and narrow-minded thinking. For the miseducated Negro pseudo-intellectual, education is ghetto-ized into a quest for the debate of logical arguments to quench the thirst of the eurocentric fed ego. For the miseducated Negro pseudo-intellectual, education is not seen as a resource to turn viral awareness via social media into action, but as a tool to be wasted in another viral bitch session.

Some people are lucky, others are not. Senegalese strong man, Abdulaye Wade is among the luckiest old men even though he behaves like an adolescent. Had it been not for divided and ever-greedy opposition, Wade would have been history now. Voters gave him a very heavy blow in the first round. He secured a leading of 34.8%, ahead of his former protégé and PM, Macky Sall who garnered 26.5%. Other former PMs took third and fourth place: Moustapha Niasse with 13.2% and Idrissa Seck with 7.8%.

Such low votes speak volume and signify defeat. This translates into the fact that had the opposition backed one candidate, the results would have been Sall 47% and Wade 34.8%. Again, there wouldn’t have been any run-off that Wade can use to rig votes to fulfil his power-hunger to remain in power.

In other words, Senegalese were able to get rid of Wade in the first round had it not been for the opposition to help him secure a second chance of survival. Will Wade let it go easily without applying traditional African science of survival-rigging and cheating? Shall this happen. Will the people and their weak opposition bite the bullet or give him a hard time once again?

One thing though is obvious that Wade showed maturity for not rigging in the first round. Is it because of being cornered, his belief in democracy or the result of over confidence that he’d have won in the first round? If he allowed justice to take its course, will he keep this maturity or cascaed back to his dreams of dying in power?

Although Abdulaye Wade, managed to tamper with the constitution to be able to run for a third time aimed at remaining in office, will he manage to manipulate the votes and get away with it? Results conclusively indicated he did not make it outrightly in the first round. This of course dented him badly. Sall gave him a spirited fight so as to change Wade’s tone from braggadacios to conciliatory one. Will this become Wade’s Waterloo?

The ballot box can still boot Wade out if not to tame him. Senegalese should maintain the momentum they displayed in the first round whereby Wade lost outrightly. For those who remember his braggadacios that there won’t be any run-off, what happened is victory phase one. If voters fulfil their responsibility for the sake of their nation and democracy, Wade can still lose comfortably so as to be forced to lose in this-game-changer-like run-off.

Voters ought to deny Wade the votes he’s going to use to abuse them and their country. He’s been in power for twelve years. What can he do he did not do in these twelve years? Why should Senegalese voters prefer a centurion to a half ager Sall? If anything, Wade’s plight is squarely in the hands of voters who must punish him for ignoring them and abusing their office and constitution altogether.

Many people wonder where Wade got the guts and wits to tell former Libya strongman, Muamar Gaddafi and Ivorien one, Laurent Gbagbo to relinquish power last year while he cannot do the same now.

Due to the science of aging, we understand: Wade’s brain if wearing off. This contributes to the controversy he’s created apart from his greed to cling unto power. From what he does and says one can surely assert that this old man deserves to retire shall he deserve to be remembered honourably and favourably. Wade’s confusion can be noted in many things. He’s recently quoted saying, “I am president and father of the nation. This is what the Europeans do not understand,” he told French weekly Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. He added, “My majority is so overwhelming that I think I will be elected with a strong percentage in the first round.” Ask him where is hallucinatory majority went in the first round. He started changing the tone and tune altogether.

It is sad to note that Wade does not know that the father of Senegal is none other than Leopord Sedar Senghor. For Wade to equate himself with Senghor, who became the first African leader to voluntarily retire when he was ten years younger than Wade, connotes mischief to the nation and Africa in general. Senghor relinquished power in December 1980, retiring in favour of the Prime Minister, Abdou Diouf. After his retirement, Senghor did not involve himself in politics till his death on 20 December 2001.

As banned candidate, Youssou N’Dour put it, “The Senegalese are not stupid.” This will be justified by the votes they will cast in the favour of Sall. Shall Wade rig their votes, they still have the chance to prove that they are not stupid by seeing to it that he is not getting away with it.

Wade is an educated man by all standards. Again, as William Feather put it, “An education is not how much you have committed to memory or how much you know. It is being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don’t know. It is finding out what you need to know and using the knowledge once you get it.” I doubt if Wade knows where to go if he cannot willingly retire. I wonder if Wade knows where to go and get what he deserves, retirement instead of daydreaming going for a third time at such eleventh hour.

Wade, a cliffhanger, who promised crushing first round victory ended up saying this as the results were trickling in, “To all of my supporters, my allies, my sympathisers, I ask that you remain mobilised,” Wade was quoted by BBC. He added “At this very hour… everything is still possible,  victory or a run-off,” Let Senegalese make it possible for Wade to pack and hit the road to oblivion. Will the opposition goof again to let Wade win?

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

“That Kony2012 video is one of the most effective pro-imperialism, pro-militarism pieces of propaganda ever produced.” Anson Asaka

“It’s a sad commentary on affairs when white people are the ones constantly and consistently advocating for the safety and security of African children and all “Negroes” can do is criticize their efforts. Instead of having and sprouting pseudo-intellectual and hyper-moralistic political rhetoric, why don’t Black people take the lead, especially African-Americans, and do the leg work to take on this challenge themselves? You do have an African-American” president in the White House don’t you? You could have also utilized social media to bring attention to this issue in an “anti-imperialist” and “anti-militaristic” way. I know, I know… that would mean that you wouldn’t be able to use your time and attention on the latest Chris Brown and Rihanna saga, the Kardashians, the Real Housewives of Atlanta, NCAA March Madness, as well as spend your money on jewelry, booze, drugs, ipads, clothes and other materialistic trinkets. SMH!” Asabagna Alatentou

Above is a conversation I had on the Facebook page of Anson Asaka today, regarding the Kony 2012 social media campaigned by the organization Invisible Children.

First let me define the term “Negro Pseudo-intellectual” as I see it. These are primarily African-Americans who use their time and energy to talk about (i.e. criticize) what other people are doing, especially “White” people, but do nothing themselves. They have no alternate plan. They cannot and do not offer involvement in an alternate campaign. They talk a big game, use big words and sprout the usual rhetoric to appear enlightened. However, they deliver nothing concrete of substantial value. They are talkers, not doers of the word!

When I first heard of the Kony 2012 social media campaign, I was not surprised that it was being spearheaded by someone “white”. I also was not surprised by the fierce backlash from the Negro Pseudo-intellectual. In fact, I was expecting it. Social media is their playfield. This is the arena they dominate because it’s where they can easily find an audience of like-minded arrogant ideologues, who views social media as a vehicle to be critical of what others are doing. They would never think of utilizing it as a springboard to social activism. The primary objective of social media for the Negro Pseudo-intellectual is to sprout pseudo-intellectual and hyper-moralistic political rhetoric, as well regurgitate their played out 60′s Black revolutionary conspiracy theories, so as to appear intelligent and enlightened. It’s not to utilize social media as a tool to ushering in social change today for the benefit of others, especially African children.

I do acknowledge that social media can be used to educate and enlighten… and that’s a good thing. Furthermore it can be an effective tool to scrutinize any social campaign and vigorously probe the integrity of any organization, especially those which purport to be for our benefit. Particularly when it’s being organized and led by someone from the dominant culture.

I don’t intimately know the people behind the organization Invisible Children and I can’t speak to the sincerity of their effort or the integrity of their intentions. However, I applaud their idea to utilize social media for this campaign. I may not agree that further militarization of Africa by the U.S. military via  AFRICOM is the ideal method to deal with Joseph Kony and the LRA. However unless I can present an alternate plan, I don’t support putting all my efforts into criticizing those who are trying to deal with this issue in their own way. I’m also not going to advocate the various ridiculous conspiracy theories about the origins of the campaign.

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt

Interestingly, after I posted my above response to Anson’s post, his reply was to remove it. Another aspect of Negro Pseudo-intellectualism is to censure any opposing viewpoints and opinions. Sounds familiar?

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It is no exaggeration to assert that Africa, politically, socially and economically is in the 14th century. Many African countries are sitting on the vast resources which are abused by a cabal of people in power. While this is happening, the big population is dying in abject destitution.

When philosophers Thomas Donaldson and Thomas W. Dunfee coined a phrase, “Intergrated Social Contract Theory” (ISCT), they stated categorically that every right an individual enjoys also has corresponding duty. In business they call this sharing risk and reward. The upshot of this is: whenever there is a risk, change, calamity or needs, the corporate as a big entity benefitting more from the business must help employees- who also benefit from the business but at a less magnitude comparably- in this period of transition.

Running a country is like running a corporation. This is the rationale we are going to use in this argument. The difference though is that when somebody is employed by the corporation, does so because for having some qualities or qualifications the corporation needs to use to make profit and sustain it. When it comes to be a citizen in the corporate known as a state, the citizen qualifies by the right of birth or application for those who apply for citizenship of other countries.

When it comes to men and women manning Africa, they enjoy rights of spending poor taxpayers’ money as they deem fit without the corresponding duty of delivering service. The corporate-government is duty bound to deliver so as to enjoy the right of being a government. Failure to do this, the said government is in power illegally. Hither is whether the situation in African countries worsens more than even under colonialism in 1960s. If anything, African needs a jumping-off point from the 14th century style of management next to Caesars’, to the 21st century of responsible presidents or managers of the corporation known as state. It is high time for Africa to have responsible and accountable leadership championed by our academics.

We need advocates of new social contract who can decisively interpret and champion ISCT. This is possible only and only when our academics will stand and take on dirty regimes instead of joining them to plunder the hoi polloi as it currently is in many countries. It is no longer shocking to see African ignorant rulers using academics in their governments to destroy their country, as it once happened in the Gambia where President Yahya Jammeh used the minister of health, who is a doctor professionally, to claim he had discovered cure for HIV/AIDS. Under new social contract this wouldn’t be possible given that president would be accountable and responsible for whatever he does or says. But under current king-like presidency, Jammeh was able to get away with it. Is this the way academics are supposed to use their knowledge?

“Unless we learn to live together as brothers (and sisters), we will die together like fools.” Desmond Tutu quoting Martin Luther King Jr in No Future without Forgiveness. Indeed, our rulers are prone and proud of being referred to as Excellencies, loved ones and other fake homilies. Actually, they are the opposite of this and they know this too well so as to surround themselves with guards and terror. They live in the heaven amidst the hell of miseries of their people. Who is wrong hither between them and the citizens who are in bed with such abnoxious and notorious vices?

Gandhi once remarked, “How can men feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow-beings?” In the same book by Louis Fischer: Gandhi: His Life and the Message to the World, seems to have the answer. He wrote, “Some men loom larger by lifting up others and some by kicking and humiliating others.” If anything, this is the real situation between Africa and developed world. How can for instance, DRC produce tonnes and tonnes of mineral and Nigeria oil alongside with tonnes and tonnes of poor people? West countries, despite having fewer resources, were able to attain their development, among others, thanks to signing and ratifying a new social contract that empowers people and their governments. It’s through accountability of everybody that made western countries be ahead of us for everything.

Africa cannot forge ahead with the current mediocrity whereby academcs are used abusedly without even resisting. Instead of being in bed with irresponsible rulers for the sake of personal gains, our academics should enlight the hoi polloi so that they can take on their irresponsible rulers. This must be the war between hoity toity and hoi polloi spearheaded by academics. It does not make sense to see our rulers abuse our tax and donor monies while academics scrumble to join politics so as to share the loot. Is there any rationale of dining and wining rulers using taxpayer’s money while they don’t deliver any service to them? How can they spend our hardearned taxes on travelling abroad and recruiting private armies while we are dying wantonly? This is the question our academics need to ask and give the answer, instead of being in bed with those who arrest the future of our continent and her innocent people.

For African to move forward there shall be the force to sign a new social contract that holds our ruler accountable and responsible for whatever they say and do. We can draw a lesson from academics such as Martin Luther, Conrad Grebel, Bathsar Hubmaier, Thomas Muetzer, Ulrich Zwingli and others who gave the Roman Church hard time so as to change the world despite being young guys. We need to start asking our rulers: what have they done for us as agreed in elections or constitutions. What have they done so as to deserve staying in power they wantonly abuse? We need to start enjoying the fruits of our freedom that turned out to be enjoyed by rulers and their henchmen. Academics must pull Africa from the 14th Century to 21st Century by advocvating the signing of a new social contract making our rulers accountable.

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

Rest in Peace My Beautiful Diva!

There were reports of babies out in the cold for hours in Houston. In Indianapolis, two dozen police officers used pepper spray to control an unruly crowd that pried shopping center doors off their hinges.

These were just a few of the scenes caught on video across America as people tried to get their hands on a pair of sneakers.

These instances point to a moral breakdown of our society, especially among young people with misguided priorities who are not held accountable for their actions. Morals have seemingly taken a back seat to things that are thought to be worth more than respect.

“These shoes have always had a place of value in black life,” said one young black male in response to the frenzy surrounding the release of the limited edition Air Jordan XI Concord sneakers by Nike.

Named after the legendary basketball player Michael Jordan, these prized kicks retail for over $200 a pair. Demand is so high that some pairs of these sneakers were sold on the black market for over $500. And getting them was considered worth the risk of freezing or getting arrested.

The sneaker riot, which was caught on video, is deplorable. The looting of mall kiosks, robbing of shoppers, forced entry into stores and trampling of shoppers are disturbing to watch.

How did America get here?

Young adults imitate what they see, and what they see is bad behavior being glorified, on reality television, in movies, in music videos, in video games and on the Internet. These mediums are rife with demeaning language and behavior, violence and examples of blatant disrespect towards others, yet some of the rawest and craziest acts on video are not derided for their incivility but lauded for how many “thumbs up” they get on YouTube.

Misbehavior is so prevalent that, in some households, it seems to be accepted as normal behavior.

The Occupy Wall Street movement provides another example of contemporary bad behavior. While claiming to support a middle class that, allegedly, can’t win playing by the rules, youthful Occupiers are nonetheless preoccupied with the forgiveness of their own school loans (often for useless degrees) and credit card debt and seem more interested in growing big government than helping anyone succeed. The entire Occupy movement seems like yet another instance of the take-what-you-want decline of society.

What’s worse is that Occupy efforts receive support and sympathy from President Barack Obama, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other prominent leftist leaders and celebrities. Their support for the Occupiers sends a message that it’s fine to be disruptive and not expect to be held accountable. Just last week, in fact, former Obama administration official Van Jones proclaimed that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was “the original Occupier” and warned that 2012 would be a “turbulent” year.

In the wake of the sneaker riots, several ministers and activists in Houston held a press conference to blame others for the action of the mob. They called for Nike and Michael Jordan to “do something,” giving those who actually caused the chaos a pass.

There is no excuse for this behavior. Individuals should be held accountable for their actions. Nike and Michael Jordan did nothing wrong and are not accountable for the misbehavior of others.

Why are black leaders largely mute about this bad behavior? Where were the voices of black leaders standing up against the “flash mobs” in 2011? Why isn’t the White House decrying its former colleague for publicly preparing for what he refers to, and one must assume, is hoping to help instigate, a “turbulent” year?

Actions have consequences. To continue on this destructive path will result in a bleak future that for many will include violent acts, incarceration and even early death. Our country is in vital need of a morality surge in which parents, grandparents, church members and lawmakers all play a role.

There are thousands of misguided youths who desperately need love, guidance and discipline on a consistent basis. This would help put them on a path towards personal responsibility and success.

A New Visions Commentary paper by The National Center for Public Policy Research. Deneen Borelli is a fellow for the Project 21 black leadership network.

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