Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Holocaust In Africa Continues







Passive Holocaust In Africa Continues

The behavior of the international community towards Africa over the last few years, especially by the Western Powers, has left no doubt in my mind about how the world views Africans. Black Africans are viewed by the world community, especially by whites, as being of lesser value. The world outside of the African continent does not even see Africans as being human beings. This is especially the case in America. I am just telling the truth on the matter. They don't even see Africans as equal to animals.

*We have AIDS in Africa where 6,000 people die daily. The Western drug companies have only recently begun to allow drugs into Africa in large quantities. But still, the drugs are often unaffordable to many. And Western powers, specifically the U.S., which spends billions of dollars in Iraq each month, can't seem to find the money for helping to save the lives of Africans.

*We have thousands dying in Darfur, and Congo. The U.S. even referred to it for what it is- a genocide. After World War II, the famous slogan that was created regarding the slaughter of the Jews was "Never Again". When there was a hint of genocide in Yugoslavia, the Western Powers mobilized quickly and took decisive measures- not that I supported the war there, because there were other options. They were so much in a hurry to save Europe that they skipped over incremental steps and went straight to the war option. Yet when there is genocide in Africa such as in Sierra Leone, where people (children included) were getting their hands and feet chopped off or were getting murdered, the world looked away. The world also looked away in Rwanda, where 800,000 people were slaughtered. Madeline Halfbright worked feverishly...... to avoid calling it a "genocide" so that the U.S. would not have to act. They knew that by calling it genocide, they would be obligated to act based on their earlier promises and slogans. helping in Rwanda would not have even required many U.S. troops. It only needed a couple of thousand U.S. troops and some of out heavy firepower, to help lead OTHER nations into Rwanda. What was needed most was not necessarily firepower (the weapons that the Western powers could have brought in would have been more than enough to restore order). What was needed was the legal authority from the UN to act and the logistical (supply and management) support for the General in charge. But they set things up so that they could avoid the issue. Western powers abandoned their own UN General.

Of course, they went to Rwanda afterwards and gave the same sorry, empty promise- "Never again". Yet here we are again...and they are ignoring it, even when they admit (this time) that it is a genocide. Between 2000 & 3000 people died in a civil war in Kosovo over a 2 year period, and the world moved very quickly in 1999- nearly causing a world war in the process. On the other hand, tens of thousands of black Africans die, and after 3 years, Western countries are still debating, trying to rationalize the worth of black Africans as human beings, and playing with lives. Something is seriously wrong with the Souls of American and European whites. What kills me is that these are the folks always talking about how Christian they are and how they hold up Christian values. I often wonder if they ever read their bibles on their own or if half of them can even read at all. But I do wonder if they read their bibles by themselves, without a Preacher reading the words to them, telling them what to read and how to interpret the passages. I really don't believe that they are reading their bibles at home on their own without study books or Preachers notes telling them how they should interpret the words.

*We have a drought affecting Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and other parts of Africa, but the world continues to take the attitude of "Oh well... they're just Africans". Instead of responding to the sense of urgency to help the hundreds of thousands of people affected, the Western Powers allow the UN Food Agency to run low on money.

*Instead of a response, or even coverage of these issues, we are fed more nonsense about who is sleeping with who in Hollywood, who wore what dress to the Grammy Awards or the Academy Awards, the latest Spring fashions, etc. Americans hear more about Celebrity garbage, than the more important pressing issues. This is why Americans are so dumb...to put it bluntly. What is even worse about the whole thing is that Americans are O.K. with being dumb and left in the dark by both the media and by their government. All the reports about U.S. government secrecy and Americans being misinformed should be no shock to anyone who has been paying attention. Americans have themselves to blame.



Not knowing or caring about Africa? This is no surprise. America has a history of forgetting disasters in its own country, as we see with Hurricane Katrina. Once the sensationalization of the earlier coverage loses punch and no longer draws the ratings, and once the overblown stories of rape and murder in parts of New Orleans end and the real stories begin, the news media leaves. Hmmmm

I cannot say that this is simply about race, because the news media also left other parts of the Gulf Coast outside of New Orleans. There are thousands of whites from Louisiana through Mississippi and Alabama who were also abandoned by the media and corporate America (insurance companies for one). But race and socio-economics plays a part. And it shows a relationship between Hurricane Katrina and Africa. If a country forgets its own people, then it should be no surprise that it doesn't even see Africa. Or maybe I should put it this way.... Americans only see Africa if diamonds or oil are involved. And this goes for American blacks as well. There are tons of American blacks who would much rather buy a pair of $120-$160 shoes or spend thousands on chrome or gold plated wheels for their ignorant thug mobiles, or spend thousands on stereo equipment for their vehicles than to help their own brothers and sisters in Africa. The lifestyle of many (not all) in the so-called "African American Community" is disgraceful. At least in the 70's and 80's young blacks were conscious about Africa. We may not have had much money, but what we did was meaningful. Blacks (especially the college students) held rallies, boycotted companies, wrote, did benefits, did conscious music, etc. The point is, we did something. TODAY, many young blacks are mainly concerned with their car wheels, clothes, or the latest ignorant rap song or music video. Sickening how far American blacks have regressed. financially and materially there are a few more who are doing better, but in terms of mental consciousness and education, American blacks are regressing.

When will the world see Africans as human beings and do something?
How many more people have to die?

Now yes, I know we go through these cycles with Africa. But why are they always in need? Because Western powers (whether purposely or not) have not helped these African countries become 21st century industrialized nations. Western powers have not even helped these African countries become 20th century nations for that matter.

Western powers have not helped to build infrastructures in Africa that would allow these countries to be self sustaining. That includes building roads, schools, finding or educating teachers, building a medical system with good doctors and nurses, putting in plumbing, communications, self sustaining or renewable energy, electrical power, establishing a water supply that could be self sustaining, helping Africans to develop a more efficient Agriculture system & train them how to grow crops more effectively and with more of a variety, and most importantly taking advantage of all the excess labor in Africa by bringing jobs to Africa and more economic investment. Help them to establish their own economies. Why not put black Africans to work in poor African countries, in jobs that could provide a living wage? Why not put computers in every major school or in as many as possible? Once this kind of infrastructure is built, they won't need as much help from the world. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.

All of these things could be done. We have the technology to do everything that I listed. What has been missing is the will to do it. If the world would have started a robust program of infrastructure building and economic development 20 or 30 years ago, Africa would be in a much better position. But instead, the situation has been allowed to fester into a catastrophe. This is mostly due to a lack of leadership from the United States, which has become a perfect example lately of lack of leadership in the world.

More on Darfur.

To learn more about Rwanda and the worlds disgraceful reaction, check out the PBS documentary on Rwanda which can be viewed online.
(Best viewed using the Realplayer option).
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/video/

If you have not seen the movie "Hotel Rwanda" it is a must see for everyone.

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