When A Friend Goes Too Far

The colonization of Africa by Europeans and the race distinctions made by the colonizers have left the continent in a very dysfunctional state where pride, self hatred, the desire to grow and the legacy of oppression have devastated the people's mindset.

I don't think it's any more difficult to tell the friend the truth, than it is to tell a parent. Human rights and knowing the difference between right and wrong should be enough to speak the truth. But this makes me feel that Mbeki needs more scrutiny with respect to what he's doing in his own country.

There's no doubt that Africa has struggled with the aftermath of colonialism, but I do think that excuse is wearing thin. Thirty years ago South Africa was destabilising as many of its neighbours as they could, frequently with US backing, whilst the USSR, typically via Cuba, tried to poke its fingers in too. All the while stupid, straight-line borders denied geographic and ethnic realities.

But back then there was a lot of what used to be called the 'Third World' in a similar situation. Nowadays, in spite of all sorts of problems, the situation is completely different in most other areas of the world. South America and South-East Asia still have problems, but have moved a long way, yet Sub-Saharan Africa remains sick.

Part of the reason, I reckon, is that they are too busy playing the 'victim' card rather than actually doing anything about their situation. Another part is that there is too much tolerance of endemic corruption, which means the mineral wealth of much of the subcontinent is wasted. And, of course, a third part is that the terms of trade with the rest of the world are seriously slanted against them.

I too wonder about Mbeki. I suspect, though, that at the beginning of the current crisis he was simply sympathetic to the idea of land reform. At some point that is going to be on the agenda in South Africa too, so he didn't want to make statements or set precedents that would make that more difficult. I hope that whoever is in charge then doesn't make as big a hash of it as Mugabe: first he did nothing for decades whilst the white Zimbabwean farmers blocked or seriously delayed land reform; then when the political consequences threatened his position he just bypassed the rule of law completely and jumped in with violence and corruption, mostly redistributing land among his wealthy backers. Somehow leaders in neighbouring countries seem unable to point this out, just because Mugabe was a liberation leader thirty years before.

I think you're giving short notice to what colonization did to the minds and Spirit of those who were oppressed for over 200 years. We talk about post traumatic distress syndrome for soldiers who may be in a battle zone for 2 or 3 years, but we don't think there is any PTDS from colonization, oppression and slavery. If you believe that's getting old after only 40 years of freedom, you're just not aware of how long term inhumane treatment distorts the way the victims of colonization and slavery see themselves, the world and how to function in it.

It's the same thing that's happened in the U.S. with respect to 300 years of Slavery. We constantly think about the psyche of our children from what we think may be traumatic. If your child can be so heavily affected by the single trauma, why wouldn't long term trauma be even more debilitating? All this calls for is putting yourself in the shoes of the oppressed.

After raping these nations of their natural resources, the Europeans went home leaving an uneducated and traumatized population to take over the government - expecting them to just fill those shoes with ease. That's a fallacy! Add outside forces and guns and you have what we have today.

BlackPhi, you know you're my buddy, but I think the casual way Europeans look at the oppression of some groups in the world belittles the long term affects of this oppression. How does one establish a proper government for the people when your idea of self is so distorted? What you produce will be just as distorted. That's where much of Africa is today.

As a personal aside: I can only go as far back as my great great grandmother before my family tree hits question marks due to the breaking up of families (children included) through being bought and sold in Slavery. No sense of family, distorted ideas of who I was as a person in connection with the White majority at large.

In Africa's case, it's almost an entire continent that is suffering from this. Lacking self worth breeds violence. This doesn't excuse what's happening today but explains how European countries devastated the continent to bring it to this point.

I take your point about a traumatic history, Capt, but I still think that Africa will only make real progress when it takes responsibility for itself, and that includes making hard decisions. You could well be right about 40 years not being long enough, but in practice we live in a fast-moving world and I'm not sure they have the luxury of much more time.

At some point in the next decade or so I expect a major reordering of power in the world: Southern Africa has the potential to be a part of that, or it could simply be left behind.

The U.S. faces the same critical stage where we can either make solid changes and remain a key nation in the world or fall to greed and self interests leading to our demise as a superpower. You're right about Africa having to take on the responsibility themselves, but I think we will continue to see a number of wars taking place there until the self image of Africans change. Mugabe's ego and self hatred is behind the violence. And the same can be said regarding other parts of Africa.

This underlying question doesn't just apply in Africa, of course. There have been further reports recently of the British security service, MI5, colluding with torture by the CIA and other intelligence services, even though this is clearly illegal under British law. I don't suppose Bush is any more willing to be told right from wrong than Mugabe.

You make a great point!