When Will You Stand Up?

The original quote, as well as the African spinoff, are perfect descriptions of the problems associated with apathy toward incrementalism.

We see the results in both our countries; it's how socialism/fascism takes root and grows.

Here at Winston-Salem State University...home of the Rams...we have a couple of professors that have come up with a interesting take on what ails Africa now and what can be done to heal her. Drs. Mweni Muiu and Guy Martin, both native Africans and political science professors here, have written on their approach called Fundi wa Africa. Basically what they propose is that many of the countries in Africa be disbanded and that in the place of the 54 countries on the continent, there be created 5 superstates, based on the major empires of the African past. Since so many of the states in Africa are either failed states, or were wholly created during colonization with no thought given to traditional ethnic or cultural boundaries, it would be much better for those faux states to cease to exist, and have the new states aligned to encompass like ethnicites and cultures. There would be a rotating presidency of this new united Africa, so that no one could become too powerful. They are having some success with it in academic and some government circles there, and it has become well known enough to cause them to be under threat from some African governments...so it must have some merit, no?

I was just wondering what you would think of this idea, since you seem to have such a keen interest in what is happening in Africa. Because even if this ultimately did not work, something new needs to be tried in the continent because things aren't working now.

said there was a new one up!

I've read this one (obviously).

False advertising! Lawsuit!

Redistribution of wealth under a system of social justice has been a central theme of the Zero administration. Every grievance group on the left, and they are legion, sings this same old song.

Jefferson told us that no generation should have the right to encumber future generations and he was right. I never owned a slave, interred a Japanese-American, or any of the other things we keep apologizing and paying for.

They can talk to my father about. He can be reached at 1-800-PealyGates.

my computer at home is down, so I don't get on as much as I'd like, especially on weekends, so I missed your Friday comment.

that so far the African nation-states are failures. I'm not so sure about the super-states being any solution, though. I think one of the biggest problems with the current nations is their artificial boundaries, at least from a cultural point of view.

As we both know current borders generally reflected the maps as drawn by the colonial powers, mostly England and France, and not just Africa. They liked borders that were nicely demarcated by geography, as opposed to the reflecting the cultural boundaries of indigenous populations. In fact they preferred to divide up the local cultural groups such that they were more dependent on them for their power, creating local proxies. The English were past masters at this. This alone mostly explains the massacres and troubles in Rwanda and Zaire.

Realigning current borders to account for the cultural geography would seem to make sense to me. Whether it'd be better to pack more cultures into fewer smaller states, as your professors propose, or make smaller and more mono-cultural states, I don't really know, although I instinctively prefer smaller states. In Africa, regardless of what a party's name is, they are almost invariably linked to certain tribes or ehnic groups, and voting patterns tend to be dominated by tribal affiliation from what I've seen.

I can see the theoritical advantage of putting different groups together so they have to get along, although I haven't seen it work in practice so far, but I also see the real danger of such a large state disenfranchising most of its people and becoming a lumbering, self-perpetuating unaccountable and inefficient beaureaucratic entity like the EU.

how you can reconcile pursuing 'social justice' at gun-point. If you think I'm exaggerating, try telling the IRS you're not paying your taxes in full because you don't want to pay for anything but the budget items that pass Constitutional muster. When they eventually send gentlemen to bring you in (which they will unless you're a Congressmen), let me know what they're carrying.

thanks for the comments about Fundi at my place, but I am responding here so I know you'll get my comment!

One of the things that they stress about Fundi and the new states is that they would like to have five superstates, while preserving some of the existing states as provinces, or something like that. They would ultimately want to get rid of those states that exist now, especially since the borders were drawn (as you pointed out) by the colonial masters, with seemingly no regard for ethnic and cultural differences. But when you begin to look at it, you can come to the conclusion that those boundaries were drawn where they were precisely to split the different groups, and to put groups that were at odds with one another into to close proximity. If they are at war with one another, how can they war on their occupiers?

And I agree with your catch of the eerie similarities between post-colonial Africa and the struggles of post-Civil War black Americans. the same tactics were used in both cases; giving the people political freedom without any economic prospects allows the people who were in charge to begin with to stay in charge! Free economies are the key to any meaningful political freedoms.

While I had my moments with Dr. Muiu last semester (she was the one who marked me down for not agreeing with the premise of "Economic Hitman"), I did gain a great amount of respect for her. She does have a little bit of the Marxist in her intellect, but I chalk that up to the times and places she was educated, and the fact that when capitalism seems to bring so much suffering to your people, Marxism can look like a much better alternative.

But what has really struck me about her, and the other Africans among our faculty, is that she has a better sense of OUR struggles than WE do, and she is more passionate about not wasting the opportunities that were paid for in blood than many of US are! It is a sad day when we take for granted and abuse the chance to better ourselves that we have here, while an African PhD is the one trying to instill a sense of history and pride in our American students!

the talk show hosts....
the Tea Party organizers....
the CEOs....
the drivers of SUVs....
the gun owners....
the Christians who believed in what the Bible said....
the Constitutionalists....

the new essay at my place!

In droves!

I doubt I can add anything new to the discussion, but I will say that your essay is timely and appropriate.

Rhodesia. Congo. South Africa.
Lots more but...
How many African Nations are better off with African governors?
Any?
One??
Why the h-ee-double ell would WE want an African president?

I think the problem rests with transfer of government.
When colonialism is brought to an end the colonial power just packs up and leaves without much thought of who will fill the vacuum and the most ruthless step right up ala Idi Amin.
Seems the end result of colonialism. Check out all the former colonies in the world for trouble spots.
Viet Nam (French)
Korea (Japan)
China (little bit of every body)
Pakistan (England)
and
All the Mideast....

good one. It seems after a few industries and banks they're going after the health care system. Whats next?