You rather find something better to do.Why are you hiding? Come out of your stupidity and idiocy,and take some lessons from this brilliant writer called Francis Kwarteng.
You rather find something better to do.Why are you hiding? Come out of your stupidity and idiocy,and take some lessons from this brilliant writer called Francis Kwarteng.
Ghanaman1 10 years ago
Quainoo? Where do you come from?
Quainoo? Where do you come from?
Kojo T 10 years ago
Do you understand primitive? The guy writes about the future and you say he is primitive. Read the post and take along what he says Turn dreams into action
Do you understand primitive? The guy writes about the future and you say he is primitive. Read the post and take along what he says Turn dreams into action
Daniel K. Pryce 10 years ago
Francis,
I understand the noble ideals that Nkrumah had for African unification and development. However, Nkrumah understood that, being the progenitor of many great ideas and the crusader for Africa's collective growth, h ... read full comment
Francis,
I understand the noble ideals that Nkrumah had for African unification and development. However, Nkrumah understood that, being the progenitor of many great ideas and the crusader for Africa's collective growth, he could not implement his vision with presidential term limits in Ghana. SAs such, Nkrumah, gradually and calculatingly, eliminated pockets of opposition to his rule, of which Danquah's incarceration became the "crowning glory" of Nkrumah's chthonic grand scheme.
So, would you, Brother Francis, have preferred an authoritarian Nkrumah administration, with no room for political dissent and no opportunity to elect a new leader as long as Nkrumah lived, to one in which the citizens freely exercised their God-given right to freely choose those who would have rule over them? In spite of Nkrumah's incomparable achievements on the Ghanaian political terrain, would you have preferred a totalitarian state (think of North Korea and, in our own backyard, Zimbabwe) that gave you everything, but prevented you from thinking and deciding for yourself, to one in which people freely pursued their dreams?
Finally, where would you place Jerry John Rawlings in this grand scheme of things? Rawlings, it appears, stole no money (his words, not mine), kowtowed to no Western leaders, and refrained from becoming life president, even though he had the opportunity to do so at one point.
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Hello,
First, I shall want you to tak a look at Dr. Motsoko Pheko's essay "Democracy and Legitimacy in Africa," New African Magazine, Sept. 18 2013. You should get it on line for free. It answers all your questions. He dis ... read full comment
Hello,
First, I shall want you to tak a look at Dr. Motsoko Pheko's essay "Democracy and Legitimacy in Africa," New African Magazine, Sept. 18 2013. You should get it on line for free. It answers all your questions. He discusses most of Africa's leaders and the West.
He tells you how President Clinton (his campaign manager and image framer?) and South Africa's NIS helped manipulate South Africa's first post-Apartheid elections to make sure Mandela-De Klerk won the lections becuse Ameria and the rest of the West could not see how they could deal with the PAC (Pan Africanist Congress) if they won. There is more. Please read and let's discuss it when you have the time. I don't want to spoil the story for you and readers.
Second, most of our post-colonial leaders, good or bad, are arguably the creations of the West. Let me mention a few: Mobuto Sese Seko, Nelson Mandela, Idi Amin, Francisco Nguema, Julius Nyerere, Robert Mugabe, Sam Nujoma, Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkrumah, etc.
Elsewhere I have given references on how America, Britain, and Isreal brough Idi Amin to power (See Andrew Rice's "The Teeth May Smile but the Heart Does Not Forget: Murder and Memory In Uganda). In fact, Nkrumah's "dictatorship" is a billion times better than the combined democracies of those who succeeded him.
Then again, I have never seen Rawlings as a "dictator." I have always liked the very things you have said him. In many ways, America is as totalitarian as North Korea. In fact, America's history and conteporary politics (foreign policy), again, in many ways, cannot be compared to North Korea's.
We all know no nation on the planet can compare its sins to America's. In other words, America's sins are probably unparalled in human history. North Korea never had slaves, does not go around the world building one dictatorship after another, etc.
I will advise you take a look at the writings of Noam Chomsky where he he has discussed America's foreign policy from its founding as a republic to the present. North Korea's sins pale in comparison.
Neither is Mugabe a "dictator" or Zimbabwe a totalitarian state. The American media onetime lambested him until a New York politician (Charles Baron) invited him to give a speech in New York's City Hall. The information he gave the council shocked everyone. American media were and no one asked questions after his presentation.
Why? Because they realized that most of the things the media had been saying about him were lies. I will look for the transcript and send it to you. In fact, Mugabe is a "dictator" in Western eyes because he does not allow their corporations to eploit the people.
As to Nkrumah, I can only say he was not a willing "dictator." The West and their agents pushed him to the wall. I shall discuss more of this in another essay (it's already been written).
In the meantime, I shall ask you to read my essay "What Amiri Baraka Said About Kwame Nkrumah (VI)." I have addressed part of the controversy there.
Finally, if you want to understand dictartorship and totalitarianism regimes, look at American!
Thanks
Brother 10 years ago
I love this lessons and the reminders. From 1966 to 1992 or even 1996 when we returned fully to voting, for 30 years, we were under no democracy or were we? Are we now in democracy anyway? Wont you rather we had a dictator ( ... read full comment
I love this lessons and the reminders. From 1966 to 1992 or even 1996 when we returned fully to voting, for 30 years, we were under no democracy or were we? Are we now in democracy anyway? Wont you rather we had a dictator (Nkrumah)for such wasted years to establish industry, help us build a positive attitude; hard work, critical thinking, a winning mentality, consciousness, selflessness, scientific research and indigenous adaptation of some western ideas. That is not the point anymore than it is a moral lesson and critical thought process to drive home the intentions of Nkrumah and for that matter some of our elders. I still feel that, we do not have as a people internal locus of control and just wish to be praised by the west. They control the media and feed us with what our non critical minds will readily accept. Has any body noticed when blacks were allowed to vote in USA? Blacks were not even qualified to sit with a white in the same class. There was even an attempt recently to disenfranchise blacks during the second term of Obama. And yet this same people have the moral right to tell you how democracy works. Why are they in China? Because democracy is not an interest. Do you call Britain a democracy? Did any body observed the student unrest and its handling there? We do not have scientist, doctors, water, energy, food, shelter and yet we have telephones and call credit to phone in and insult Nana Akufo Addo, President Mahama and other grown ups. Sit all the radio and tv stations and say the same thing over and over. How does that contribute to productivity directly or indirectly. We give $32M for tress that we can not find, $15m or so for Guinea-fowls we have no idea where they flown to, sell drill ships and cannot account for the money. No ambulance to ferry the living but only the dead, No hospital to cater to people. no proper nurses nor doctors, no bankers to lead or finances, no planners to organise or cities and villages, no teacher to teach the right material, no politician of conscience and with a policy to follow through, no writer to tell our story but the west and no food for the crying child and this is a country with such vast endowments? No body is accountable to anyone and this s democracy? With this kind of pleasing the West, how can we come out of it if not through the conscious writings of the few who care to research?
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Dear Brothers,
Your positions are clear and straight to the point. To tell you the truth, I don't even know what the word "democracy" means anymore, yet Ghanaians (Africans) throw the word here and there as if it means any ... read full comment
Dear Brothers,
Your positions are clear and straight to the point. To tell you the truth, I don't even know what the word "democracy" means anymore, yet Ghanaians (Africans) throw the word here and there as if it means anything to the whiteman. It means nothing to the West.
And as I have repeatedly said, I have not seen a single country today that practices "democracy." The word notoriously shares the same supernational chacteristsics as the word "ghost." Some claim to have see a "ghost" but cannot persuasively describe it. Others claim ghosts do not exist.
In fact, Dr. Pheko Motsoko's brilliant essay "Democracy and Legitimacy in Africa," published in the New African Magazine, Sept. 18, 2013, exposes Western hypocrisy when it comes to matters related to democracy, Western exploitaion (capitalism), and African leadership. This essay makes the concept "democracy" look like cow dung.
Nkrumah's alleged "dictartorship" did more for Ghana and Africa than the combined democracies of Busia, Danquah, Acheampong, Afrifa, Rawlings, Akufo, Ankrah, Ollenu, Akufo-Addo, Limman, Mills, Kuffour, and the Queen of England! Africa needs more pragmatic and visionary "dictators" now than before!
How can the West call Mobuto a democrat and Nkrumah a dictator? It beats my mind.
Thanks for your contributions.
Kojo T 10 years ago
To maintain securityn, law and order is the pre requisite of every government. Did you live through the bomb throwing era? You were too young to know what " Ablode Kuma" the Linguist of Togbe Gabusu was doing at hohoe. I was ... read full comment
To maintain securityn, law and order is the pre requisite of every government. Did you live through the bomb throwing era? You were too young to know what " Ablode Kuma" the Linguist of Togbe Gabusu was doing at hohoe. I was not I saw the disruption of life and business activity as he chased innocent people around the town . Is that your idea of democarcy. I lived in Uganda under Idid Amin . He built no schools. There was no PDA . You just ended up as a meal for the crocodiles. Then in S Africa another " democratic country" , I want you to visit King William's Town and see the grave of an activist Steve Biko . I am sure you got education because of Nkrumah. Is that dictatorship? Was Robben island in ghana? Please spare us the bull crap
Fiwisintin 10 years ago
"....Ghana and other African countries should not only send their students there to study medicine, as it were, but also they should send their educational reformers, health professionals, policy makers, researchers, and poli ... read full comment
"....Ghana and other African countries should not only send their students there to study medicine, as it were, but also they should send their educational reformers, health professionals, policy makers, researchers, and political leaders, along with students, to learn from the Cubans firsthand how they have achieved medical successes in the face of embargoed encumbrances."
Very good point, Francis.
I hear you SCREAMING SOLUTIONS (until you're hoarse) at our political leaders, yet do they listen? Do they hear? So what? Are they turned into zombies, the walking dead?
Francis, courage, Brother! You're going to have to seize the bull by the horns. Fear not, you know enough to make a difference. It is action time now! Carpe diem!
James Quainoo 10 years ago
According to Daniel Pryce,it appears Rawlings stole no money.This statement is laughable.Who doesn't know that Rawlings and his wife have become millionares from Ghana's coffers? It is evident that Daniel Pryce is being biase ... read full comment
According to Daniel Pryce,it appears Rawlings stole no money.This statement is laughable.Who doesn't know that Rawlings and his wife have become millionares from Ghana's coffers? It is evident that Daniel Pryce is being biased.
Daniel K. Pryce 10 years ago
Please read my comment again. I stated clearly that that's Rawlings' position, not mine.
Please read my comment again. I stated clearly that that's Rawlings' position, not mine.
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Hello Brother,
Please do send me any historical material (references, etc) to corroborate your position that Nkrumah's continental goals were personal, because I have not seen one in my entire reading on the subject except ... read full comment
Hello Brother,
Please do send me any historical material (references, etc) to corroborate your position that Nkrumah's continental goals were personal, because I have not seen one in my entire reading on the subject except those flying on the wings of hearsay.
I have also discussed this with some of the most important Nkrumah scholars on the subject.
Thanks.
KWASI IN EUROPE 10 years ago
Nkrumah established 3 not 2 universities. He established Cape Vars too.
Nkrumah established 3 not 2 universities. He established Cape Vars too.
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Hello,
Thanks for the reminder. Grateful.
Thanks.
Hello,
Thanks for the reminder. Grateful.
Thanks.
Kojo Essuman 10 years ago
My brother Francis,I was going to write when you went ahead of me.It is rather unfortunate Nkrumah's burning desire and his vision for continental government for Africa has been misconstrued by others as a personal ambition t ... read full comment
My brother Francis,I was going to write when you went ahead of me.It is rather unfortunate Nkrumah's burning desire and his vision for continental government for Africa has been misconstrued by others as a personal ambition to become the President of Africa.I can state categorically that there are no references or any historical material to corroborate the position of those who believe Nkrumah's continental goals were personal.In fact,Nkrumah suggested in one of his speeches that Bangui in the Central African Republic or Leopoldvile which is now Kinshasa in the Congo,should be the capital of United Africa.Why not Accra,if he was bent on becoming the President of United States of Africa.It is also important to note that it would have been impossible for Nkrumah to impose himself on all African Heads of states which numbered over fifty at that time as President without a consensus.Any of Africa's political heavyweights namely the knowledgeable Azikiwe and eloquent Balewa of Nigeria,the fiery Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya,the sagacious Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and brilliant Kaunda of Zambia could have been Africa's leader.
Frank Appiah 10 years ago
Kojo,you are always impressive.Your response is food for thought.Well done.
Kojo,you are always impressive.Your response is food for thought.Well done.
Kwesi 10 years ago
Nkrumah certainly wanted a united Africa. He was not a stupid guy to show upfront that he wanted to be president of that united Africa for the historical records to pick that up. Nkrumah never said or showed that he wanted to ... read full comment
Nkrumah certainly wanted a united Africa. He was not a stupid guy to show upfront that he wanted to be president of that united Africa for the historical records to pick that up. Nkrumah never said or showed that he wanted to be president of a united Africa. But he was an extremely ambitious man who rode over everyone else in Ghana. He harboured in Ghana the opponents of the African regimes that he didn't like. Nkrumah continuously meddled in the internal affairs of other African countries. It was all these that those other heads of state saw as his ambition to head that continental government. It was not because he (Nkrumah) said so openly. That was how they interpreted it. And they had grounds to come to that interpretation.
Nkrumah would have been very happy to see a continental government but he would have been privately disappointed if he was not the leader or the most influential person in that government. But he would not have been stupid enough to show that ambition openly.
Nkrumah was very very genuinely committed to the emancipation of Africa and the Black Man. He genuinely wanted African countries to be at par with the developed countries. He genuinely wanted the black man to be independent of the white man and be at par with him. He very genuinely cared for the welfare of Ghanaians and wanted Ghana to be a show piece of the African continent. He was not interested in personal wealth or riches but, man, the man was EXTREMELY ambitious personally. He certainly would have wanted that continental presidency!!!
Kojo T 10 years ago
What is wrong if he wanted to be the President? Was he not able and capable? Stop being maggots
What is wrong if he wanted to be the President? Was he not able and capable? Stop being maggots
LRB 10 years ago
There is absolutely nothing wrong if Nkrumah wanted to be President of Africa. In fact, he would have made a very good President of Africa because he was very clear (as far as the conditions of the time were concerned) in his ... read full comment
There is absolutely nothing wrong if Nkrumah wanted to be President of Africa. In fact, he would have made a very good President of Africa because he was very clear (as far as the conditions of the time were concerned) in his mind what Africa needed.
What is wrong is saying that Nkrumah was not interested in becoming President of Africa! That is what is wrong as a historical fact!!!
Michael Adu 10 years ago
I totally agree with you Nkrumah would have been the best person to head united Africa considering his ideas and vision.However,Nkrumah might have been interested in becoming President of Africa but there was no indication th ... read full comment
I totally agree with you Nkrumah would have been the best person to head united Africa considering his ideas and vision.However,Nkrumah might have been interested in becoming President of Africa but there was no indication that his primary objective,or goal or ambition was to become President Of Africa.Anyone who has read Nkrumah's books and speeches will agree with me that Nkrumah's goal or ambition was to remove the Blackman from permanent subjugation by the Whiteman and turn Africa into an economic power hence his agitation for continental government for Africa with one currency,the Africa High Command,common market etc.
LRB 10 years ago
I don't think anybody is arguing here that Nkrumah was pursuing African unity because he was aiming at becoming its president. That is not the argument. The man was genuinely interested in the strength of Africa through its u ... read full comment
I don't think anybody is arguing here that Nkrumah was pursuing African unity because he was aiming at becoming its president. That is not the argument. The man was genuinely interested in the strength of Africa through its unity and would have been happy to see a united Africa even if he didn't have anything to do with it's leadership.
The argument simply is whether he was interested in that leadership and he certainly was even though that was not his primary objective. It will be wrong to argue otherwise.
As for his ambition, that's what made him achieve so much, especially for Ghana. It may also have been what led him on to make a few mistakes along the way - a natural thing for any mortal being. Let's give praise where it's due but also be aware of some of the shortcomings.
Michael Adu 10 years ago
Thank you LRB.I think we are on the same page.
Thank you LRB.I think we are on the same page.
Kojo Essuman 10 years ago
My brother Francis,I was going to write when you went ahead of me.It is rather unfortunate Nkrumah's burning desire and his vision for continental government for Africa has been misconstrued by others as a personal ambition t ... read full comment
My brother Francis,I was going to write when you went ahead of me.It is rather unfortunate Nkrumah's burning desire and his vision for continental government for Africa has been misconstrued by others as a personal ambition to become the President of Africa.I can state categorically that there are no references or any historical material to corroborate the position of those who believe Nkrumah's continental goals were personal.In fact,Nkrumah suggested in one of his speeches that Bangui in the Central African Republic or Leopoldvile which is now Kinshasa in the Congo,should be the capital of United Africa.Why not Accra,if he was bent on becoming the President of United States of Africa.It is also important to note that it would have been impossible for Nkrumah to impose himself on all African Heads of states which numbered over fifty at that time as President without a consensus.Any of Africa's political heavyweights namely the knowledgeable Azikiwe and eloquent Balewa of Nigeria,the fiery Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya,the sagacious Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and brilliant Kaunda of Zambia could have been Africa's leader.
Dan 10 years ago
It is evident that Francis Kwarteng is a little weak in the knowledge of history department. . . . but he can keep on trying. . . .
It is evident that Francis Kwarteng is a little weak in the knowledge of history department. . . . but he can keep on trying. . . .
Brother 10 years ago
My brother Dan, granted that Brother Francis is weak in history, yet he has always made it a point to give you reference and you can go check them out and tell us if he is misleading us. He has never said anywhere that he is ... read full comment
My brother Dan, granted that Brother Francis is weak in history, yet he has always made it a point to give you reference and you can go check them out and tell us if he is misleading us. He has never said anywhere that he is a historian. Everybody knows him with Maths/Engineering background. What of you? Tell us the proper one and stop insinuations and if you have nothing to counter stop this childish antics please.
Benson 10 years ago
Like slavery, we are wrongly informed that the white man came with chains and bullets to force us into waiting ships to be sold into an inferior state of humanity. The truth however was that the black man was very influential ... read full comment
Like slavery, we are wrongly informed that the white man came with chains and bullets to force us into waiting ships to be sold into an inferior state of humanity. The truth however was that the black man was very influential in the whole process from the word go. To the dismay of some states then, the abolishment of the slave trade was unheard of. I refer to our own African tribes and Kingdoms of then. Back to these noble dwarfs painted as you have here. Are they that evil? And our own NKrumahs of past and present that noble? Well what we choose to see is as our eyes and minds would collaborate but the statement of NKrumah that the black man is capable of managing his own affairs is sadly turning out to be a big lie. Can we? It seems we can't. And the irony of things is that democracy is not that which we need because we don't even understand it and an autocratic rule of the likes of Nkrumah and Chavez is just too appalling to even consider. Please this is my humble opinion. So what do we do? These Noble dwarfs may be our only hope. Like the house slaves of old. They were slaves alright but ok. We can't sacrifice anything for a country that appreciates nothing. To be enslaved by our own kind is too sardonic. I would prefer to deal then with dwarfs; noble or not.
Kosoko 10 years ago
Brother Benson, I only want to comment on the slavery aspect of your submission.
I don't think putting the blame of slavery on the door of the so called 'Whiteman' or the European is misinformation. If you're not careful t ... read full comment
Brother Benson, I only want to comment on the slavery aspect of your submission.
I don't think putting the blame of slavery on the door of the so called 'Whiteman' or the European is misinformation. If you're not careful to ask the right questions, you will arrive at the conclusion you have reached.
It is true that slavery was practiced in all ancient civilizations: Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome. The nature of slavery in these ancient societies was not different from Africa prior to the arrival of Europeans in Africa. In any of these societies as in Africa before modern Europeans, the slave almost and always enjoyed the status of that of a son, a daughter or a wife of the master. In other words, a slave was allowed to own a property, to marry his master's daughter etc.
Now, the European slavery which they want us to call African slavery was entirely a different phenomenon. Unlike the above, the slave although a human being was completely dehumanized. The slave became a commodity. He was used and thrown away and this evil treatment of mankind cannot in any stretch of imagination be put at the door of the African or be shared with the African
To assess whether Africans were to share the blame for slavery, lets ask ourselves the following questions:
Who went to Africa for human captivity? Who built, ships, banking and insurance companies purposely for slavery. Was slavery the mode of production in Africa? The answer to all these important questions are obvious that Africans have nothing to do with slavery.
The next question is, did some Africans collaborate in capturing for enslavement of Africans? Yes. Throughout history, there have always been collaborators from the oppressors' own kind for various reasons such as parochial interest, fear etc. During the Nazi atrocities in Germany, the Judenrats corroborated with the Nazis but no scholar would say Jews were equally culpable of that genocide. In the apartheid, there were black policemen who helped the oppressors but no one would hold the blacks responsible for the apartheid.
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Hello,
First, I will like to thank Kosoko for his/her brilliant response to Benson.
I can easily deduce from Benson's comments that he/she is not a student of world history. Simple!
However, before I give him or he ... read full comment
Hello,
First, I will like to thank Kosoko for his/her brilliant response to Benson.
I can easily deduce from Benson's comments that he/she is not a student of world history. Simple!
However, before I give him or her my own response, I will like him/her to first read the following books by some of the world's best/renowned Jewish historians (and politicians)who have written profusley about how Jews collaborated with Nazi Germany (to sell their people to Hitler) during the Holocaust.
After this we can ten talk about how Japanese collaborated with Americans during the 2nd World War, how Native Americans collaborated with Europeans during the colonial period, how Chinese collaborated with Japanese during the 2nd World War, how Australian Aborigenes collaborated with the British during the colonial period, etc., against their own people. This is not to explain away Africans' collaboration in the so-called Slave Trade. It's to tell you how the subject is complicated!
Here is the Jewish list (this is just a short list):
1). 51 Documents: Zionist Collaboration with the Nazis (Lenni Brenner)
2). The Transfer Agreement: The Dramatic Story of the Pact Between the 3rd Reich and Jewish Palestine (Edwin Black)
3). Eichmannn in Jerusalem (Hanna Arendt's)
4). Perfidy (Ben Hecht's)
5). I Cannot Forgive (Rudolf Vrba & Alan Bestic)
6). Destruction of the Jews (Rolf Hilberg)
7). The Deadening Silence: American Jews and the Holocaust (Rafael Medoff)
8). Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering (Norman Finkelstein)
9). The Third Reich and the Palestine Question (Francis R. Nicosa)
On the Slave Trade, please read the following (this is also a short list):
1). The Jewish Onslaught: Despatches from Wellesley Battle Front (Tony Martin)
2) The Secret Relationship Between Black and Jews (Vol. 1)
3) The Secret Relationshp Between Blacks and Jews (Vol. 2)
4). Jews Selling Blacks
5) A Short History of the Destruction of the Indies (Bartolome de las Casas, 16th Century)
6). History of the Indies (Bartolome de las Casas)
7). Guns, Steel, and Germs: The Fate of Human Society (both documentary film and book; Jared M. Diamond). These tell you what made it possible for the West to conquer the world and enslave those it enslaved.
8) The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks (Randall Robinson)
9) The Black Jasobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution (CLR James)
10). Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome: America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing (Joy Degruy Leary)
11). Should America Pay? Slavery and the Raging Debate on Reparations (Windbush Raymond)
12) The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (Michele Alexander)
13). Slavery By Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War 11 (Douglas A. Blackmon)
14)King Leopold Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa (Adam Hochschild)
15). Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
16). Narrative of the Lif of Frederick Dougas: An American Slave (Frederick Douglass)
17) Medical Aaprtheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present (Harriet Washington)
18). Thomas Jefferson: Writings, Autobiography/Notes on the State of Virginia/Public nd Private Papers/Addresses/Letters (Thomas Jefferson)
19) Communal Labor in Colonial Kenya: The Legitimization of Coersion, 1912-1930 (Opolot Okia)
Read the following essays by Dr. Molefi Kete Asante:
1). Henry Louis Gates is Wrong about Africa's Involvment in the Slave Trade
2) The Slave Trade and Reparations: Closing the Gates
3) The African American Warrant for Reparations: The Crime of European Enslavement of Africans and its Consequences
4). Arab Racism Raises its Head in Sudan
5). The Curse of the Door of No Return
6). Genocide in Sudan
Benson, let's begin a serious discussion on slavery once you have assured me of reading this list. I will then ask you tons of questions.
Finally, let's begin to weigh serious issues without oversimplying them. Oversimplying complex issues is common exercise on Ghanaweb. Yet these issues are not as simple as they seem. Therefore, let's look at them from every angle and not exclusively at the Eurocentric angle handed down to us generations after generations. Even many white scholars are beginning to realize that most histories written my colonial Europeans (Westerners) about Africa are false! Most of these false histories are what we see on Ghanaweb on a daily basis (and other websites)!
Thanks.
Benson 10 years ago
Truly, I have not read any of those books listed above Infact I did not even know that they existed. But I will try to find at least five and read not for the sake of argument just for personal enlightenment. Thanks. But in ... read full comment
Truly, I have not read any of those books listed above Infact I did not even know that they existed. But I will try to find at least five and read not for the sake of argument just for personal enlightenment. Thanks. But in relation to the article which is quite laudable by the way, is the evil dwarf totally to be avoided even if a lot can be learnt from him? And the African is he ready? Will he ever be?
Benson 10 years ago
Truly Mr Kosoko I must thank you for your enlightenment. I totally agree that slavery as related to the African especially was evil. What I seek is never to justify it but to also let us realize that it was the same people so ... read full comment
Truly Mr Kosoko I must thank you for your enlightenment. I totally agree that slavery as related to the African especially was evil. What I seek is never to justify it but to also let us realize that it was the same people some of whom were so against it that it lead to the American civil war. But we are Africans and in spite of all we have been through what have we done? We are so against trivial things that development or the respect we seek from others is the same thing we deprive each other of. My stand is that of a dejected fellow who like a drowning man clinging to a broom in the middle of the Atlantic has to let go of hope and accept reality. Yes I want to survive, yes dear God I want the African to be capable of his own affairs but what are we doing now? Truly sir, with all that happens to us everyday and the way we speed into abysmal nothingness do you truly believe it will just stop paving way for the development that had long eluded us? God bless people like you who still believe. Some of us have lost it long time ago so please help us restore it again.
Kwasipong 10 years ago
"Ah, Awurade Nyame, woaaaaa tie de3 w'oaka 3w) aha yi ara, haba" Please have some sense of dignity and respect for yourself, Mr. Blackman.
"Ah, Awurade Nyame, woaaaaa tie de3 w'oaka 3w) aha yi ara, haba" Please have some sense of dignity and respect for yourself, Mr. Blackman.
Benson 10 years ago
Sir I truly understand your trepidation in relation to my comment and your subsequent statement. I am a black man and I don't despise that fact. I am only wondering if the respect we always complain is not accorded us interna ... read full comment
Sir I truly understand your trepidation in relation to my comment and your subsequent statement. I am a black man and I don't despise that fact. I am only wondering if the respect we always complain is not accorded us internationally is that which we accord each other. My dear sir, the answer is no. We have the excuse me to say trokosi, mosi, pepe, bono, kokoase Kurasini asanteni tag and so many more that we hate people even before we meet them. We can never gain anything in such a tensed system. Is this about to change anytime soon? NO! That is why I made the first comment. If we had respect for ourselves and others we won't be where we are today. What can change the current trend of tribal intolerance is perhaps only divine grace. And this is a fact.......
Find something better to do.
You rather find something better to do.Why are you hiding? Come out of your stupidity and idiocy,and take some lessons from this brilliant writer called Francis Kwarteng.
Quainoo? Where do you come from?
Do you understand primitive? The guy writes about the future and you say he is primitive. Read the post and take along what he says Turn dreams into action
Francis,
I understand the noble ideals that Nkrumah had for African unification and development. However, Nkrumah understood that, being the progenitor of many great ideas and the crusader for Africa's collective growth, h ...
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Hello,
First, I shall want you to tak a look at Dr. Motsoko Pheko's essay "Democracy and Legitimacy in Africa," New African Magazine, Sept. 18 2013. You should get it on line for free. It answers all your questions. He dis ...
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I love this lessons and the reminders. From 1966 to 1992 or even 1996 when we returned fully to voting, for 30 years, we were under no democracy or were we? Are we now in democracy anyway? Wont you rather we had a dictator ( ...
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Dear Brothers,
Your positions are clear and straight to the point. To tell you the truth, I don't even know what the word "democracy" means anymore, yet Ghanaians (Africans) throw the word here and there as if it means any ...
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To maintain securityn, law and order is the pre requisite of every government. Did you live through the bomb throwing era? You were too young to know what " Ablode Kuma" the Linguist of Togbe Gabusu was doing at hohoe. I was ...
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"....Ghana and other African countries should not only send their students there to study medicine, as it were, but also they should send their educational reformers, health professionals, policy makers, researchers, and poli ...
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According to Daniel Pryce,it appears Rawlings stole no money.This statement is laughable.Who doesn't know that Rawlings and his wife have become millionares from Ghana's coffers? It is evident that Daniel Pryce is being biase ...
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Please read my comment again. I stated clearly that that's Rawlings' position, not mine.
Hello Brother,
Please do send me any historical material (references, etc) to corroborate your position that Nkrumah's continental goals were personal, because I have not seen one in my entire reading on the subject except ...
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Nkrumah established 3 not 2 universities. He established Cape Vars too.
Hello,
Thanks for the reminder. Grateful.
Thanks.
My brother Francis,I was going to write when you went ahead of me.It is rather unfortunate Nkrumah's burning desire and his vision for continental government for Africa has been misconstrued by others as a personal ambition t ...
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Kojo,you are always impressive.Your response is food for thought.Well done.
Nkrumah certainly wanted a united Africa. He was not a stupid guy to show upfront that he wanted to be president of that united Africa for the historical records to pick that up. Nkrumah never said or showed that he wanted to ...
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What is wrong if he wanted to be the President? Was he not able and capable? Stop being maggots
There is absolutely nothing wrong if Nkrumah wanted to be President of Africa. In fact, he would have made a very good President of Africa because he was very clear (as far as the conditions of the time were concerned) in his ...
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I totally agree with you Nkrumah would have been the best person to head united Africa considering his ideas and vision.However,Nkrumah might have been interested in becoming President of Africa but there was no indication th ...
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I don't think anybody is arguing here that Nkrumah was pursuing African unity because he was aiming at becoming its president. That is not the argument. The man was genuinely interested in the strength of Africa through its u ...
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Thank you LRB.I think we are on the same page.
My brother Francis,I was going to write when you went ahead of me.It is rather unfortunate Nkrumah's burning desire and his vision for continental government for Africa has been misconstrued by others as a personal ambition t ...
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It is evident that Francis Kwarteng is a little weak in the knowledge of history department. . . . but he can keep on trying. . . .
My brother Dan, granted that Brother Francis is weak in history, yet he has always made it a point to give you reference and you can go check them out and tell us if he is misleading us. He has never said anywhere that he is ...
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Like slavery, we are wrongly informed that the white man came with chains and bullets to force us into waiting ships to be sold into an inferior state of humanity. The truth however was that the black man was very influential ...
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Brother Benson, I only want to comment on the slavery aspect of your submission.
I don't think putting the blame of slavery on the door of the so called 'Whiteman' or the European is misinformation. If you're not careful t ...
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Hello,
First, I will like to thank Kosoko for his/her brilliant response to Benson.
I can easily deduce from Benson's comments that he/she is not a student of world history. Simple!
However, before I give him or he ...
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Truly, I have not read any of those books listed above Infact I did not even know that they existed. But I will try to find at least five and read not for the sake of argument just for personal enlightenment. Thanks. But in ...
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Truly Mr Kosoko I must thank you for your enlightenment. I totally agree that slavery as related to the African especially was evil. What I seek is never to justify it but to also let us realize that it was the same people so ...
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"Ah, Awurade Nyame, woaaaaa tie de3 w'oaka 3w) aha yi ara, haba" Please have some sense of dignity and respect for yourself, Mr. Blackman.
Sir I truly understand your trepidation in relation to my comment and your subsequent statement. I am a black man and I don't despise that fact. I am only wondering if the respect we always complain is not accorded us interna ...
read full comment