Divide and rule is a law of imperialism and western style "democracy"
is how imperialism implements this law in neocolonial Africa. It's
called "elections" and with it's winner take all diktats division,
conflict, ethnic cleansing, mass murder and civil war are the results.
Traditionally in Africa's villages decisions and conflict resolution
takes place using a consensus system with no absolute winners and
losers, with all parties agreeing to the final decision and honor
bound to carry it out. Just the opposite of what happens after
"elections" in "democratic Africa".
The dishonor roll of "African Democracy" a.k.a. bought, rigged or
stolen elections must begin with Ethiopia, where the ethnic minority
regime declared themselves victors 12 hours after the polls closed
with 99.6% of the seats in parliament.
Second place could go to Liberia, where the capital Monrovia has not
had running water or electricity for the entire term of Eleanor
Johnson's Presidency, she who ran unopposed the last "election", and
won a Nobel Prize to boot.
In third place, maybe second place really, stands Somalia, where there
simply was no voting done by the Somali people, the entire parliament
which "elected" the President was hand picked by the previous
President.
Fourth place? Maybe Libya where Al Queda militias run rampant and it
doesn't really matter who won the latest "election", it is all about
tribe and family and ties to the local warlords, sort of like Somalia
really.
Fifth place is being reserved for the "victor" of the Malian
"election", scheduled to be held in the midst of an ongoing
counterinsurgency with thousands of French troops still occupying the
country.
Sixth place goes to Cote D'Ivoire where under the international
communities supervision hundreds of thousands of non-Ivorians were
allowed to vote (never mind the Ivorian Constitution) and then
declared the World Banks local rep as the winner (again, never mind
the Ivorian Constitutional Court who declared the incumbent President
the winner). And when the incumbent wouldn't cede power as demanded,
rocket his Presidential residence courtesy of the French military and
UN "peacekeepers" until shellshocked into surrender.
Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Burundi, Congo, Central African
Republic...insurgencies and rebellions everywhere and the foremost
demand of Pax Americana and its western vassals is "elections".
Of course there is one country in Africa that doesn't have elections.
It is also the African country with the smallest debt to the IMF and
World Bank and one of if not the fastest growing economies on the
continent.
According to a nearly opaque World Bank report this country has
tripled its GDP since expelling western aid organizations in 2004 and
the UN "peacekeepers" in 2005. Can one even name another country in
the world that expelled an entire UN "peacekeeping" army?
I am talking about Eritrea, 22 years independent and no elections. And
you know what? When I raise the question of "elections" with my
Eritrean family and friends, both at home and abroad, (I am the only
one who raises this, I cant remember the last time an Eritrean I knew
did so) they have little or no interest in the subject.
If I persist, the Eritreans will tell you that the thought of
"elections" only brings with it visions of divisions and conflict.
Most everyone here in Eritrea supports the President and the feeling
is pretty clear we don't need westerners telling us what's best.
In other words the only people calling for "elections" in Eritrea are
not Eritrean.
Democracy is supposed to mean that the leaders of a nation do what
their people want.
Most Africans will tell you what we most want is food, water, shelter,
medical care and education for our children.
If a country's leaders are providing these basic human rights to their
people they are doing what their people want and practicing democracy.
If they are not, if their people are hungry, cold, sick and illiterate
then these leaders are not democratic no matter how many times they
hold "elections".
Democracy vs elections is how matters stand in Africa today, and it
all boils down to who is cold, sick, hungry and illiterate and who has
leaders taking care of their people, first and foremost, those most in
need.
Elections in Africa means divide and rule, followed by crisis
management, managing the western created crisis to better loot and
plunder Africa's resources, everyday more critical in a world ever
more rapidly devouring such.
Thomas C. Mountain is the most widely distributed independent
journalist in Africa, living and reporting from Eritrea since 2006. He
can be reached at thomascmountain_at_yahoo_dot_com.
Received on Tue Jun 18 2013 - 08:54:16 EDT