Abdou,

I see your problem now is no longer with a United Africa?

No! "Accumulation of private property is" NOT "as old of the history of
mankind..." (SIC)

Only a couple of days ago you requested and got a link to Rodney's famous
work. Right at the beginning of the book he made it clear that in the
beginning humans lived in a 'communal' setting. Under communalism, humans
did not accumulate wealth. The fruits of their labour was divided equally
among them.

On the rest, I am sure 'pambazuka' will only be too happy to publish a
rebuttal of Taju's concept from you.

Regards,

Kabir.

On 7/7/07, ABDOUKARIM SANNEH <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Kabir thanks for the forward. Once again what a good commentary from
> Tajudeen Abdul Raheem. I disagree that nelliberalism is bad for our
> continent.Thabo Mbeki neoliberal ideal and Anti-Gadaffi have no linkage
> with the way forward Continental Unification. If Africa want to make an
> impact in global economy our leaders should put their act together for a
> union style of Government. It can be a form of treaty or constitution which
> should be filter to the grassroot for their involvement in a form of voting.
> Neoliberalism is not evil with emphaise on social justice, human development
> and poltical rights. Accumulation of private property is as old of the
> history of mankind but the state should also have the social responsibility
> to equally distribute the common goods such as land, water, energy etc.
> African Union should the led the fight towards such dynamic. We can only
> take our real position with the emerge of visionary leaders.
>
> Kabir Njaay <[log in to unmask]> wrote:  Pan-African Postcard
>
> Death by committee
>
> http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/panafrican/42392
>
> Tajudeen Abdul Raheem (2007-07-05)
>
> African leaders have again squandered yet another opportunity, an historic
> one, to lead decisively. Instead they have gone for the least common
> denominator, the line of least resistance, by deciding not to decide. The
> all-important issue of a Government of the Union that was billed as The
> Grand Debate at the recently concluded AU summit, has been referred to yet
> another committee that will report at the next summit in January in Addis
> Ababa.
>
> We are all familiar with the saying that the best way to kill an idea is
> to
> form a committee about it. How many more committees do we need to make
> this
> decision?
>
> The so-called debate itself was the result of a study presented to the
> heads
> of state that has taken almost two years to complete. All the arguments
> for
> and against were contained in the report and the three options were clear.
> One, immediate formation of a Union government. Two, a gradual process
> leading to Union Government by consolidation of regional economic
> communities and economic convergence. And last, the formation of a Union
> Government that gives political authority to the AU in specified areas,
> aligns national policies to continental policies, and rationalises the
> RECS
> to become affective building blocs for the Union Government.
>
> Wherever one stands on this debate, deciding on these issues is vital to
> move forward. Too many decisions, agreements, protocols have been made,
> agreed or signed at the continental level without any implementation at
> the
> national level. The suggestion of a Union Government was meant to give an
> effective legal and political framework to these agreements and a
> mandatory
> enforcement mechanism.
>
> Unfortunately, the huge ego, razzmatazz and showmanship of the
> brother-leader, Muammar Gaddafi, the champion of the accelerated
> Union-track, has beclouded the real issues feeding the prejudice of all
> Gadaffi-phobic and Arab phobic and sub-Saharan obscurantists. President
> Thabo Mbeki of South Africa who is leading the anti-Gaddafi and anti-Union
> Government charge, liberally exploited these sentiments to actually
> subvert
> the debate due to the interests of South African capital and its expansion
> across this continent without any obligation towards our social commune.
>
> The South African manoeuvre also tapped into the deep-seated alienation of
> many Africans about our governments, their distrust of political leaders,
> and cynicism that our leaders don't mean what they say or say what they
> mean.
>
> Unfortunately, Mbeki's neoliberal agenda was unwittingly aided and abetted
> by the ambiguity displayed by Nigeria's new President, Umar Musa Yar'
> Adua.
> Yar' Adua was obviously not properly briefed by his benefactor and the
> Nigerian foreign policy elite about a third position championed by former
> President Obasanjo, and supported by Uganda, Senegal and other leaders in
> the Heads of State committee set up to look into the issue. They were
> supposed to report to the Summit but with clear timelines and concrete
> steps
> about what will be Union issues, further reforms of the charter,
> strengthening of representational institutions like the Pan-African
> Parliament and also taking a decision on the RECS.
>
> But when Yar Adua spoke in his maiden Summit address, he sounded like all
> he
> was interested in were the RECs, thereby strengthening the Mbeki
> supporters.
>
> Obasanjo was too busy trying to get Yar' Adua to Aso Rock to update him on
> Nigeria's position on African and global matters. The enemies of the Union
> Government are not just neoliberal governments but also must be some of
> the
> bureaucrats in the Union and NEPAD. The old OAU bureaucrats were afraid of
> the Union and fought its restructuring before and after the extraordinary
> summit in Shirte in 1999. Now they are fighting to defend the Union they
> opposed because we now want to reform it further to create a viable
> institution with political authority.
>
> Many of them are incompetent and got their positions due to political
> barter
> and horse-trading and want to maintain them at all costs. But all is not
> lost yet. At least no one dares to argue against the Union and the Union
> Government in principle any more. What they are arguing about is when and
> how.
>
> Therefore, the debate in the next six months in all our countries should
> shift to the streets, seminar halls, parliaments, county halls and at all
> levels to challenge our leaders and democratise the discussion so that by
> the January Summit there is a clear and unambiguous message that we are
> ready for a Union Government with a clear timetable. South Africa is happy
> for its businesses to be free to exploit the rest of the continent. Their
> attitude is like that of Britain towards Europe. However, British
> reluctance
> did not stop the Germans and the French and other Europeans to move
> forward.
>
> Those countries that are willing and ready should begin to take the
> necessary steps that will make unity concrete for our peoples and not wait
> until everybody agrees.
>
> * Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is the Deputy Director for the UN Millennium
> Campaign in Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He writes this article in his
> personal capacity as a concerned Pan-Africanist.
>
> * Please send comments to [log in to unmask] or comment online at
> http://www.pambazuka.org/
>
>
> We are all familiar with the saying that the best way to kill an idea is
> to
> form a committee about it. How many more committees do we need to make
> this
> decision?
>
> The so-called debate itself was the result of a study presented to the
> Heads
> of State that has taken almost two years to complete. All the arguments
> for
> and against were contained in the report and the three options were clear.
> One, immediate formation of a Union government. Two, a gradual process
> leading to Union Government by consolidation of regional economic
> communities and economic convergence. And last, the formation of a Union
> Government that gives political authority to the AU in specified areas,
> aligns national policies to continental policies, and rationalises the
> RECS
> to become affective building blocs for the Union Government.
>
> Wherever one stands on this debate, deciding on these issues is vital to
> move forward. Too many decisions, agreements, protocols have been made,
> agreed or signed at the continental level without any implementation at
> the
> national level. The suggestion of a Union Government was meant to give an
> effective legal and political framework to these agreements and a
> mandatory
> enforcement mechanism.
>
> Unfortunately, the huge ego, razzmatazz and showmanship of the
> brother-leader, Muammar Gaddafi, the champion of the accelerated
> Union-track, has beclouded the real issues feeding the prejudice of all
> Gadaffi-phobic and Arab phobic and sub-Saharan obscurantists. President
> Thabo Mbeki of South Africa who is leading the anti-Gaddafi and anti-Union
> Government charge, liberally exploited these sentiments to actually
> subvert
> the debate due to the interests of South African capital and its expansion
> across this continent without any obligation towards our social commune.
>
> The South African manoeuvre also tapped into the deep-seated alienation of
> many Africans about our governments, their distrust of political leaders,
> and cynicism that our leaders don't mean what they say or say what they
> mean.
>
> Unfortunately, Mbeki's neo- liberal agenda was unwittingly aided and
> abetted
> by the ambiguity displayed by Nigeria's new President, Umar Musa Yar'
> Adua.
> Yar' Adua was obviously not properly briefed by his benefactor and the
> Nigerian foreign policy elite about a third position championed by former
> President Obasanjo, and supported by Uganda, Senegal and other leaders in
> the Heads of State committee set up to look into the issue. They were
> supposed to report to the Summit but with clear timelines and concrete
> steps
> about what will be Union issues, further reforms of the charter,
> strengthening of representational institutions like the Pan-African
> Parliament and also taking a decision on the RECS.
>
> But when Yar Adua spoke in his maiden Summit address, he sounded like all
> he
> was interested in were the RECs, thereby strengthening the Mbeki
> supporters.
>
> Obasanjo was too busy trying to get Yar' Adua to Aso Rock to update him on
> Nigeria's position on African and global matters. The enemies of the Union
> Government are not just neo-liberal governments but also must be some of
> the
> bureaucrats in the Union and NEPAD. The old OAU bureaucrats were afraid of
> the Union and fought its restructuring before and after the extraordinary
> summit in Shirte in 1999. Now they are fighting to defend the Union they
> opposed because we now want to reform it further to create a viable
> institution with political authority.
>
> Many of them are incompetent and got their positions due to political
> barter
> and horse-trading and want to maintain them at all costs. But all is not
> lost yet. At least no one dares to argue against the Union and the Union
> Government in principle any more. What they are arguing about is when and
> how.
>
> Therefore, the debate in the next six months in all our countries should
> shift to the streets, seminar halls, parliaments, county halls and at all
> levels to challenge our leaders and democratise the discussion so that by
> the January Summit there is a clear and unambiguous message that we are
> ready for a Union Government with a clear timetable. South Africa is happy
> for its businesses to be free to exploit the rest of the continent. Their
> attitude is like that of Britain towards Europe. However, British
> reluctance
> did not stop the Germans and the French and other Europeans to move
> forward.
>
> Those countries that are willing and ready should begin to take the
> necessary steps that will make unity concrete for our peoples and not wait
> until everybody agrees.
>
> * Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is the Deputy Director for the UN Millennium
> Campaign in Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He writes this article in his
> personal capacity as a concerned Pan-Africanist.
>
> * Please send comments to [log in to unmask] or comment online at
> http://www.pambazuka.org/
>
> ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
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