Mr Jallow,
The historical fact is: European powers and traders initiated, organised,
maintained and terminated The Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, with their profit
margin always being their most paramount consideration. There were
collaborators on the African side though (just as our home grown brutal
dictators have collaborators), but firstly, most of them were forced by the
aggressive nature of the trade to join in(after it disrupted other economic
activities like farming), and secondly, the contributions of the African
collaborators was minute when compared to the huge investments of the
Europeans in the trade.
You may not be advertently apologising for the brutal and inhuman behaviour
of European mercantile capitalism as exemplified in the Trans Atlantic Slave
Trade, but your remarks pertaining to African collaborators resonates the
position of some historians( J.D.Fage et al.). These scholars do not only
apologise for the slave trade indirectly by exaggerating African
contributions to the trade, but in general they propagate the Hamitic
hypothesis. The most modern apologist thinking to come from this quarters is
"presentism".
I urge us all, not to be overwhelmed by the failures of our founding fathers
and our current predicaments. Africa has the potential to develop, if only
most of us dedicate ourselves to serving our peoples rather than riding on
their backs; and the west agrees to radically changed the nature of our
trade relations for our mutual benefits. We are not asking for anything
more!
Omar Joof.


>From: Koch Barma <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: WAS AFRICA THE DARK CONTINENT? NOT REALLY.
>Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 23:42:53 -0800
>
>Gentlemen:
>
>I will try to respond simultaneously to all rejoinders to my earlier
>comments...it is too late for me now.
>
>Mr Sidibeh, I can only add Amen to your comments.
>
>Mr. Joof:  I think I asserted earlier that the European influence on
>the African continent has been quite corrosive, and I never imply in
>anyway an apology for slavery.  It is a historical fact that Africans
>were willing accomplice to that institution.  Those in denial from
>both sides of the Atlantic choose to accentuate one side of the story
>over another for very obvious reasons.
>On the issue of African resources...I have heard before of similar
>fantastic claims which eventually lapse into spurious dependencia
>theories- The center (the West) bilked the periphery (Third World) of
>their raw materials at low world market prices only to sell them
>again manufactured goods at exorbitant prices etc etc- all but a
>morbid propensity to find fault with everyone else but oneself- in
>other words signature economic impotence.  The obvious fact is
>prosperity or socio-economic development does not rest on the
>availability of natural resources alone but essentially on
>productivity to a large extent.
>
>King George:  I figure you argued my quoted statement out of context
>perhaps since you have not read the previous issue posted on the G-l.
>My point is Africa has very limited options in global affairs
>regardless of its quantity of resources,...and that change, a
>cultural transformation is inevitable inorder to escape from the
>pathological socio-economic abyss.  I make this argument in reference
>to a sagacious comment that the late Sen. Patrick Moynihan once said:
>  "The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics,
>that determines the success of a society.  The central liberal truth
>is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself".
>However, considering the post-colonial history of Africa since Krumah
>advocated to "seek the political kingdom and everything else shall
>follow", all that followed after political independence is nothing
>but gloom and doom.  This opens a strong case to revisit the validity
>of the late Senator's observation...There is a now a very compelling
>case as studied by the Harvard Academy for International and Area
>Studies, that culture makes all the difference in socio-economic
>development.  Perhaps you may want to read Harvard professor David
>Landes' book "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations", one good source
>amongst many to start with.......
>
>Regards,
>
>Ebou
>
>PS: Clarissa is doing fine, and gives her regards to everyone.
>
>__________________________________
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>
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