Well said Dr. Jallow... Keep it coming On Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 5:31 PM, Baba Galleh Jallow <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Khaleel, > > Thanks for your very kind words and your insightful comments. What you > wrote is your opinion but it is informed and rational opinion, the kind we > need to cultivate in our homeland. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your > comments and thank you for taking the time to chip in. Have a great weekend. > > Warm regards, > Baba > > ------------------------------ > Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 15:04:57 -0500 > From: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: [G_L] [>-<] Why America Works and Africa Not . . . > To: [log in to unmask] > > Baba, > > Thank you for providing us an interesting read. I must say, you invoked > self-reflection in me while reading this beautifully crafted article. I > think it is fair enough to say that there is always a special appreciation > for a well-put together article that speaks to the minds and hearts of > people. I am looking forward to your next post. > > The question you raised is genuine and merits attention by every African > that is truly about progress in the continent, not just in words but in > deed as well. “Why America Works and Africa Not . . .”. While I can think > of many flaws of America, its systems, policies, politics and people; it > epitomizes democracy at its highest. This is a nation mostly very tolerant > and nurtures the best out of every citizen. These are people that can > fiercely disagree about politics, policies and ideologies but still live > next door to each other, pray together and visit the same establishments > without building hatred that creates a lasting divide. These are people who > understand that disagreement does not equal hatred and expressing an > individual opinion is treated as such “opinion”. This is a nation where > people are proud to call home regardless of its imperfect systems and > policies. This is a nation that sees patriotism as a symbol of excellence > and the people willing to die for. This is a nation where people reserve > the right to select their govern and hold it accountable when it fails to > deliver without being thrown in jail to rut. > > As you may agree with me, we need not to copy the American system but > there are significant lessons we can learn from them, tailor a system of > governance that fits and suits us well as Latjor eluded. I think we as > people create unnecessary divide that pushes us further away from coming > together on the most basic issues in life. For the most we make decisions > based on emotions rather than facts, faith is essential but our religious > believes can be so extreme sometimes, not to mention our different cultures > that we impose too far in our decision making process. Understanding that > all these things matters to an individual but can we, are we willing to > look beyond these and cultivate an environment where the most important > thing is the issues that affect the states and the people without > alienating each other. > > For the most part the U.S. election was peaceful regardless of the heated > debates among people of different political ideologies. No rocks thrown and > no fistfights reported among many things that could have went wrong. This > is largely a credit to the people, their maturity, understanding and > respect of the laws of the land. Security of their democracy helps without > a doubt. Ultimately, we have a lot of work to do with such a high > illiteracy levels and poverty in our societies and the lack of respect for > the rule of law. These are the roots of our problems I believe. > > Until we understand that there is something bigger than our ego in a > crucial fight for justice and equality for all, until we realize that we > have a long challenging task of educating our people to stay clear from > those ideologies that only divides us masked under the banner of tribe, > religion, culture, riches and self gratification, we will never enjoy half > the success we see and hear in the American society. We need to master the > basics and work hard to improve our society through selfless sacrifices. > What I wrote is entirely my opinion and none of it is scientific. Thanks > for reading it. > > Khaleel > > Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 10:20:11 -0800 > From: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: [G_L] [>-<] Why America Works and Africa Not . . . > To: [log in to unmask] > > Thanks Latjor. Actually we do have a lot to learn from the American > experience and I did understand your point. One thing we have learnt from > the American experience is that it is nations (people) that build states > (governments), and not the other way round, which brings to sharp relief > one of the reasons why Africa keeps failing: the unworkable practice of > "nation-building" from above. I look forward to your thoughts on the Nation > School sometime soon. Thank you. > > Warm regards, > Baba > > ------------------------------ > Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 17:57:48 +0000 > From: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: [G_L] [>-<] Why America Works and Africa Not . . . > To: [log in to unmask] > > Great Doc. > > Looking forward to reading more of your thoughts on the proposed mental > revolution. BTW, I did not say we ought to copy the American experience, > rather to draw lessons from them and others. The concepts of "Family Nation > and Nation School" are of particular interest, especially the latter, and > they need greater articulation. > Will share some of my thoughts on the latter concept at some point after > your insights. > > Cheers! > Latjor > > ------------------------------ > Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 09:22:13 -0800 > From: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: [G_L] [>-<] Why America Works and Africa Not . . . > To: [log in to unmask] > > Latjor, > > Thanks for your kind comments. You do indeed raise a valid point: It is > one thing to call for a Mind revolution but quite another thing to > actualize it. I have actually been thinking a lot about this issue over the > past few years and have written and shared something about it at the L and > Post sometime last year. I think we do not need to copy the American > experience to empower our people. We can craft practical home-grown > strategies to do it, namely, through actualizing the concepts of the Family > Nation and the Nation School. I will update those pieces and share them > with these forums over the next few days. Thanks for the encouragement. > > Warm regards, > Baba > > ------------------------------ > From: [log in to unmask] > To: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask] > Subject: RE: [>-<] Why America Works and Africa Not . . . > Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 15:42:37 +0000 > > An excellent write up Baba with much food for thought for the > continent's people. I quote below part of your final paragraph which I > completely concur with, however, calling for a 'Mind revolution' is one > thing, and actualizing it another. It would be useful to offer some > strategies and concrete actions that can be taken to arrive at the > empowerment you allude to. Perhaps the American experience can serve as one > where lessons can be drawn. > > "Africa’s salvation lies in the empowerment of the African people > precisely in the manner that the American people are empowered... > Africa will not work until the African people become conscious of their > power and make it impossible for political actors to pretend or act > otherwise. The revolution that will set Africa free is therefore above > everything else, a Mind revolution that will place political power firmly > in the hands of the people to exercise and defend as they deem fit." > > Latjor > > > ------------------------------ > From: [log in to unmask] > To: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask] > Subject: [>-<] Why America Works and Africa Not . . . > Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2012 15:05:11 -0800 > > *Why America Works and Africa Not . . .* > > > > By Baba Galleh Jallow > > > > How did Africans feel watching Republican candidate Mitt Romney walk up to > the mike at his subdued campaign headquarters on the night of November 6, > 2012 and graciously conceding defeat in the 2012 presidential elections? > Perhaps some sense of relief that America, in spite of its great mass of > ugliness, does have some extremely beautiful aspects that cannot but be the > envy of the world, especially those parts of the world where conceding > electoral defeat is almost unheard of and where political grace is > displayed only in its patronizing, bullish manifestation, as if it were a > favor to be conferred and not a virtue to be cultivated and shared. It was > at once humbling and gratifying to watch a man who had spent so much energy > and resources of all kind walk right up to the mike, in front of TV cameras > and congratulate another man who, only a few hours earlier, was his most > bitter political opponent. And Romney conceded defeat graciously, even > praying for Obama to succeed in his renewed role as President of the United > States. This is what putting country before self looks and feels like. And > this is a huge part of why America works. > > > > It would be simplistic, however, to suggest that Romney conceded defeat > merely because he is a gracious man, or merely because he puts country > before self. These, of course, are to some extent true. But there is a > bigger force than Romney or any single American that dictated Romney’s > decision to graciously concede defeat in these elections: That force is > the American people – a people who are politically literate and who will > hold their leaders accountable for whatever they do or fail to do. The > American state is one that was built by the people and that continues to be > sustained by the people. This is quite the opposite of what obtains in > Africa where the state was put in place by a small group of people serving > imperial interests and where the state continues to be made up of a small > group of people mostly serving their own interests. > > > > The 2012 elections in America were certainly the most fiercely contested > in a long time. Right wing hatred of America’s Black president became > personified and vocalized through the agency of men like Rush Limbaugh, > Glen Beck and Donald Trump, and through institutions like the Tea Party and > Fox News, among many others, some visible, most invisible. America’s crop > of wealthy racists sponsored Super PACs that invested hundreds of millions > of dollars into the GOP campaign machinery while less wealthy racists > swelled the ranks of the Tea Party and formed all manner of racist > organizations devoted to “taking our country back” as if they were the only > ones who could claim ownership of the United States. In the U.S. Congress, > racist members swore to make sure that their dear America will not be ruled > for a further four years by Barack Obama, not because Obama is a bad > president, in spite of protestations to the contrary, but because Obama is > a Black President and the idea of a Black President of the United States is > just intolerable to America’s racists. Republican members of Congress grew > so obstructionist as to be almost subversive of the country they so profess > to love. They did and said everything they could to make sure that the > first Obama administration failed and therefore rendered ineligible for a > second term. And during the months and weeks leading up to the elections, > they did everything they could to drive the Black President out of the > White House. Happily, racist America remains in the minority in almost all > of the states that most matter – those states with the highest number of > electoral votes. And so Obama gets re-elected with at least a margin of 100 > electoral votes as of election night. For a brief moment after CNN > projected that Obama has been re-elected, it seemed as if Romney would > refuse to concede defeat. His campaign actually said he was not ready to > concede, that they were crunching the Ohio numbers. But with Colorado > declared for Obama moments later, Romney knew he had to throw the towel in > or risk facing the wrath of the American people. One feels pretty certain > that if Obama lost the election as clearly as Romney did, he would have > readily conceded defeat rather than risk the wrath of the American people. > Both Jimmy Carter and George Bush senior were incumbents when they lost the > election, and they had to vacate the White House without any particular > prompting other than the scary prospect of incurring the wrath of the > American people. > > > > Contrast this scenario to what obtains in Africa, where in a country like > The Gambia for instance, the incumbent president declares that the ballot > could never take him out of office even before the vote is cast. African > presidents are able to make such insulting statements because they, and not > the people, are the repositories of power and thus the objects of fear. The > balance of power between state and nation, between government and people is > so terribly skewed that it is generally taken for granted that states are > all-powerful and people are all-powerless. The possibility that people > could even object to the words and actions of the state is diminished to > near oblivion. The state appropriates to itself the right to erase the > agency of the people as political actors by forcefully identifying its own > interests completely with the interests of the nation and daring anyone to > question the validity of that fallacious assumption. The entire nation is > held hostage to the barrel of the gun and the malicious whims of a state > that has no conception of itself as beholden to anything but its own > selfish interests. When Gambian tyrant Yahya Jammeh declares that he is > afraid of no one but God, he is precisely saying that all power in the > country is vested in him, and that the people, the true repositories of > political power, are in fact completely without political power. This lie > is given a semblance of truth by the deployment of merciless state > repression against all perceived or real critics and opponents, and by the > practice of hiring and firing people as frequently as he deems fit to serve > his interests. In Africa, a president can fire any one from their > government position, have anyone arrested and locked up, ban any media > house, or seize any business or private property without as much as the > blink of an eye because the people have been so thoroughly emasculated of > political power as to believe that they have absolutely no claim or right > to political power and no say in the conduct of their own national affairs. > > > > Africa’s salvation lies in the empowerment of the African people precisely > in the manner that the American people are empowered. It is not a question > of emulating America or any other nation on earth. It is the reality that > within the context of the nation state system that prevails in America as > in Africa, political power belongs rightfully to the people. But the people > can only wield this power if they are aware in the first place that they > own this power. African governments are well aware of this, although in > pursuit of their selfish interests and their insatiable greed for > self-aggrandizement and their sweet tooth for power, they force themselves > to live under a self-imposed ignorance regarding this fact. The tragedy of > the African condition is that the modern state is not one built by the > people but one imposed on the people by the colonizing project of imperial > Europe. This tragedy is worsened because the state that took over from the > imperial project did not see fit to bring into being an empowered and > politically enlightened people. Rather, the state has consistently been > happy to pull the political blinders over the eyes of the people and to > perpetuate the myth of the absolute power of the state and the absolute > powerlessness of the people. Elections are projected and seen as a practice > in the expression of political gratitude to the rich and powerful, not as a > practice in the exercise of the people’s political power. America works > because the people of America are conscious of their power and no actors in > the American state – whether it’s a Romney or an Obama – is so foolhardy as > to contemplate the mere possibility of testing the reality of that power. > Africa will not work until the African people become conscious of their > power and make it impossible for political actors to pretend or act > otherwise. The revolution that will set Africa free is therefore above > everything else, a Mind revolution that will place political power firmly > in the hands of the people to exercise and defend as they deem fit. > > > > > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search > in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search > in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search > in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search > in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the > List Management, please send an e-mail to: > [log in to unmask]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤