Darkest Europe and Africa's Nightmare: A Critical Observation of the Neighbouring Continents

Akinyi von K'Orinda-Yimbo

Jan 2007 · Algora Publishing

About this ebook

Probing the human causes of Africa s continuing travails, a London-educated Kenyan princess examines official policies that do more harm than good, while poking fun at Western hypocrisy and greed, and African vanity and passivity, as well. If the United States is based on the principle that all men are created equal, why, the author asks, does the West treat Africa and Africans differently? Just what kind of democracy is being exported, when only the West s interests are served?. In an incisive view of the relationship between Africa and the West, a London-educated Kenyan princess suggests that the aid machinery hurts Africa more than it assists. Westerners (and successful Africans alike) perpetuate the negative image of Africa to assuage their consciences as they continue to rip off a rich continent, while deploring the poverty they themselves help to keep in place. Western citizenry have been schooled to think that their countries are wealthy because they are smarter or work harder a belief fostered to support hegemonic delusions. Just as artificial, she argues, is the notion that Africa s alleged poverty and the West s staggering economic and military might could be related to skin color or the scientifically preposterous notion of race. The truth, the author maintains, is that they are rich because they have robbed and still rob their wealth from the rest of the world, creating poor countries precisely where the greatest natural wealth is found. American and European corporations, and now Chinese as well, whisk away Africa s resources to enrich their own economies and peoples. The author looks at contemporary political, humanitarian and economic trends, assessing the World Bank, WTO, G8 and the IMF to be the long arms of the world oligarchies, primarily the USA. She considers NGOs a menace to Africa while serving as a job-creation blessing to the rich nations. She suggests the aid industry does more harm than good, dissuading Africans from defending their turf while foreign corporations scoop up all the resources. She analyzes the negative picture people (of North and South as well) have of Africa, and shows that those who are making huge profits out of the continent do their best to perpetuate the negative image of Africa to assuage their consciences. She makes no bones about the collective psychic damage and self-hate so prevalent among Africans, and contrasts the political, social and intellectual apathy this has induced with the aggression, ignorance and arrogance of those of European descent. This title builds on the discussion raised in Empire of Shame by UN Special Commissioner Jean Ziegler, and World Bank official Robert Calderisi s The Trouble With Africa. It is written for readers interested in world politics, socio-economics and the distribution of wealth and power between the industrialized and developing countries, with special interest on Africa; students and professors of political science and the humanities; the African and African-American intelligentsia, organizations such as UNESCO, NGOs, civil societies and political activists.