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Post by reporter911 on Mar 22, 2012 1:11:44 GMT 3
I meant to have that in another thread and have now moved it there. Anway, can't you koroga properly in your native language? ;D hey translating at the ICC from English to Vernacular ain't easy that is why translators are paid big time Globally... I hope they get paid same rate as French, German, Chinese e.t.c translators.. mega bucks.. Can you Translate or koroga fluently from English to your "Luga"if you were to get a job at the ICC hearing? I can't!! but I speak my mother tongue fluently including Swahili.... |
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Post by OtishOtish on Mar 22, 2012 1:22:25 GMT 3
I see your point. But they are looking for people to do translation for ICC people doing "field-work" in Kenya. I'm pretty confident I can do translation at that level and speed. The standard rate for such people is something like 1,000 pounds per month. Not big bucks, but also not starvation wages in Kenya.
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Post by OtishOtish on Mar 22, 2012 1:25:51 GMT 3
otishotish, You wrote: “...some countries that were at the same level as us 40-50 years ago have weaned themselves off ‘aid’ and forged ahead of us." --- Might you be referring to the “Asian Tigers” by any chance? (brother) Wanyee Ndugu Wanyee: You have quoted only part of my statement. There's a "let's ignore" that's been left out. I really meant it. Since I asked first, I propose that we get an answer to my question, after which we will get to yours. |
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Post by OtishOtish on Mar 22, 2012 4:06:12 GMT 3
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Post by reporter911 on Mar 22, 2012 5:06:00 GMT 3
Laudable aims. If only they were true. Freedom House, the respected US think tank, places Equatorial Guinea alongside Burma, North Korea and Somalia on its list of the world's worst regimes, Does his remind you of Kenya?
They should have mentioned Togo too.. and that is why with the old guards in place still following the colonial grotesque human rights abuses and torture currently on the citizens, same abuses that many african went through including slavery during colonization.. AFrica continent will never change.. unless citizens stand up against these leaders to stop the colonial vicious cycles that most of them carried forward..to date. |
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sky11
New Member
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Post by sky11 on Mar 22, 2012 14:53:24 GMT 3
@ Reporter, Good read, some more information / links is.gd/4ho2FO The chairman of New Forests Group is a chap called Robert Devereux, what a kind hearted person! is.gd/eYJvqXI had some info. on some of the stuff happening in Kenya as far as land acquisitions are concerned, have to locate that info. and share it. However we can start by looking at the Lake Magadi lease (the Indians now own it). A couple of years ago a well known minister 'corrected' the masai who had claims on the land that the lease was not 99 years but 999 years! Point is, there is plenty happening in our own back yard, that most are not aware of. @ otishotish, interesting read and I feel you. Have you heard the terms 'Skinnerian conditioning'? Now we can take a couple steps back and see how the same principles can be applied to a whole 'independent country'.Reward, punishment and the illusion/ anticipation of punishment are powerful tools in creating a desired behavior. e.g. if you don’t do as we say, we shall bring you real 'democracy' or if you don’t privatize your government parastatal, we shall cut off funding (aid) there plenty of real examples ( I do have a habit of digressing when posting comments). I leave the rest to your imagination lakini kumbuka kuna wakubwa. I have always stated that integration and harmony can only occur in growing economies, meaning that opportunities (food, Health, Security and money) for all are available now and in future. The moment economies shrink, we start seeing all sorts of problems, from corruption, nepotism (tribalism) etc etc I hope to expand on this a little later… |
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Post by OtishOtish on Mar 22, 2012 22:30:50 GMT 3
Ndugu/Dada sky11: You people have identified the "problem" very clearly. So, now to the next part: What should we do about these neo-colonial, imperialist MFs and their new scramble for Africa? I'm really keen to hear some suggestions.
Me, I tend to think "small" these days and I am preoccupied with matters I've already alluded to: During the PEV I saw Kenyans slaughtering and raping thousands of other Kenyans and throwing hundreds of thousands out of their homes. I did not see many wazungus involved in that. Now it looks like we are warming up for PEV II. I take a look at the "prayer" rallies, and what do I see. On stage I see Kenyan tribal demagogues, rapists and murderers, engaged in yet more rabble-rousing and stirring of tribal hatreds. No wazungus. In the crowds I see masses of unthinking, tribalistic sheep lustily cheering the very people who have [REDACTED] them in the [REDACTED]. Again, no wazungus. From what I sense coming at the elections, my top priority these days is to make sure that the remaining members of my immediate family can join me in this neo-colonial, imperialist country. Once the neo-colonial, imperialist country has granted them residence, and they are comfortable and no longer run the risk of rape, murder, and slaughter by the compatriots in Kenya, I will be the first to join you in battling the foreign MFs who are again out to carve up our Beloved Continent and steal its riches.
Once the foreign MFs have been conquered, we can turn to our "leaders" in Kenya, starting with all those who have "eaten big" and misused, for their own selfish ends, money and resources that could have done a great deal to improve the welfare of the common mwananchi.
Vision 2030 3020.
Kazi iendelee.
Love, Peace, and Unity.
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Post by wanyee on Mar 22, 2012 23:03:35 GMT 3
Ndugu otishotish, Actually, the entire sentence was: “Let's ignore the fact that some countries that were at the same level as us 40-50 years ago have weaned themselves off ‘aid’ and forged ahead of us.” Correct me if I’m wrong, but this statement assumes that the circumstances surrounding the countries you speak off (presumably the “Asian Tigers”) did not differ from that of African countries. In my humble opinion, this is the crux of the matter, because the real story behind the “Asian Tigers” / “Asian Miracle” was state-led development (i.e. Keynesianism). Thus, I quoted you only as necessary, in order to get to what I consider to be the crux of the matter. That is, why are “some countries that were at the same level as us 40-50 years ago...weaned themselves off ‘aid’ and forged ahead of us.” More importantly, what are the major obstacles to Africa’s development? In my opinion, PEV is a symptom of the malaise. This relates to the following point by sky11: "integration and harmony can only occur in growing economies, meaning that opportunities (food, Health, Security and money) for all are available now and in future. The moment economies shrink, we start seeing all sorts of problems, from corruption, nepotism (tribalism) etc etc." Perhaps in answering your question, I have answered mine. Unless, of course, you were not referring to the “Asian Tigers” / “Asian Miracle”. See also:Barack Obama’s three misdeeds in Africawww.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=14467 |
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Post by reporter911 on Mar 22, 2012 23:27:26 GMT 3
Ndugu/Dada sky11: You people have identified the "problem" very clearly. So, now to the next part: What should we do about these neo-colonial, imperialist MFs and their new scramble for Africa? I'm really keen to hear some suggestions. Me, I tend to think "small" these days and I am preoccupied with matters I've already alluded to: During the PEV I saw Kenyans slaughtering and raping thousands of other Kenyans and throwing hundreds of thousands out of their homes. I did not see many wazungus involved in that. Now it looks like we are warming up for PEV II. I take a look at the "prayer" rallies, and what do I see. On stage I see Kenyan tribal demagogues, rapists and murderers, engaged in yet more rabble-rousing and stirring of tribal hatreds. No wazungus. In the crowds I see masses of unthinking, tribalistic sheep lustily cheering the very people who have [REDACTED] them in the [REDACTED]. Again, no wazungus. From what I sense coming at the elections, my top priority these days is to make sure that the remaining members of my immediate family can join me in this neo-colonial, imperialist country. Once the neo-colonial, imperialist country has granted them residence, and they are comfortable and no longer run the risk of rape, murder, and slaughter by the compatriots in Kenya, I will be the first to join you in battling the foreign MFs who are again out to carve up our Beloved Continent and steal its riches. Once the foreign MFs have been conquered, we can turn to our "leaders" in Kenya, starting with all those who have "eaten big" and misused, for their own selfish ends, money and resources that could have done a great deal to improve the welfare of the common mwananchi. Vision 2030 3020. Kazi iendelee. Love, Peace, and Unity. why don't you start by telling those kenyans that bleed the country dry to return the stolen wealth including land "IDP's are still waiting.. Why the fight for land since after independence? why did Jomo Kenyatta grab his own tribesmen land then resettled them on other peoples land by force in the Rift Valley.. Unless the land issues are address, you might as well forget your big plans.. How about the invisible hands behind the scenes, ask yourself a serious question? when Kenyans went to the polls in 2007 they wanted change, and this is why; 1. Corruption - was and still is the big elephant in the room Everyone in Kenya knows the term/meaning “kitu kidogo.” or "Chai"That is why people like Antony Ragui set up such sites "I PAID A BRIBE" ipaidabribe.com/ But will it help? Police are the number one on the bribe list.. ( Goldenberg, Anglo leasing, Rift Valley Railway, Forensic labs "CID" just to name a few pending cases..)2. Anti-corruption measures - Though legislation against corruption in Kenya has existed since 1956, with the Prevention of Corruption Act, the current anti-corruption agency has only been operating since 2003. Has never worked and has had no teeth starting from the reign of Jomo Kenyatta, Arap Moi and now Mwai Kibaki 3.Democracy; if you think Kenya is democratic then think again 4.Good governance; not happening 5. Rule of law; which rule of Law? two differents sets, one for the elite and one for the ordinary Kenyans 6. Tribalism - In CorruptionOne main factor that fuels the problems of corruption in Kenya is tribal loyalty. People in Kenya are first and foremost loyal to their tribe. Member of the same clan or tribe often ‘help’ each other, even when it involves illegal corruption. Corruption and Kenya's PresidentsJomo KenyattaHe was the first president of Kenya after independence in 1963. During colonialism, the European colonizers had stolen fertile lands from, among others, the Kalenjin tribe. After the independence (in 1963), Kenyatta did not return those lands to the former owners, but handed it over to members of his own clan and tribe (the Kikuyu). Kenyatta himself became one of the largest private land owners in the country. Daniel arap MoiDuring Daniel arap Moi's presidency – Kenya’s second president – corruption was widespread and involved Moi himself on many occasions. In the 1990s, he was part of the Goldenberg scandal, where smuggled gold was exported out of Kenya in exchange for high government subsidies. Many officials from the Central Bank, and more than 20 senior judges have also been implicated. Mwai KibakiThe third president, Mwai Kibaki, was elected in 2002 mainly on the promise to end corruption in Kenya once and for all. Checking with reported employment records his administration consists largely of Kikuyu, From 2003 to 2006, Kibaki’s cabinet spent 14 million dollars on new Mercedes cars for themselves. But Githongo whistleblower blew the lid open on Kibaki's corrupt empire.. Anglo leasing to name a few..
Kenya still has an authoritarian regime (coalition government that Kenyans didn't vote for in the first place) fuelled by corruption, cronyism, tribalism and economic plunder threatens the economic stability of Kenya.. Now you ask what can ordinary Mwaninchi do to right what has gone wrong with Kenya and a nasty rotten smell in Kenya's history since gaining independence? remove the rot first!!!! Yes wasungu's were not on the streets of Kenya during the 2007-2008 clashes, but they sure taught each person that entered statehouse how to loot the coffers and oppress their citizens in the name of power.!! |
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Post by OtishOtish on Mar 22, 2012 23:35:37 GMT 3
Ndugu otishotish, Actually, the entire sentence was: “Let's ignore the fact that some countries that were at the same level as us 40-50 years ago have weaned themselves off ‘aid’ and forged ahead of us.” Correct me if I’m wrong, but this statement assumes that the circumstances surrounding the countries you speak off (presumably the “Asian Tigers”) did not differ from that of African countries. In my humble opinion, this is the crux of the matter, because the real story behind the “Asian Tigers” / “Asian Miracle” was state-led development (i.e. Keynesianism). Thus, I quoted you only as necessary, in order to get to what I consider to be the crux of the matter. That is, why are “some countries that were at the same level as us 40-50 years ago...weaned themselves off ‘aid’ and forged ahead of us.” More importantly, what are the major obstacles to Africa’s development? In my opinion, PEV is a symptom of the malaise. This relates to the following point by sky11: "integration and harmony can only occur in growing economies, meaning that opportunities (food, Health, Security and money) for all are available now and in future. The moment economies shrink, we start seeing all sorts of problems, from corruption, nepotism (tribalism) etc etc." Perhaps in answering your question, I have answered mine. Unless, of course, you were not referring to the “Asian Tigers” / “Asian Miracle”. See also:Barack Obama’s three misdeeds in Africawww.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=14467Ndugu, I really meant it when I said let's ignore that for now. And don't make any assumptions about which countries I might have in mind and in what regard. I can assue you that we'll get back to this point. For now, let's keep to the subject of the title of this thread. I ask again: The "problem" has been identified, sasa mta do?. |
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Post by OtishOtish on Mar 22, 2012 23:47:08 GMT 3
why don't you start by telling those kenyans that bleed the country dry to return the stolen wealth including land "IDP's are still waiting.. Why the fight for land since after independence? why did Jomo Kenyatta grab his own tribesmen land then resettled them on other peoples land by force in the Rift Valley.. Unless the land issues are address, you might as well forget your big plans.. How about the invisible hands behind the scenes, ask yourself a serious question? when Kenyans went to the polls in 2007 they wanted change, and this is why; 1. Corruption - was and still is the big elephant in the room Everyone in Kenya knows the term/meaning “kitu kidogo.” or "Chai"That is why people like Antony Ragui set up such sites "I PAID A BRIBE" ipaidabribe.com/ But will it help? Police are the number one on the bribe list.. ( Goldenberg, Anglo leasing, Rift Valley Railway, Forensic labs "CID" just to name a few pending cases..)2. Anti-corruption measures - Though legislation against corruption in Kenya has existed since 1956, with the Prevention of Corruption Act, the current anti-corruption agency has only been operating since 2003. Has never worked and has had no teeth starting from the reign of Jomo Kenyatta, Arap Moi and now Mwai Kibaki 3.Democracy; if you think Kenya is democratic then think again 4.Good governance; not happening 5. Rule of law; which rule of Law? two differents sets, one for the elite and one for the ordinary Kenyans 6. Tribalism - In CorruptionOne main factor that fuels the problems of corruption in Kenya is tribal loyalty. People in Kenya are first and foremost loyal to their tribe. Member of the same clan or tribe often ‘help’ each other, even when it involves illegal corruption. Corruption and Kenya's PresidentsJomo KenyattaHe was the first president of Kenya after independence in 1963. During colonialism, the European colonizers had stolen fertile lands from, among others, the Kalenjin tribe. After the independence (in 1963), Kenyatta did not return those lands to the former owners, but handed it over to members of his own clan and tribe (the Kikuyu). Kenyatta himself became one of the largest private land owners in the country. Daniel arap MoiDuring Daniel arap Moi's presidency – Kenya’s second president – corruption was widespread and involved Moi himself on many occasions. In the 1990s, he was part of the Goldenberg scandal, where smuggled gold was exported out of Kenya in exchange for high government subsidies. Many officials from the Central Bank, and more than 20 senior judges have also been implicated. Mwai KibakiThe third president, Mwai Kibaki, was elected in 2002 mainly on the promise to end corruption in Kenya once and for all. Checking with reported employment records his administration consists largely of Kikuyu, From 2003 to 2006, Kibaki’s cabinet spent 14 million dollars on new Mercedes cars for themselves. But Githongo whistleblower blew the lid open on Kibaki's corrupt empire.. Anglo leasing to name a few..
Kenya still has an authoritarian regime (coalition government that Kenyans didn't vote for in the first place) fuelled by corruption, cronyism, tribalism and economic plunder threatens the economic stability of Kenya.. Now you ask what can ordinary Mwaninchi do to right what has gone wrong with Kenya and a nasty rotten smell in Kenya's history since gaining independence? remove the rot first!!!! Yes wasungu's were not on the streets of Kenya during the 2007-2008 clashes, but they sure taught each person that entered statehouse how to loot the coffers and oppress their citizens in the name of power.!! Ndugu: That's quite a list! It might even make one think that a lot of our woes are self-inflicted and are not necessarily due to the evil imperialists and their perpetual desire to get their hands on our riches. I'll come back to it later, but, as you mention the "ordinary mwananchi", let me ask you a qucik one: What do you think of all those showing up at "prayer rallies" to cheer rapists and murderers? If you still have some time after that one, then I'd be keen to know of your thoughts on individual responsibility and the proper exercise of one's democratic rights (e.g. the vote). Once we get through that, I will have a sufficiently solid basis to respond to the many "weighty" remarks you have made. |
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Post by reporter911 on Mar 23, 2012 2:31:23 GMT 3
why don't you start by telling those kenyans that bleed the country dry to return the stolen wealth including land "IDP's are still waiting.. Why the fight for land since after independence? why did Jomo Kenyatta grab his own tribesmen land then resettled them on other peoples land by force in the Rift Valley.. Unless the land issues are address, you might as well forget your big plans.. How about the invisible hands behind the scenes, ask yourself a serious question? when Kenyans went to the polls in 2007 they wanted change, and this is why; 1. Corruption - was and still is the big elephant in the room Everyone in Kenya knows the term/meaning “kitu kidogo.” or "Chai"That is why people like Antony Ragui set up such sites "I PAID A BRIBE" ipaidabribe.com/ But will it help? Police are the number one on the bribe list.. ( Goldenberg, Anglo leasing, Rift Valley Railway, Forensic labs "CID" just to name a few pending cases..)2. Anti-corruption measures - Though legislation against corruption in Kenya has existed since 1956, with the Prevention of Corruption Act, the current anti-corruption agency has only been operating since 2003. Has never worked and has had no teeth starting from the reign of Jomo Kenyatta, Arap Moi and now Mwai Kibaki 3.Democracy; if you think Kenya is democratic then think again 4.Good governance; not happening 5. Rule of law; which rule of Law? two differents sets, one for the elite and one for the ordinary Kenyans 6. Tribalism - In CorruptionOne main factor that fuels the problems of corruption in Kenya is tribal loyalty. People in Kenya are first and foremost loyal to their tribe. Member of the same clan or tribe often ‘help’ each other, even when it involves illegal corruption. Corruption and Kenya's PresidentsJomo KenyattaHe was the first president of Kenya after independence in 1963. During colonialism, the European colonizers had stolen fertile lands from, among others, the Kalenjin tribe. After the independence (in 1963), Kenyatta did not return those lands to the former owners, but handed it over to members of his own clan and tribe (the Kikuyu). Kenyatta himself became one of the largest private land owners in the country. Daniel arap MoiDuring Daniel arap Moi's presidency – Kenya’s second president – corruption was widespread and involved Moi himself on many occasions. In the 1990s, he was part of the Goldenberg scandal, where smuggled gold was exported out of Kenya in exchange for high government subsidies. Many officials from the Central Bank, and more than 20 senior judges have also been implicated. Mwai KibakiThe third president, Mwai Kibaki, was elected in 2002 mainly on the promise to end corruption in Kenya once and for all. Checking with reported employment records his administration consists largely of Kikuyu, From 2003 to 2006, Kibaki’s cabinet spent 14 million dollars on new Mercedes cars for themselves. But Githongo whistleblower blew the lid open on Kibaki's corrupt empire.. Anglo leasing to name a few..
Kenya still has an authoritarian regime (coalition government that Kenyans didn't vote for in the first place) fuelled by corruption, cronyism, tribalism and economic plunder threatens the economic stability of Kenya.. Now you ask what can ordinary Mwaninchi do to right what has gone wrong with Kenya and a nasty rotten smell in Kenya's history since gaining independence? remove the rot first!!!! Yes wasungu's were not on the streets of Kenya during the 2007-2008 clashes, but they sure taught each person that entered statehouse how to loot the coffers and oppress their citizens in the name of power.!! Ndugu: That's quite a list! It might even make one think that a lot of our woes are self-inflicted and are not necessarily due to the evil imperialists and their perpetual desire to get their hands on our riches. I'll come back to it later, but, as you mention the "ordinary mwananchi", let me ask you a qucik one: What do you think of all those showing up at "prayer rallies" to cheer rapists and murderers? If you still have some time after that one, then I'd be keen to know of your thoughts on individual responsibility and the proper exercise of one's democratic rights (e.g. the vote). Once we get through that, I will have a sufficiently solid basis to respond to the many "weighty" remarks you have made. ;D ;D Depends on whether those who attend this charade of prayer meetings are cheering for them or giving them a farewell prayer to the ICC "Hague" Prison . I tend to think that Kenyans are just humouring them and those who can hook up a little free distributed Mpesha are happy to attend.., while the Rapists & murderers continue with their chest thumping.. I'm sure most Kenyans from all tribes want to see the Murderers and rapist locked up and the Key thrown away..Every tribe in Kenya was affected by the 2007-2008 clashes except for the "ELITE TRIBE" as they call themselves.. Prayers come in different forms, the politicians are praying that their millions $$$ will save them from the ICC while Kenyans are praying that those who were involved in the 2007-8 murders of innocent kenyans must face the law... My other points is that until Kenyans realize that there are only two types of tribes in Kenya which are the “Elite” tribe! and The “Ordinary Mwaninchi Tribe”Kenya will change for the better, only when the "Ordinary Mwaninchi Tribe" decides not to fall under the trap of "we are fighting and Killing each other for our tribes".. "but at the end of the day they are Killing each other to Keep the "Elite Tribe" in power.. what a mess. By the way you seem to be avoiding my questions, lawyer style.. answer my first one.. !!!!! |
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Post by wanyee on Mar 23, 2012 23:04:09 GMT 3
Ndugu Otishotish,
Unauliza “mta do?”
That is a good, straight-forward question. Let us be even more specific and explore what you and I can do to remedy “the problem” of primitive accumulation in Africa?
Before I continue, have you heard about the concept of "free, prior, and informed consent" (FPIC)?
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Post by OtishOtish on Mar 23, 2012 23:33:37 GMT 3
Ndugu Otishotish, Unauliza “mta do?” That is a good, straight-forward question. Let us be even more specific and explore what you and I can do to remedy “the problem” of primitive accumulation in Africa? Before I continue, have you heard about the concept of "free, prior, and informed consent" (FPIC)? Ndugu/Dada wanyee: As I have already indicated, these days I think "small". If by "what you and I can do" you are referring to things like civic and other appropriate education in Kenya---especially for our unthinking, tribalistic, lemming-like compatriots and their criminal so-called leaders---then I am with you. I can even suggest a "simple" and "small" topic to start us off: food security and the provision of clean water in sufficient quantities. If, on the other hand, you want to tackle the neo-colonial, imperialist MFs and their new dastardly plots to return and steal our riches, then you are going to need companions who are made of sterner stuff than I am. |
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Post by jakaswanga on Mar 24, 2012 1:18:36 GMT 3
Ndugu Otishotish, Unauliza “mta do?”That is a good, straight-forward question. Let us be even more specific and explore what you and I can do to remedy “the problem” of primitive accumulation in Africa? Before I continue, have you heard about the concept of "free, prior, and informed consent" (FPIC)? And as you go about Wanyee's assignment, pass through this missive too. ---MTA DO? [you ask like the famous signature tune of the guy at kumekucha!]Let me assume you ask the question with a honest heart. A dishonest heart would be when it is sarcasm and provocative sentiment that informs it; then I would beg to be excused from penning a rejoinder. The issues of national ... continental liberation aren't places I come lightly to. The struggle is varied and multi-faceted. Even jukwaa is a front, as you can see from the debates, and occasional viciousness on opposing sides. In the short term, there are people in civil society, artists, some experimenting with resistance graffiti, others poets and literati; there are scholars too, each contributing in their own small way, but the cumulative effect of this resistance is what forms the movement toward national liberation. Apart from ordinary people in their daily heroisms, sometimes men of a deadly breed emerge and coalesce into an organized party, eventualizing millitary resistance, and even if it leads to defeat, it is always a powerful learn. In the phase of direct decolonization, this was nearly always the case. To illustrate the historical struggle that contineus (sometimes in invincible fashion like the famous regulatory hand of the market in Adam Smith's mythology) let me say something about Old China, and Sun Yat Sen, the founder of the modern republic later to be declared by Chairman Mao. The republic now swiftly moving toward top dogism. Imperial China had been defeated and dismembered by highly aggressive rising West. The Emperor was forced to sign a decree forfeiting large tracts of Chinese historical territory, and the worst of all, force his own people to consume opium. He was forced to drug-addict his own people by state policy, so that the europeans could have a guaranteed market for the addictive stuff, which they used the other half of the population to grown by slave labour on annexed, therefore free land! That is how HSBC, The Hong Kong Shangai Bank, headquarterd at Cannary Wolf in London, and the largest bank in the World, made itself. That is the stage at which Africa is in now. The african leaders presiding over starving populations, addicted to hunger as it were, as monies are exported to service and repay loans. Dismembered and a carcass for external powers. A section of her population and official leadership doing what the old emperor of China did at european command: cannibalize own people. Of course just as now activists and resistors are marginalized and executed left and right in Africa, China then had her share of rebellions and executions. The famous one was castration in public. Somebody discovered even for the love of the fatherland, most men do not want to loose their d.ik.s in public! So this was a very effective deterrence. --(Then the monks for whom sex was nothing came up and assumed command.) Out of all the failures of the past, evolved the character Sun Yat Sen. And it is not really that he did anything physical. No, he taught: China must stand up, united in her historic territory. The various warlords and regents --comparible to present day African heads of these enclaves like Kenya, Uganda, Togo-- had to surrender to the idea of ONE CHINA, or be added to the imperial compost heap of old china, and be set to fire. This set the stage for a 50 year civil war, finally won by the communist party. That 50 years, called the LAST birth pangs of modern China, produced men whose calibre has made them immortals in their own history --Jesus Xristus did not save nobody here, they say there. That is liberation. Africa is actually in struggle --Because you are interested in Kenya, let me ask you this: have you seen the comprehensive list of patriots who were murdered in jail&out under Moi because of their political beliefs? It was a murderous purge. (And I would feel creepy when you ask mta do on the graves of a thousand + men!). This is repeated in nearly every African country, like Tutu's list of deaths under the struggle against apartheid. You are only asking mta do, because you are unaware of historical processes, and you want your revolution now, ready made, by magic, tangible, instantaneous. You do not want to know how people scream when electrical saws eat into their thigh-bones live, as I saw at the neighbour's. These horrid cries of lonely death from Africans whose only crime is to question criminal power, are the sound tracks to Africa's head lurch toward liberation. People are saying NO to oppression and dying in the most horrible ways possible. That is what they are doing. Even in Syria today. Otishotish, this is the long haul, and greedy babies who want their revolution presented like everready mother's nipple, must sign off. No easy walk to freedom. History does not serve change they way Macdonalds serves burgers! There is a woman, I think she was called Chacha, of Bakongo royalty, and then chief of the area where that river bursts to sea. She refused to cede any power to the invading whiteman. She was arrested and burnt especially slowly at the place which is now the center of the city known with that name [ Kinshasha]. Legend says she sang as the flames ate her: Hear me my people, Hear me, a thousand years from now! We must be free to make our own choices, and if this is the price, let more pay it please!At the underground jail which was built by Hissen Habre in Chad, especially for political prisoners, rumour says the Chadians themselves were too ashamed to show the world what they found they had done to their fellow citizens. The war is on, otishotish, the resistance is moving on, slow but sure towards her sun yet sen moment. And then you better be dead when the civil war for the heart of the continent breaks, for the Real African Union! The fire next time! ALUTA! |
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Post by OtishOtish on Mar 24, 2012 2:04:11 GMT 3
Friend, Compatriot and Brother Jakaswanga: Greetings & Salutations!
First, let me clarify my "mta do"? I am specifically referring to the always "new" revelations about Western neo-colonialism, new imperialism, new scramble for Africa, di di da da da ... That's all stuff I have heard about during the last 20 years---a thousand times, in a thousand variations---usually from ivory-tower eggheads. Now, here on Jukwaa I am getting Version 1001, and I ask the same question I have always asked and never really got an answer to: OK, you have clearly identifed the problem, and you have equally identified the culprits. So what should we do about it? Actually, I really no longer ask about what we should do about it; I ask the people peddling the stuff what they will do about it.
I don't have the slightest doubt that the West, East, Middle ... are all in Africa for what they can get out of it as cheaply as possible (Is that really news.) Nations are, in many ways, like individuals: self interest comes first, and working with others is considered beneficial when it supports self-interest. At the global level, the real question is whether we Africans have ever really considered our self-interest. The rest of the world only heard of the Cold War; in Africa we saw the action: we were very willing to be used to fight it by proxy. People jump up and down and, in excessive excitement, endanger their health because of concerns that foreigners are grabbing all our natural resources. Well, why do we let them do it so easily and cheaply? Have we ever tried to get the best deal out of these things? Have we ever really tried to use them to benefit our people? Let's just consider oil, for example. Take one of the first African countries to discover large quantities of the stuff---Nigeria. What exactly have they done with it? (I once read somewhere that Sani Abach had stolen $5 BILLION from his country. I thought that was far-fetched until Mrs. Abacha appeared on TV offering to return $2 BILLION if her son was not imprisoned!) Take a look at the newest oil discoverers--e.g. Equatorial Guinea and Angola. Contrast all that with what some of the Arab countries have done with their oil-wealth. Need I say more?
But let's get back to Kenya. We know all about the corruption scandals. Does anyone remember that when Kibaki was first elected, he got people (Kroll, I believe it was) to look into the Mois, and they found that the Moi family, through about 30 shell companies, had milked the country of 1 BILLION POUNDS? And every two years we have to beg for yellow maize to feed ourselves, children and adults die from diarrhea and easy preventable small diseases, we are in the 21st century and jiggers are savaging a significant part of the population, ....
When it comes to individuals, groups, ...., nations, I have this view: First make sure you are doing your best, then complain about how the world is an unfair place and everyone out there is out to stick it to you? Are we doing our best in Kenya? Have we ever even tried? Yes, I know all about the Big-World geo-political blah blah blah. I don't have much time for it, except perhaps as intellectual amusement when am taking something small with so-inclined eggheads.
These days I am more concerned with more immediate things. Starting from village: the road from the nearest town is today worse than it was 30 years ago, the supply of clean water less, for years we have been hearing about a rural electrification scheme but hearing is as far as it has got, the local dispensary/clinic has almost no medical supplies and is so filthy that it is a danger to healthy people, dot, dot, dot. Every few years I hear that the government has allocated money but it has been "eaten". I am trying to do my bit at that small, local level. The geo-political imperialists will have to wait.
And when we get to the national level what do we have? More eating, more selfishness, .... People quite happy to rape, murder, and do other very nasty things to their fellow citizens over a bunch of votes. And no, being upset stolen elections or wanting to stay in power doesn't justify that. And that's not the half of it. Like they say in those late night commercials, where you can get any for 19.95, shipping and handling included, Wait! There's more! The very people who organized that descent into hell are treated like heroes around the country! Tribalistic hatred is once again being sown like maize seeds after a long drought. And the lemmings called the wananchi are all cheerfully going along! What does all that have to do with any neo-colonial, imperialists?
I could go on and on and on ... I too detest the neo-colonial imperialists, and I am quite prepared to fight them to the bitter end. I do, however, have my hands quite full at the moment---struggling against my compatriots. A very nasty bunch, some of them are. Africans are doing very nasty things to Africans, and Kenyans are doing very nasty things to Kenyans. We have to take responsibility for that, instead of running around pointing fingers overseas aand getting all worked up about neo this and neo that.
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Post by wanyee on Mar 24, 2012 4:54:11 GMT 3
Very inspiring Jakaswanga!
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Ndugu otishotish,
Tuheshimiane tafadhali – nishakuambia mimi ni mwanaume mwenzako. Kama na matani, achana na mambo ya ‘ndugu’.
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Anyway, you wrote:
“First make sure you are doing your best, then complain about how the world is an unfair place and everyone out there is out to stick it to you? Are we doing our best in Kenya? Have we ever even tried?”
I wholeheartedly agree - and admire your pragmatism. However, it is not always that simple. Let us start with your question regarding the deterioration of vital services in your locality.
You ask: “what does all that have to do with any neo-colonial, imperialists?”
Please consider the following statements:
“Many African countries devote a significant share of their scarce public revenues to paying external debt service” (Ndikumana and Boyce, 2011).
“Africa spends about four times more on debt-service payments than it does on health care” (Cavanagh and Mander, 2004:57).
“Debt has thus become not only a means of pushing these countries into extreme poverty, but also a tool for domination and exploitation, phenomena that one might have supposed to have disappeared along with colonialism. Worse still, it has facilitated a transition from public to private colonization, virtually a return to slavery as we knew it in the nineteenth century. Debt prevents any form of sustainable human development, political stability or security” (Third World Debt: A Continuing Legacy of Colonialism).
--
Do you see why your question above DEMANDS that we address neo-colonial strategies of exploitation, particularly the very legitimacy of Africa’s odious debts, let alone the conditionalities attached to them? (The same applies to the deteriorated road, the dwindling supply of clean water, the aborted rural electrification scheme etc)
Now, unless you would like us to debate the veracity of the above argument, let us return to our discussion regarding what you and I can do to remedy “the problem” of primitive accumulation in Africa.
I ask you again, are you familiar with the concept of "free, prior, and informed consent" (FPIC)?
References
Cavanagh, J., & Mander, J (eds). (2004). Alternatives to Economic Globalization: A Better World Is Possible. A Report of the International Forum On Globalization. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Ndikumana, L., & Boyce, J.K. (2011). Africa’s Odious Debts: How Foreign Loans and Capital Flight Bled a Continent. New York, NY: Zed Books (in association with the International African Institute, Royal African Society, and Social Science Research Council)
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Ndugu wanyee
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Post by OtishOtish on Mar 24, 2012 6:21:38 GMT 3
Please consider the following statements: “Many African countries devote a significant share of their scarce public revenues to paying external debt service” “Africa spends about four times more on debt-service payments than it does on health care” Ndugu Wanyee: I will make just a couple of quick points. I am not disputing any of the above. It's all very true, and, as I pointed out, I have heard it a thousand times in a thousand different ways. My quick points are as follows: a) You forget the little matter of huge chunks of the borrowed money being "eaten" by our own people end in their private accounts, right back in the originating country. In fact even Kenya recently had to refund money back to "donors" after they complained about all the eating and squandering. So, we borrow money, a few of us steal it and waste it, and then we end up servicing the debt. Is it any wonder that we never get ahead? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that our people don't misuse all this money? Where did the Mois 1 BILLION pounds come from? And all the billions lost in the other scandals ... is someone forcing us to be irresponsible with huge sums of money that we borrow and will end up repaying over a very long period? Is all the corruption and mindless tribalism (which greatly retards our development) things that are being forced on us, or are they things that we can do something about? If they are being forced on us, what can we do about them? If they are things we can do something about, when do we start? b) You have glossed over the little point of African countries that have an abundance of natural resources but have cheerfully squandered them. I gave the examples of oil. c) Jakaswangas comments, such as that we are where China was that long ago is all very well. Again, that is the sort of argument I have heard a thousand times in a thousand different ways: oh, look those Western countries had so many hundreds of years to develop democracy and this and that; oh, please give us time. The funny thing is that this argument is pulled out only when it comes to governing ourselves. When it comes to enjoying the material results of the hundreds of years of labour by people in those other countries, nobody implies that we have to wait; we grab them quite eagerly. When it comes to studying the engineering, sciences, medicine, whatever ... we are just as good as the people whose advances we are studying. But when it comes to how we govern ourselves, we are quite happy to engage in tribal savagery and say, oh give us time, we need a few more hundred years. Why is that? In any case, suppose we accept that we are where China was who knows when and where the European countries were who knows when, and I am here talking about governance. Then we have two choices. One, accept that we will always be behind (because, after all, they aren't standing still) by some 100-400 years and meekly accept our status as the "forever backward countries". Two, consider that we might apply our learning and not have to go through all those hundreds of years of development. Just as we have been able to learn the sciences, engineering, medicine, etc. and apply then to our situation, without going through the hundreds of years it took the Europeans, so should we be able to do the same when it comes to governance. I am going for Option Two.You have again asked what you and I can do. I have already answered that, and I will repeat my answer: If you believe that the cause of our all woes (or even just the most significant ones) are the neo-colonial imperialists, then there is nothing that you and I can do, for the simple reason that that is not how I see things.If, on the other hand, you believe that our "injuries" today are mostly self-inflicted, then there is a great deal that you and I can do. The foremost thing needed today in our country is serious civic education. We need to get to the point where people charged with the most heinous crimes known to humanity cannot be seen as heroes, let alone serious candidates for the presidency. We need to get people to see a direct connection between how they exercise their vote and the people and results they get at the other end. We need people to see that appreciating one's tribal culture need not mean constant war with other tribes. And so on and so forth. Then we can get to other types of much needed basic education. For example, the level of hygienic knowledge in Kenya as a whole is still appalling poor, with the result that easily preventable diseases take a massive toll on the population. And so on and forth. I took note of the readings you referred me to. You seem to think that my "problem" is that I am not sufficiently well-informed----that I haven't heard enough, that I haven't read enough of the right sort of thing, that I need to get out more often. That is not so. Once in while, as I have now that I have seen it on Jukwaa, I pay brief attention to this sort of thing. It may all be news to some, but the only thing I've got from reading the "new" revelations of these "conspiracies" and from looking at the titles of your references (I really can't be bothered to look them up) is this: Solomon was surely right when he said that there is nothing new under the sun. I firmly believe that Africa will start to move forward when Africans get serious about taking care of Africa and Africans, when people stop getting carried away with tribal demagoguery and elect "leaders" who will actually lead. Discussions about neo-colonialism, new imperialism, new scramble for Africa, dot, dot, dot, are all very well, but as long as we are not taking care of the basics, they are distractions we can ill-afford. Best left for killing time over a glass of sherry.There was one thing Jakaswanga wrote that I'd like to briefly comment on---that is, the various people who have really been involved in the struggle to change Kenya. Those are true heroes. The other day my wife and I were invited to a dinner that she had "won" in a do-good raffle. The dinner was with some local hero. During dinner, my wife asked me who in Kenya I would like to have such a dinner with. One of the first people who came to mind was Maina Kiai, and there are many like him. I don't know a great deal about the fellow, but given the effect of power and money in Kenya, what he has done and does must come at a great personal cost. (Unfortunately, I know myself and I know that I am not made of such heroic stuff.) Another person that came to mind was Justice Waki and what he did with what might have been another go-nowhere commission. There were others---"small" and "big", in all sorts of occupations, and I'm sure Jukwaa has many such----that have all contributed in enormous ways at varying costs to themselves. I am not made of the same stuff; so whatever I do will be very small, whence my starting with my village. My philosophy: do no harm and do any little good that you can. Anyway, here is the reason I am mentioning all this: I came up with a list of 20 Kenyan heroes I'd like to have dinner with, and one thing I can say about them is that I have never heard of them wailing and gnashing their teeth at the neo-colonial imperialists. Perhaps they do, but from everything I can gather, they all point the j'accuse finger right at their fellow Kenyans. That works for me. |
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Post by tnk on Mar 24, 2012 6:56:41 GMT 3
Enjoyed reading that piece by otishotish. Share those views. Not to say that neo-colonism is not there, but that our own faults grossly outweigh the external factors. Will wait ndugu Wanyee's response
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Post by jakaswanga on Mar 24, 2012 11:22:40 GMT 3
c) Jakaswangas comments, such as that we are where China was that long ago is all very well. Again, that is the sort of argument I have heard a thousand times in a thousand different ways: oh, look those Western countries had so many hundreds of years to develop democracy and this and that; oh, please give us time. The funny thing is that this argument is pulled out only when it comes to governing ourselves. When it comes to enjoying the material results of the hundreds of years of labour by people in those other countries, nobody implies that we have to wait; we grab them quite eagerly. When it comes to studying the engineering, sciences, medicine, whatever ... we are just as good as the people whose advances we are studying. But when it comes to how we govern ourselves, we are quite happy to engage in tribal savagery and say, oh give us time, we need a few more hundred years. Why is that? In any case, suppose we accept that we are where China was who knows when and where the European countries were who knows when, and I am here talking about governance. Then we have two choices. One, accept that we will always be behind (because, after all, they aren't standing still) by some 100-400 years and meekly accept our status as the "forever backward countries". Two, consider that we might apply our learning and not have to go through all those hundreds of years of development. Just as we have been able to learn the sciences, engineering, medicine, etc. and apply then to our situation, without going through the hundreds of years it took the Europeans, so should we be able to do the same when it comes to governance. I am going for Option Two.If you have, a thousand times, heard the argument that the earth rotating around its axis is what influences the ebb and flow tides of the ocean, you get tired of it, and go in search of falsehoods? But I have seen the wonderful movement on your part to the ultimate question: what to be done! It is called the Leninist question, because when that impatient Russian reached the stage you are, he came up with a theory called the jumping of historical stages. So if you new Lenin you would know the question was long answered in the intellectual domain. History on the first track, the fast-forward, history on the turbo dynamic! So you can conceptualize that if Jakaswanga seems to intimate we in Afrika have to repeat all the [centuries] stages of other countries, thereby remaining 100 or so years behind forever, because meanwhile these counries too would have moved ahead, then it must be because he, I, omitted the magic formula. Why do we steal so much from our population with impunity? Because there is no deterrence. If Moi stole 1 billion of taxpayer's kitty, then a simple execution of Moi with all his family and their associates in laundering the loot, in public at Uhuru park, with a blunt axe, live and spectacular on national television, would deter Kibaki and the next heads of state from stealing public money. NB: That is how an army unit I know created an enclave in east congo where there was no rape. We drove two meter arm-thick poles with huge wooden hammers through the anus to the mouth of rapists in public. Word spread of the horrible death awaiting rapists. Men stopped rape in that area. That is the other side of leninisn. Rape is wrong but wholesale, stop it in one week, what do you do practically? You stop being vague, you extirpate. Now, will the leninist colonel rise up, arrest the known thieves and give us a national pantomime! |
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Post by reporter911 on Mar 24, 2012 19:47:04 GMT 3
Ndugu Otishotish, Unauliza “mta do?”That is a good, straight-forward question. Let us be even more specific and explore what you and I can do to remedy “the problem” of primitive accumulation in Africa? Before I continue, have you heard about the concept of "free, prior, and informed consent" (FPIC)? And as you go about Wanyee's assignment, pass through this missive too. ---MTA DO? [you ask like the famous signature tune of the guy at kumekucha!]Let me assume you ask the question with a honest heart. A dishonest heart would be when it is sarcasm and provocative sentiment that informs it; then I would beg to be excused from penning a rejoinder. The issues of national ... continental liberation aren't places I come lightly to. The struggle is varied and multi-faceted. Even jukwaa is a front, as you can see from the debates, and occasional viciousness on opposing sides. In the short term, there are people in civil society, artists, some experimenting with resistance graffiti, others poets and literati; there are scholars too, each contributing in their own small way, but the cumulative effect of this resistance is what forms the movement toward national liberation. Apart from ordinary people in their daily heroisms, sometimes men of a deadly breed emerge and coalesce into an organized party, eventualizing millitary resistance, and even if it leads to defeat, it is always a powerful learn. In the phase of direct decolonization, this was nearly always the case. To illustrate the historical struggle that contineus (sometimes in invincible fashion like the famous regulatory hand of the market in Adam Smith's mythology) let me say something about Old China, and Sun Yat Sen, the founder of the modern republic later to be declared by Chairman Mao. The republic now swiftly moving toward top dogism. Imperial China had been defeated and dismembered by highly aggressive rising West. The Emperor was forced to sign a decree forfeiting large tracts of Chinese historical territory, and the worst of all, force his own people to consume opium. He was forced to drug-addict his own people by state policy, so that the europeans could have a guaranteed market for the addictive stuff, which they used the other half of the population to grown by slave labour on annexed, therefore free land! That is how HSBC, The Hong Kong Shangai Bank, headquarterd at Cannary Wolf in London, and the largest bank in the World, made itself. That is the stage at which Africa is in now. The african leaders presiding over starving populations, addicted to hunger as it were, as monies are exported to service and repay loans. Dismembered and a carcass for external powers. A section of her population and official leadership doing what the old emperor of China did at european command: cannibalize own people. Of course just as now activists and resistors are marginalized and executed left and right in Africa, China then had her share of rebellions and executions. The famous one was castration in public. Somebody discovered even for the love of the fatherland, most men do not want to loose their d.ik.s in public! So this was a very effective deterrence. --(Then the monks for whom sex was nothing came up and assumed command.) Out of all the failures of the past, evolved the character Sun Yat Sen. And it is not really that he did anything physical. No, he taught: China must stand up, united in her historic territory. The various warlords and regents --comparible to present day African heads of these enclaves like Kenya, Uganda, Togo-- had to surrender to the idea of ONE CHINA, or be added to the imperial compost heap of old china, and be set to fire. This set the stage for a 50 year civil war, finally won by the communist party. That 50 years, called the LAST birth pangs of modern China, produced men whose calibre has made them immortals in their own history --Jesus Xristus did not save nobody here, they say there. That is liberation. Africa is actually in struggle --Because you are interested in Kenya, let me ask you this: have you seen the comprehensive list of patriots who were murdered in jail&out under Moi because of their political beliefs? It was a murderous purge. (And I would feel creepy when you ask mta do on the graves of a thousand + men!). This is repeated in nearly every African country, like Tutu's list of deaths under the struggle against apartheid. You are only asking mta do, because you are unaware of historical processes, and you want your revolution now, ready made, by magic, tangible, instantaneous. You do not want to know how people scream when electrical saws eat into their thigh-bones live, as I saw at the neighbour's. These horrid cries of lonely death from Africans whose only crime is to question criminal power, are the sound tracks to Africa's head lurch toward liberation. People are saying NO to oppression and dying in the most horrible ways possible. That is what they are doing. Even in Syria today. Otishotish, this is the long haul, and greedy babies who want their revolution presented like everready mother's nipple, must sign off. No easy walk to freedom. History does not serve change they way Macdonalds serves burgers! There is a woman, I think she was called Chacha, of Bakongo royalty, and then chief of the area where that river bursts to sea. She refused to cede any power to the invading whiteman. She was arrested and burnt especially slowly at the place which is now the center of the city known with that name [ Kinshasha]. Legend says she sang as the flames ate her: Hear me my people, Hear me, a thousand years from now! We must be free to make our own choices, and if this is the price, let more pay it please!At the underground jail which was built by Hissen Habre in Chad, especially for political prisoners, rumour says the Chadians themselves were too ashamed to show the world what they found they had done to their fellow citizens. The war is on, otishotish, the resistance is moving on, slow but sure towards her sun yet sen moment. And then you better be dead when the civil war for the heart of the continent breaks, for the Real African Union! The fire next time! ALUTA! Well said jakaswanga, the resistance continues as Africans across the vast continent wake up.. |
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Post by wanyee on Mar 25, 2012 1:31:47 GMT 3
Otishotish,
We have agreed that the root of the problem is primitive accumulation in Africa.
You asked “mta do”?
I am trying to respond to your question, which is why I am asking if you are familiar with the concept of "free, prior, and informed consent" (FPIC).
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Meanwhile, I hope the following addresses the issues you raise regarding our odious debts. According to one statistic, each newly born Kenyan inherits a debt burden of 25,000Ksh. Please note that I do not assume you are ignorant w.r.t. this information. My intention is to apply it in my arguments and share it with others who may not be as informed as you are. Finally, I am not absolving our leaders from their mistakes.
Odious debt and international law
A nation’s debts can be considered odious if three conditions hold:
1. Absence of consent: the debts were incurred without the consent of the people. This is typically the case when the debts were squandered by an undemocratic regime, such as a military dictatorship.
2. Absence of benefit: The borrowed funds were not used for the public benefit, but instead for the private benefit of the ruler and his associates. The absence-of-benefit condition is evidently met when loans are used in ways that actively harm the people, for example by financing state repression. But it is also met when loans are used to fund capital flight.
3. Creditor awareness: The creditors were aware – or should have been aware – of both of the above conditions.
SOURCE: Ndikumana, L., & Boyce, J.K. (2011). Africa’s Odious Debts: How Foreign Loans and Capital Flight Bled a Continent. New York, NY: Zed Books (in association with the International African Institute, Royal African Society, and Social Science Research Council)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2013 8:23:24 GMT 3
ETHIOPIA: LAND GRAB IN GAMBELLA AND CIVIL STRIFE. NB: There has been a deadly ethnic narrative to the Ethiopian land problems. The Tigrayan ruling clique is leasing land in areas far from Tigray, and pocketing the bonus. The terms, for instance of flower growing, have been so jovial that we have seen some flower growers abandon Kenya [where they have ruined lake Elementaita] for Ethiopia. Because these leases are done without consultation with the local population, who sometimes wake up to find whole tracts of pasture fences off, there have been deadly skirmishes. In one particular incident, an Indian investor was killed by locals whose watering river he had fenced off and, by rumours, poisoned to kill the cattle who were trampling his land. This means the Tigrayan clique needs the army to pacify these areas. These pacifications as is evidenced in Gambella, has been no less than Omar el Shabab of North Sudan dealing with Darfur! Ethiopia continues to have a massive standing army, citing tiny Eritrea, but anti-regime Ethiopians point to the need for the tiny Tigray clique of Meles Zelawi to stay in power by force, like Assad of Syria. But Ethiopia has managed to sell herself to Washington as a custodian of stability and a champion terrorist fighter. And Obama, swallowed this all, and has armed Meles even more. south sudan.SS: LAND GRAB AND DEFORESTATIONLAND OH LAND SUDAN LAND GRABSlogging and carbon credits
January 03, 2013The brave and courageous Delhi gang rape victim breathed her last on December 30, 2012. This article is a tribute to her and other victims of violence against women.
Violence against women is as old as patriarchy. But it has intensified and become more pervasive in the recent past. It has taken on more brutal forms, like the death of the Delhi gang rape victim and the suicide of the 17-year-old rape victim in Chandigarh.
Rape cases and cases of violence against women have increased over the years. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 10,068 rape cases in 1990 which increased to 16,496 in 2000. With 24,206 cases in 2011, rape cases jumped to incredible increase of 873 percent from 1971 when NCRB started to record cases of rape. And New Delhi has emerged as the rape capital of India, accounting for 25 percent cases.
The movement to stop this violence must be sustained till justice is done for every one of our daughters and sisters who has been violated.
And while we intensify our struggle for justice for women, we need to also ask why rape cases have increased 240 percent since 1990s when the new economic policies were introduced. We need to examine the roots of the growing violence against women.
Could there be a connection between the growth of violent, undemocratically imposed, unjust and unfair economic policies and the growth of crimes against women?
I believe there is.
Contributions of women
Firstly, the economic model focusing myopically on "growth" begins with violence against women by discounting their contribution to the economy.
The more the government talks ad nauseam about "inclusive growth" and "financial inclusion", the more it excludes the contributions of women to the economy and society. According to patriarchal economic models, production for sustenance is counted as "non-production". The transformation of value into disvalue, labour into non-labour, knowledge into non-knowledge, is achieved by the most powerful number that rules our lives, the patriarchal construct of GDP, Gross Domestic Product, which commentators have started to call the Gross Domestic Problem.
National accounting systems which are used for calculating growth as GDP are based on the assumption that if producers consume what they produce, they do not in fact produce at all, because they fall outside the production boundary.
The production boundary is a political creation that, in its workings, excludes regenerative and renewable production cycles from the area of production. Hence, all women who produce for their families, children, community and society are treated as "non-productive" and "economically" inactive. When economies are confined to the market place, economic self-sufficiency is perceived as economic deficiency. The devaluation of women's work, and of work done in subsistence economies of the South, is the natural outcome of a production boundary constructed by capitalist patriarchy.
By restricting itself to the values of the market economy, as defined by capitalist patriarchy, the production boundary ignores economic value in the two vital economies which are necessary to ecological and human survival. They are the areas of nature's economy and sustenance economy. In nature's economy and sustenance economy, economic value is a measure of how the earth's life and human life are protected. Its currency is life giving processes, not cash or the market price.
Secondly, a model of capitalist patriarchy which excludes women's work and wealth creation in the mind deepens the violence by displacing women from their livelihoods and alienating them from the natural resources on which their livelihoods depend - their land, their forests, their water, their seeds and biodiversity. Economic reforms based on the idea of limitless growth in a limited world can only be maintained by the powerful grabbing the resources of the vulnerable. The resource grab that is essential for "growth" creates a culture of rape - the rape of the earth, of local self-reliant economies, the rape of women. The only way in which this "growth" is "inclusive" is by its inclusion of ever larger numbers in its circle of violence.
I have repeatedly stressed that the rape of the Earth and rape of women are intimately linked, both metaphorically in shaping worldviews and materially in shaping women's everyday lives. The deepening economic vulnerability of women makes them more vulnerable to all forms of violence, including sexual assault, as we found out during a series of public hearings on the impact of economic reforms on women organised by the National Commission on Women and the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology.
Subversion of democracy
Thirdly, economic reforms lead to the subversion of democracy and privatisation of government. Economic systems influence political systems. The government talks of economic reforms as if they have nothing to do with politics and power. They talk of keeping politics out of economics, even while they impose an economic model shaped by the politics of a particular gender and class. Neoliberal reforms work against democracy. We have seen this recently in the government pushing through "reforms" to bring in Walmart through FDI in retail. Corporate-driven reforms create a convergence or economic and political power, deepening of inequalities and a growing separation of the political class from the will of the people they are supposed to represent. This is at the root of disconnect between politicians and the public which we experienced during the protests that have grown since the Delhi gang rape.
"An economics of commodification creates a culture of commodification, where everything has a price and nothing has value."
Worse, an alienated political class is afraid of its own citizens. This is what explains the increasing use of police to crush non-violent citizen protests as we have witnessed in New Delhi. Or in the torture of Soni Sori in Bastar. Or in the arrest of Dayamani Barla in Jharkhand. Or the thousands of cases against the communities struggling against the nuclear power plant in Kudankulam. A privatised corporate state must rapidly become a police state.
This is why politicians must surround themselves with ever increasing VIP security, diverting the police from their important duties to protect women and ordinary citizens.
Fourthly, the economic model shaped by capitalist patriarchy is based on the commodification of everything, including women. When we stopped the WTO Ministerial in Seattle, our slogan was "Our world is not for Sale".
An economics of deregulation of commerce, of privatisation and commodification of seeds and food, land and water, women and children unleashed by economic liberalisation, degrades social values, deepens patriarchy and intensifies violence against women.
Economic systems influence culture and social values. An economics of commodification creates a culture of commodification, where everything has a price and nothing has value.
The growing culture of rape is a social externality of economic reforms. We need to institutionalise social audits of the neo-liberal policies which are a central instrument of patriarchy in our times. If there was a social audit of corporatising our seed sector, 270,000 farmers would not have been pushed to suicide in India since the new economic policies were introduced. If there was a social audit of the corporatisation of our food and agriculture, we would not have every fourth Indian going hungry, every third woman malnourished and every second child wasted and stunted due to severe malnutrition. India today would not be Republic of Hunger that Dr Utsa Patnaik has written about.
The victim of the Delhi gang rape has triggered a social revolution. We must sustain it, deepen it, expand it. We must demand and get speedy and effective justice for women. We must call for fast track courts to convict those responsible for crimes against women. We must make sure laws are changed so justice is not elusive for victims of sexual violence. We must continue the demand for blacklisting of politicians with criminal records.
And while we do all this, we need to change the ruling paradigm which is imposed on us in the name of "growth" and which is fuelling increasing crimes against women. Ending violence against women includes moving beyond the violent economy shaped by capitalist patriarchy to non-violent peaceful economies which give respect to women and the Earth.
Dr Vandana Shiva is a physicist, ecofeminist, philosopher, activist, and author of more than 20 books and 500 papers. She is the founder of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, and has campaigned for biodiversity, conservation and farmers' rights - winning the Right Livelihood Award (Alternative Nobel Prize) in 1993.onebillionrising.org/blog/entry/introducing-the-obr-article-series-dr.-vandana-shiva-1 |
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