We at The African Executive Endorse Senator Barack Obama for one reason - that is, his quest for Presidency in the United States of America has helped rediscover the lost African Person. Obama's presidency in the most powerful country in the World is going to boost Africans’ confidence levels that have been battered for the last 500 years. Through his presidency, all races World over will rejoice in the knowledge that in a fair competing field it matters less your color, or race - your talent and character is what will propel one to the highest levels of success.
However, Africans the world over ought to scrutinize carefully the Democratic ideals outlined in The 2008 Democratic National Platform dubbed Renewing America's Promise. The Democrats pledge to increase opportunities for women; raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation, and provide assistance to those who need long-term care, among others might sound good to the ears but may not be the best policies to adopt.
The Democratic Party's policies on the family have seen 45 percent of black women (twice the number for white women) unmarried; a million more black women working today than African-American men and the number of black children born to unwed mothers almost tripling since the mid-1960s to almost 70 percent of births. This has adversely affected the black family fiber. It is not a matter of saying that 'Too many fathers are missing from too many lives and homes,' hence the high crime rate and imprisonment, but rather addressing the motivation towards absentee fathers.
Setting the minimum wage will create more unemployment. Since minimum wage workers are at the lower end of the job scales, they will be disproportionately the under-educated, low-skilled, and least employable workers losing their jobs. This will increase the number of people who need government welfare, a program that has created dependency among the blacks and killed creativity.
The document acknowledges Africa's 'vital significance to the US; promise as a trade and investment partner; as well as its emerging role in the global economy.' Obviously, an Obama victory will not change America's foreign policy towards Africa. America's quest for oil, minerals, geo-political balance of power and war on terror has informed its relationship to Africa over the decades. This has informed USA's covertly getting involved in conflicts on the continent thereby compromising the very democratic ideals they stand for. Hopefully, an Obama presidency might inject a debate on the whether such an approach is appropriate for Africa, and whether engaging in piecemeal trade pacts such as the AGOA as opposed to allowing Africa full access to American market is the best way to go. Senator Obama's victory will indeed open a chapter of debate and reason on matters that affect Africa.
As Africa keenly follows the US presidential elections, it should not be forgotten that African blood continues to be spilt in DR Congo.
The Congo crisis MUST be addressed urgently now that it is on the verge of erupting like a volcano. It is estimated that over 5.4 million people have already been killed and several others displaced in a period of 10 years. Congo's immense resources such as crude oil, timber, diamonds, gold, copper and coltan have been looted since time immemorial. This corporate imperialism in Africa whereby corporate companies scramble for natural resources in the continent without respecting existing government's institutional framework MUST stop.
Sources indicate that Rwanda has been strategically positioned by the West to plunder Congo's resources. With so many peace-keeping troops, is it really difficult to capture these rebels? The main motivation behind the Congo conflict is access and control of mineral resources. One cannot find lasting peace by ignoring this fact.
Diplomatic pressure should be exerted on Western countries with mining interests in Congo; the Rwanda government which under the pretext of pursuing Hutu perpetrators is simply opening up Congo for looting and any other countries involved for that matter, to find a lasting solution to this crisis. The make-believe ceasefires, peace agreements, negotiated settlements and transitional governments, is an all too common occurrence in resource driven conflict-affected African states.
The solution to the DRC crisis resides in diplomacy rather than military action and ensuring transparency of activities in extractive industry but not arming rebels. Military intervention by the West should come as an extreme option of last resort.
See DRC Crisis: The Britain Rwanda-Link
http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=3737&magazine=201
and
Congo Conflict: From dried hands to Blood
http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=3744&magazine=201
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