An Update – The Absence of an Anti-Africa Conspiracy

The New Year, 2015
Washington, DC

Just as commonplace as it is to see images of starving African children in the Western Media, its almost gospel truth in Africa that the ‘whites’ in the west have it in for the ‘blacks’ in the south. Many an African intellectual will write a piece on how the Developed World is keen on an Underdeveloped Africa, and many will criticize their own elite for facilitating the process by which African countries continue round and round the vicious circle of poverty. A recent article even asserts that the West has built a global incentive system that sustains a negative narrative against Africa. In this piece, our good friend Andrew Mwenda suggests that ‘…the broad spectrum of Western institutions – media, academia, diplomacy, think tanks, human rights advocacy …(are) designed to sustain (certain) vulgarization of Africa.’ While Mr. Mwenda submits that ‘… there are some exceptions, divergences, and even counter narratives to (his overall premise),’ there is no doubt in his mind that ‘… the mainstream thrust (of the Western media) is a ‘condemn Africa’ story.’ He harkens to the images of malnourished persons living in squalor and successful Africans as dictators corrupt civil servants or those ‘… opposed to enlightenment and progress.’

Sigh.

In the first place, if we were to take the United States as representative of the West, the meme of any coordinated anti-Africa conspiracy or ‘incentive system’ would simply fall on its head. These United States are much too large and much too disorganized to even have a comprehensive and unitary foreign policy; much less, a power center that would be able to direct things in academia, media, think tanks, et al. Simply, in their diversity, these bodies almost have nothing in common. True – only a few hands control the U.S. media. COMCAST, a behemoth, owns NBC and its cable news, MSNBC. Those who own Fox News Channel own the Wall Street Journal. So, one could actually assume that one message could be passed from top to bottom, leading to a conspiracy. But unless you look for ‘too big to fail’ outside America’s financial system, then you will run up against antitrust laws that frown upon behemoths and hegemony. Besides, if the Democratic Party, now led by Barack Obama, cannot even get aspects such as free trade agreements with the Far East (Trans-Pacific Partnership) or just close down the ulcer that is Guantanamo Bay, how easy would it be to direct an anti Africa campaign or narrative?

In a country of institutions and all sorts of interest groups, this is virtually impossible. For those with a firm understanding and knowledge of how the American government (executive, legislature and judiciary) works, how the state systems go about their business and especially how the private sector operates, the first thing anyone would note is that there’s always disagreement and negotiation. If any coherent conspiracy against Africa had even come up at some point in the past, we would know about it right now.

Of course, an argument can be made that there’s a vast conspiracy against African Americans – one that keeps them down as a people. While there could be some truth to this, we are wont to argue that it’s more of a self-fulfilling institutional meme than a conspiracy. In management terms, African Americans present an almost impossible problem for all sections of the United States. For instance, do not be surprised to hear some ask: What does one do about a people who cannot seem to speak straight, do well in school, make money, keep out of jail and even maintain a family? In troth, only simplistic media personnel like Fox’s Bill O’Reilly think they have an answer. Even the Heritage Foundation does not opine extensively on conspiracy theory surrounding blacks. If they did, not only would they be reductionists; they would be wrong. There’s complexity in conspiracy, and there are too many subliminal aspects in the African American story. In fact, these many things come up because everyone is desperate to solve the African American quandary. This is the fact: Because no one has complete control of the media or the think tanks and academia, one cannot throw conspiracy theories about as explanation of things.

Secondly, in a cursory look at France, Germany, Japan, Israel and Great Britain, one could see anti-Africa animus. After all, Africans in France are segregated against; those in Germany do not have equitable access to things; Japan has only too few of them; Israel has major minority issues, and Great Britain is bursting at the seams with immigration issues. In each of these cases, there’s apparent raw negativity towards Africa. Proxy to the continent seems to bring out the sort of sentiment many Americans have towards the Latino population, and on top of completely misunderstanding African motivations, some are quick to accept a story that Africa does not have anything good going on. But that’s because many people in the West are ignorant about Africa. They think Africa is a country, for crying out loud! The Last King of Scotland is a real thing. We Africans still live in trees like a bunch of apes. They wonder, out loud, how we can speak English and dress up, then they hung their heads in shame when they see these diplomas and doctorates upon our walls.

Penultimately, we do not think that the West has the overall time, space or even the collective intelligence to dwell in maintaining a conspiracy against Africa. Besides, what would be the overall benefit of doing this? Would a few billion dollars worth of natural resources be at the heart of things? Perhaps. Of course, maintaining the status quo with Africa only producing primary products benefits those in power. But that would be to assume that the West is ‘happy’ with a poor Africa. The economics behind this would not add up, and if you parse Thomas Pinketty’s trailblazing ‘Capital,’ you will see what we mean. Also, working to keep a negative meme assumes that countries are made up of mindless robotic institutions and not of people – hence, static in their relations with countries or continents. In this epoch of social media and various Internet platforms; where more and more people meet virtually, and where more people travel than in the time of Karl Marx and Antonio Gramsci, it is almost impossible to maintain a particular international regime, paradigm or conspiracy theory.

Instead of an anti-African global incentive system, we are, perhaps, on much more solid ground if we assume that global supply chains and distribution networks run the modern world. Under these circumstances, Africa is not just a dark continent of hopelessness. Instead, it is part of the network. It must produce natural resources – at least for the moment – and these must end up somewhere. Is there a chance that someone will stop making super normal profits if Africa starts to manufacture? Absolutely. So many mineral companies are, probably, happier to keep their African mines operating the way they are today. However, there’s also the fact that in mineral beneficiation benefiting Africa, this development will not be the death knell to the diamond districts in Antwerp or New York. In short, there’s too much – in terms of the natural resource value chain – to go around and try and keep another down.

Lastly, it is obvious that those who speak to a global conspiracy do not necessarily understand two important things – the way the media works, and the essence of the West. In the first place, there’s no news like bad news. Functional economies and things going smoothly do not sell the news as much as controversy. This’ the truth all over the world. So, why should we blame the West for focusing on bad news from Africa if bad news and bad stuff keeps overshadowing the good stuff? Sure, the African intellectuals know this. If you want to stop the West from covering bad things, stop doing bad things.

Secondly, while they understand that Africa is where it is because of a mismanagement reality, the essence of the West will continue to elude Africa’s elite unless the fully immerse themselves into the main facets of the culture they think is against Africa. Unlike Africa, the West is where it is because it has been able to increasingly create institutions to maintain their way of life. If the United States, for instance, was as bloody minded as some suggest, it would have invaded Canada a long time ago – running roughshod over the Mounties. Or, to stop the cartels from burrowing illegal immigrant suppositories, the Americans would have marched across the border into Mexico – protecting their ‘pristine’ societies from the undesirables. The United States has the wherewithal, resources and ‘justification’ to do these things – but does not. If this were 1920, the circumstances would have been different. But in this day and age, it is almost untenable to want to have a backward Africa – an Africa that could be the breeding ground for suicide bombers and terrorists; an Africa that could be the genesis of the next killer disease; an Africa that could sink the world with the weight of its corruption.

The Habari Network Editorial Board
January 6, 2015