The battle to re-conquest Africa

Make Poverty History! The G8, the World Bank, the IMF, Blair, Brown, Bush and Wolfowitz have decided to help hundreds of millions of people in Africa. Bono, Sir Bob Geldof, and an ocean of NGOs have been pressing Governments and Financial Institutions about debt and aid. So, what's the problem? We should all be united and keep repeating the mantra: Make Poverty History! The corporate media couldn't possibly miss this opportunity to praise the angelic leaders who want to save Africa after having liberated Iraq.

Now, is it possible to ask a couple of questions about Make Poverty History? Or is this another slogan, another PR campaign like Weapons of Mass Destruction, Support Our Troops, War on Terror, Export Democracy? Also, if this is another propaganda operation, what’s the trick?

Africa and its tragedies. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know where all these tragedies come from? Wouldn’t it be helpful to understand at least some of the reasons why so many people suffer terribly and die of treatable diseases? History, of course. But what about colonialism? Water, food and medicines, of course. But what about the economy and the plans imposed by western powers, the World Bank and the IMF. The never ending wars, of course. But what about selling Africa billions of weapons?

A few days ago I wrote about The Holy Alliance: Bush, Blair, Bono and Sir Bob. Among other things, I was particularly interested in how Make Poverty History will be used by people like Blair, Bush, Wolfowitz, Brown & C. to re-make their public images and wash their bloody hands after the lies and the horrors of Iraq, for which they are the main responsible (although they have not been held accountable, yet!).

Can this be the main reason for the Make Poverty History Show? A very intelligent, though cynical operation of propaganda to clean the stains of mass murders, war crimes and genocide? No, it can’t be. It’s on the menu obviously but it’s not the main course. It would be too expensive when they can use much more economic means. After all, the corporate media is there for a purpose.

So, why Make Poverty History? What’s behind all this love and good feelings we are presented 24-7 on TV? For which reason are people like Blair, Brown, Bush, Wolfowitz so eager to help Africa? I don’t doubt the good intentions and the honest feelings of Bono and Geldof. Maybe too much patronising. Colonialism and racism are centuries old and sometimes we fall their victims without knowing it and even when our intentions are noble.

On the other side, those who have the power to take decisions will use any mean to build consent around their power, hide their real agenda and using the popularity of rock stars and showbiz people at their own advantage. What do you think it’s the reason for all these Sirs and Lords and Ladies, after all?

So, what’s the hidden agenda?

Till now Africa has been conquered, exploited, stolen of its human resources (slavery), stolen of its natural resources (gold, diamonds, oil, etc), used as a market to sell billions of weapons, used as a huge dump to get rid of any toxic and nuclear waste. By whom?

Now the same colonial powers, the same centres of (economic and political) interests, the same countries and often the same multinational corporations, after having sucked the blood from the people of Africa for centuries as an insatiable vampire, now the same actors want to Make Poverty History in Africa. Does it make any sense? I mean, everything is possible, you know! Even the conversion of cruel, ruthless presidents, prime ministers and CEO’s in compassionate human beings cannot be ruled out sometimes. The only problem here is that this conversion to goodness and altruistic purposes has the dimension of a pandemic.

So, shouldn’t we be more skeptical? Shouldn’t skepticism be a moral duty for those who really care for people in Africa, in the Middle East or in any other country or region every time the power tells us its noble and altruistic goals?

Remember Hamlet? "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

One possible scenario (the commissars working in the media would call it “conspiracy theory”, of course!) may be the following:

1. Western powers have exploited Africa in such a destructive way that now they start to realize they have to act, if they want to keep making business in that part of the globe;
2. Their acting is aimed to establish in Africa minimum conditions of survival in order to have an entire continent ready to work for a couple of dollars (or euros) for those corporations that already control the entire worldwide economy (and our lives). So, after t-shirts and toys made by child-workers in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, we’ll finally have the first effects of globalization in Africa: millions of workers saved by starvation and common (yet lethal) diseases ready to work and be exploited by the old masters. Slavery for the new century.
3. Of course, not all the African people will be kissed by the G8-angel. Only those countries that will fully accept the conditions imposed them by the World Bank, the IMF and the priests of the true religion called FREE MARKET will be able to see their debt cancelled (sic!) and more aid for their people’s needs.
4. Which conditions will the G8 impose to Africa and its peoples? Privatizations and wild capitalistic policies in order to reduce those countries in a perpetual state of need and misery for a more profitable control of their resources. This is the 21st Century, after all!
5. Forget human rights and civil liberties. Just a few crumbs to make people in the West happy and sleeping nicely. We did our best, we had a few concerts… and one day we will even buy sneakers made in Tanzania and t-shirts made in Uganda.
6. Among all these new plans and talks to Make Poverty History, something is quite old. Africa is again the battlefield for wars planned somewhere else and it will again be the pie to divide among greedy actors who invited themselves in this great celebration with emperors, kings and princes delighted by jokers, clowns and singers.