Buying and Selling Colonialism and Imperialism In Africa

Since the Western bombing of Libya began, some African observers have not failed to see imperialistic machinations in the move. That some young Africans are so engrossed by discourses of imperialism at this point in the history of the continent shows that many of us do not yet understand the nature of international politics. The relations among nations is hardly governed by good will; it is often governed by national interest. Thus, when France, Britain, or the United States intervenes in Africa or anywhere else, it is hardly due to their magnanimity; it is often to promote their national interest. Blaming leaders of particular countries for protecting the national interest of their countries therefore fails to demonstrate an understanding of how international politics works. Countries will always seek to protect their interests! The African travesty is that, since independence, many African leaders have either decided to serve their individual interests or the interests of other countries. This is what a leader like Gaddafi has done: rather than protecting his national interest, he opted to protect the interest of his family and those around him. That is what other African leaders such as Robert Mugabe, Paul Biya, Omar Bongo and now his son, Obiang Nguema, etc. etc., are doing. Having failed to protect the interest of their people, they concoct stories about imperialism and begin selling them to their people each time these people rise up. Rather than seeing their people as smart enough to want better lives, they demonize their people as tools of foreign agents. Some intellectuals buy into these stories and start selling them in turn. And so we lose the ability to hold our leaders accountable because we buy into their baloney that their failure derives from imperialism.

It is worth noting that foreigners keep having an upper hand in Africa because African leaders often fail to maintain reasonable control over things in which many are interested. True, the West is interested in African resources, such as the oil in Libya. But they will not come for it if Gaddafi had protected the interest of his people by giving them the decent life they want. When the revolt started in Libya African leaders could not act because many of them are weak and corrupt like Gaddafi himself. To blame the West for being imperialistic because it intervened in Libya demonstrates a blind loyalty to our own. It is this blind loyalty that is being conjured each time Africans are taught to uncritically buy and sell stories about imperialism.