Saturday, April 02, 2011

African Thinking on Libya is Not What You Think

We see a lot of news here in the United States about what Americans think about the Libya situation. But what has been noticeably missing from the news we see is, what do Africans think about the attack on their continent by the West (Video).

 The first thing we need to understand about the Libyan situation is, that while 13 western countries including NATO, the UN security council (not all of the UN) and the Arab league have generally agreed more or less to a limited Libya No Fly Zone action, The African Union (AU) is opposed to this No Fly Zone Action. 

African Union (AU) The 53 States representing the continent
I did an earlier piece on the President's explanation for his actions and what African Americans were thinking about Libya and the potential cultural consequences of attacking Africa. 

Here is one of the few early Western reports that even mentions the African's view, Voice of America. Keep in mind who pays for VOA and its purpose in the world. Now lets find out what Africans think from Africans. 

Let's Go To The Video Tape.



After watching this, only because of Cyberspace and YouTube and the fact that information can no longer be blocked, it struck me, growing up I never remember seeing Africans meeting to discuss continental issues on American TV. Before the AU there was the OAU but it is safe to say that, as a result of enforced Cultural Illiteracy, 90% of Americans never heard of these African leadership groups.

Talk about a little known Cultural Literacy fact, flying the insurgent King's flag is to an African Libyan, is what flying the Confederate flag is to an African American.

Speaking of Cultural Literacy let us listen to a member nation of the African Union in the person of the President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. He will lay out for us a little history, his analysis of the situation and his recommendations for action steps moving forward.




Did you hear Yoweri Museveni say that the Libyan flag is green and the insurgent flag is red, black and green (not African liberation colors) but the colors of the former Western puppet King. Further he points out that Kadhafi is a secular Nationalist, a Pan African leader. You will note from the link that their is no religious symbol on the Libyan flag, but there is one on the insurgent flag.

Now I am not an expert but just from the flags there seems to be a dramatic cultural difference in Civil War. The insurgents seem to be, as I suspected, religious extremest who are not independent minded Pan Africanist. They have the old king's flag called, Westerners to invade the continent and are already beholding to the West as they try to sit on the part of the country with the oil that the West wants to regain control of.

Well one thing is for sure, this is not the type of analysis that the wolf on CNN or any corporate media is going to present for your consideration.

After hearing the Africans on the ground I am less supportive of our President's actions. Time will tell. In the meantime keep your ears open for all sides of this continuing continental cultural crisis.


2 comments:

Aunk said...

Hetep and Respect, The secretary of state said in a Sunday TV interview with Gates that they were responding to insurgent ("rebel") and European requests. I understand that it is the French that made this request and French planes that are the NATO lead in the air.

Now aren't the French the ones we followed down the Vietnam rat hole, when the French had attacked the Asians and lost. Was it the French that were defeated in Haiti by the Africans and and then stole all their trees.

When the duly elected President of Haiti (that just returned to his country, see my story on it) was kidnapped by the wicked witch of the West, Bush's Dr. Rice, wasn't he flown to a French controlled African country.

Is there a pattern here or is it me?

Aunk said...

Hetep and Respect, a friend said something interesting to me yesterday. He said, we are fighting the Taliban, Libya is fighting the Taliban. But We are going to give the Taliban in Libya weapons?

Hmm, he draws a thought provoking picture.

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