Obama, the African Colonial

American Thinker ^ | June 25, 2009 | L.E. Ikenga

[neverdem]

Had Americans been able to stop obsessing over the color of Barack Obama's skin and instead paid more attention to his cultural identity, maybe he would not be in the White House today. The key to understanding him lies with his identification with his father, and his adoption of a cultural and political mindset rooted in postcolonial Africa.

Like many educated intellectuals in postcolonial Africa, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was enraged at the transformation of his native land by its colonial conqueror. But instead of embracing the traditional values of his own tribal cultural past, he embraced an imported Western ideology, Marxism. I call such frustrated and angry modern Africans who embrace various foreign "isms", instead of looking homeward for repair of societies that are broken, African Colonials. They are Africans who serve foreign ideas.

The tropes of America's racial history as a way of understanding all things black are useless in understanding the man who got his dreams from his father, a Kenyan exemplar of the African Colonial.

Before I continue, I need to say this: I am a first generation born West African-American woman whose parents emigrated to the U.S. in the 1970's from the country now called Nigeria. I travel to Nigeria frequently. I see myself as both a proud American and as a proud Igbo (the tribe that we come from -- also sometimes spelled Ibo). Politically, I have always been conservative (though it took this past election for me to commit to this once and for all!); my conservative values come from my Igbo heritage and my place of birth. Of course, none of this qualifies me to say what I am about to -- but at the same time it does.

My friends, despite what CNN and the rest are telling you, Barack Obama is nothing more than an old school African Colonial who is on his way to turning this country into one of the developing nations that you learn about on the National Geographic Channel. Many conservative (East, West, South, North) African-Americans like myself -- those of us who know our history -- have seen this movie before. Here are two main reasons why many Americans allowed Obama to slip through the cracks despite all of his glaring inconsistencies:

First, Obama has been living on American soil for most of his adult life. Therefore, he has been able to masquerade as one who understands and believes in American democratic ideals. But he does not. Barack Obama is intrinsically undemocratic and as his presidency plays out, this will become more obvious. Second, and most importantly, too many Americans know very little about Africa. The one-size-fits-all understanding that many Americans (both black and white) continue to have of Africa might end up bringing dire consequences for this country.

Contrary to the way it continues to be portrayed in mainstream Western culture, Africa is not a continent that can be solely defined by AIDS, ethnic rivalries, poverty and safaris. Africa, like any other continent, has an immense history defined by much diversity and complexity. Africa's long-standing relationship with Europe speaks especially to some of these complexities -- particularly the relationship that has existed between the two continents over the past two centuries. Europe's complete colonization of Africa during the nineteenth century, also known as the Scramble for Africa, produced many unfortunate consequences, the African colonial being one of them.

The African colonial (AC) is a person who by means of their birth or lineage has a direct connection with Africa. However, unlike Africans like me, their worldviews have been largely shaped not by the indigenous beliefs of a specific African tribe but by the ideals of the European imperialism that overwhelmed and dominated Africa during the colonial period. AC's have no real regard for their specific African traditions or histories.  AC's use aspects of their African culture as one would use pieces of costume jewelry: things of little or no value that can be thoughtlessly discarded when they become a negative distraction, or used on a whim to decorate oneself in order to seem exotic. (Hint: Obama's Muslim heritage).

On the other hand, AC's strive to be the best at the culture that they inherited from Europe. Throughout the West, they are tops in their professions as lawyers, doctors, engineers, Ivy League professors and business moguls; this is all well and good. It's when they decide to engage us as politicians that things become messy and convoluted.

The African colonial politician (ACP) feigns repulsion towards the hegemonic paradigms of Western civilization. But at the same time, he is completely enamored of the trappings of its aristocracy or elite culture. The ACP blames and caricatures whitey to no end for all that has gone wrong in the world. He convinces the masses that various forms of African socialism are the best way for redressing the problems that European colonialism motivated in Africa. However, as opposed to really being a hard-core African Leftist who actually believes in something, the ACP uses socialist themes as a way to disguise his true ambitions: a complete power grab whereby the "will of the people" becomes completely irrelevant.

Barack Obama is all of the above. The only difference is that he is here playing (colonial) African politics as usual.  

In his 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father -- an eloquent piece of political propaganda -- Obama styles himself as a misunderstood intellectual who is deeply affected by the sufferings of black people, especially in America and Africa. In the book, Obama clearly sees himself as an African, not as a black American. And to prove this, he goes on a quest to understand his Kenyan roots. He is extremely thoughtful of his deceased father's legacy; this provides the main clue for understanding Barack Obama.

Barack Obama Sr. was an African colonial to the core; in his case, the apple did not fall far from the tree. All of the telltale signs of Obama's African colonialist attitudes are on full display in the book -- from his feigned antipathy towards Europeans to his view of African tribal associations as distracting elements that get in the way of "progress".  (On p. 308 of Dreams From My Father, Obama says that African tribes should be viewed as an "ancient loyalties".)

Like imperialists of Old World Europe, the ACP sees their constituents not as free thinking individuals who best know how to go about achieving and creating their own means for success. Instead, the ACP sees his constituents as a flock of ignorant sheep that need to be led -- oftentimes to their own slaughter.

Like the European imperialist who spawned him, the ACP is a destroyer of all forms of democracy.

Here are a few examples of what the British did in order to create (in 1914) what is now called Nigeria and what Obama is doing to you: 

1. Convince the people that "clinging" to any aspect of their cultural (tribal) identity or history is bad and regresses the process of "unity". British Imperialists deeply feared people who were loyal to anything other than the state. "Tribalism" made the imperialists have to work harder to get people to just fall in line. Imperialists pitted tribes against each other in order to create chaos that they then blamed on ethnic rivalry. Today many "educated" Nigerians, having believed that their traditions were irrelevant, remain completely ignorant of their ancestry and the history of their own tribes.
2. Confiscate the wealth and resources of the area that you govern by any means necessary in order to redistribute wealth. The British used this tactic to present themselves as empathetic and benevolent leaders who wanted everyone to have a "fair shake". Imperialists are not interested in equality for all. They are interested in controlling all.  
3. Convince the masses that your upper-crust university education naturally puts you on an intellectual plane from which to understand everything even when you understand nothing. Imperialists were able to convince the people that their elite university educations allowed them to understand what Africa needed. Many of today's Nigerians-having followed that lead-hold all sorts of degrees and certificates-but what good are they if you can't find a job?   
4. Lie to the people and tell them that progress is being made even though things are clearly becoming worse.  One thing that the British forgot to mention to their Nigerian constituents was that one day, the resources that were being used to engineer "progress" (which the British had confiscated from the Africans to begin with!) would eventually run out. After WWII, Western Europe could no longer afford to hold on to their African colonies. So all of the counterfeit countries that the Europeans created were then left high-and-dry to fend for themselves. This was the main reason behind the African independence movements of the1950 and 60's. What will a post-Obama America look like?
5. Use every available media outlet to perpetuate the belief that you and your followers are the enlightened ones-and that those who refuse to support you are just barbaric, uncivilized, ignorant curmudgeons.  This speaks for itself.

America, don't be fooled. The Igbos were once made up of a confederacy of clans that ascribed to various forms of democratic government. They took their eyes off the ball and before they knew it, the British were upon them. Also, understand this: the African colonial who is given too much political power can only become one thing: a despot.

L.E. Ikenga can be reached at leikenga@gmail.com.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

“African colonial” has to more accurately describe what Obortion is than American.

[Think free or die]

Interesting perspective, and a disturbing one. I’ve never thought him to be an American in his upbringing, values, or knowledge of history.

[hsalaw]

Why does the Obummer so closely identify with a bigamist who abandoned him (and his mother) at birth to go back to his other wife? That’s just weird.

[americanophile]

bump for later - I've exceeded my Obama quotient for the day.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Obama is mega-weird. He would have been laughed out of American politics as soon as he tried to step in, during an older and saner time. The Republican implosion is the only thing that made this wretch of a “president” possible.

[bruinbirdman]

"Why does the Obummer . . . ."

Get Whitey!!

yitbos

[joydocsusie]

B. HUSSEIN Obama is nothing but an anti-American Muslim who happened to

win the presidency.

[joydocsusie]

Well, at least the Iranian thugs were disinvited to the B. HUSSEIN’S Obama

Independence party.

[Iam1ru1-2]

I think we as Americans must look in the mirror as well. God Almighty gave us the president we deserved. If we want a president that is honest, upright, promise keeper, and returns this nation back to what the founders set it up to be, then WE, the PEOPLE, need to change our ways also. It won’t happen by putting GOP’ers into office or even conservatives. Look at what just happened a “dyed-in-the-wool conservative” governor was caught doing; not just cheating on his wife, but lying to his entire staff and his wife and kids. So the word “conservative” has been tainted beyond recovery. We must find “MORAL” conservatives to run for office, otherwise we are only electing wolves in sheeps clothing; hypocrits. And if we continue to ignore morals in EVERYTHING we do and say, then Obama will be just the beginning of what’s to come if God hasn’t seen fit to righteously punish and judge us before then. God’s patience toward America has become very thin, and the terrible things that have been taking place in our nation by it’s people and through “natural disasters” proves that God has already begun to lift His hand of Blessing, Provision, and Protection upon this nation.

[bruinbirdman]

"The African colonial (AC) is a person who by means of their birth or lineage has a direct connection with Africa. However, unlike Africans like me, their worldviews have been largely shaped not by the indigenous beliefs of a specific African tribe but by the ideals of the European imperialism that overwhelmed and dominated Africa during the colonial period.

Most African colonial references bring to mind sub-Saharan Africa. Historically, all of Africa has forever been tribal culturally.

The author is entirely correct in her summation of The Kenyan.

The perfect example of the western educated (Cecil Rhodes was an original socialist who set up his Rhodes Scholar to inculcate socialism in dedicated civil servants) Marxist is Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi1 who took over Libya in 1969.

North African and Sub-Saharan African Geography at UCLA in 1967 had already identified just this theme of L.E. Ikenga.

By the way, her Ibo tribe was like the elite of Nigeria and much oppressed by the ACs. So much so that they fought a civil war, 1967 - 1970, for their own nation of Biafra.

yitbos

[neverdem]

Why does the Obummer so closely identify with a bigamist who abandoned him (and his mother) at birth to go back to his other wife? That’s just weird.

Traditionally, because of the strangeness of the American racial system, it has been to the advantage of American Mulattoes to identify as black (at least on forms). Today, I personally see no conflict with American Mulattoes taking the liberty of acknowledging that they are biracial and feeling good about that, YET still giving their demographic support where it can really count and do the MOST good--with the BLACK community.

It's anecdotal, but it agrees with my impression unless they can pass for white. So, hate whitey.

[dennisw]

I’ve been calling 0bama an African style dictator for months. This African woman confirms it

[bruinbirdman]

Note that The Kenyan's father was western educated civil servant. That means western socialist dominated academia.

The winners were sons mostly of upper management civil servants or military officers. They learned Marxism at western universities, who educated far more than Lamumba University in USSR, and took it back to Africa to overthrow the governments established by the colonial transition.

yitbos

[piasa]

Thanks for the post.

[BIGLOOK]

Thanks Doc....BTT

[piasa]

that African socialim link in your posted article above is a doozy, well worth the read too.

http://www.heritage.org/research/africa/hl250.cfm

[piasa]

This is chilling:

[snip]... This process began in Ghana, the first black African country to gain its independence from Britain on March 7,1957, under Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who is generally regarded as "the father of African socialism."

After independence, he faced herculean tasks. He had declared in the 1950s, "We shall not rest content until we demolish this miserable structure of colonialism and erect in its place veritable paradise." Independence had been achieved. The question was how to build that paradise. Nkrumah urged Ghanaians to know their "enemy," which was "collective imperialism in which the USA occupies a leading position." He also exhorted his fellow Africans to beware of a number of imperialist dogmas: "that western democracy and the parliamentary system are the only valid ways of governing; that capitalism, free enterprise, free competition, etc., are the only economic systems capable of promoting development." These were fallacies, Nkrumah asserted.

Socialism, therefore, was to be his ideology. His choice of socialism was "based on the belief that only a socialist form of society can assure Ghana of a rapid rate of economic progress without destroying that social justice, that freedom and equality, which are a central feature of our traditional way of life." Many other African leaders followed suit. While President Kaunda of Zambia was espousing "humanism," Nyerere of Tanzania was instituting " Ujaama, " drawing vague references from the African tradition of socialism."

In Africa, socialism was implemented through the one-party state apparatus. The state would "own everything" and direct economic activity (dirigstne). There would be only one political party. The head of that party would also be the president - for life. Clearly, any individual with ambitious political designs and lust for personal power would be seduced by such a system.

Accordingly, under Nkrumah [Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, who is generally regarded as "the father of African socialism." ] socialism as a domestic policy was to be pursued toward "a complete ownership of the economy by the state." A bewildering array of legislative controls and regulations were imposed on imports, capital transfers, industry, wages, the rights and powers of trade unions, prices, rents, and interest rates. Some of the controls were introduced by the colonialists, but they were retained and expanded by Nkrurnah. Private businesses were taken over by the Nkrumah government and nationalized. Numerous state enterprises were acquired.

...Nkrumah was in a hurry to transform Ghana into a socialist state. "We must achieve in A-decade what it took others a century," he asserted. He was intolerant of criticism. Opposition members were traduced in the media as the "party of divisiveness" bent on a course of deliberate sabotage of Ghana's construction efforts. They were to be eliminated. Accordingly in July 1958, Nkrumah passed the Preventive Detention Bill, which gave his government sweeping powers "to imprison without trial, any person suspected of activities prejudicial to the state's security." With this vague definition, anybody could be picked up since any private activity could be interpreted as prejudicial to the interests of the state. The insidious march toward dictatorship thus began.

The news media next came under the complete control of Nkrumah's party. Journalists were gagged, censorship established, and editors who criticized the government were hauled off to jail. Any opposition to Nkrumah's dictatorship was brutally suppressed.

Finally in 1964, Nkrumah declared Ghana to be a one-party state and himself "president-for- life."

Ghanaians soon tired of Nkrumah and his rhetoric. In 1966 when he was overthrown in a military coup, there was much joy and jubilation in the streets of Ghana. His "socialist" experiment was a miserable fiasco. Worse, his ideology had degenerated into "Swiss bank socialism." While he was preaching socialism, his ministers were busy importing Mercedes Benzes and gold beds into Ghana and stashing millions into Swiss bank accounts.

...When Ghana gained its independence, it boasted foreign exchange reserves of $400 million. In 1966, there was a foreign debt of $858 million in its place. The state farms Nkrumah set up could not produce enough food to feed their own workers, let alone the nation. Between 1960 and 1966, food shortages appeared and local food prices doubled. Ghanaians were suffering. Nkrumah's policies were emulated by many African countries. Predictably, in one country after another, economic ruin, dictatorship and oppression followed with deadly consistency: Angola, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mozambique, Zambia, and now Zimbabwe....[/snip]

[Cindy]

Yep.

SNIPPET from post no. 28:

"In Africa, socialism was implemented through the one-party state apparatus. The state would "own everything" and direct economic activity (dirigstne). There would be only one political party. The head of that party would also be the president - for life. Clearly, any individual with ambitious political designs and lust for personal power would be seduced by such a system."

[bruinbirdman]

"Accordingly in July 1958, Nkrumah passed the Preventive Detention Bill, which gave his government sweeping powers "to imprison without trial, any person suspected of activities prejudicial to the state's security"

Like returning military, pro-lifers, Christian fundamentalists, gun owners, talk radio robots.

yitbos