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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Nov 2008 : 19:21:47
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The above subject is the title of a song by Makadema. Whilst this topic or song may seem very strange at best and blasphemous at worst, likening it to the revelation that came down to Mary Mother of Jesus Christ, (May God's Blessings be Upon Him) that the child’s name shall be Issah, lets not forget that before this song was created, Oprah Winfrey was the first to called Obama as "the one".
Could Makadema have been inspired by Oprah? It may perhaps be because of the faith Oprah had in Obama that she may have called him "the one", one may not know, but certainly, with hindsight, America could not have mistaken in electing Barak.
McCain casually joked that his reference to Obama in the second Presidential debate as "That One", which by all standards was out of a heated debate and frustration, pundits of history will find comfort in the story of Moses, and the Promised Land humanized by Martin Luther King in his last speech titled "The Mountain Top".
Martin Luther, in his last speech said ".. I have been to the mountain.. and seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you.. but we as a people will reach the
Promised Land..."
Those were powerful words which Barack paraphrased in his victory speech when he said “.. our climb will be steep. We may not be able to accomplish everything in one year or even in one term, but I promise that as a people, we will be get there” invoking those powerful words uttered 40 years ago. Again, three things come to mind in the speech line above.
Firstly, Obama is trying to lower expectations from his fellow citizens not to see him as a “messiah” and that he was as human as anyone of them. He was not going to liken himself to Moses. According to history, even Moses could not deliver his people to the Promised Land. With the exception of the enslavement of the Israelites for over 200 years in Egypt, there is no historical account of any nation having gone under such long periods of bondage as the African people in the Americas. In fact, some African Americans believe that the Bible was speaking of them years before the historical incident came to pass. Its not uncommon for prisoners to mimic the words of Moses “ Let my people go”.
Secondly, just as Moses was not able to deliver his people, could Obama be speaking of a Joshua within the American society to continue the process of rectification and reconciliation? We may never know. To some, Martin Luther was Moses and Barack now Joshua and as such he must deliver the promise. Obama on the other hand can take comfort in the believe of the Founding Fathers that nation building is not a quick fix but a continuous, consistent and focused efforts to achieving such and that process in itself is never ending because the best can always be bettered. That remarkable feat of political philosophy is very much alive every day on the back of the One Dollar bill depicted by an unfinished pyramid.
Thirdly, could Obama be in effect, making it known early on that he intends to run for a second term because his government may not achieve all that he promised in “.. even one term..” Politicians are very shrewd and embedded in this one line in his speech, underlies three important national issues that the nation will have to come to terms with.
What has become quite evident in this election victory of Obama are complex.
First and foremost, there is a generational shift in American politics. The young generation that ushered Obama into the White House, only read about race relations of the 1960s in text books quite so distant from their live experiences. They grew up in “more” integrated schools, attended college games together and even dated each other. To them, the Civil Rights era was almost a myth and difficult to understand. We must not also loose sight of the fact that even Barack’s grandfather objected to his son’s marriage to a Caucasian as he wrote in his book “The Audacity of Hope”. Race issues were not a one way traffic. In Africa, the independence struggle coincided with Civil rights movement in America thanks to impact of the Second World War which has brought the world together for a common cause - the fight against injustice. But what the world did not realize was that there were some who fought on the side of justice, but had no freedoms themselves from where they came. This parallel irony may perhaps have fumed Obama’s grand father’s objections. We may not blame him for he had his own fears and experiences during the Mau Mau revolution in Kenya against the British domination of their lands and people.
But you see, it was going to be difficult for any one with a Civil Rights era background to win the Presidency. The reason is very simple, a bitter people cannot think straight and fear of retribution certainly lends itself to resistance. Fear is the greatest enemy of progress. In the end, it would have to take some one like Obama, who can claim to be from both “warring” parties, and interestingly, who historically, cannot claim an iota of slavery in his family, (father African student, Mother from Kansas), to be able to unite and heal supported by a populace who can by all accounts, and rightly so, claim that they never participated.
In this vein, it helps reinforce that an arbitrator to a people must not have a vested interest in the outcome of the negotiations nor be seen to be part of one of the aggrieved. Obama certainly meets these criteria.
Secondly, the demography of the United Sates is changing rapidly and it is estimated that in 2050, there will be no majority in the United Sates. It will become a truly melting pot and every race will be a minority or should I say, not large enough to impose itself on the other. The fastest growing political force to look out for is the Spanish group and the next minority on the political scene is going toe a young talented American of Spanish descent.
However, my suspect is that the current Governor of Louisiana, Mr. Jindel, a first generation Indian American Governor, and very popular and also Republican may be the likely contender in 2012. Certainly, Palin will not be running as the party flag bearer in 2012. If the Republicans should learn anything from this election, it’s the fact that a young breed of Republicans must be groomed for higher office and that America is no longer leaning to the right but a centrist society. A redefinition of the Republican Party will need to be made otherwise they will for a long time remain as the party in waiting.
Technology has changed the way politics is done and thanks to the Obama’s team who made the bet use of this tool. Obama in fact wrote emails to all his registered donors minutes before he took the podium to deliver his victory speech. Its that personal touch that the internet has made possible that every one who voted for him have been able to feel. By the way, the emails were addressed to each recipient and each was addressed by his/her name.
He must continue the personal touch to maintain his influence. Like Nkrummah said “.. if you will judge my success by the heights I have attained, you must measure the depths from which I came…..” Obama must not forget that on his way up, many lend a helping hand and must continue to be grateful because he may find the same helping hands more willing, stronger and ready to prevent a fall on his way down in 2012 when he will be asking for a second mandate.
There are many lessens for us Africans to learn from this.
1. That citizenship should not be accorded based on heritage rather on Birth. The case of Gambia comes to mind where children born in the Gambia of foreign parents cannot be Gambians but that children of Gambians born overseas can claim citizenship. I think that is a moral issue that our country needs to change and delete from our statutes.
2. That we can as a people, campaign decently without intimidation, fights and that divergent views do not necessarily mean being unpatriotic. The example of Obama's paternal home country, Kenya comes to mind. Political factions have slaughtered each other for no good. Our ability as a people and this is for the whole of Africa, will largely determine our standing in the world. In the words of Obama ".. I am by brother’s keeper; I am my sister’s keeper..."
A kenyan who was interviewed in America said ".. we came and conquered. I feel like dying and go to heaven". I am not suprised in her choice of the word"conquer" as though those qwho did not vote for Obama must be exiled. It reaffirms the underlying political philosophy of Africa, that to win means to oppress and to to not support means being unpatriotic. Kenya never came let alone to conquer the United States. This was a son that they never looked out for. If any one conquered, it was the Americans themselves giving Obama hope and opportunity.
Elections must be free and fair and its time we instate and respect presidential term limits throughout Africa. McCain conceding defeat and congratulating his opponent and Bush call Obama even before Obama spoke, is a testimony to the principle of “..Government by the people and for the people..” It also reinforces the principle that power resides in the people and not government.
3. That an uneducated continent cannot participate in history. Africa needs a robust education system quite divorced from the colonial system of achieving literacy standards to one that develops skills ensuring a continuous flow of a critical mass to leap us in the next century as a force to be reckoned with. This cannot be achieved unless the standards of our Teaching pedagogy are upgraded. We need not only increase investment in education but also accountability from our teachers. There should be a continent wide assault on illiteracy. The root cause of Africa's plague is illiteracy which has become the life support of patronage. Patronage only survives in an illiterate society.
3. That it matters not what your heritage is to be president rather on one’s ability to deliver the goods. The case of Ivory Coast comes to mind where a former Prime Minister was a not citizen enough to be President effectively turning that country ungovernable. A country hitherto was called the “Paris of West Africa”
I am told that Obama is more popular in Kenya than Kibaki. But you see Africa is best at one thing; giving national holidays. It’s a public holiday in Kenya whilst Americans are at work. There is always an excuse for doing nothing in this continent. Less we forget, Gambia also celebrated September 11 as a public holiday to the surprise of many citizens when it was business as usual at the U.S Embassy on Kairaba Avenue.
No matter what happens, Obama will always be American first and for those Africans who believe that the Manna from America will be a free flow, must wake up from their slumber sleep. Whilst Africa may want to claim a piece of Obama, we should bury our heads in the sand because we never took care of our “son”. An absent father who saw his son only once when he was about 9 years old, cannot claim to have influenced or shaped Obama into what he has become today. I said the same thing to my Kenyan friend who initially unwilling to see the truth, finally caved in.
I monitored the internet in Kenya and Obama’s brother, Malick said that people stop him in the village for money. That money will never come and the Presidency in America is not like ours in Africa where leaders dip their hands anyway, anyhow and anywhere and can choose to practice virtue if they wished.
OBAMA IS AMERICAN FIRST, AMERICAN SECOND AND AMERICAN FOR EVER. LETS CREATE OUR OWN OBAMAS IN OUR OWN COUNTRIES. THIS OBAMA WILL NOT TRICKLE DOWN LIKE IN ECONOMICS.
Enjoy this link from youtube which is the title of my posting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUighoBIx68
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“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2008 : 20:25:51
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| thanks kondorong for that iluminating commentary. indeed we are endowed with scholars here. your analysis is top draw and far reaching. i enjoyed it. thanks. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2008 : 20:43:17
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Santa
I think Africa is set for a disappointment from Obama. The doing nothing system we have and hoping for bread crums from the west is over. The financial meltdown around the world will create a new reallignment and certainly Africa does not muster any influence to be a priority. When Obama said ".. I am by brother's keeper. I am my sister's keeper..", he was refering to his political contituency in America not the African people or people of African descent.
We must create our own Obamas. We should not forget that Obama did not come to the top by accident. Years of struggle even before he was born help open the doors to the White House. Have we as Africans struggled enough, sacrificed enough for one another? I dont think so. I think the unfortunaletly for us, the light at the end of the tunnel was infact an incoming train. We must be determined more than ever before as though our existence depends on it- because in the end it does.
No miracles or short cuts will deliver us. The capacity must be home grown and solutions put forward by ourselves. You can take the horse to the river, but you cannot force it to drink. Wishes alone cant build castles but action can.
Further more, merely being disadvantage is no excuse for doing nothing. Obama lost both parents and grand parents before finding himself at the top. He did not take his circumstance as an excuse to do nothing. The successful among us are not those who go out looking for opprotunities, but those who create them.
In the same vein, even Prophet Mohammed lost all his parents yet went against all odds in the cause of the religion. This is clearly stated in the Quran when God was reminding the Prophet:WALA SAWU FAH YUH TI KA RABU KA FA TARR DAA, ALAM YAJIDI KA YA TII MAN FA AWA, ..... WA AMA BI NEHK MATI KA RABI KA FA HA DISH.
"Did i not provide you with protection and comfort when you were an orphan......?"
Excuse no more my brethren. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2008 : 21:12:00
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Kondorong,
Well-thought!
Dragging the progress of Africa is the fat elephant-legged so called leaders who take themselves act more than human. The likes of Jammeh who did nothing but robbing the nation and now wants us to bury that ugly history of his backward action. Many others before him tried playing the devil of themselves only to be resigned to history.
It is unreasonable to rob civilised peace loving people and turning around expecting to be worshipped.
Worst of all, Jammeh has created a bunch of people who see all good Gambians against the devil as being unpatriotic.
Above all, a leader who worths the salt must learn to be civil enough in surrendering public position before matters get out of hand.
Africa being a continent of diversity, it atkes the good will of decent citizens not to permit public position holders overtdo the provisions of normalcy.
Good beats there though, and well articulated message from artist Makadema. |
Karamba |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 05 Nov 2008 : 21:32:02
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Karamba
It will take a colective will on the part of all africans to see a future for the continent. Far too long, we have hidden beind excuses for doping nothing. ".. Gradualism leads to stand stillsm which leads to doing nothingsm.." |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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kaanibaa
United Kingdom
1169 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2008 : 01:09:41
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Kondorong ! My tenkermess! You hit the nail flat on it's head .Africans need to wake up from their slumber, every other people are out and about sorting their nations out whereas we in Fatafinaa spend all the time in senseless wars and bad governance by our leaders.Obama surely would not disregard his roots but methinks that he would not be our president but the president of the US of America not Africa .Good job brother.My congratulations to President elect OBAMA ,the man who reached the high post which was before now only possible in the dreams of African Americans.I shed tears of joy on seeing the declaration of his victory, having sat up all night glued to CNN.
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2008 : 01:44:21
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quote:
Originally posted by kaanibaa
Kondorong ! My tenkermess! You hit the nail flat on it's head .Africans need to wake up from their slumber, every other people are out and about sorting their nations out whereas we in Fatafinaa spend all the time in senseless wars and bad governance by our leaders.Obama surely would not disregard his roots but methinks that he would not be our president but the president of the US of America not Africa .Good job brother.My congratulations to President elect OBAMA ,the man who reached the high post which was before now only possible in the dreams of African Americans.I shed tears of joy on seeing the declaration of his victory, having sat up all night glued to CNN.
Thanks Kaaniba.
Certainly he has roots in Kenya, buts it like the title of a book i once read( cant remember the author) " The Long Walk Home".
I think he was able to reconcile his past but "the Long Walk Home" was torturing. I guess the Kenyan Govt. is talking of upgrading the airport at Kisumu, which is the biggest town near his village (37 miles away)so that air force one could land there.
This is a joke. So if Obama were not a President, those poor tax payers would not be seeing any developent. This is what i mean by my posting above that our leaders can choose to practice virtue if they so wish. Lets not forget that Obama's country betrayed him. A harvard graduate, and an Econometrics major from the University of Hawaii coming top of his class, died as pauper hardly able to afford his cigarettes. Barack Senior was a Luo and Kenyata a Kikuyu, the two rival tribes in Kenya. Those unfinished wars partly explains why the recent political turmoil in Kenya.
Its recorded by history that the then President, Kenyata, told Barack Senior that he must make sure that he walked the streets of Kenya bare footed. His words came to pass. Obama wrote about this in his book "The Audacity of Hope".
So why give Kenyans a public holiday when his father was under-utilised and unrecognised. If i were the President of Kenya, i will order and extra hour of work in all Government Departments to compensate for the loss of barack senior.
Well, i do understand that this is Africa- full of ironies.
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“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2008 : 10:16:27
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quote:
Originally posted by kondorong
I think Africa is set for a disappointment from Obama.
there is no evidence for this.why do you think so? in fact what are Africa's expectations. if we know what that is then we can even begin to question wether Obama can deliver it or not?
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2008 : 11:03:42
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| Kondorong, thanks for that remarkable commentary. It is an interesting read... |
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MeMe
United Kingdom
541 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2008 : 14:39:20
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As grandmother to a gorgeous grandson who has a black father and a white mother, I'd like to thank you for your extremely interesting post, Konds!
It's refreshing to read that there is someone out there who remembers that Obama is without an iota of slavery in his family which, I feel, negates the 'popular' label of African American rather he is an American of mixed race.
It's equally heartening to see your acknowledgement of both sides of the race issue ie Obama's grandfather's objections to his son's choice of white partner. And, of course, your comment on the absent father issue too.
This man does give us hope that Dr King's vision of the future can become a reality and I certainly think he'll be a wonderful role model for the many children of mixed race in Europe and beyond. Indeed I could feel tears of wonder coming into my eyes as I sat holding my grandson yesterday morning while we watched the coverage of Obama's victory speech. My grandson is too young to realise that it was history in the making but was interested in all the flags being waved and I had a lump in my throat as I told him how he is the same as this man we are watching - he has a black daddy and a white mummy too.
Here's hoping they manage to keep Obama and his family safe from those who are too full of hatred/madness/evil to see what a great victory this is for today's generations.
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It is better to die standing than to live on your knees - Ernesto Guevara de la Serna |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2008 : 19:16:41
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Njuks
i will address your question in a seperate topic i intend on write about hopefully by the weekend or early next week. It will be in a two part series. The title will be:
BENDING THE ARC OF OPPORTUNITY TOWARDS US - LESSONS FROM BARACK OBAMA (PART ONE)
BENDING THE ARC OF OPPORTUNITY TOWARDS US - LESSONS FROM BARACK OBAMA (PART TWO)
Part one will deal with the African continent whilst part two will deal with People of African descent in the west but who have no claim to slavery or civil rights issues. In other words, its for those first generation africans in the west.
I think its time for a debate on the issue. I will draw examples all over Europe from Paris to the streets of Chicago, to the suburbs of Washington DC and all the way to the Aleutian Chains of the "Last Frontier" (Alaska).
Meme
Thanks for the comments. I think we need to look at Obam's story objectively. Single parenting is almost a fashion these days and should be nipped in the bud.
Infact i intend to ask the question in part two " who is an African American" and draw conclusions from the Obama Campaign. The underlying big elephant and the unspoken identity and hardlly any social interations between "African Americans" and "Africans in America".
In my opinion, these two are very parallel societies unfortunately lumped together by Government categorisation. It surfaced in Obama's Campaign. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 09:18:26
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quote:
Originally posted by kondorong
Njuks
i will address your question in a seperate topic .................
I think its time for a debate on the issue.
i will open my war chest. as always, i look forward to it.
all the best |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2008 : 17:33:32
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Njuks
I like to be challenged. I do not shy away from criticism. I love it. It helps me brush my skills and i do know that i am not perfect. There are always two sides to a coin.
So your criticism is most anticipated. I am very tolerant to divergent views always. Thats why i like free speech. In law, they call it the War Room. This is the place weher litigation staff meet for prepararion of a defence.
Is this Futa VS Kaabu? |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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dbaldeh
USA
934 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2008 : 12:25:25
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Quite interesting Kon. Africa should not expect a whole lot from Obama's administration. What I anticipate seeing him do is to look African leaders in their eyes and tell them to wake up and stand up for their people.
He can also institute policies that might help in other areas. But to be honest, until African intellectuals and citizry are willing to sacrifice and rally the young and the brightest, there is little that is going to change in Africa.
Never in history has a nation changed without the blood sacrifice of some of its citizens. If we all seek refuge in the West and enjoy freedom which was earned by lost of lives of others, then we shouldn't expect change to come to Africa.
The election victory of Obama we are celebrating today, did not come priceless. Thousands lost their lives advocating for the future of other generations. If Dr. King and others chosed to stay away from the struggle this day would never have dawn.
So once again, my contention is that we the people (us) who were supposed to be fighting for future generations have decided to fight a long distant fight. This is hardly or never effective.
A weak and vulnerable population cannot fight for themselves and effect change. They are victims and they only look for those who can give them some and leave them alone. This is what we have in Gambia now. The elderly, women and young uneducated men and women cannot bring meaningful change.
So the road for Africa is getting narrower and narrower; sad to say, but it is true. Many of us were so emotional on Obama's victory because we thought about the people who sacrificed their lives for this to happen. We also wonder what could be for our own Africa? |
Baldeh,
"Be the change you want to see in the world" Ghandi
Visit http://www.gainako.com for your daily news and politics |
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mbay
Germany
1007 Posts |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 11 Nov 2008 : 20:38:14
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Mbay
I thought the italian prime minister likes him. He said Obama was also "tanned" |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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