Now that Charlotte is going to be home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, it’s time we own it: We are the turn-left, go-in-circles capital of the world. There’s nothing like a NASCAR race to demonstrate how people who can’t afford shirt sleeves will gladly pay through the nose for paraphernalia that advertises sponsors’ products. (Please note that Joe and Joanna Six-Pack are not invited into the plush air-conditioned luxury boxes.) For the true NASCAR race experience, take a short walk along the fence at the bottom of the stands, near the track. Breathe in the fumes and revel in the tiny bits of rubber that spray off the tires and onto your skin. For maximum enjoyment, take a Yankee.
This article appears in Sep 27 – Oct 3, 2006.
Decker is correct but I need to go a little deeper. He says Africa is under siege from corrupt governments and they are but who put those governments in power and maintains them? The answer is whoever is willing to assist the US in stealing Africa’s natural resources. Africa has a huge amount of debt according the IMF and World Bank. How can this be so? You don’t rape, pilfer and pillage an entire continent and then tell the people they owe you money. We owe Africa money, we being Europe and the United States and all colonial invaders. Governments in Africa are fighting over scarces resources just like Europeans did for centuries during the advent of what we now call nation states.
Mr. Ngongang seems to think that it is a matter of awakening people to the plight of Africa. White policy makers know what’s going on. They just don’t care and they make other white people not care by portraying African as all savages and devoid of human emotion. Propaganda against Africa has done as much damage to blacks as the Red Scare did to communism, my favorite form of government.
Finally, we need to move the mainstream much further to the left if we are ever to begin tackling these issues. We need to expose the history of exploitation that has and continues to damage Africa is every feasible way. Politicians only wants Africa’s resources. Of course if they could sell expensive AIDS drugs there then that may pique their interest. It’s always money first under capitalism. People do not exist or in the case of Africa, they becomes animals.
As a first step in becoming more knowledgeable I would like to recommend that people read Judith Carney’s book, Black Rice: The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas. Don’t worry, the book isn’t as dry as the title sounds!!! In fact it is a very readable introduction to African Women’s history and shows the courage and resourcefulness possessed by these women both in West Africa and in North America.
I also think that the media is to blame because there are some good things happening in Africa. National Geographic did a wonderful issue called “Africa, Whatever you thought, think again” that tells of progress and challenges. Decker, you may be interested in an article from last week’s Wall Street Journal called “A Suburban Dad’s African Kingdom” about man balancing life in America with allegiance to his village in Cameroon. I thought it was really interesting.
please name 5 scarce resources please i can’t remember very well.