Beware of Uncle Sam's Motives in Africa

Obama has continued the US imperialist militarism throughout the world. His administration has escalated the war in Central Asia and sent the CIA and AFRICOM into Libya and other regions of Africa., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Beware of Uncle Sam’s motive

Wednesday, 08 February 2012 00:00
Zimbabwe Herald
Panganai Kahuni

The US Ambassador's instalment in The Herald of 20 January, 2012 calling for Americans and Zimbabweans to dialogue or brainstorm on how to improve their relations raises interesting questions. As one carries out a critical analysis and evaluation of the article, it seems to portray the ambassador as a merchant of dialogue.

His address to Zimbabwean scribes could be viewed in marketing as a strategy of rebranding or repackaging a product for it to regain its market share.

It must be clearly understood that the product remains largely the same, but changes only in outlook.

In diplomacy, he could easily be viewed as smart, witty or shrewd.

This is aimed at making people believe there is a positive shift in the American Policy on Zimbabwe.

It must again be very clear in people's minds that there will be no policy change as evidenced by America's continued imposition of sanctions on Zimbabwe.

While dialogue is encouraged and brainstorming is ingenious, both must be practiced in a sincere manner.

The ambassador is not sincere. America never dialogued or brainstormed with Zimbabweans when they unilaterally imposed sanctions on us. It has, in fact, continued to unilaterally impose sanctions on Zimbabwe's productive institutions, influential leaders and executives. Zimbabwe has raised its case through the UN after America had wanted to place it on UN Chapter 7 that would have allowed both America and Britain to use NATO to invade Zimbabwe.

China and Russia blocked the evil moves.

Zimbabwe has always opened its doors for dialogue and brainstorming with the US and any other country.

But it has been the US and its allies that have been arrogant and playing the concept of dominating small and weaker nations.

People wonder whether the US respects the tenets of dialogue and brainstorming.

According to the oxford dictionary brainstorming means "discussing ideas spontaneously and openly".

According to the same dictionary spontaneous means "occurring without external influence; instinctive and natural". However, the practice has been that Americans have always wanted to be more "brainy" than Zimbabweans, in defining the meaning of dialogue and brainstorming.

To Americans dialogue and brainstorming means discussing ideas spontaneously and discretely with a strong view of advancing American interests and objectives. Nations must subjugate themselves to the whims of America. Fellow Zimbabweans, English is the first language for the Americans. One cannot be faulted in thinking or assuming that Americans should understand it better and behave positively to the letter and spirit than Zimbabweans.

Surprisingly though, is better understood by Zimbabweans than Yankees. Zimbabweans have behaved in a more civilised manner than Americans, to the letter and spirit, in reacting to the meaning of the English tenets of dialogue and brainstorming.

Even MDC-T and its coterie of party officials have since seen the need to behave to the tenets of English meanings; to the letter and spirit as evidenced by Tendai Biti's attack on America's unilateral imposition of sanctions on Mbada and Marange diamonds.

It is time people in Zimbabwe, especially those in MDC-T, realise the need to collectively show the US and Britain the door out of interfering with Zimbabwe's internal affairs as has always been the call by Cde Mugabe. It is, indeed, time for the MDC formations to show the Americans and the British, the way out of political and diplomatic arrogance.

These imperial giants should be told in clear terms that no country or combination of countries could thrive in the long term by exploiting others.

This writer is certain that when enough of us become aware of how we are being exploited by these economic giants we would all rise against the Americans as has happened at Wall Street. The dialogue and brainstorm that the US Ambassador was agitating to the scribes, is a concept of making America and its allies swim in riches and the majority drown in poverty, hunger, pollution, diseases and violence.

We all need to commit ourselves to navigating a path towards compassion, democracy, social justice and equitable distribution of wealth.

If the American Ambassador and his embassy team are genuine men at work, aimed at real dialogue, for the socio-economic good of all Zimbabweans, let us see them putting a sanctions lifting programme, that immediately takes effect.

It is the lifting of sanctions that allows our strategic institutions, influential progressive executives and political leadership to function effectively resulting in improved bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and America.

It is only the lifting of ZIDERA that would allow for an honest and fair dialogue between America and Zimbabweans.

Mr Ambassador, Zimbabweans do not hate America but it is the American political leadership that hates Zimbabweans for repossessing their land and crafting an effective indigenous empowerment Act.

If America respects Zimbabwe as a sovereign state, then ZIDERA and all other sanctions must go for the good of the two nations.

--Panganai Kahuni is a social commentator.