The Re-Colonization of Africa. Berlin, 1884 and Paris, 2011

[Starry Messenger]

http://mltoday.com/subject-areas/imperialism/the-re-colonization-of-africa-1208.html

Last week the world was treated to the spectacle of the Paris Conference where one Western leader after the other – together with a few token Arab dictators – patted themselves on the back for "liberating" Libya from the rule of Muammar Gaddafi. It quickly brought to mind the infamous Berlin Conference of 1884 at which Africa was sliced up among its European colonisers.

Quite rightly so, South Africa's President Jacob Zuma let it be known - as any self-respecting African should have done - that he would have nothing to do with this cynical circus initiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron, ostensibly to decide Libya's future...as if Libyans and Africans themselves should not be doing that.

In the end there was a conspicuous absence of influential African leaders, with a number of African countries and the African Union (AU) having refused to recognise the Nato-installed National Transitional Council (NTC) as the new government of Libya. Libya's neighbour, Algeria, was there, but only as an observer and perhaps only because its shared border with Libya gave it a pressing reason.

<snip>

For many Sarkozy and Cameron's 2011-style "scramble for Africa" conference also brought to mind erstwhile ANC leader Chief Albert Luthuli's acceptance speech in Norway in 1960 when he received the Nobel Peace Prize and said: "Our continent has been carved up by the great powers. Alien governments have been forced upon the African people by military conquest and by economic domination".

Berlin Conference of 1884

http://wysinger.homestead.com/berlinconference.html

[Starry Messenger]

1. kick.

[white_wolf]

2. Very interesting article. I fear colonialism and imperialism isn't just for the history books.

We've just found better ways to hid it. On an a slightly off-topic note, thanks for the link, it's good to find another site discussing issues from a Marxist perspective.

[Starry Messenger]

4. I think you'll like it, they update quite frequently as well.

Here is a quote from Lenin on Imperialism that seems like it could be taken straight from the news. You are most probably already familiar with it, but perhaps others would like to read it too:

http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch06.htm

The principal feature of the latest stage of capitalism is the domination of monopolist associations of big employers. These monopolies are most firmly established when all the sources of raw materials are captured by one group, and we have seen with what zeal the international capitalist associations exert every effort to deprive their rivals of all opportunity of competing, to buy up, for example, ironfields, oilfields, etc. Colonial possession alone gives the monopolies complete guarantee against all contingencies in the struggle against competitors, including the case of the adversary wanting to be protected by a law establishing a state monopoly. The more capitalism is developed, the more strongly the shortage of raw materials is felt, the more intense the competition and the hunt for sources of raw materials throughout the whole world, the more desperate the struggle for the acquisition of colonies.

<snip>

Finance capital is interested not only in the already discovered sources of raw materials but also in potential sources, because present-day technical development is extremely rapid, and land which is useless today may be improved tomorrow if new methods are devised (to this end a big bank can equip a special expedition of engineers, agricultural experts, etc.), and if large amounts of capital are invested. This also applies to prospecting for minerals, to new methods of processing up and utilising raw materials, etc., etc. Hence, the inevitable striving of finance capital to enlarge its spheres of influence and even its actual territory. In the same way that the trusts capitalise their property at two or three times its value, taking into account its “potential” (and not actual) profits and the further results of monopoly, so finance capital in general strives to seize the largest possible amount of land of all kinds in all places, and by every means, taking into account potential sources of raw materials and fearing to be left behind in the fierce struggle for the last remnants of independent territory, or for the repartition of those territories that have been already divided.

We've long since moved on from the crudities of outright colonialism, to the creation of weaker client states with malleable local governments.

[DrunkenBoat]

3. Huh, I recced but it's still zero?

[Starry Messenger]

8. Looks like we're holding on for now.

Thank you.

[white_wolf]

10. Yeah, but now it's down to 4. I really wish the un-recers would at least comment on the article.

I get where _Socialist_TN_ is coming from being annoyed with the rec system.

[Starry Messenger]

13. Well, I'm not sure they have any new comments to make.

You might be right though, perhaps someone might surprise us with something original.

[LooseWilly]

5. k&r

[leftstreet]

6. K&R

Thanks for posting this

[Starry Messenger]

17. You're welcome.

Thanks for the k&r

[EFerrari]

7. Kick

[AngkorWot]

9. Maybe Zuma should have joined in with the people who wanted to liberate Libya.

Instead of picking the wrong side.

But then again, this is Jacob Zuma we're talking about.

[white_wolf]

11. Sorry, I don't support Imperialism.

You can dress it up in claims of freedom, but that is no better than what Bush did.

[TheWraith]

15. Sorry, I don't support delusional thinking.

You can dress it up in claims of imperialism, but to genuinely believe that this is anything like the Iraq War you have to willfully blind yourself.

[LooseWilly]

16. Western forces attacking a country with an "evil dictator" running a country with lots of oil...

(and an "evil dictator" that the West has often done business with, to boot) ... you're right... how could this be, in any way, compared with Iraq?

:banghead:

[LooseWilly]

14. Dude, when you can't even get *South Africa* on board with your new "liberated" government making...

that says something.

It's kind of like not being able to get Canada to join in a "peacekeeping" mission... it indicates that there's really not even a scintilla of "peacekeeping" happening.

[amborin]

12. K&R

[malaise]

18. Some of us spotted the new imperialist agenda

early - or was it the same old same old imperialism.

One day Africa will unite.

[blindpig]

19. It will be a lot slicker than this...

Nominal sovereignty will be maintained but the local agents of global capital would do well to contemplate the fates of Ghadiffi, Hussein and many other 'friends' of the powers who became inconvenient.

[Starry Messenger]

20. The imperialists have adopted branding and nice graphics.

Still, 100+ years later, the fate of nations is still being decided by men in suits around long tables.