Charles D. Ellison: "The Real Reason Obama Went to Africa."
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The Real Reason Obama Went to Africa
$100 million is cheap when you’re trying to keep the Chinese away from Africa’s oil.
By Charles D. Ellison 7/01/2013
As the Obama family’s first official trip to Africa wraps up tomorrow, ignore all the fanfare and try, for a moment, to wrap your head around some real context for the visit. This jaunt was about much more than the symbolism of a first black presidential “homecoming” to the historically troubled continent. And it’s not so much about the president taking the fam to cool tourist spots and the photo ops next to second-tier leaders of emerging economies.
And don’t let the $100 million or so estimated bill for the trip unsettle you. We’ve been going on for weeks now about the exorbitant cost of this state visit, but we’ve failed to consider the reasons why an Africa trip is that important. Fussing over the cost of aircraft carriers on standby and the Secret Service security details unfairly diminishes the significance of evolving American interests in the region. The sticker shock reveals traditional biases over Africa and our tendency to dismiss it as an irrelevant, geographic hole in the wall dotted by jungles and deserts. Hence, the outrage over the cost during times of government belt-tightening is not the issue. It’s the notion that Africa doesn’t really deserve an American presidential visit.
But it actually does — and not because of the president’s African roots. Not visiting would defeat the purpose of the enormous diplomatic and military investment in Africa that’s been made by the United States, particularly over the past few years. It’s no accident that many of the continent’s countries are suddenly in mainstream headlines, our boring lives assaulted by front-page features on places that never mattered to us before: Libya, Mali, Kenya. That’s courtesy of a shifting U.S. foreign policy stance putting more assets into the beleaguered continent, a dramatic change in geopolitical posturing that hopes to yield major economic and energy dividends. It’s a strategy that’s been accelerating fast, especially since the death of Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan dictator billionaire extraordinaire who exercised massive clout over the continent and planned to build a “Pan African” army. His absence now opens the path to greater U.S. maneuverability in Africa.
The United Nations projects African economic growth at 4.8 percent in 2013 and a robust 5.3 percent in 2014, which is steady and impressive performance for a continent frequently wracked by civil war and despotic governments. Investors are taking note, carefully watching the gradually expanding middle class bubble up in places you never thought there’d be a middle class; the increasing consumption power of wealthier populations in Africa prompted WalMart to offer $4.6 billion for Massmart Holdings, the second-largest retailer on the continent, in 2010.
It’s not mere coincidence that focus on Africa is happening as the U.S. is gradually withdrawing military assets from the Middle East. The hassle of reliance on oil imports from unpredictable Islamic states is wearing U.S. patience thin. The situation in Africa, while complex, may be a bit more manageable as Western companies are finding motherlodes of untapped oil reserves on the continent. The U.S. is now in a race to beat China, which is rapidly spreading its influence and money in a bid to secure fuel for its growing economy. In a signal that it means to be a major player, China dropped a cool $200 million on the African Union’s plush new headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, one example of numerous construction projects the communist country has bankrolled throughout the continent. It makes domestic fussing over Obama’s $100 million visit a bit trivial. While U.S. trade with Africa was $95 billion in 2012, Chinese trade with the continent tipped over $200 billion.
Military concerns are also factoring strongly into Obama administration interest in Africa. Surveillance and strike drones are already parked at a small base in Niger, not to mention rapid deployment forces and the broader continental net of what’s called AFRICOM (the U.S. military’s Africa command) keeping a watchful eye on the continent and the rise of Islamic militants, particularly in once unknown and unstable nation states such as Mali, where jihadists nearly overran the army until French help arrived. Recent clashes in Nigeria also have the administration worried, considering the country is a one of the largest exporters of oil to the U.S. At some point, expect American military posture to grow as the African economy expands and the U.S. becomes much more reliant on the continent’s resources as a central source of energy and revenue.
Charles D. Ellison is a political strategist, Washington correspondent for The Philadelphia Tribune and chief political correspondent for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @charlesdellison.
http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2013/07/01/real-reason-obama-africa/
First Published: 2004-02-23
Kadhafi calls for Pan-African army
Libyan leader says single African army will help solve inter-African conflicts, divert money to development projects.
Middle East Online
SYRTE, Libya - Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi has called for a pan-African army to replace national militaries in order to protect the troubled continent from foreign attack and solve internal wars.
A "single African army" would help solve inter-African conflicts and divert billions of dollars to development projects, Kadhafi told African defence ministers Sunday in Syrte, 500 kilometres (310 miles) east of Tripoli.
"The creation of an African army means dissolving national armies and saving large amounts of money spent on such militaries," Kadhafi told the opening of the ministers' second conference.
Africa spends around 13 billion dollars each year on its standing armies of 1.25 million soldiers, he added.
A million-strong united army would save countries 50 percent of their annual defence budgets or seven billion dollars, which could be spent on health and development, Kadhafi said.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=9001
Comments
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And they called Ghadafi a mad man. SMFH! He saw before anyone could realize and no wonder the united states wanted him dead so bad. He would literally had the world trembling before his might and had Africa rebuilt and his descendants taking care of it.
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Ghadafi was an enslaver
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He was a strict dude, I'll give you that, but he had a reason why he had to do so. Now, you see Libya is a total ? mess now.
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Ajackson17 wrote: »Now, you see Libya is a total ? mess now.
Is it? Explain. I always enjoy watching you cats that scream about American tyranny and then cape for these murderous-ass tyrants. Because the last I checked, Libyans are very happy about how things turned out.
lol @ you fools acting like Kghaadaffi was the first ? to propose a Pan-African army, or that he was doing anything to make it happen -
Swiffness! wrote: »Ajackson17 wrote: »Now, you see Libya is a total ? mess now.
Is it? Explain. I always enjoy watching you cats that scream about American tyranny and then cape for these murderous-ass tyrants. Because the last I checked, Libyans are very happy about how things turned out.
lol @ you fools acting like Kghaadaffi was the first ? to propose a Pan-African army, or that he was doing anything to make it happen
The white libyans are happy, but the dark libyans are paying the price and getting executed. Funny thing that our great enemy al qaeda was down there supporting the movement. But I guess you didn't see that nor were they being apprehended by americans. Smh.
I feel sorry for those who cannot see the lines of fate. -
you know, it's not like Gaddafi was in power for 5 minutes - the man ran Libya for 42 years. yet he spent this time switching between "i'm an Arab" and "i'm an African" as convenient and burning money to ? with other countries (which is, oddly enough, the thing i think we're complaining about the US doing).Ajackson17 wrote: »He would literally had the world trembling before his might and had Africa rebuilt and his descendants taking care of it.
the man could have started rebuilding Africa at ANY TIME since 1969. can't figure out why that didn't happen.
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you know, it's not like Gaddafi was in power for 5 minutes - the man ran Libya for 42 years. yet he spent this time switching between "i'm an Arab" and "i'm an African" as convenient and burning money to ? with other countries (which is, oddly enough, the thing i think we're complaining about the US doing).Ajackson17 wrote: »He would literally had the world trembling before his might and had Africa rebuilt and his descendants taking care of it.
the man could have started rebuilding Africa at ANY TIME since 1969. can't figure out why that didn't happen.
oh like it's really that simple. let's gather our nickels up and start the process.
on another note, i cant make threads still, so here i go. either my state is in a military state or im a targeted individual by the military, mainly the army. what should i do?
if anyone can connect a lawsuit to the laws of physics, feel free to let me know what my argument could be. -
just found out that the term T.I. stands for "the illum" or "targeted individuals." and gosh almighty i always thought it stood for the internet.
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so wait, are we talking about random dudes with nickels put together (we're not) or Gaddafi, who had millions and billions to burn?professor x wrote: »oh like it's really that simple. let's gather our nickels up and start the process. -
you know, it's not like Gaddafi was in power for 5 minutes - the man ran Libya for 42 years. yet he spent this time switching between "i'm an Arab" and "i'm an African" as convenient and burning money to ? with other countries (which is, oddly enough, the thing i think we're complaining about the US doing).Ajackson17 wrote: »He would literally had the world trembling before his might and had Africa rebuilt and his descendants taking care of it.
the man could have started rebuilding Africa at ANY TIME since 1969. can't figure out why that didn't happen.
I thought he got assassinated for trying to do just that..... -
you know, it's not like Gaddafi was in power for 5 minutes - the man ran Libya for 42 years. yet he spent this time switching between "i'm an Arab" and "i'm an African" as convenient and burning money to ? with other countries (which is, oddly enough, the thing i think we're complaining about the US doing).Ajackson17 wrote: »He would literally had the world trembling before his might and had Africa rebuilt and his descendants taking care of it.
the man could have started rebuilding Africa at ANY TIME since 1969. can't figure out why that didn't happen.
I thought he got assassinated for trying to do just that.....
My thoughts exactly -
the problem with having money to burn is the fact that the people who he wouldve burned it on wouldve eventually wanted more money. not only that, just because those people have the money doesnt mean that they know what to do with it.
they arent immune from the ? syndrome.
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o yeah, most of these countries have natural resources, anyways. that doesnt/didnt stop them from being involved in some sort of unrest.
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Ajackson17 wrote: »
you know, it's not like Gaddafi was in power for 5 minutes - the man ran Libya for 42 years. yet he spent this time switching between "i'm an Arab" and "i'm an African" as convenient and burning money to ? with other countries (which is, oddly enough, the thing i think we're complaining about the US doing).Ajackson17 wrote: »He would literally had the world trembling before his might and had Africa rebuilt and his descendants taking care of it.
the man could have started rebuilding Africa at ANY TIME since 1969. can't figure out why that didn't happen.
I thought he got assassinated for trying to do just that.....
My thoughts exactly
that ? probably got a twin brother somewhere with a bunch of stem cells in his head.
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professor x wrote: »the problem with having money to burn is the fact that the people who he wouldve burned it on wouldve eventually wanted more money. not only that, just because those people have the money doesnt mean that they know what to do with it.
they arent immune from the ? syndrome.
My ? I been thinking about this all day. My homegirl who shall remain nameless, has been asking me for money all day, and I've helped her for over 6 months now. Some people just can't be helped without knowing what to do, I personally believe Gaddafi was saving his money to really try to do something big for Africa, as he DID do a lot to help the continent. The African Union was against the war in Libya and that's why there's been some tension btw African nations and Obama for some years now....China has made bigger inroads then America in Africa for a reason.... -
I thought he got assassinated for trying to do just that.....
wait, he got assassinated 42 years ago?Ajackson17 wrote: »My thoughts exactly
this is my point: if Gaddafi was really about "let's rebuild Africa" ... why did he JUST get "assassinated for trying to do that?" he'd talk that ? before when convenient, as in, when he was in his "i'm an African" mood.
hell, he didn't get assassinated for literally pumping millions of dollars into promoting terrorism in the UK. don't tell me you believe in the awesome assassin powers of The West and think that doesn't include the UK. but wait, couldn't he have spent that time and money on Africa?
sometimes the fact is that a guy isn't some heroic figure of righteous opposition. sometimes he's just an ? dictator.
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False.
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I thought he got assassinated for trying to do just that.....
wait, he got assassinated 42 years ago?Ajackson17 wrote: »My thoughts exactly
this is my point: if Gaddafi was really about "let's rebuild Africa" ... why did he JUST get "assassinated for trying to do that?" he'd talk that ? before when convenient, as in, when he was in his "i'm an African" mood.
hell, he didn't get assassinated for literally pumping millions of dollars into promoting terrorism in the UK. don't tell me you believe in the awesome assassin powers of The West and think that doesn't include the UK. but wait, couldn't he have spent that time and money on Africa?
sometimes the fact is that a guy isn't some heroic figure of righteous opposition. sometimes he's just an ? dictator.
Not saying he was a hero...........
However, for an ? dictator, his ideas were GOAT...........
Now that he is gone there is more talk of a pan-African army and currency...................
Ideas that he attempted to implement.............Former Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, who was the 2009 Chairperson of the African Union (AU), advanced the idea of a United States of Africa at two regional African summits: first in June 2007 in Conakry, Guinea,[3] and again in February 2009 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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hell of an argument there, champAjackson17 wrote: »False.
basically saying the man was assassinated for his ideas is calling him either a hero or ? 2.0. and i don't think it's the latterNot saying he was a hero...
so let's run this down again: he'd been running an oil-rich nation since 1969... and he started to implement pan-African ideas 38 years later. 38 years later. oh, and again, it was after he declared, "wait, i'm not not an Arab right now, now it's all about Africa."However, for an ? dictator, his ideas were GOAT...........
Now that he is gone there is more talk of a pan-African army and currency...................
Ideas that he attempted to implement.............Former Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, who was the 2009 Chairperson of the African Union (AU), advanced the idea of a United States of Africa at two regional African summits: first in June 2007 in Conakry, Guinea,[3] and again in February 2009 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
but really, the point here is not whether or not a pan-African army/currency/whatever concept is a good idea or not, it's that giving Gaddafi all this credit for it and/or saying he was killed because of it is a little ridiculous when he clearly didn't give a ? about it until very recently.
if you want me to say that there were worse guys out there than Gaddafi or that, even disapproving of him as a general concept, he had his moments... okay, what the hell. i will say both of these things. but not the notions argued against in the preceding paragraph. -
but really, the point here is not whether or not a pan-African army/currency/whatever concept is a good idea or not, it's that giving Gaddafi all this credit for it and/or saying he was killed because of it is a little ridiculous when he clearly didn't give a ? about it until very recently.
Well.....
We have to look at the totality of it...........
38 years ago was an entire different vibe..........
The world was different, he was really focused on Israel & Egypt back in the days.............
I'll give you that he was an ? dictator................
Time will determine his place in African history..........
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let's not forget the UK. again, pumping millions into terrorist organizations expressly to ? with the UK tells us a little bit about where your focus is.We have to look at the totality of it...........
38 years ago was an entire different vibe..........
The world was different, he was really focused on Israel & Egypt back in the days.............
honestly, i think history will show he wasted a lot of money/resources/whatever. i don't know how they'll judge his pan-African/Arab world schemes, i don't know how they'll judge his various political positions. but they'll probably judge his domestic policies unkindly and they'll probably say that, at best, he didn't really work to achieve whatever good ideas he had.I'll give you that he was an ? dictator................
Time will determine his place in African history..........
but ? it, we'll both be dead by then, so who knows -
Unless you either reattached your head on a young body or you put your mind in a computer. Than you will know lol
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cannonspike1994 wrote: »Ghadafi was an enslaver
Ghadafi did more for Lybia (an Africa as a whole) than Barack Obama has ever done for America. Respect that man. -
Obama's REAL reason for visiting Africa. to prepare for a war for Oil and other resources..not to mention some seroius ethic cleansing. He's needs more Muslims in charge and currently a lotta Christians run ? in Africa.
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if i can make it happen, i will, ASAP. but more the latter, i hopeAjackson17 wrote: »Unless you either reattached your head on a young body or you put your mind in a computer. Than you will know lol
