Preamble

What is neocolonialism? The concept, neocolonialism, refers to the political and economic interference of a powerful country – read a western country – in the affairs of an independent but economically weak state. Apart from the economic stranglehold, there is the political angle, as well as the religious, social, psychological and cultural aspects.

Modern thinkers have, in addition, recognised the so called Modern World System (MWS), which has entrenched neocolonialism and was the skeleton onto which it was anchored. In this scenario, there were core nations that derived benefits from their domination of periphery nations. The benefits included access to a large quantity of raw material, cheap labour for their operations in the poor countries, enormous profits from direct capital investments and markets for their exports.

Is Neocolonialism for Real, Or Is It A Construct of Failed African Politicians?

After slavery and colonialism why again are Africans allowing themselves to be neocolonialised? It’s complicated.

Africa has been playing with a loaded dice because of a “terrible geographical” endowment. According to Diamond, Jared, not Neil, Europe developed partly because of most of their land mass is within the same latitude, east to west. This meant that across thousands of kilometres, the weather was quite similar. The peoples in Britain could exchange plants and animals with people in the furthest eastern reaches of the Russian Federation because of similar weather. Africa on the other hand was longer north to south, meaning the northern part of Africa was at a very different latitude from the southern part and hence had radically different weather patterns. This meant the plants and animals that survived in say South Africa were very different from those that flourished in Sudan. So, the exchange of for example edible plants and animals was not easy in Africa, but very easy in Europe and Asia.

Additionally, Africa south of the Sahara had hermetic seals called the Sahara Desert, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Then Africa has few natural harbours and very few navigable rivers from the oceans going inland. Even the big inland rivers have limited navigable stretches. Only the Niger River has a good navigable stretch, if we leave out Egypt and the Nile, which Eurocentric historians and many Egyptians think is in southern Europe.

Then instead of a mutually beneficial relationship with Africa Europe chose enslavement and colonialization. This was because of greed and power. This sucked wealth in one direction. Then in the late 19^th century, Africa was balkanised by Europe into English, French, Portuguese, German, Spanish, and Dutch colonies. Up to date these divisions impact the relationships these now independent countries have with one another, often negatively. So, at the end of colonialism, the newly independent African nations were hopelessly out gunned by the cunning colonial powers who pretended to yield but in essence held all the aces. This is why neocoloniasm took hold.

What Are Some Practical Examples of How Neocolonialism Affects Africans?

For that, let’s attend a short course on Neocolonialism for Dummies. Please note that in this case, dummy means people not well-grounded in a subject and not dull people!

1. OVERVIEW

The Re-treads

The whites re-treaded slavery into colonialism and then re-treaded colonialism into neocolonialism. The re-tread pattern is different but the tyre is doing the same function. Put another way: if after 5 years your hoe becomes totally worn-out, you can change the blade. The hole then continues to do its job. If after another 5 years the handle breaks, you can replace it with a new handle. This hoe, is it the same as the one you bought or forged 10 years ago? No, but it’s doing the same job of weeding and ploughing for you. Same with slavery, colonialism, and neocolonialism: the blade and handle have been changed, but the hoe is doing the same job of sucking wealth out of Africa.

2. INTRO — THE GELDED AFRICAN

• After 1,400 years of slavery, colonialism and neocolonialism, the current state of Africa south of the Sahara is parlous.
• Someone loves poor people. If seven billion people all have a per capita income of $30,000, who is going to do the donkey work?
• Poverty makes people operate in mono not stereo, in analogue not digital.
• Hands up! This is a stick up. Your money or your lives! Actually we want both.

3. THE BATTLE GROUNDS OF NEOCOLONIALISM

3.1 ECONOMICS — THE HEART OF THE MATTER

• Resource Agenda — it’s the minerals and black gold we want, stupid. Minister, here’s a few bucks, look the other way.
• Trade Agreements — new divide and rule arena – CIA to MI6 and DGSE — don’t allow them to unite and have one common African trade market!
• Hybrid mismatches, special purpose entities (SPE), and transfer pricing. They do not understand how these mechanisms work, so use them to get money from their economies.
• Our wealth, their minerals. We shall continue to liberate the wealth of the land from under the feet of the Africans and ensuring it bypasses their pockets.
• Structural Adjustment programs — SAP. This worked beautifully to sap many African economies that foolishly agreed to them.
• Do as I say, not as I do. Protectionism and government interventions work, but sadly not for you guys!

 

3.2 THE CARROTS

• International capital/ debt and debt traps. Go for odious debt.
• Bilaterals – DFID/NORAD/SIDA/JICA/USAID etc. Soft diplomacy; lets drop them some breadcrumbs. Which hand has the aid pennies?
• Multilateral WB/IMF/EU/UN etc. Helping hand or closed fist? Mauritius, South Korea, and Botswana refused to take the medicine. Look where they are now.
• International NGOs Oxfam, Save the Children, MSF, Action Aid, etc. We come in good faith, so have faith in us!

3.3 THE STICKS

• WTO/IMF/UN etc— closed fist or helping hand?
• International financial hegemony
• The French Connection — Foreign Legionnaires all over French African capitals. You cross us, you die
• US connection —. Military commands all over the world. Did you see us? No. our crafts are radar undetectable, so behave.
• International credit ratings — Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s & Fitch.
  • These credit rating companies can be more important than resources. Cross them or their masters and they can turn your country into junk!!!

 

3.4 SOCIAL CULTURAL/RELIGIOUS

• Cowboys and Indians — the savanna/forest version.
• Role of international press — in Africa the only good story is a bad one.
• Religion — Our God shall be your God; Your land shall be our land; Your minerals shall be our minerals, etc

3.5 POLITICAL/IDEOLOGICAL

• We have given you democracy! The best system of governance in the world!

4. WHICH WAY AFRICA? TO BE SANGUINE OR NOT TO BE SANGUINE

5. CONCLUSION

• Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
• Beware of the Trojan Horse
• Remember the Arab and his camel story
• Remember kin selection and propinquity