USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: Falola, The West and the Hypocrisy of Democracy

I read with great interest toyin's editorial on western democracy in africa, the gist of which is that while the west preaches the ideals of democracy, the reality has been an exploitation of africa, as has been the case for centuries.

The case is succinctly argued, and undeniable, and toyin tracks it well in the 20th century.

However, i see things at a slight angle to his perspective. Whereas 20 years ago i would have agreed 100%, now i feel something crucial is missing.

The word "west" means the nations of europe and the u.s. the abuse of power, and false rhetoric used to justify it, is accurate up through the period of neocolonialism, i.e. through to the 1970s. After that, things changed dramatically. Not only were individual nation to nation, neocolonial relations, shifted, they shifted throughout the world with the ascendance of globalization, and especially neoliberal globalization. It is a capitalist order on a global scale, where the vast powers formerly invested in nations has shifted dramatically onto corporations, corporations that are no longer national, but international, global. I do not believe there is a real line in the major companies, say apple, between their adherence to a nation as much as to their corporate interest, and apple is, by that standard, as chinese as it is american. All these corporations are now ensconced in manufacturing and distribution across the world; america's largest trading partner is mexico, and that's in part because chinese companies are now manufacturing in mexico. And so it goes. We are enslaved to a vast capitalist global order subservient to neoliberal values. Just read akin adesokan on this to get the real goods. 

The old way of seeing the world in purely nationalist terms is still there, but subservient to this new order. Both function at the same time but the global order is the dominant one, and it is no longer "western" in the old sense any more.

Ken

Kenneth Harrow

517 803 8839

Emeritus Professor of English, Michigan State University

Harrow@msu/edu

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From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2024 5:17:51 AM
To: dialogue <USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Falola, The West and the Hypocrisy of Democracy

 

https://www.theelephant.info/analysis/2024/03/20/the-west-and-the-hypocrisy-of-democracy/

 

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