Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
By: Mweusi Karake
An Italian diplomat, and son-in-law of Mussolini, Count Caleazzo Ciano in the year 1942, coined a philosophical phrase, “La victoria trova cento padri, e nessuno vuole riconoscere l’insuccesso.” Meaning: “Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan”.
This can hardly be true about the firing of Donald Trump. There are many ‘’fathers” claiming Biden- Harris victory. From those of us who will want to share Joe Biden and Kamara Harris’ success, simply because we had predicted it, to those who say they had prayed for it.
Unfortunately for US, it will be very difficult for them to totally disown Donald Trump. The fact that he got more than 71 million votes is shocking. Those who are quick to forgive might pardon the Americans who voted for him four years ago, but for over 71 million adult Americans to want to give him another term is incredible! Worse still, to see would be respectable Republicans’ silence, and failure to acknowledge the winner is a clear sign that even in defeat, Mr. Trump maintained a powerful grip on the GOP and its elected leaders, who have spent four years tightly embracing him or quietly working to avoid offending him or his loyal base. So in American politicians, the so called leaders of the free world, have just shown the world that faced with personal danger, they can act cowardly like all of us ordinary mortals.
What does this mean for Africa?
First and foremost America has lost credibility and respect all over the world, but even more so in Africa, where young and old have been looking at America as some kind of a god.
Very few people in Africa know that the Republican Party at its foundation was pro African Americans. Formed in 1854, the first Republican president Abraham Lincoln led the Union to a victory which freed the enslaved, subsequently creating a strong base of black Republicans. As the first party to allow black involvement, the first African Americans elected in government were all part of the Republican Party and for decades Republicans could comfortably rely on receiving most of the black vote. In 1920s the Republican Party was hijacked and started alienating Negroes (afro American) until today.
The Republican Party maintained the Negros as they were called, loyalty until 1920s. It was only when the Democratic Party took up the mantle of Civil Rights that black support for the Party amalgamated into the reliable Democratic voting bloc we know today. The shift by black Americans to Democratic Party requires analysis on its own right, suffice to say that black Americans have not always voted democrat contrary to perception by many.
As for 2020, Africa has no scientific reason to celebrate Republican nor Democrats victory!
Of course, it was embarrassing and humiliating to hear what Trump would say about Africa. I have chosen the word ‘to hear’ deliberately. To be honest, Trump didn’t care about Africa, and to be fair to him, he probably did not even know where Africa was located on the world map. Africa in the eyes of Trump, was some shit-hole country that among other evils was to export the first African American president, whose father was a Kenyan student in the US! To give the devil its due, Trump’s effort to discredit Barack Hussein Obama, he loved to emphasize his middle name “Hussein”, it is true, and shame on us Africans, that no son or daughter of an Immigrant would become a president in Africa. Here at least, we can give some credit to the US.
Forget Obama and Harris, Religion and color are still very deep-rooted in America.
Please don’t be too expectant. As I said before “success has many fathers failure is an orphan”. When Obama won the white house, Africans and Kenyans in particular were over the wings. Our son was the most powerful human being on planet earth. I must confess that I was among the excited, but what we did not realise was that Barrack Hussein Obama, actually had pressure to prove that he was as much of an American as any Anglo-Saxons. At one time Barack had to openly disown his father’s religion and insist that “Jesus was his personal savior” as part of his campaign. If he was 100% white he would not have had to prove his religious affiliations. After all many old Americans were insisting that he was a Muslim.
Don’t believe the claim of freedom of association, freedom of worship etc. Prejudice is still alive and kicking in modern day America. Even for Joe Biden, he is the second ever Roman Catholic President of the US. The first having been John F Kennedy. It is not surprising therefore, that Pope Francisco refused to give an audience to Donald Trump when he visited Rome, not wanting to give him a photo opportunity to use for political gain. To a very large extent, America still cherishes the superiority of 5th century Anglo-Saxons identity. Therefore, the WASP (white Anglo-Saxons Protestants) is still dominant in American politics as it is in the United Kingdom and Germany.
Fast forward. We all are still living Count Caleazzo Ciano’s 1942, all clamoring to be the fathers of Success, so we all own Smart, elegant, beautiful Kamara Harris, grand daughter of Jamaican African slave, and a daughter of Indian Kashmir mother, but we have to be realistic and weigh her powerful position vis a vis her Afro Asian origin as opposed to “God given” Anglo-Saxons leadership. 12 years ago we believed Obama had come to save Africa, but what we got was in the form “success has many fathers”.
We the African rejoiced of being Obama’s father. Today, we are competing with the Indians in trying to own Kamara Harris. Beyond that, expect no more fairness than we would get in a white vice president. Africans were too expectant when Obama came, what we got was more lecturer than anything else. At least in Donald Trump, we got comic relief. Four years of TV drama, kept senior citizens like me well entertained. Oh how I wish Donald trump and Robert Gabriel Mugabe (RIP), uncle Bob as they called him in Southern Africa; had been in State house at the same time!
On a serious note there are few groups in Africa that will be on a line up with heavy expectation. Let them keep their fingers crossed, but I just wish them good luck. Some of these are :
Civil society groups
The world has spent four years observing how President Trump ridicules and attacks the media, and his violent reprisal of Black Lives Matter protests, displaying similar tendencies of Africa’s authoritarian leaders. They will therefore welcome Biden presidency expecting to count on a Biden administration to denounce African leaders who violate the rights of their people and exert pressure on them to uphold international law. I can predict disappointment. Donald trump has spent four years fighting more powerful enemies than Africans: from the EU, to NATO, to NAFTA, China and Germany.
The Republicans are making it hard for Biden to prepare for a smooth had over of power. As a result, Biden will start his leadership firefighting on how to mend all these broken fences, I don’t believe his priority will be African civil societies. Even if he cares about them US credibility damage has been so huge that it will be easier to ignore.
Biden may wish to rejoin the U.N. Human Rights Council, but even if he does, African rulers will ask, “where was this Human Rights Council when Trump was violating the rights of Americans?”, or you only bark when it comes to Africans?
Climate Change enthusiasts:
Donald Trump’s decision to withhold $2 billion of the $3 billion pledged by his predecessor has contributed to a huge deficit at the Green Climate Fund. Green Climate Fund contribution that would have enabled countries most affected by climate change, such as African countries, to implement policies to strengthen their resilience. To do this quickly Biden will probably have to rely on executive orders. Trump has spent four years dismantling much of what Obama – Biden built. But publically over relying on executive orders, will encourage African leaders to continuously rule through decrees as has been in the past instead of democratic consensus.
Family planning and reproductive health: Trump’s “global gag rule” was and continues to be an onslaught on the reproductive health and rights of women. The decision deprived individuals, especially women of reproductive age, of the right to body autonomy. For Africa, a Joe Biden win might ignite hope and rationality in the management of the healthcare systems. However, African countries have different policies regarding the reproductive health of their population. true Biden is a Democrat, but Biden is also a Roman Catholic, it is not clear if faced with his desire to amend what was undone by Trump and his religious affiliation what will outweigh his decision. In any case African governments have learnt to source support from countries like China that do not impose conditionalities.
Towards 2024
Biden-Harris did not win because of policy alternatives they offered, they won mainly, because they were fighting a very undesirable candidate Donald trump. The only direct presidential debate held, was no better than two pre-school children fighting over a ball or a sweet potato! Indeed I had tough time having to explain to my grandchildren why the American did not field: LION-O, HE-MAN, FIRESTAR; SHANE GOOSEMAN; CAPTAIN PLANET, or even JERRY the mouse that is able to always outwit the cat. All cartoon heroes! Mainly because I felt these children had a point; at least the cartoon characters always seemed to have a clear mission.
So we have no clear picture as to what policy to except between 2021 and 2024, because the Americans did not vote for policy, they voted against an individual, still, the Republicans are eying 2024, as has been shown, they will do as much as possible to frustrate Joe Biden for their political future. Although Biden – Harris will not admit it publically, it is clear that “America first strategy’ does matter to many Americans, as demonstrated by more than 71 million people who voted Trump. To win 2024, Democrats will also focus on what matters to American voters not what matters to Africa, or Asia. African leaders are aware of this and will therefore, continue to seek more partnership with credible and predictable governments such as China. Donald Trump has shown that 4 years in terms of damage is a very long time. It has also shown that in terms of rebuilding it is a very short time.
Does Biden’s age matter?
Biden age will affect domestic, world politics and in particular African politics. We have seen American presidents age in a short time on our TV screens. Remember Youthful, handsome Bill Clinton and Barack Obama? Remember George W. Bush?, the only president who did not age on our TV screens was Donald Trump. After all hurling insults on twitter does not require efforts that keep one awake every night.
Joe Biden is 78, oldest ever US president. By 2024, he will be looking and probably feeling 86 instead of 82. His doctors will probably discourage him from long distance travel. Like Donald Trump, we may never see Biden set his foot on the African soil. Telephone calls and virtual meetings notwithstanding, direct contact still matters in human relationships. The words of Attila the Hun in the 5th century are still relevant today. “It is unfortunate when final decisions are made by chieftains headquartered miles away from the front, where they can only guess at conditions and potentialities known only to the captain of the battlefield”.
African dictators have been changing age limit every now and then to suit their advanced age. The US soon will have an 80 years old president, thus will have no more moral authority to preach to Africans to hand over to younger generation, nor opposing the tendency of upgrading age limits to suit their advanced age. If anything, Africans will quote the age of the most powerful being on planet earth, as justification, that there is nothing strange to keep in power at the age of 80 and beyond.
Trump’s legacy: in a nut shell, Trump is not done yet, and for better or for worse, Republicans will not be able to dump him soon. They are stuck with him for some time and to the rest of us once again his political life, has exposed the man whose character was a fiction that we were not aware of until he became president. Once again to quote Attila the Hun, “Everybody in life has a value even if it’s to serve as a bad example”.
Opinions expressed in the article are those of the author and not of africachinareview.
Mweusi Karake is a veteran journalist and former head of Public Relations/Corporate Communication at the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
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