At the start of a new Gregorian year we explore the connection between cultural identity and group economic development.
Can we break the chains of economic enslavement or are Afrikans forever doomed to be metaphorical hewers of wood and carriers of water?

The Navig8or Newsletter
Jan 2014 (6250 Kemetic calender)

Because thinking is not a crime..yet!
Greetings Reader

Wishing you the very best for the Gregorian New Year. 
Whilst it is just another day amongst many days, these chronological milestones provide our lives with structure and meaning. Human beings have sought to shape their lives around such markers for many millennia - as the Ishango Bone gives evidence of - and they help to provide our lives with meaning, structure and purpose. We often review our lives, goals, successes and failures on milestone days such as these and in keeping with this tradition I wanted to take this opportunity to prompt readers of this newsletter to think about the economic circumstances of Afrikan people, locally - wherever that is for you - and globally. You will no doubt have noticed that there are recurrent themes that run throughout most of my writing, be it in the shape my newsletters or books; and two of these are cultural identity and economic development. My research, study, personal experiences and community organising have shown me that these two issues are inextricably linked. In this issue I will take you on a journey linking 'Identity, Emotions and Economics'.

I have been writing these newsletters for several years now (since 2008 I think) and I always used to start out thinking and sometimes stating, that each issue was going to be short and snappy, however invariably they were not. So my resolution for this  Gregorian Year is not to seduce you with promises of short newsletters, but rather to simply work hard to make them interesting.

In keeping with the theme of this issue I have a small gift to offer to readers at the end of this issue as well as a small request for feedback. 


1. Identity, Emotions and Economics - Afrikans trapped in a psycho-cultural vicious circle  

Some people state that Afrikan people have a poverty consciousness, however I think it is more accurate to state that we have a group consciousness that facilitates external exploitation and leads to impoverishment.  Now, is that simply a case of splitting hairs and semantics? I don't think so. There are ways of viewing oneself, one's identity group(s) (however that is perceived) and that group's relations with other groups that can be protective of the group's interests or lead to vulnerability. My contention is that irrespective of individual circumstances, most Afrikans share a set of values and beliefs that are injurious to the group's economic welfare and completely at odds with the reality of the contemporary and historic nature of Afrikan people's relations with other cultural groups.

Now, on the face of it one might think that it would be relatively easy to undo the aforementioned circumstances, simply by explaining the nature of the problem, describing the historic and and contemporary missteps we have taken as a people and prescribing a set of remedial actions to address the problem. Job done. However there is the rub. As I have come to learn, emotion is far more powerful than reason and therefore it generally does not matter how many logical and evidence based arguments you provide, in practice it is incredibly difficult to change a person's - let alone a group's - behaviour, if the behaviour is underpinned by a strong belief. Faith, of whatever kind, does not require evidence and is generally unmoved by such, therefore despite all of the Afrikans over many, many years who have offered viable solutions to our collective economic ills, we still find Afrikan people around the globe economically dominated by all and sundry, irrespective of whether they be in a numerical minority or majority.

Such is the nature of human beings that one will even find Afrikans attempting to rationalise such circumstances on the basis of racist mythology, such as the Biblical curse on Ham and his progeny (Mizraim, Punt, Kush and Canaan), rather than facing up to the unpleasant nature of reality.  

A striking and poignant example of how belief and a strong emotional desire can completely distort a people's perception of reality is the case of 'the New South Africa'. I am not going to focus on the personality of the recently deceased Nelson Mandela, but rather the beliefs that have underpinned and facilitated the transition from the apartheid state to the the post 1994 neo-apartheid state we see today.   Firstly, let's look at some data so that we have a shared understanding of life for the majority (not the tiny Afrikan elite and small 'middle class'created since 1994) of Afrikans in today's South Afrika.

The GINI coefficient is a measure of income inequality in countries around the world. The higher the coefficient the worse the level of income inequality. In 1994 South Africa had a coefficient of 59.3 which was one of the highest in the world. By 2005 the GINI coefficient for South Africa had risen to  63.1 the second worst in the world. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html In 2009 the GINI coefficient was pretty much unchanged at 63.14. Only Namibia (another post apartheid state outstrips South Africa for inequality).
 
 
 
 
 
You can see a map of the world's countries respective GINI coefficient by clicking this link http://www.globalpolicy.org/images/pdfs/Gini_Coefficient_Map.pdf As you will see South Africa and other Southern African countries fare particularly badly. 

In an article entitled "Mandela’s Economic Legacy Threatened by S. Africa Inequality" Bloomberg News tells us that:
"The jobless rate remains 24.7 percent, while average earnings for black households are a sixth of their white counterparts. The ANC’s youth wing last year waged a campaign for the nationalization of banks and mines, the very policies ditched by Mandela in 1994, and poor communities have staged a series of protests against a lack of housing and basic services.http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-06/mandela-free-market-legacy-imperiled-by-south-african-inequality.html (my emphasis in bold)

In another article entitle 'Rising inequality in South Africa: Drivers, trends and policy responses' it is stated that:
"Inequality in South Africa has strong racial underpinnings. Significant differences between the population and income shares exist. While Africans accounted for 79% of the population in 2008, they captured only 44% of income and 41% of total expenditure.(9) Whites, who accounted for only 9.2% of the population, captured 40.3% of income and 40.9% of total expenditure." http://www.consultancyafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1142:rising-inequality-in-south-africa-drivers-trends-and-policy-responses-&catid=87:african-finance-a-economy&Itemid=294

The image below is of a school in South  Africa in 2006!



Now it should be noted that since 1994 the successive ANC governments has achieved a significant increase in the number of people with access to formal housing as well as gas and electricity, however when you consider that in 2008 almost 70% of Afrikan children in South Africa were living in poverty compared to around 5% of White children (2009 CIA World Factbook) we need  to understand the ideas, concepts and beliefs that underpin the worldwide acceptance by the majority of Afrikan people, inside and outside of Afrika, that the aforementioned situation is acceptable.

I am going to compare the situation in post apartheid South Africa with that in the United States following the so called civil rights period.    

 
Erroneous Unproductive Beliefs Evidence
 
Post Apartheid South Africa Post Civil Rights USA
Internalisation of the Caucasian philosophy of Afrikan inferiority, hence the implicit acceptance that apartheid/segregation  was an apprenticeship for civilisation for Afrikans The Truth & Reconciliation Commission equated the actions of those fighting against oppression with those fighting to maintain it. No attempt to prosecute the architects of crimes against humanity. Failure to build any significant reparations movement. Focus on seeking social contact with Caucasians as the best way to uplift Afrikans.  
Belief that removing apartheid’s/segregation’s  legal structure would eliminate racial oppression   Linked to the erroneous idea that ending legislated apartheid would drastically increase social contact between the ‘races’ and hence lead to the end of racism. Social contact is largely determined by economics hence South Africa remains one of the most racially divided societies in the world. Also the UK proves the social contact theory is flawed. There was little or no legislated racial separation in the Northern states of the USA however racism was and is endemic in these regions.
Idea that social contact with Caucasians would in and of itself produce tangible changes for Afrikan people. Also linked to false belief that racism is based upon ignorance. Focus on issues such as inter-racial marriage and other similar irrelevancies as opposed to economic justice.   Futile chase by Afrikan ‘middle class’ to live in Caucasian communities in the face of continued ‘White Flight’. Bussing of Afrikan children in an attempt to integrate schools as if just sitting next to a Caucasian will improve educational achievement.  
Belief that widespread economic opportunity could be created without the active redistribution of wealth Failure to redistribute fertile land and to take control of mineral wealth of SA from corporations that supported and profited from the apartheid system. Adoption of IMF/World Bank economic policies. Failure to build any significant reparations movement. Failure to recognise that Afrikan income is redistributed daily through purchasing habits and the lack of an economic base. Focus on jobs and not wealth amongst ‘Black Leaders’. Wealth can be inherited, jobs cannot.
A belief that Caucasians are open to moral persuasion when ‘race’ is the key variable The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was an exercise in futility which implicitly absolved all Caucasians in SA of guilt for their active and/or tacit support for an evil system at zero cost,  whilst delivering zero benefits to Afrikans. The constant expressions of shock by Afrikans in the face of the most egregious acts of racism such as the daily murder of Afrikans by Police officers/vigilantes demonstrates a people out of touch with reality.
A preoccupation with ‘Black Firsts’ and symbolic achievements  as the solution to their problems The ridiculous belief that electing an Afrikan President  would change the circumstances of the majority of Afrikans. The ridiculous belief that electing a Black President would change the circumstances of the majority of Afrikans.
xenophobica  in the face of a xenophobc oppressor and the literal belief in loving one’s enemies A failure to understand the nature of Caucasians and that racism/White supremacy is not an aberration, but a normative part of their culture   A failure to understand the nature of Caucasians and that racism/White supremacy is not an aberration, but a normative part of their culture  


In my second book 'Blue Skies for Afrikans' I suggested that if you want to understand a particular situation in human relations then the first thing you need to do is apply 'The Law of Flip'.  The Law of flip states that you invert the situation under analysis to reverse the situation of the protagonists in order to get a sense of whether a line of argument or explanation is based upon the principle of justice or narrow self interest. Therefore, if we reversed the historic and contemporary situation of Afrikans and Caucasians in South Africa what do you think would have been the Caucasian response to apartheid and what would have been their expectations of a post apartheid area? Think about it.

In terms of the above table, I hope it emphasises that the types of policy, organisational and social responses to oppression chosen by a group of people are largely determined by their belief system. Therefore if your priority is to be liked and respected by your oppressor based upon an inferiority complex and/or a literalistic belief in a Christian notion of loving your enemy, then you will often choose; albeit inadvertantly, to harm your group to win the approval of the oppressor group, and this is what we have seen in the transition from colonialism to neo-colonialism all around the Afrikan world.

The Identity Question   
 
Dr Claud Anderson author of the book 'Powernomics - The National Plan to Empower Black America' states that the basis for cohesive economic development for a 'racial'/ethnic group is based upon the following elements:
1. A shared Identity, which facilitates 
2. Trust between group members, which enables
3. Co-operation between group members, which is underpinned by
4. Accountability of the individual to the wider group for their actions

The foregoing elements create the cultural conditions under which 'ethno-aggregation' of economic resources will take place naturally.

Joel Kotkin in his book  ‘Tribes – How Race, Religion and Identity Determine Success in the New Global Economy’ (1993) states that:

global tribes have been at the center of the world’s economy for hundreds of years.." Kotkin suggests that the tribes who will dominate are:
The Jews, The British, The Japanese, The Chinese and The Indians.    
 
He identifies
  • A strong ethnic identity, with a sense of mutual dependence and emphasis on the family structure.
  • A global network based on tribal trust that allows the group to function effectively.
  • A passion for technology and a belief in scientific progress
as “…quintessential characteristics that will determine success in the economy of the twenty-first century..

Mr Kotkin is a member of one of these 'global tribes', The Jews,  and it is informative to take a closer look at their remarkable success in organising their massively disproportionate economic success to wield huge politic influence in the United States. In a brief discussion paper I wrote some years ago entitle 'Assembling An Afrikan Power Structure in the UK' I cited the work of James Petras who has examined what he refers to as he 'Zionist Power Configuaration' in great detail. Petras tells us that:

 “The key to the power of the Zionist Power Configuration is that it is a mass grassroots organization, bolstered by the financial support by scores of millionaires and dozens of billionaires and a complicit mass media. These political resources translate into tremendous leverage over the far more numerous non-Zionist electorates, the mass media spectators and the upwardly mobile politicians.
The ZPC illustrates clearly how "numbers" in the abstract do not count, especially in a permeable electoral system like the US, where money, organization, discipline and ethno-religious fanaticism define the boundaries, issues and acceptable policies
.” (Petras 2009)
In this article Petras estimates that this Zionist Power Configuration (ZPC) represents no more than 500,000 of the 6 million Jewish population in the USA. However this Zionist minority is the dominant ‘Jewish’ voice in the US. The key lessons to be learned from the work of the ZPC are:
(a) A minority within a small minority can exert disproportionate influence within a nation state,
(b) The importance of a national grassroots organisational network in developing a power structure,
(c) It is possible to organise across class/socio-economic barriers based on ethnicity/race/religion,
(d) A well organised small minority can disproportionately influence the foreign policy of their host country in favour of their ‘motherland’. 

Can we learn lessons from the ZPC? Could Pan-Afrikanists join with the 'Pro-Blacks' to become the dominate 'Afrikan' voice in the UK, USA and other places around the globe? We don't have to promote the type of warmongering, destructive policies of the Zionists to learn valuable lessons from their dedication to achieving their goals.
 
Samuel P Huntington in an article for the journal Foreign Affairs entitled 'The Clash of Civilisations and then in his book of the same name states that “CIVILIZATION IDENTITY will be increasingly important in the future, and the world will be shaped in large measure by the interactions among seven or eight major civilizations.  These include Western, Confucian, Japanese, Islamic, Hindu, Slavic-Orthodox, Latin American and possibly African civilization.  The most important conflicts of the future will occur along the cultural fault lines separating these civilizations from one another.” (my emphasis in red bold) THE CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS? By Samuel P. Huntington, Foreign Affairs, Summer 1993, pg. 25


So I think that we should all be able to agree that:
(a) Afrikans are currently an ineffectual and weak group, based largely on having a fractured, ineffectual cultural identity underpinned by group retarding beliefs and values 
(b) Group success is not the result of magic or luck, but organised, co-operative group activity. As Amos Wilson states “White America, its propaganda regarding individualism notwithstanding, is a nation or community built on social interdependence and co-operation.” (Wilson 1998: 75-76)
(c) We need to move beyond rhetoric and organise for Afrikan power by assembling an Afrikan power structure.

Conclusion 

Some key lessons I hope you have gleaned from this issue include:
  • It’s about Power not Acceptance etc.
  • No people can consume their way into Power
  • We are not a poor people we have a poverty consciousness
  • We need to use the group as our unit of analysis and measuring success not individuals
  • People who Rule Read
  • Culture is the key to group success
In Part 2 of this issue we are going to explore the Identity issue a little further and then look at some current examples of Afrikans in the UK and USA practising 'ethno-aggregation' and pooling resources. By the way if any readers have any examples of this from Afrika or anywhere else around the world please send me a brief write up and I will include it, space permitting. I anticipate that the ground I have covered in this issue will contextualise the challenges these groups are facing in achieving large scale capital accumulation. 


2. A small gift and request for feedback

In 2009 I published my sixth book 'Buy Now Pay Later - How Debt is used to create Financial Slavery' which explored aspects of macro as well as community economics. Following on from this I published a pamphlet 'Let's All pull Together - Ifowosowopo Economics' which was a very initial attempt to sketch out the basis for an economic paradigm based upon Afrikan culture. Sadly, the economic depression badly impacted on the sales of both of these publications, which is ironic given their subject matter.
I really appreciate feedback from readers as it provides motivational energy to continue with this, sometimes thankless, work.  I would like to make this feedback process more complete and encourage other readers to act upon the ideas and concepts in my newsletters, therefore I am requesting that if you found this issue useful; please email me to let me know:

(i). what you found useful in the article
(ii) how you intend to make practical use of the ideas in the newsletter
(iii) anything else you wish to share 

 

Anyone who feeds back to me by 9th January will receive a PDF of 'Let's All Pull Together' as a token of thanks. If you already have it I will find something else to send you such as a recording of a radio interview.

I will include the feedback - anonymised if you wish - in the next issue  of the newsletter to spur on other readers to act for our collective enhancement.

In 2014; Let's Pull Together.

Aluta Continua


Ifayomi
http://www.houseofknowledge.org.uk 

'The race is not for the fastest or the strongest, but the one who can endure until the end!'

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