A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
President Obama has officially made George Bush's sanctions against Zimbabwe, his own. "The White House justifies this economic aggression by claiming that Mugabe and his associates pose ‘an unusual and extraordinary threat' to American ‘foreign policy' - a "blatant, naked attempt at regime change."
Obama Continues Bush Policies in Africa
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
"Obama carries on George Bush's legacy as the main destabilizer of Africa."
By extending for another year U.S. sanctions against Zimbabwe, Barack Obama has removed all doubt that his Africa policy is essentially the same as George Bush's: regime change and the deliberate creation of so-called "failed states." It is the same story in Somalia, Sudan and the Congo, where Obama's Democrats pursue identical objectives to Bush Republicans: to undermine and overthrow any African government that does not bow to Washington's will, and to encourage the effective dismantling of inconvenient African nation-states. This is imperialism in the raw.
George Bush's economic war against Zimbabwe is now Barack Obama's war, predicated on the same imperial logic. Like Bush's sanctions, imposed in 2003 and then expanded in 2005 and 2008, Obama's sanctions are directed against President Robert Mugabe and individuals and companies associated with his political party. The White House justifies this economic aggression by claiming that Mugabe and his associates pose "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to American "foreign policy." Not even a threat to American "interests," mind you, but to U.S. "foreign policy." This is a blatant, naked attempt at regime change. Obama is saying in no uncertain terms that the U.S. has the right to seek the ouster of any government whose policies diverge from those of Washington - imperialism by definition.
"President Obama sabotages the quest for self-determination for the African continent as a whole."
Obama has placed the United States in opposition to the will of the African Union and Zimbabwe's southern African neighbors, who support the current power sharing agreement between Mugabe and the opposition party. In thwarting the will of the African Union and Zimbabwe's neighbors, President Obama sabotages the quest for self-determination for the African continent as a whole. He carries on George Bush's legacy as the main destabilizer of Africa.
Also against the wishes of the African Union, the U.S., Britain and France are the main movers behind the indictment of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, by the International Criminal Court, on charges of committing crimes against humanity in Darfur. The U.S. position is morally bankrupt, since the United States refuses to place itself under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, fearing retribution against the far larger crimes against humanity committed by the U.S. in multiple countries around the planet - crimes for which Barack Obama is now directly responsible.
Nothing could be clearer than that the U.S. would like to break up Sudan, Africa's largest country, into smaller pieces, the better to control and exploit its natural resources. The dismemberment of Somalia, in the Horn of Africa, was further consolidated by the U.S.-backed invasion by Ethiopia. In central Africa, the United States continues to foment chaos through the militaries of its client states, Uganda and Rwanda, with genocidal results in the Congo. There is only one demand that people of good will should make of Barack Obama's White House: U.S. Out of Africa! Now!
For Black Agenda Radio, I'm Glen Ford. On the web, go to www.BlackAgendaReport.com.
BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.
This week’s featured author is Amanda Lock Swarr. Swarr is Associate Professor of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Washington.
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