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Here is the hypocrisy in Col Gaddaffi's actions:
For all his good intentions, his government (and by extension himself) is responsible for a lot of deaths in Africa. He champions dictatorships over democracy. You will be hard pressed to try and find any dissenting voice in his country.
Besides, who said that because one is an African, then he/she speaks for Africa, or has Africa's best interest at heart?
Are we forgetting that slave trade would never have happened had Africans not sold their fellow Africans into slavery? So don't say that because he is an African he has Africa's nest interest.
The last time Libya had a democratic election, a lot of people on this mailing list had not even been born.
Someone said that there is no leader in Africa who can/will have the kind of political capital that Gaddaffi has to bring together a united Africa.
I beg to differ.
Could it be that it is because of leaders like Gaddafi and his generation that we have been unable to come together as a united continent?
This is a generation that had a mind set of "emancipation from colonialism".( Mugabe)
And they served the continent well and freed/liberated us. We stand on the shoulders of their struggles and live because so many of them died.
But, this is NOW, we need leaders who are prepared for tomorrow.
We owe this to our children and grandchildren.
And finally, the messenger has to match the message.
You can't be a dictator preaching democracy.
Had Jesus Christ not been the man that he was, Christianity would never have been.
Had the Prophet Mohammed ( Peace be Upon Him) not been the man he was, the message that he bore would never have been accepted.
We can all agree to disagree, and in the course of the disagreement find a common ground.
I hope we have a USof Africa some day. But I don't want to put the cart before the horse.
Who comes 1st, the King or the Kingdom?
Collins
---- Thomas Adeetuk <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
=============
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Just a few comments/observations:
1. Let us discuss this important topic with care and great thought and not let any individual anxieties cloud our critical thinking or contributions to this discussion. It is certainly not beneficial to infuse our discussion with statements like " To listen to Gaddaffi talking about a united Africa is both insulting and hypocrytical". Where is the insult or hypocracy in Gadaffi's call? And who is he insulting? Isn't Gadaffi an African? And does he not have the right like any other African to share his views on uniting Africa? Please live such comments out of our discussion.
2. If we want to start a serious dialog about working to create a United States of Africa, wouldn't it be better for us to concentrate our efforts in getting together like minds to braistorm on how best to do this rather than castigating others who are only trying to rally us to the call? If I may simply ask, what has the current dis-unity brought Africa so far? I hope forward looking is better than backwards looking. Even though lessons of the past can pave the way for the future.
Let us continue the discussions.
Thomas Adeetuk
College Library
Helen C. White Hall
600 N. Park Street
Madison, WI 53706
(608)263-3145
----- Original Message -----
From: Ann Marie Dawson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 5:37 pm
Subject: Re: What do you think about the United States of Africa? Share your thoughts...
To: [log in to unmask]
> ********************************************************
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> RENEW YOUR AAM MEMBERSHIP FOR $25!!!!
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> *"I want to congratulate the Libyan leader for his ascendancy to the
> leadership of the African Union and his bold vision of
> re-articulating the
> dream of having a United States of Africa."
> *
> Settro, surely you must be kidding! Gadaffi has used his country's
> money to
> cause a lot of havoc in various countries in Africa, including Sierra
> Leone, but the blame lies on some of our leaders who have led him to
> believe
> that throwing money around absolves him of all the blood on his hands.
>
> Ann Marie
> On Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 5:22 PM, Collins Ouko <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > ********************************************************
> >
> > RENEW YOUR AAM MEMBERSHIP FOR $25!!!!
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> >
> > You gotta be kidding,
> > The election of Gadaffi as the chairman of AU probably set whole
> continet a
> > decade or two back.
> > Gadaffi is not the man to champion a united Africa, he neither
> believes in
> > nor supports democracy.
> > I would be willing to listen to that idea of US of Africa if it was
> > espoused by a Lumumba, Nkurumah, Mandela, Annan or any of the other
> greats
> > from Africa.
> > To listen to Gaddaffi talking about a united Africa is both
> insulting and
> > hypocrytical.
> > Besides, a united Africa is the least in the long list of Africa's
> needs
> > and problems.
> > Until the whole continent is a democracy this idea will remain a dream.
> > We can't get Sudan to stop killing its citizens, we can't get
> Somalia to
> > function as a nation.
> > The East African countries can't agree on their "union", and let's
> not even
> > get started on Zimbabwe, Chad, Zaire or Nigeria.
> > And are you serious that you are glad Gaddaffi is the Chairman of
> AU?
> > Nothing aginst the man, but he neither believes in what the AU
> stands for
> > nor what the rest of the continent is trying to achieve.
> > US of Africa gets a NO vote from me.
> >
> > ---- Isaac Settro <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > =============
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> > Just recently at the African Union Summit in Ethiopia,
> > Libyan Leader Colonel Kaddafi and other leaders brought back to the
> > podium the idea of forming the United States of Africa.
> > This idea was first propounded by the likes of Nkrumah, Lumumba,
> > Tubman, Sekou Toure et al, during the era of the Organization of
> > African Unity (OAU).
> >
> >
> >
> > I want to congratulate the Libyan leader for his ascendancy to the
> > leadership of the African Union and his bold vision of re-articulating
> > the dream of having a United States of Africa.
> > This dream is overdue and it is time that we work with the Libyan
> > leader and other well meaning Africans to see this dream come true.
> > Here are few points i will like to state here as a way forward:
> >
> >
> >
> > - that membership into the Union be voluntary;
> >
> > - that the capital city of the union be Johanesburg, South Africa
> if they
> > decide to be a member;
> >
> > - that the governance structure of the Union be based on sound democratic
> > principle within the
> >
> > framework of the federal system;
> >
> > - that the model of the United States of America be a stepping
> stone in the
> > right direction;
> >
> > - that a serious publicity be launched globally to encourage African
> > governments and Africans to accept this idea;
> >
> > - that debates be held around the continent and the diaspora for detail
> > resolution in achieving this monumental dream.
> >
> >
> >
> > Such union will unite Africa and bring economic growth to the dark
> > continent of the world. It will also enhance democratic values
> > throughout the continent. It is time that we debate this concept
> and at
> > the end come up with the best proposal to push our continent forward.
> >
> >
> >
> > I hope the Libyan leader will try to form a coalition of Africans (
> be
> > it poor, middle class or rich ) in achieving this goal. The world is
> > looking and it is time for a change for a better tomorrow on the dark
> > continent of Africa.
> >
> >
> >
> > Isettro
> >
> >
> >
> >
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