Kakistocacy denotes a system of government ruled by the least competent and most corrupt. In other words, the general condition that obtains in almost all African countries. But how long can we expect the African sheeple (human mass) to tolerate miserable social & economic reality brought about, amongst other powerful actors, by our mediocre elites? Currently there is hardly an African nation that convincingly promises a secured future for its sheeple. Given such a gloomy scenario, no wonder the African sheeple is, once again, gearing up for grass root revolution to transform its unenviable predicaments. Colonialism was fought, first and foremost, to bring freedom and self-sufficiency. Instead, independence, flag independence to be sure, only brought polarized social existence, unsustainable economic paradigm, cultural disfranchisement, environmental degradation, etc., etc. To a large extent, these are compliments of the global power that be (TPTB), in collaboration with Africa’s kakistocracy!
Africa was and still is, in a much better position to learn from the ‘development’ experiences of those who have been at it for a while longer. Sustainability or more realistically, ‘resilience’; is now a critical (life and death) issue for all of us, not only Africans, than it was, say half a century ago. Without taking the finiteness of resources and the saturation of planetary sinks, (mostly due to our modern/industrial wastes) into consideration, the whole modern edifice Africa is trying to build (economic growth, GDP, etc.), on sand, we might add, will not bring salvation, material or otherwise. The model of development that is pushed on us, mostly to satisfy the destructive desires of transnational capital is bound to be a non-starter, rhetoric and gimmicks aside! In fact, it promises to be a major source of contention that will bring even more chaos to the continent. African leaders, under the direct dictatorship of the ‘deep state’ of the West, have proven to be worse than kakistocrats! Admittedly, current African leaders are not the inquiring types and do not like serious debates based on factual reality. Nonetheless, these issues are and will remain quite detrimental to the various so-called developmental trajectories. Indigenously based analysis, like what is being attempted in South America (Bolivia, etc.) is conspicuously absent here in our ‘dark continent’, to use a phrase favored by our colonial masters!.
The level of corruption on the continent is also frightening. It is not only the usual petty corruption, but grand political corruption that has taken deep root. The current political impasse in many of the African countries, (Kenya, etc.) arise mainly from chronic and structured grand political corruption. See Yash Tandon’s article next column. In the absence of a convincingly unifying broad ideology operating on the continent, kakistocrats and their ilk have resorted to leveraging primordial sentiment (identity politics) to facilitate the criminal looting of country’s resources. Accumulation that relies on ethnicity, creed, etc. can never secure peace and harmony to diverse nations. In this regard, the few federal states of Africa seem to have erected and cemented grand political corruption as one of the pillars of their devolved political arrangements. Destabilization is the natural outcome of such shortsighted socio-political configuration or reconfiguration, as it were. Moreover, once legitimacy is lost in multi ethnic nations, recovery will not be easy, as all kinds of tendencies relying on identity politics (the de facto governing ideology) vie to carve myopic boundaries of all sorts!
As we never tire of preaching: the planet’s ‘sustained’ carrying capacity has already been surpassed. To think the collective South will attain western lifestyle is to assume potential resources and sinks equivalent to that of six more planet earths! Since this is an impossibility planetary abuse that is taking place under various guises must be stopped immediately. Humanity has to abandon its fixation on gluttonous consumption and should embark on a more sustainable/resilient form of existence, however difficult. Besides, even those in advanced industrial societies are not content about their general situation in regards to the modern world system. Procreation itself has become a hassle to many, preferring to forego our God given natural prerogative. The built-in stress of modern life (hyper rationality, brutal, cold, wasteful etc.) is taking its toll. See Rockstroh/Tyler articles on page 44. Genuine human values unencumbered by the blind logic of excessive accumulation must, once again, be revived and validated. See Samir Amin’s article on page 41. The current value system based on incessant accumulation and unnecessary consumption (mostly) is neither good to humanity nor to nature at large! Human societies have to internalize the core ideas of conservation and recycling. Our future must be informed by the concept of permaculture. Here again, our leaders, particularly those in Africa, are proving to be kakistocrats par excellence!
“Truth has to be repeated constantly, because Error also is being preached all the time, and not just by a few, but by the multitude. In the Press and Encyclopedias, in Schools and Universities, everywhere Error holds sway, feeling happy and comfortable in the knowledge of having Majority on its side.” Goethe. Good Day!