Last night was an interesting evening of events that seemed to raise people’s interest in our government again, as a shutdown loomed over the heads of Americans once again being held like a noose around our necks in fear of whether our dysfunctional, selfish, anti-people, anti-union & seemingly borderline one party dictatorial government was going to give the final pull to the death of those already hurting to pay bills, collect unemployment & just plain ol’ survive in the worst economy in decades. I received texts from those at work seeking blow by blow details of the results of our government shutdown & those who showed that although the system of social networking has allowed big brother to watch with our compliance, it has also allowed us to keep one another informed  while we watch big brother.

I witnessed a great thread  on Facebook as soldiers & everyday people spoke about their lives & how the idea of a government shutdown hits directly to their being able to take care of home. I had a dialogue with my sisters who felt abandoned & hoodwinked by the change anti-war candidate who came with great pomp & circumstance just to be & do much of the same with little to no change to be really worthy of their vote & continued enthusiasm as the embodiment in hope for change. These women found their camaraderie in actually being in a room with Black people  and being able to speak freely about their Obama disappointment without the usual overly defensive “change takes time & he came into the worst times after Bush destroyed everything, which he now has to fix so just have faith & give him a chance because he has a plan & will make most if not all of his promises happen in his second term” – argument  without ever admitting that a big part of that staunch defense is because President Obama still represents their great Black Hope, since we all know that it maybe another generation before we will possibly see another Black face in the White House as president if there is no second term that as my cousin says “give us something  to say yes this is change, this is what we voted for”!

As I look at the video of President Obama during his presidential trip in Ghana & listen to his words then, while seeing the actions now taken by  his administration to shutdown their commerce office in Ghana due to domestic economic hardships, as they justify millions to billions spent in waging a war in one African nation, while holding steadfast that budget restraints impedes their ability to bring business to other African nations in creating self sustainable, economically viable, happy nations that choose peace instead of war, just makes me think -more of the same. It seems from America to Africa the apologies to those who bare most of the pain of government budget cuts & those who continue to be rewarded  with breaks are always the same. As we say in Ghaan ” Ya b3r3 Wo kraa…Aden? ” !

“Africa’s future is up to Africans,” U.S. President Barack Obama said when he addressed Ghana’s parliament in July 2009. “The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. And in my country, African Americans — including so many recent immigrants — have thrived in every sector of society. We’ve done so despite a difficult past, and we’ve drawn strength from our African heritage.” As Obama spoke, I couldn’t help thinking how fitting it was for the first black president of America to have chosen Ghana as the destination of his first official visit to Africa. It was a wonderful tribute to a long-standing and important relationship that has defined our mutual destinies…” READ MORE

“Washington, DC — Less than two years ago, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama made headlines as they landed in Accra, Ghana. The July 2009 visit was historic, coming only months after Obama was sworn in as our first African-American president. For some Americans, media coverage of the trip was a wake-up call that showed Africa as a coveted partner for businesses from South America, Europe, the Middle East, India and, especially, China….Responding to text messages submitted by Africans, the president recognized Africa’s strategic and long-term commercial importance to American business. “I want to find ways that we can further open up trade relationships between the United States and African countries,” he said…Many had assumed that Obama as president would go first to Kenya, the home of his father. But Ghana was rewarded instead because it was a shining beacon of African democracy and, with recent discoveries of offshore oil, an increasingly valuable economic partner to the United States….Many had assumed that Obama as president would go first to Kenya, the home of his father. But Ghana was rewarded instead because it was a shining beacon of African democracy and, with recent discoveries of offshore oil, an increasingly valuable economic partner to the United States…Fast forward to March 2011: We learn that the U.S. Department of Commerce, with little fanfare but apparent significant effort to camouflage its actions, has decided to close its office in Ghana, citing budget cuts. With this action, Commerce proposes to close the doors on America’s commercial beachhead in one of Africa’s most thriving economies…”Incredibly shortsighted” was the reaction of one American businessman with significant interests in Ghana. So much for finding new trading relationships between the United States and Africa….Commerce officials deny the finality of any decision about the Ghana office. I hope this is true, although I trust the sources that tell me to the contrary. Juxtapose this ill-advised decision by Commerce with a projection made earlier this year by The Economist magazine, which says that seven of the top 10 fastest growing economies in the world for 2011-2015 will be found in Africa. You guessed it: Ghana is among them…At a time when businesses around the world are creating jobs in their home countries and in Africa by more actively engaging with the continent, the U.S. government sends a message that Africa doesn’t matter” READ MORE

Well maybe not that Africa doesn’t matter in general, but more specifically that Africa only matters when the benefit of America’s intake (military bases, oil & other resources) is way greater than its output (fair trade & African economic empowerment). Africa is the Future & open for the business, whether America misses the opportunity or not, Africa/Africans do not need America to cosign or validate their future potential!

“I made it quite clear that from now on – today – we must change our attitudes, our minds, we must realise that from now on, we are no more a colonial but a free and independent people. But also, as I pointed out, that also entails hard work. That new African is ready to fight his own battles and show that after all, the black man is capable of managing his own affairs. We are going to demonstrate to the world, to the other nations, that we are prepared to lay our own foundation. Our own African identity. Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa.”Dr. Kwame Nkrumah