By *Jomo Sanga Thomas
(Plain Talk, May 24, 2019)
Mandela is to Obama, as Obama is to Gonsalves…
We don’t mean that each is of equal stature deserving of universal acclaim. In fact, none have attained god-like status placing them above criticism or beyond interrogation. Sadly however, one stands on hazardous terrain if the tried and tested journalistic tool kit: who, what, when, where, why and how is directed at either man or his work.
A year before Mandela’s death in 2013, Lukhona Mnguni in a piece entitled “Mandela’s legacy is a threat” wrote:
“It is difficult to disagree with or criticize the legacy of Nelson Mandela without opening up yourself to all kinds of insults. The minute people detect that ‘oh that’s anti-Mandela; they often lose all rationality and go on the insulting tirade.”
As Lukhono properly points out:
“There was a fundamental difference between the freedom fighter Mandela and Mandela, President of South Africa. The Mandela who went to Robben Island, (radical, pro-black, non-racialism advocate) is different to the Mandela who was sworn-in as the first black president (a pacifist, half pro-black, reconciliation proponent)…”
“What Mandela preached in 1994 going forward, was reconciliation, without placing focus on the real causes of racism in South Africa? You cannot focus on reconciling the oppressor and the oppressed without dealing with the cause of oppression, which is segregation to alienate one race from living equally with the other race…
“The bridge, (i.e. Mandela) that was meant to transit South Africa from a painful and horrendous past to a prosperous future, was not well-equipped to handle the traffic of complexities. As a result, Mandela became narrowly focused on reconciliation of the ‘elite’ through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
“What project did Mandela start to bring about reconciliation of the ordinary masses? What closure did the black masses, forced to live in slums and rural places; in destitution and economic deprivation, get? That project remains deferred, and people refer you to Mandela’s legacy when you bring it up.
“It is for this reason that I cannot celebrate Mandela’s legacy. I can only acknowledge it. Racism is not dead in this country and it is not about to die because we were hastily arranged to non-existent integration. Black people were forced to forgive white people, who never showed remorse, nor asked for forgiveness.”
Few have stomach for this piercing analysis. Anyone attempting to put Mandela in context is swiftly accused of joining a crusade to sully the great man’s name.
And so it has been with Barrack Obama.
To question anything Obama was to bring the wrath of black people and the white liberal establishment. To say people of colour got a bad deal by Obama was to lack knowledge, to be jealous, to under-estimate the power of racism. The vast majority of Black people, especially those who ought to know better, attempted to crucify anyone who placed Obama’s policies and legacy under the microscope.
Dr. Cornel West, a long-standing progressive activist and intellectual, has felt the full brunt of these attacks. He keeps on fighting for a people-centered praxis. In a recent reference to President Obama, Dr. Wes this critically important point:
“We called Bush a war criminal for forty-five drones and they killed some innocent folk. And Obama ends up with 547—we don’t know how many really—and you know they’re killing innocent folks. Well those are war crimes too. To say that, was to pit you against 98 percent of the black community… You know, our hero can’t be a war criminal.
“Come on, brother West, you’ve really gone too far. You call him a black mascot of Wall Street, that was crazy. Nope, he’s been fighting Wall Street.’ I say, what are y’all talking about? What evidence you got? How many Wall Street executives went to jail? You’ve got folks wrapped in all of these different lies to protect him.”
A similar disease has stricken Vincentian progressives.
The year 2001 has been canonised. It was, is and remains our watershed moment. Our nation had arrived. Nothing remains to be discovered. High unemployment and stubborn poverty levels are not worthy of mention. The exploitation of workers and the sexploitation of our women are rationalised. To warn against the fire sale of our lands and caution against certain deals, especially with foreigners, are taken as opposition to foreign direct investment. Nothing better could be done with agriculture; the education revolution has neither kinks nor blemishes; and our tourism policy is beyond reproach.
Our democracy has been perfected. The tyranny of a razor thin majority is celebrated as a masterstroke of a political genius. Parliamentary conventions, traditions and practiced are scoffed at. Leadership is everything and our leader is the last of the best. We have triumphantly come to the end of history.
In our formative years, revolutionary leaders like Kamara Rose, Oscar Allen, Ralph Gonsalves, Mike Browne, Caspar London, Adrian Saunders et al, made a blood oath with all cadres. Question everything or die; speak fiercely, truthfully and honestly because nothing is settled for all times.
Today, critical thought has lost its meaning, relevance and vitality. Woe be onto thee who question the power motives of a leader who proclaimed that he wanted only two terms, but cheerfully goes for a fifth.
In these times, “Progressives” argue that any objective assessment of reality, except the dull drumbeat of governmental successes, is a reckless adventure that aids the derailment of a people-centred process. The new litmus test is not where you stand as regards political hygiene and economic justice, but your alignment with the status quo. Shame on us all!
The most casual observer knows that the unchallenged official propaganda of “paradise on earth” was insufficient to prevent reversals in the Soviet Union, Eastern Bloc socialist countries, Angola, China, Grenada, Libya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Consequently, any attempt to iconize any leader or canonize any process, no matter how revolutionary or progressive is inherently reactionary. Any such plan kills off the kind of mental agility needed to address the complexities of the 21st Century. Such practices hoodwink the people and set them up to time certain disappoint.
Where have the progressives gone? Some have lost their way and became exhausted, ideological and political confusion sapped the fighting spirit of others while another bunch is seduced by the honeycomb of power. Our salvation lies with the training of the next generation of change agents as we struggle to regain our voice.
*Jomo Sanga Thomas is a lawyer, journalist, social commentator and Speaker of the House of Assembly in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The opinions presented in this content belong to the author and may not necessarily reflect the perspectives or editorial stance of iWitness News. Opinion pieces can be submitted to [email protected].
Look in the mirror bro! Maybe you might see one of the progressives who has lost his way,
Silly ideological prattle that forgets that our so-called “revolutionary leaders” — including Ebenezer Joshua who you have chosen to omit — were actually wolves in sheep’s clothing spouting all sort of silly and empty leftist slogans meant to beguile the ignorant masses when their real motive was to gain the fruits of power.
You cannot be so ignorant as not to know that in electoral politics in a democratic country the only thing that matters is winning one election after another, something the Comrade has perfected and for which he should be celebrated.
Some may say that our leader is the first of the worst and hopefully the last of the worst. We all have an opinion.
An excellent article Jomo. Truth!! Maybe further analysis on why people or progressives dont speak out?……maybe they exist but there is a reason for their silence? Why is so much that was wrong under yellow now right under red?
They were never true progressives, only loud mouthed opportunist leaches.
The progressives have been killed by the dictator and his moribund bunch.Victimisation has been rampant, the sharing of largess during elections and other times have stilled a lot of tongues who don’t wanna lose the crumbs from massa’s table, divide and rule is the order of the day.
Look at you for example, used to be a progressive, now what……..
I’m Batman.