Food for thought!

My friend sent me this video and I really liked it. I think its really thought provoking and important to know about. I have not analysed what I have heard properly but I think they are good 'listens'.

I have often wondered if elite participation is all you really need to bring about change and have concluded this to be true. Funmi talks about the people saying they have had enough but in the end if the elite don't care to really listen and even when they hear don't do anything all we will and can have is chaos. This chaos however does not always mean bad for everyone, natural disasters are the only disasters that don't know class, face, gender or person! Man-made ones like bad governance, corruption anarchy etc do know face. What is my point amidst the chaos and anarchy, there are people who will be comfortable, infact they can sink into the pretence of not seeing the chaos because they are not fully open to it. Yes the militants have kidnapped people but anyone who comes to the area where they are kidnapped is being used by someone else, he is not the elite, he too like the kidnappers is just a worker who is well-paid. Same as the man who is robbed. The elite kill the elite, the masses don't...If someone didn't pay hoodlums to kill Funsho Williams, he could still be here today, Bode George has the followership of his 'touts' enough for them to throw things at the judge and protest his much deserved arrest...

Having mused all of that in a total of 3 minutes, I think I am now of the opinion that if the Elite i.e. the ruling class say NO, no one but God can say YES! But we will not lose hope or resign to having no say because sometimes, there is that one sensible elite who looks around himself and wants to better the lot of his people. That is how any country that has decided to provide for its people is run...the elite bother to be compassionate and hide their greed and selfishness in providing some form of security...That is all Nigeria needs, for some security to be provided. We have NONE...

Blank reaction to a Strong reaction

I am having mixed feelings about something I just read this morning. I will copy and paste then maybe have a reaction that isn't *blank*. I apologize in advance for the length!Its freaking long!couldn't cut it short because I don't want to leave any points out and present a biased view...

It's the biggest joke that crackers talk of giving aid to Africa when for every dollar given, $10 have been extracted through controlling our oil (which they sell back to us for more), our gold, diamonds, cocoa, rubber, palm oil (a key ingredient in the production of chocolate) & many other resources. Africa has been for many years britains gold mine. You're only rich because you've made us poor through your Exploitative deceitful relationship based on white supremecy. An ignorant and arrogant and very destructive virus on the planet. Speaking of virus' the only thing you've ever given us is AIDS, engineered to target black & oppressed people everywhere but particularly in Africa. Africa has always been britains cashcow and these vampires want to totally suck all the life out of us while milking this metaphorical cow.

This was someone's facebook status. Immediately I thought what a rant, but then I read it again and thought, hmm there is a point but then I smiled and moved on to stalk the reason I went on facebook in the first place. No reaction per say which is unusual for me. Maybe I agree to an extent that's why. Anyway so he got 3likes and 14 comments! Some of them made me really mad because it was white people who put them up and sometimes I get really angry when a 'white man' tries to say something about my continent or country(and he doesn't sometimes know the difference). But then when I thought about it, I saw their points and that angered me even more. I will post some of them now, and the only one which truly struck me is the last one I will put up. It made me sad yet I see the truth in it.

1. will your hatred ever stop?>>>>>>I agree there was some hatred in the status and the oyinbo was right but it annoyed me first that she pointed it out. I'm glad I moved past it and could agree with her without disliking her honesty.

2. its too bad all your leaders dont seem to mind it!>>>>>spoken like a true disgo. However this is true, our leaders don't mind and to an extent neither do our people, because rather than hope things change positively, they hope hands turn...we can't progress if we all want to get 'our birthright' and say God's time is the best not for change but for our own turn to make money.

3. and i wonder who sells it to the west! i think u'll find that its the greed of the local rulers that catalyzes such exploitation. Its a two way street buddy, and u have to acknowledge both sides inadequacies if you are going to make any contstructive progress, as opposed to stagnant criticism. There is much evil, of this I have no doubt, but complaints without action dont ameliorate the situation. x >>>>He too was right in my opinion!

4.the only reason we have corrupt, greedy leaders in Africa is because Europe routinely supports them.. It is a practice that goes back to the days of chattel slavery where bad chiefs and community leaders were bribed into selling their people into bondage. Yes it's bad for someone to accept a bribe but then again if Satan didn't test them in the first place by offering a bribe then they wouldn't have succumbed. The person who offers the bribe is far worse, more calculative and manipulative. The man who accepts a bribe is simply weak minded and ignorant to his foolish ways. Forgive them lord for they know not what they do. But also your point about complaints and talk with no action, valid as it may be in many circumstances isn't really appropriate here. Because there is a purpose to me writing these status'. One of the biggest problem Africa faces is the problem of our ignorant, black elite minority not understanding who they are and their connection to all the indiginous people of the continent and the world. There is no spirit of Umbuntu (Oneness). We do not see ourselves as brothers and sisters, all children of the sun. We are divided so we are easily conquered. The purpose of me writing these status' is to wake up our sleeping continent. I have rather a lot of facebook friends many of them of African descent and many of them the so called elite who although they have eyes cannot see the destruction and rape of their homeland right in front of their eyes. So on the off chance that they may read one of my status' maybe it will change their perspective a little more and they may realise that being comfortable is not the same thing as being free and being comfortable is a temporary state of which you have no control over. I'm sick of us not having control over our collective destiny. Our minds are totally enslaved to bullshit western illusions of success and happiness and so my aim is to wake people up.. To raise the consciousness. Words alone may not do much but then again they can move people to action and that is the ultimate goal because no one is going to save us but ourselves.Africa/Africans have always been rich.. We were never poor before the white man arrived with his rifles and bibles. Before WE had the land and THEY had the bibles now we've got the bibles and they've got the land.. Africans are the most fucking religious people on the planet and it Is not solving any of our problems.. So when I see children aged 10 years and younger sleeping under bridges in Lagos, homeless with no food, no clean water to drink I undestand that the simple reason for this is colonialism and imperialism and subsequently capitalism which Africans are the worst off for. We never had children starving and dieing in western orchestrated genocides. So Europe has clearly not benifitted Africans in anyway. Before we even talk of all the deforestation and contamination of our waters by greedy oil companies and all the pollution. The acidity in the rain in certain parts of Nigeria is the worst in the world. Not to talk of aids of which I happen to personally know people who were murdered by this biological weapon attacking our immune system through our reproductive organs so we stop reproducing in the natural way that we do. Africans have always been naturally very fertile and productive and have favoured large families. >>>>>He had really good points but was still making excuses for the mediocrity of the African person himself. I have mixed feelings about this response...

5. u are a mad man..>>>I laughed and laughed and laughed because I know this person and he is one of the 'elite' friends the status owner was talking about and this was his response. Then it struck me why I had mixed feelings, the elite in Nigeria or Africa as a whole won't change nada because they're ok, but then they feel compassion like every other elite and do something, run NGOS, give money to the poor, 'raise awareness' like the status poster. His rant wasn't more than another elitist move to 'raise awareness' within a circle that is aware but then don't give a crappy shit?and why should they????

6. go and read a fucking book about your history and stop being so bloody ignorant. You are clearly very ill-informed and mis-educated like most Africans in your position. Read about Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara, murtalla muhammed, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and perhaps most importantly my names sake Kwame Nkrumah.. You need to know where you're coming from to have any real idea where you're going. Most of you Nigerians live totally purposeless lives, no direction. Aimless existances. Because you do not know who you are..>>>>My response, why so angry, you and him are thinking the same thing innit bruv so why so angry???

7.crackers"-no....stay focused on the issue. imperialism not racism - a thin line between the two but stay on the right side. dont make it a race thing otherwise you are no better yourself. x>>>I liked it because it was simple, don't join them to beat them I guess!!!

This last one was the killer, I laughed, laughed laughed until it made me sad. His view is the view of most Nigerians and Africans, abeg make I chop my own go. And that is why we cannot change...our selfishness...so in the end everyone in this post had a point that was true to home. The ranter is right to point our flaws out but then don't blame the white man, blame your people who believe what they believe. and honestly, don't blame, its not progressive, do what you can without blame because as I say all the time, it is 'OUR' fault. everyone plays a part in the destruction of our home. It is really sad. Another thing which made me sad is that this last comment(er) is from the lineage of a prominent political family, IBB caused their unhappiness yet they (the family) have all rallied round supporting him for the 2011 elections- their excuse 'at least we can gain something again'. WOW...

8. LoL! you're such a character! Your views are somewhat extreme, BUT regardless,I must admit you've got some valid points.You are correct that alot of us Africans dont really know who we are - I definitely concur.

It sounds like you plan on becoming a revolutionary,but just remember that most pple who have taken that path and tried to challenge the established order (status quo), have been exiled or killed - with the help of the west. Lamumba,Sankara,Muhammed and Nkrumah are prime examples.

So if you wish to become a matyr,you're going about it the right way.Be warned.If i were you ,i'd make my money quietly and die of old age.Your choice !

It killed me that last line, shattered me completely, I laughed till I cried because what else do you do when the 'elite' believe this?Shaking my Damn Head!!!

I have hope that we can and will progress!