Historical Perspective On The Niger Delta

Asari is a complicated figure. Born Dokubo Melford Goodhead Jr. in the early 1960s to a Christian family, he dropped out of the University of Calabar in 1990 and later the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, citing problems with university authorities who apparently disapproved of his activism. He converted to Islam and changed his name, spending much of the 1990s in failed attempts to win regional political positions. As a member of the Movement for the Survival of the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality (MOSIEN), which remains a militant activist organization today, fellow activists say he was already vocal about what he regarded as the need for an independent Ijaw nation. Asari claims to have been influential in founding the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), the pan-Ijaw group that has tried to coordinate activist and militant efforts to force greater political and economic rights for the ethnicity.

Yet he was not present during the IYC's Kaiama Declaration of December 1998, which asserted that all land and natural resources within Ijaw territory belong to Ijaws and warned oil companies they would be considered "enemy" if they relied on military protection. The declaration resulted in a military crackdown against the organization. Asari was elected vice president of the IYC in 1999, just days after Odili was himself elected governor of Rivers state. Although rivals have said Odili politically backed Asari then, Asari has refuted this, reportedly saying "Odili was clearly not strong enough then to influence my election".

 

During the early 1990s, Asari spent a brief period in Libya where he claims to have received basic military and political training. He came away from that experience with a negative view of Libya's government, which he felt understood and cared little about Nigeria and less about the Niger Delta. Attempting to dispel rumours that he was being supported by Libya's President Muamar Qaddafi, Asari said he also did not have a positive impression of the Libyan leader: "He is inconsistent. He should not start something he cannot finish".

            

In 2001, Asari was declared the winner of elections for IYC president. However, the organisation's spokesman, Isaac Osuoka, contested the legitimacy of the vote, claiming that there had not been a valid voter's list. For a time thereafter, Asari and his predecessor, Felix Tuodolo, both claimed the IYC presidency, a standoff that turned briefly violent, with several people wounded, reportedly including both Asari and Tuodolo.

Asari's leadership was considerably more radical than moderates in the IYC were comfortable with and he made a number of enemies who subsequently tried to oust him. In or around 2003, Asari increasingly focused his attention on his own organization, the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force, its name modeled on the late Ijaw rebel Isaac Boro's Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF) of 1966.

Shortly after the militant leader's public falling out with Odili in 2003, Asari claims the governor retaliated by launching a violent campaign by proxy through Ateke and his supporters, who attacked Asari's camp. Officials in Odili's government have refuted this, saying they regarded both Ateke and Asari as gangsters, although the Rivers state information commissioner later conceded that Asari at one point "worked with us" prior to the 2003 elections.

From mid-2003 to late 2004, Asari and Ateke Tom engaged in a turf war that killed hundreds and left tens of thousands homeless. The sizeable, centuries-old towns of Buguma, Bukuma and Tombia were badly damaged and areas of the Rivers capital Port Harcourt also razed. Some residents have alleged that the fighting cantered on control of areas noted for their oil theft. The conflict also allegedly revolved around competing bids for control of tribal chieftaincy titles in Buguma and Okrika and other positions with access to government and company oil revenues.

By mid-2004, Asari was living in riverine hideouts, while also meeting with journalists. By the time he issued his declaration of war against the Nigerian federation in late September 2004, his bases had been the target of Nigerian military air raids on several occasions and Asari's supporters and allied cult group members had managed to cause panic in Port Harcourt with targeted attacks against members of Ateke's Niger Delta Vigilantes (NDV).

Advisers to President Olusegun Obasanjo recognised the destabilising effect the conflict was having on the oil industry and responded in early October 2004 by flying both Asari and Ateke to meet the president in Abuja. Obasanjo gave amnesty to the militant leaders and their supporters and reportedly made payments of more than $1,000 for each rifle and $10,000 for each machine gun handed in to the government. The president is said to have told them he would crush them if they did not accept.

Although Asari claims he did not make a profit from the weapons sub mission and amnesty program, he soon afterwards moved into a comfortable villa in Port Harcourt and acquired several SUVs to accompany his fleet of speedboats. Some of his more radical supporters began accusing Asari of having used the struggle to enrich himself with payoffs from the government and oil companies.

Asari continued to anger the Nigerian government by joining other separatist leaders from the southeast and southwest under the banner of the Pro-National Conference Coalition (PRONACO), who publicly demanded a sovereign national conference of elected representatives to debate the future of the federation. Addressing rallies of supporters, Asari sharply criticized the federal and state governments as being illegitimate, urging civilians not to be afraid to support the separatist militancy and claiming that once civil war began the government would retaliate against all Niger Deltans regardless of whether they supported the rebel cause or not. About 29 of Asari also accused the Nigerian government of plotting to arrest or kill him, on one occasion telling journalists he would be honoured to share the fate of the late Ijaw rebel leader Isaac Boro and the executed Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.

On 20 September 2005, nearly a year after his amnesty deal, Asari was arrested and subsequently charged with treason, conspiracy and unlawful assembly. Evidence provided by police included a newspaper interview in which Asari was cited as threatening to wage armed separatist struggle.30 Asari's lawyer was also arrested and detained for a short period when he came forward to represent the rebel leader. Asari's supporters declared the arrest was on dubious grounds and a betrayal of the amnesty conditions agreed upon nearly a year previously, while Ijaw militants held street protests and briefly occupied two Chevron oil platforms. Yet after initially threatening to destroy oil installations, Asari's NDPVF announced a unilateral ceasefire, explaining later that they believed to do otherwise would further jeopardize their leader's fate.

As conflict management consultant, and strategic security analyst, I have been predisposed to more raw material evidence than any security agent in Nigeria.

 

But the question is, is this man to serve the country from the brick of innuendos which he was party to? I just do not get it. These are the generation of lost youth I have often time referred to in my several interviews and articles. I still wondering if any apologist can provide a credible rationale to the scandalous activities of persons like tompolo, Henry Okah, Ateke Tom, and their likes, who have frustrated development in Niger Delta, and has plague the country into an oil chaos, are these the generation of youth leaders to be relied on? I am still waiting for a suitable answer.

AUDACITY OF HOPE FOR AFRICAN YOUTHS

Oftentimes the challenges of Africa – poverty, disease, and environmental degradation among others – are put in sharp contrast to the inspiring potential of the next generation, our own generation. And it is true. Here at Society of African Reformers (SOAR)/ SOAR Africa Youth Foundation, we see Youths across Africa starting numerous initiatives with great potential every day. As a result it becomes quite easy to imagine the large scale, systemic change the next generation will bring throughout their lifetimes; I have often time exonerated this generational bracket as my own; a generation of Cheetah. Ultimately, isn’t that exactly what we need, not just in the developing world, but everywhere – a new generation of leaders of positive change? But how?

These are the vital and Challenging Questions we get every day.

How did George William Bakka started a microfinance organization at age 19? Lillian Aero, a social enterprise employing 36 women affected by HIV/AIDS at age 26? And Phiona Ntegeka plunged an initiative that has planted 20,000 tree seedlings in a heavily deforested area of her community at age 19? In fact, The Future is in our hands as youths, and I believe SOAR was born on this ideological foundation, for change and entrepreneurial skills; aimed towards youths in the likes of George William, Lillian, Phiona, and hundreds of other Youths across Africa and elsewhere with the skills, experience, and mentoring needed to create positive change through a new model of education and consciousness in Africa.

In order to unlock the potential of the next generation, an advocacy that provides the foundation to create positive change is needed not just for a selected few, but for the entire generation of African youths. We are guided by the belief that all African youth can, and should, benefit from experience of creating positive change, and contributing – in their own way, whether “big” or “small” – to stronger communities, all we need it is to invest our greater skills and talents towards the numerous developmental goals in Africa.

To break the barrier and provide access to such a model of Advocacy, and to reach more than just a selected few, SOAR has started working towards systemic change. SOAR system may not do so now, but it has more potential than any single NGO or institution to provide such an experience to the greatest number of African youth. Therefore, we work to incorporate our model of Advocacy into the National and transnational orientation and educational system.

In order to change Africa and solve the problems of poverty, disease, and environmental degradation – as George William, Lillian, and Phiona did, we need a collaborative efforts of the willing youths to render their leadership and entrepreneurial skills in the immediate development of Africa.

The failures of democracy and leadership in many places around the globe, particularly Africa are disheartening. A ray of optimism is the centers for social innovation, social entrepreneurship, sustainable businesses etc. that are springing up due to students, labor unions, youth and community leaders, etc and their demand for many colleges and universities. There is a strong core of young people who seem to be more open to collaboration and entrepreneurial thinking than their elders.

We need multi-disciplinary university learning communities that stress both general education and entrepreneurial specialties to help this Cheetah (our) generation develop the collaborative based solutions to eradicate poverty, conflict, energy and environmental degradation that are so desperately needed. Hopefully some of these models will begin to be replicated on institutions of higher learning, and some model secondary school at all level as well, and we believe that SOAR will provide the necessary solutions since it’s an apple house for great Minds, Young African Leaders.

To provide the foundations for stronger communities and for a culture free of the 'bred-into mentality' SOAR in its mission statement agrees that the answer lies with social innovation; it's often a lack of education, which is a physical barrier to engagement in public life.

The Youth as an instrument of change will need to decide and encourage or persuade the middle age and the elders to collaborate with us for acceptance, for proactive peaceful change to occur.

Through Hope we can shape the destiny of Africa.

Let us each provide a respective answers towards the best framework solutions for the overall interest and development of Africa.

African Youths Solidarity for Africa's Development - The Obama Dream

Mr. President Barack Obama is an Ideal African, a workman deserving of his wages. The wages of Leadership is by an act of preparation, dedication, discipline, reflection, focus and articulate dream. President Barack Obama has broken the chain of fear, intimidation, deception, under-development, Fundamental and International Imperialism that once pervaded African Countries.

Mr. President Barack Obama gave the way towards African and African-American Youth renaissance movement - a Society housing African Youth leaders in the panacea of Africa’s true development. Mr. President Barack Obama was instrumental in underpinning ideology and creativity, filling the vacuum that was left by our alleged founding fathers. In our generation, Africa’s best become ready to take Africa’s destiny to the next level. A new dawn of great African young minds are here again.

The Youths of Africa are not ready to entertain or go into any debate or frivolities with Africa’s failed leaders, what we ask for is nothing other than the key to unlock the negativity caused by poverty, marginalization, domesticated imperialism, unrest, violence, crisis, disease, bad governance, Deaths, WAR and Post Imperialism; an instrument of the New World Order (NWO).

Obama emergence gave way for youth’s interest in leadership; an opportunity which nature has provided for us, to choose and enact policies that affects us – the youth generation tremendously. The era of trivialities, unserious gestures, abandoned projects, and structural adjustment campaign is gone. The capacity and resources (Both human/Intellectual and capital resources) are with us.

Let us move to that edge of differences, let’s demarcate Africa’s past, present and future now. The time for grieving is past; Africa’s development is our responsibility, living it for the aged generation of leaders is a collective death-wish of our virile youth force. Let’s return to the drawing board, there are so many developmental typos we have consciously ignored; this New Africa cannot be left in the hands of puppets and stooges. We must identify and recognize youths who have made a considerable mark in the history of Africa’s development in recent time.

The African Youths dreams precedes the Obama dream; yet Obama as a unitary part of the whole “SOAR Africa Revolutionary Front”; it became an opportunity to truly see the light. One man can change a nation; only with time, dedication and discipline (Malcolm X).

All SOAR is honestly asking for is radical youth involvement and dedication towards change in Africa; we must not rely on our ally west – Europe, America an far east to develop us; rather we should be partners in development. We as African Youths have all its takes, we have the talents, we have the entrepreneurial skills, in fact we belong to the cheetah generation; as fast thinkers; reformers that has never before been seen anywhere in the world. A breed of specials; of the category of Albert Einstein, Michael Faraday, Rene Descartes, Samuelson Kofi, Kofi Annan, Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela. Let us call on our African brothers and sisters everywhere in the world; let the African gong be rung, let the town criers move out to the hinterlands, to the west coast, to the Himalaya, to the mount of Futa Djallon, to the bank of Antarctica, to the shores of Mississippi, to the Han dynasty of present day China, Asia, Europe and every corners.

The reign of Africa in world economy is now. GREAT African Youths, Stand up, Rise up, the Sun has risen.

Let us build our generation, let us invent the future and support our future Now!

Religion or Activism – What Hope?

                                                                   HOPE

When a real activist channel his energy towards liberating the oppressed and making injustice unbearable for the elemental demons in high places through his unrepentant constructive radical revolution, a dynamo is set in place. The obvious is that those who cannot bear the heat cannot create a window nor burst either, they will melt with such continued heat. The Revolution in Nigeria and Africa against the agents and forces of injustice, marginalization, impoverishment, imperialism, post neocolonialism, poverty and underdevelopment has only just began, we are yet to see the full ray of explosive mental revolution. The battle field is already prepared, and its actors are scheming to get some relevance in time to come.

                        Religious and political hypocrisy continue to wreck
                        environmental degradation and other ills


If I can understand clearly to channel our active energy towards Christ’s kingdom, is to the Christians the best practices, do you agree?  Will unveil us towards the religious allegories of Christianity, Islam and other sects.

In the order of religious men and women and their varying opinion lies the reason why the downtrodden in our society has remained in this precarious conditions, woes and continued oppression. It is men who have blindly, ignorantly and preposterously used their intellectual resources for the promotion of sanity, economic and social developments; and for the defense of the voiceless and the powerless that has seasoned the aroma of injustice, and these men hide under the cloak of religion, they continue to perpetrate the most heinous crimes against humanity and perhaps against the advancement and development of their societies such as so many religious men/women in the name of their God have exhibit; from historical past till recent, thousands have died – the best potentials have been wasted in the pursuit of a deceptive dream; nations have been tore apart, children made orphans, to name but a few.

From the height of hypocrisy they speak volume and continue to deceive many. As an activist certainly I am not yet moved by their past exploit, stories and proofs of their callousness, and indeed they are not the group to tell me to speak before I can speak, perhaps in the place of power.

In view of the following links lies the over-zealousness and deception by religious men, with Christianity take the pivotal/front seat:

1. http://books.google.com/books?id=Zj-z-45Q7k4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=GENESIS+OF+RELIGION+AND+MORAL+POLITICS+IN+JAMAICA&source=bl&ots=XfVrqkYl3U&sig=65tT7aqF45xw31fhVIkVJzL6nks&hl=en&ei=kdzgTITDA4bGlQeG-NTWAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxfThlCcfHI&feature=fvw

3.http://www.academicleadership.org/article/THE_PRETENCE_OF_WESTERN_RELIGION_AND_EDUCAION_IN_NIGERIA_A_SOCIOLOGICAL_PERSPECTIVE

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRXJjnZR52c

If only would these religious men/women think otherwise, to genuinely defend the poor instead of exploiting them with their tithes, offerings, Islamic zarcat fees, Nevada sutra, Tao opulence  will they be seen as fighting the interest of the almighty God which they allegedly profess in all their denudations.

                                                          FREEDOM

An activist must speak against injustices and must be ready to defend it even with his life, I’ll rise in the dead of the night where I am classed as a loner, trapped in the midst of gullible praise singers and while I will speak against the vain utilization of our commonwealth, against evil domination of the collective will of the people by the microscopic few, I am fully aware of the consequences, of being ceased, arrested against my Will, or worst murdered in cold blood in the altar of injustice.

The barbarians of the society in two categories, the few political cult class, and the fanatical, extremist and fundamentalist religious cult class; these two class rule the society and leave the masses to wonder in poverty and extreme annihilation. As for the religious men, they are sent to calm the nerves of the masses, and pervert ignorance and religious stupidity. They will often time surmount their hypocritical tone to advise the same ignorance masses on what they should do, at least to pray more, fast more, pay more tithes and offering, attend holy pilgrims, and display their psychological oratory as if they are God!

                        GLOBAL RELIGION - ITS EFFECTS ON WORLD PEACE

 

Unfortunately religion has been one of the contributing factors to our pit iable abysmal dismal, a lugubrious tendencies that has drag our democracy and good governance thus far. My Take in this is, the voice of the people is the voice of God, and if we must truly direct our energy towards what is term "Christ's Kingdom" the best way is taking side with the wishes and aspiration of the people, who Christ admonish us to defend, and came to redeem, at least the Christian bible talked so much about this facts, or didn't it?

 

                                      RELIGION AND JUSTICE

Christians, Muslims, pagans and freethinkers etc are suppose to work harmoniously and collectively for the betterment of this country and our continent in perspective, yet we see some of these actors and panaceas of this religious categories causing untold sufferings through lies, violence, troubles, corruptions and other unjust participations in the affairs of our nations and Africa.

 

For those who truly profess Christianity, Islam, Tao, how many people in your locality who are suffering in the hands of your governments and its officials?  Have you thought of a move toward the people’s liberation by speaking the truth in the  presence of men who have subscribed to the unjust perpetuations? Ah, you don't need to answer it, perhaps you will tell me, "I will leave God to fight for me and them" or "God will take His cause and redeem his people", that's some of the impulsiveness that has delayed justice so far.

 
Reading the works of Thomas Sankara, Che Guevara, Nkrumah, Garvey etc are insightful, and while these men were religious men, they put down their belief systems into a metamorphosis of a pure religion without bigotry or unflinching standards. "The brotherhood of Humanity" was their keyword, and by such romantic solidarity they moved to greats heights of freedom by sacrifice. Our Christ was one of these great men, and if he had not sacrifice his Will, and willfully and singlehandedly stood in the ways of the barbaric forces of his time through spiritual and physical activism, no man I presume will hear of the Christian faith of today.

Even one of Christ numerous apostles, Paul of tarsus emulated him, and did greatly. Apostle Paul in the bible was a great radical who was actively involved in the liberation of his time, that was mono-culturally religious and tied to the roman hegemony.

This is the commonsense behind the defense line of activism, and if we are not convinced about this thrust cases, then no need to go into it. When you see a man doing the great job of activism, his acts and diligence is obvious for it speaks for itself. I am not talking about those who want to impress people and fool the people, I am referring to those who selflessly take to the side of justice, democracy and freedom. Gani, Saro Wiwa, Professor Ake, Adaka Boro, Nkrumah, Amilca Cabra, Patrice Lumumba, Fela and now we in the same line of great works will do the bidding of the people, the masses, the impoverished and marginalized, even though we are killed by these demons called politicians or the forces of darkness, many will replace us, and continue our struggle until victory is achieved for the generation and world we all envisage. We must dare to invent the future, Sankara once said, and I reiterate that we must continue with the daring.

I know one is sure for certain, if we are killed unjustly, according to Sankara, 7 million will rise in our stead. They may perish us and drag or dismember our bodies and command the vultures to eat will, But certainly so, they may have completed their task. They cannot kill us in entirety insofar as our Ideas lives on. Read the lives of Great African heroes, the facts are there. No accomplishment is greater than dying for justice, and our eulogies being immortalized in the lips of endless generations.

Comrades, country men and women, Africans home and abroad, spot on, for even Jesus, Mohammed, Chrisna, Zoroaster, etc are all with us towards justice.....Spot on!!!

They better be joking, and if I understand the social trend, men like some phony clergy men/women, imam, traditional practioners, etc are those that continue to use the name of God, Allah, Ifa, Christ, Mohammed to render deception, while they would have channeled the same gift to that sublime direction God created them for. What a pity!

Africa's Unity - A Rejoinder

There was a time when Africans had no well-established recognition, which perhaps was due to the impediments of Imperialism and the adverse nature of Colonialism. With time, changes began to come up, Africans in America who had succeeded in liberating themselves, they then push and extended the fellowship of brotherhood to their African kin in Africa. This was a breakthrough in ancestral linkage, a package which saw and met with the evils of its time by the white racist.

Although the era of Racism is gone; the era of segregation was debated, treated, and won by the very species of humanity who saw brotherhood in human existence as the only creation of the living God, who is all-knowing. These very actors saw with time the importance of living together, the joy of fellowshipping and worshipping with great enthusiasm towards and to a God which is one, and which was an extension of the ideologies of brotherhood, borne out of unity, peace and social communion. Today there is a perfect blend of human integration, but if we do not respect this integration, then Africans shall rally amongst it kins and develop Africa with its buoyant resources.

Through latest world’s actions and inactions, today, there is inter-racial Marriages here and there; Political progress in terms of democracy has been copied as a gesture of the providence of a global friendship in diversity. Now Economic issues has been critically implemented to higher advantages in nations which was far below in terms of growth and development, and who also has seen the adverse nature of social, economic and political depression.

At a given time in the world economic and political order, a recession broke out which caused a revolution in technological ideologies of the west and Europe. It was as a result of this gear to survive that the West with an un-relinquished ego to live, and be liberated from Hunger, that they developed the weapons of survival and savaging, with this, they went ahead into the hinterland of the purported “Dark forest tropics” for food, and for survival. If this was the only option the Europe and America has, to simply savage these hinterland for the necessities of food, it would have been better. Others had a different motives, because they on their visit to these hinterland of Africa saw riches, and they made their resolve to savage this riches for the continent’s social, economic and political advancement, for national prosperity; for a more economic and power built states of the west.

In the later years to come, other well equipped Nations of the west also heard of the savage folk-tales, and sailed from the Indies, shores of Indian ocean, the Polaris of America and Europe, came forth the British, the French, the Americans, the Portuguese and Germans. They with the motives to savage this wealth, and take a well established hold, fought gallantly with each other. This wars though was necessary for their respective national advancement, politically and economically recreated cannibalism and near best salvagers called explorers, missionaries, colonialist, imperialist, to mention but a few. A defined mix of ‘structural man-eater’ was born, a reformed and ego squeezed human-haters came on board.

Before this events, in the BCs, the Romans has already done a forensic study of the Hinterland of Africa. This later served as a basis for the exploitation of these forest’s richness.  

While the Europe and America was Busy finding routes into the heart of Africa's main wealth, which comprises of the peoples and culture, the plantations, the timbers, the mines, the gold deposits, the agricultural essentials; Africans where either living happily or in a confine of inter-tribal or perhaps clans battles, our provoked to engage in a war out of necessity, not for economic domination as falsely and vaguely conceived by European, European-American Historians, bigots and negrophobias.

In a separate investigation carried out from available archives, Africans from all times in history relay had be built to pay total allegiance to their clan alone, it was a personal model aim at forming a mechanical solidarity such that the problems of the clan will remain supreme. It was a personality growth system built at training Africans for the Africa's Ideological society of the close ties systems. With this notion of growth system, and socialization, these offspring became psychosocially attached to their own confined societies. All others coming from the outside was regarded as enemies, at least reasons for visit were clearly defined, basically by the elders or most senior stakeholders of the specific society.

The idea of “patient trust” is part of an African, and whether you be from his neighborhood, if he doesn’t know you, it takes time for an African to trust you, perhaps you just needed to work hard to earn that trust. On the contrary, the Whiteman was no patient man, as an explorer, exploiter and an civilized barbarian, he doesn’t believe in the diplomatic relationship. This same hitch has cause global harmony till date. This was the way things worked in Africa, and in some civilized remote societies in Africa today, the ancient practices still holds high. This, in my opinion was what the Whiteman saw, and thought that Africans had hated themselves, and the ideal African was a Beast, and thus, Africa was a zoo.  The likes of Thomas Isiodre Noel Burkinabe Sankara changed the mentality of Africans at home to look inwardly to the beauty and resources, Sankara gave hope and foresight to millions of Young Africans to be mentally productive in the furtherance of Africa's interest home and abroad, and to use the technology and crafted to develop our continent.

African Scholars later refuted these theories, but thence, the deed has been done. They collectively tried to build afresh an Original ideals of the African society, but it all fell on deaf ears, it all fell on wanting ground of global audience. Black historians’ books where seen as racial, ethnocentric while their European, European-American historian counterparts were seen as authority. Wondering how a stranger could beautifully write the history of a people he knew nothing about of their distant past of yesteryears, this wonder leaves no room for commentaries of any recognition and respect .

Today, Africans have stood up for what Africa truly is. Africans have started its crusade to liberate once and for all, everything that concerns Africa. They have seemingly told their white brothers to return its properties and wealth, which was stolen from Africa through reparations. Obviously, it is evident that Africans are coming together, and that Africans are now sitting in the front-seat in negotiating and implementing global Unity. This is part of our ancient cultures, Unity and Peace.

 I think now is the Time for spontaneous focus in Africa’s development, I have often time admonish my African comrades and scholars in all my rejoinders to leave History and deal on the present and future. We have no time to correct historical wrongs or dwell on rhetoric, we have corrected it before now, let's not dwell in Ambiguity historical ambiguity either. Africans must unite by all means necessary in Truth and Justice Alone!!!

The Small Thing - The Folly in US policy action, Bush Administration.

The policy challenges facing the United States were radically altered by the event of the 9/11, 2001, which in my view, has more to do with defining the actual cause effect of the expectant result of the policy challenges. The day after the terrorist attack, President George W. Bush announced that they have been planned and executed by members of Al Qaeda an international terrorist group, mostly of Islamic fundamentalists lead by Osama Bin Laden. In the CNN outline speech report, Bush declared that their attack against the US wasn't an act of terror but an act of war. In a resolute statement, Bush further said that the US was going to fight an act of terrorism and friends who are harboring and sponsoring terror. It therefore means that the US will make sure that its campaign against terror wasn't only purported towards the Al Qaeda but also friends and nations harboring these terrorist fundamentalist groups, lead by Osama  and co.

The 9/11 episode, changed dramatically and totally the focal point of the US policy, the new war was unlike any other in American history. Although things were a little bit different from a moral point of view. The enemy was not another nation-state such as imperial Japan in the world war 11, or even a seceding section of the US, like the confederacy in the American civil war. The worst challenges in determining the American new policy came about. Consequent of the fact, there were no organized army to be defeated in the battle by the US armed forces; no any government to acknowledge defeat and sign peace treaties. Indeed no way to tell when war was over, and whether the US had won. Instead the enemy was an unknown member of shadowy hard-to-find secret cells of terrorists dedicated to destroying the US and all its stands for at home and in its foreign policies with no way of knowing what victory and who will recognize it.

 

In the article of public politics, Austin Ranny hit the core by saying that "so the unified state now faces a long and difficult twilight struggle, in which most of its other policy challenges will take second place". In my honest comparison Austin was right, because many such challenges will remain in domestic affairs. The problem of the economic status of African-American, some version of which has bedeviled the nation from its beginning; this has remained on the US congressional agenda and the national policy. African-American in today US are in many respects no different or better off than they were a generation ago, even though numerous authors and theorist have proven otherwise. They still on the whole lag behind while in many areas including family, crime and imprisonment rate, formal education, housing quality, family stability, vulnerability to such diseases as AIDS and prostrate cancer and life expectancy. Also in the new Millennium Hispanic-Americans in ever growing numbers are joining in the demand for better status, and the national debates about whether compensatory racial preferences, sometimes called affirmative.

These are not just the only challenges stated, other domestic policy challenges has continued in varying parameters, such as "the war on drugs", national standard of educational achievement measured against national standard by national test, reconciling environmental protection with economic growth, and perhaps addressing the bitter conflicts over abortion between pro-choice and pro-life forces within and outside the congressional platform.

POLICY OPTIONS

In the early years of 21st century, the American economy as the largest in the world was struggling its deepest recession in a half century featuring such woes as increasing unemployment, a weakening dollar problem and a comparative stock market that from early 2000 to 2004 lost 40% of its value. In addition to coping with this slump there were also numbers of unresolved structuring problems and other challenges. One is the longstanding of the complex often incomprehensible, sometimes unfair national tax system with proposed reforms ranging from a flat rate income tax, with a one-page 1040 to national sales tax. Another problem is finding a politically acceptable structure for universal health-care that will control health cost and enable all Americans to get the care they need. Yet another is learning how to keep the federal budget balance even when the economy is not booming and producing record tax revenue, within the ambit of the national treasury.

From the above consequence, it is imperative that the US will maintain an unchallenged position as the world’s most powerful nation, and leader of the forces supporting democratic and capitalist government and free market economies, which still enumerates on capitalism will certainly continue in the early 21st century. On the contrary, national hubris is not warranted for such a position as the US holds carries perils in foreign arena which though different from what the US faced during the cold war.

The worst policy the US has ever faced in time was the 9/11 scenario which was mainly or solely brought about through an act of the United Nations (UN). During the 9/11 it was imperative that a new theory sprang up, and this was grossly considered as "the Bush Doctrine". First enunciated by President George W. Bush, after the Al Qaeda attacked September 11, 2001; the doctrine declared that the United States should no wait to be attacked before it acts. It should with the help of allies if possible, but alone if necessary take preemptive military action against any nation or terrorist group that possess weapons of mass destruction that might be used against the US. This doctrine indeed replaced Truman doctrine (Containment of hostile regime), the Reagan doctrine (Support all freedom fighter) and the Clinton doctrine (Always act multilaterally).

 

The doctrine underlay the Bush administration's decision in March 12, 2003, to invade Iraq despite his failure to win a resolution from the United Nations Security Council authorizing the use of military force against Saddam Hussein's regime for his refusal to honor previous Security Council resolution directing him to disclose and destroy his weapon of mass destruction. Whether this was to be the only the use of the Bush doctrine or the first of many uses by Bush and subsequent President remain to be seen. But our paramount concern should be geared towards the Bush doctrine reconciliation and his administration's aftermath in both national and foreign policy.

MEMO

In an obvious opinion, since the policy in the domestic affairs is always at a debating closure, while foreign policies are taken with high priority is not the case with little consideration to national security. Although taking this into account is better seen as patriotism by each successive government due to the heck of terrorist manoveour.

                                          Osama Bin Ladin

In regard to the Mr. Bush's administration, I feel it should be considered from the party point of view, and of course as with regard to public opinion, and those of the US allies. But the case was different with the Bush administration. Why is simple,  the leaders of most parties in the world democracies have a number of tools to ensure that the legislators bearing their parties labels support the parties policies in the national legislatures. For one, they can make sure that no usually visible or persistent rebel against the party's position is given ministerial position or preferment of any kind. If that fails to bring the fractious member into line, they can expel him or her from the parliamentary party altogether. Many parties in many countries give their leaders the ultimate weapon: the power to deny the rebel reselection as an official party candidate at the next election. But this is a view of what is happening in the outside world with similar democracies like the US or those of the floundering like the developing world or the transformed social capitalist worlds.

I hardly believe if this can happen in the US. But with regard to political history, in the sharp contrast, in the United States any person who wins a party's primary for the house of senate in any congressional district or state automatically becomes the party's legal candidate for that office, and no national party agency has the power to veto the nomination. On one notable occasion, called by historians "the purge of 1938", Franklin D. Roosevelt, an unusually popular and powerful national party leader, tried to intervene in the primary elections of several states to prevent the renomination of Democratic senators who had opposed his New Deal policies. He however failed in twelve of the thirteen attempts, and most people have since concluded that any effort by a national leader to interfere in candidate selection at the state and local level is bound to fail, and it has always been failing. Another analogy appears to be a lukewarm attitude towards opposition party, unlike the past Clinton administration that he whole-hearted listened to the opposition in some areas of his policy from the Republican Party.

                                          SENATOR JOHN KERRY
 

In contrast to this, it is paramount that the Bush Administration listens a bit to John Kerry's opposition against his policies. It will make more progress in policy ties and in terms of US foreign policy. Because when internal policy is take care of, and then Bush can gain much popularity from Americans on any National security agenda that is laid before the American congress. It is imperative that the congress is a whole array of side-effect Republicans and a little of Democrats. Although the foreign policy of President George W. Bush's Administration had secured the American border a great deal, nevertheless, is has also reduce some other policy initiations, like the pro-choice and pro-life abortion litigation within the ambit of the congress as aforementioned. This might be a problem with Senate majority leader “Frist” to either accentuate or improvise on whether they are to approve Bush's go ahead on some vital foreign policy at the expense of national ones is what cannot be decided now. Every American must be part of this crusade to defend the integrity of America while still upholding our strongest relationship ties with our allies and non-allies.

So we must not do that by forcing policies on the people of America. But that does not mean that we should be weak, but rather that we should in strength and in unity face all the troubles that are in front of us. We must hold together, and all out petty troubles and difficulties and conflicts must be ended in the face of this great disaster of making things right; fighting against terrorism and act of war, and reconciling with terrorist at bay. A great disaster is a symbol to us Americans to remember all the big things of life and forget the small things, of which we have thought too much. But I still would point here that these small things are the most significant to the Americans, which entails shelter, health, social and economic status.

The Legacy Of A True Knight - An Essay Of Modern Comrades

Although men were created for a cause far more divine, yet in the course of this divinity our values as men are tested, and sometimes misplaced by the too many woes that befalls us on our strive towards the highest most salient good. In governance the role of a knight are those with tedious but acceptable responsibility, those which any one will pray for. This is so in order for democracy to be carried in the grace of hardwork, faith and hope to the heart of the people, and in the purpose for which it was first established. The role of the true knight is to protect, defend and if need be to sacrifice his very own for the purpose of his mutual existence, so that the general good can supersede his own.

In knighthold, the truce of leadership is not to be lord over the people, but to be servants, and to be used as a sacrifice to ensure the welfare of the general good. So many people who assumes the title of knighthold actually do not understand the essence of being a knight, and this is not encased in some scrolls or some pamphlets, the ideal of a knight is thus in us by the coefficient of what we believe in. nevertheless, if it is better understood to a concept of grace alone, this will be better served, but a true knight extends beyond this earthly passage, its goes beyond wealth, might, and pride. In warfare, a knight must die for what he believe. He must not do so because of some temporary benefits, he must ensure it and anything whatsoever for the purpose of truth alone. He must, if me must so die, should be for the cause of honor itself. Truth must revolve round his grave in the wind of the east shore. Such knights are not buried in some little lonely cemetery, their Ashes are cast into the east wind, so that in the end of time, their purpose and their passage on earth will be echoed in the memories of the future, and men will preach such eulogies.

In our later years in later, wealth and serene enjoyment is not wondered for in replacement of adversities. Our souls may move freely in the realm of freewill reserved for those souls that have attained the height of pureness. To be pure in our conducts as knight is simple, as the writer, I may not be pure seemingly for some other purposes in which I have preffered to die, and to be remembered for. For the purpose of freedom and justice in essence of our land, this we all must collectively join hands so that in the glory of passing generation, the ideology of hope may linger on. Nepotism, Corruption and injustices will only prevail, when the good men of the society fail to realise that they are the very tool of the weak to uphold the humiliation of the powerful.

In the lives and glory of a knight, we all automatically belong to the legendary and decimated calvary of gallantry fighters in our strive to behold our eternal knightship even unto death in the line of duty. Our leadership must be tested beyond all manners of equations, and the hypothesis of faith... our faith must take us above the height of probabilities and impossibilities into the wages of our sublime battle. We may behold the lives of other knights in their freewill in a cause that far more supersedes their entire freedom, which of course revolves round their Original land, and the memory of their legendary ancestors. Other may follow us if we so chose, they may some day be ours to lead as our ancestors before us had done.

Consequently, yes, you will be their commander in battle. But with this title comes a sacred responsibility to protect, to defend, to value their lives above our own, and should they perish in battle, to live our lives gloriously in honour of their memory. In considering their freewill, it is always fallen to a few to sacrifice for the good of many, the world isn't a perfect place. But perhaps people like you, me and those numerous Leaders can make it so; so that the world can be victorious in all its legacy.

If we must die in battle, let us do so with our gallantry knights at our side, we must not forsake nor leave them. In pure leadership we must defend them with the sacrifice of our very own life. What other purpose do we serve if not for such a cause? Yes, others even our very trusted comrades may accuse us for believing in a world that will never exist. To believe in such a world of total sacrifice and freewill is a decoy to unravel our true purpose of life itself. Not fearing that we may lose our breath for this singular purpose is freedom in perspective, and if our comrades fails to know this, then our only option must be to sacrifice our very own existence for that to exist - a world of serene Legacy and Peace.

Everyman will surely die in the battlefield of politics, and anything, whether of their own chosen of not, but if it be that such one as sacrificing for the lives of many, then so be it. And the request of a brave comrade to his fellow knights is that, should he fall, they should not be buried in little sad cemetery, they should be burnt and their ashes cast to a strong east wind, such is the solemn request of a true valor, and this is what I have subscribed to.

The men of great virtue are strong, but they have need of a true leader, and we must necessary transform ourselves from the pure state of weakness and nothingness into such great and requisite personality of leadership. When the people see and could grasped this in our characteristics, then for sure, they must do nothing other than their conscience being relieve, and their hope, faith and perseverance being targeted to liberation. They will follow you to the rare earth even unto death, because they believe in your ability to conjure possibility, and reawaken their euphorias and dreams. They will believe you can do anything in as much as you are willing to lay down your live for the actual existence of the fables and weak. To defeat our greatest enemy, there is need for a master of war, and that is where we come in to our people, to represent such decimated and legendary leadership to champion the cause of freedom from all political or otherwise twisted contemporary enslavement - these are the purpose of true legacy which we must leave behind for our eulogies to echo into eternity.

In the honour of great knight, knights must be at his side to once and for all witness the very last and best of his gallantry in order for eternity to bear witness for such a purpose so that many tales, eulogies and folklores will be told of such a knight when he is finally gone into the dust of this life. In solidarity, knight must defend their leader in whatever condition they find themselves, they must do so, to preserve antiquity, and to sacrifice their own life collectively in pursuant of a common good. Their souls shall not die but live on into the remix of many known existence in the field of heavenly glorification. In the honours of fallen knights we must live!

Comrades, the gift of freedom is ours by right, but the home we seek resides not in some distant land, or in some unrealistic havens for our self pity, it's in us and in our actions on the day be take up leadership, to do good and protect the integrity of lives and of the fables. If our destiny is to fall together in battle so be it. In the twilight of time, let history remember that as free men we chose to make it so, and nothing whatsoever will change that. This are the Ideals of a true Knight and a leader.