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cincinnatusvirtue · 4 years

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Simon Bolivar (1783-1830): El Liberatador/The Liberator.

Simon Bolivar, sometimes referred to as the George Washington of South America, is best known for his leading role of the independence of six Latin American nations (Venezuela, Bolivia, Panama, Colombia, Peru & Ecuador) from the Spanish Empire in the early 19th century. His military prowess and political image as a revolutionary exists into the modern era and continues to inspire, irk and even alienate many the world over particular those in Latin America to the modern day.

-Simon Bolivar was born on July 24th, 1783 in Caracas Venezuela then part of the Spanish Empire. His father’s paternal line was of Basque descent in northern Spain and settled in South America int he 16th century, while his maternal grandmother was descended from Spanish families settled in the Canary Islands.

-Bolivar’s father was a Colonel in the Spanish colonial army, his father died of tuberculosis when Bolivar was three and his mother died when he was nine. His primary caregiver in his youth was a family slave, named Hipolita.

-Bolivar’s family was aristocratic and slave owning, in a class known as Criollo, which was known for being of almost exclusively Spanish descent with little to no Amerindian descent, making them a fairly exclusive caste in colonial South America.

-Spain had been involved with the Americas since the end of the 15th century and start of the 16th century, it had conquered, colonized, and almost completely transformed the the landscape of the Americas stretching from parts of the modern United States to the tip of the South American continent. Disease and superior military technology and the use of diplomacy to play off various indigenous rivalries, combined with a religious mass conversion utterly changed the demographics and politics of Central and South America Though Spain was the first major modern European colonial power in the Americas it overshadowed in North America by the Dutch, French and most notably the British. In South America and Central America it had to contend with all these powers over the coming centuries but its only major competitor for the most part in South America was Portugal in Brazil.

-By the time of Bolivar, Spain’s Empire was large, though Spain had started to suffer status of becoming a second rate power in Europe due to its being eclipsed largely by France and Britain and the imperial rivalry between those two nations.

-Bolivar was raised with private tutors who taught him very much in a classical education of the time, Enlightenment values steeped in history, politics, philosophy as well as physical activity such as horseback riding and swimming.

-Bolivar was enrolled in the military of Spain and sent to Spain in 1800 to complete his studies, whilst there he traveled Europe, then in the throes of the French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars. Bolivar himself witnessed Bonaparte’s self-orchestrated coronation as King of Italy in 1805, which he held in personal union with himself, having already been crowned Emperor of the French in 1804. Bolivar, held republican values and disdain for the ceremony and monarchical pretenses of Bonaparte but he also admired Bonaparte in other ways for his military prowess and standing up the reactionary monarchies of Europe.

-Bolivar and indeed his contemporaries in Latin America likewise was influenced by the American Revolution which had given birth to the United States and was the first successful revolution in the modern era of a colonial nation against its parent country. Serving somewhat as a template for their later achievements along with ideals of republicanism and human rights.

-Bolivar would return to Venezuela in 1807, the year before Bonaparte turned on his erstwhile Spanish ally and overthrew the Bourbon dynasty and replaced it with his own brother on the throne, launching an unexpected guerrilla war nationwide, which found itself supported by the British and Portuguese and would last for another 7 years alternating between uprisings, French suppression and gradual defeat of the French forces. This war would have ramifications for the rest of the empire.

-1810 saw a coup in Venezuela which sought to establish its independence and with the chaos back in Spain, no cohesive government could offer counter-revolution. Though there remained a royalist element in Latin America that would be Bolivar’s primary enemy during his campaigns. Bolivar was named in 1811 a part of a diplomatic team sent to Britain to gain diplomatic recognition.

-1813 saw the establishment of a new Second Republic of Venezuela and Bolivar was named a military governor in then New Granada (Colombia). He undertook his so called Admirable Campaign against royalists who wished to maintain the Spanish crown’s rule over Latin America, even though the Bourbons weren’t officially back in power until the following year when Napoleonic France was driven from Spain. The campaign was ultimately successful in uniting the disparate colonies each fighting for their independence. Here he earned the nickname El Liberatador or “The Liberator” and issued his Decree of War to the Death, which threatened death against all Spanish colonists if they did not actively support the war for independence, regardless of their level of involvement. It was to symbolize the divisive nature of Bolivar to many. On one hand totally committed to his goals but seemingly willing to impose his will in a dictatorial fashion to achieve them.

-The revolutions in South America were indeed disparate, united in common cause to rid themselves of royalist rule from mother Spain but not necessarily united with each other and Bolivar had to fight against rival republican factions in New Granada. These disputes forced him to flee to Jamaica until tempers cooled. There he was the victim of a failed assassination that forced him to Haiti instead where he remained in a brief exile.

-Bolivar returned to Venezuela with Haitian support in 1816 fighting against royalists there. Though the fighting was back and forth for the next couple of years. Spain having restored the Bourbons recommitted to asserting royalist rule. The campaign including crossing the Andes Mountain range which was no small feat. Bolivar worked hard to achieve a sense of unity among the many different factions and disparate colonies of Venezuela and New Granada.

-Finally, in 1821 with British support, the Bolivar lead Patriotic army defeated the royalist elements of Spain decisively at the Battle of Carabobo on June 24th. This paved the way for a united country, a de-facto federalized republic akin to the United States of America, it was called Gran Colombia, uniting Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Panama. The new nation was declared September 7th of that year with Bolivar as its first President.

-Bolivar’s next move was the liberation of Ecuador against Spain, winning victory after victory in 1822 and this was followed with campaigns in Peru’s liberation which likewise successful and appreciatively raised respect for Bolivar’s military prowess. Though his troops were accused of ill treating the locals and taking much plunder. His campaigns would be successful by 1825 making Peru an independent and separate but sister republic. The same year “Upper Peru” declared itself a new nation allied with Gran Colombia called Bolivia, named after Bolivar himself.

-Bolivar’s remaining years were spent dealing with political infighting within Gran Colombia which was divided and weak in its political infrastructure. While, he admired the United States’s achievement of independence from a European power, he did not believe its federal model of federal government balanced by somewhat decentralized state governments could be replicated successfully in Gran Colombia. His remedy was to increasingly turn to a form of centralization. However, the territory encompassing the new nation was vast and though the people spoke a common language and had a common cause in independence it was divided by sectional differences owing to geography and local custom. Along with opposition to Bolivar’s centralization attempts which included appointing a lifetime presidency with the ability to handpick their own successor. Some feared this would create a new form of monarchy or dictatorship.

-Attempts at a passing of laws to rewrite this constitution were met with deadlock due to the divisions within the various factions and ultimately did not pass. Bolivar attempted compromise measures but there remained suspicion over his intentions and he once again was victim to a failed assassination attempt in 1828.

-Bolivar sought to eventually unite Gran Colombia with Peru and Bolivia as well in a so called Confederation of the Andes. However, the truth was Bolivar’s plans were spoiled by the sectional and ideological differences in the sister republics and within Gran Colombia itself. Uprisings took place in Ecuador, New Granada and Venezuela and the nation found itself now at war with Peru. He was also suspicious of the United States and its own ambitions of political influence in Latin America, since the recent Monroe Doctrine declared essentially the whole of the Americas to be within its political sphere of influence.

-On January 30th, 1830 he resigned his Presidency of Gran Colombia seeing no viable political path forward for his vision though he urged the still nominally unified nation to remain unified, he denounced the calls for dissolution. Though later that year, the separation became permanent and Gran Colombia was succeeded by independent nations of New Granada later to become modern Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.

-In the coming decades all these nations interestingly would be governed by a centralist model that Bolivar had advocated for the preservation of Gran Colombia. They were government by the very people who had condemned his own vision on central authority.

-Bolivar himself died of tuberculosis on December 17th, 1830 in modern Colombia, he was preparing for a self-imposed move to Europe and had already begun taking steps to move there.

-In the wake of his death, the South American republics founded by Bolivar were fraught with civil war and wars among each other over influence and competition for resources. Tensions among these nations has remained intermittent to the present, each of these nations faced a degree of internal instability with quick successions of new governments alternated with dictatorships that would last either quickly or for prolonged periods of time.

-Each subsequent country has a generalized local view of Bolivar that is complex and varied. Ranging from admiration and adulation for his role in their founding and helping to shape their political environment to disdain and condemnation for his armies’ treatment of the locals to his authoritarian flirtations which he considered a political necessity in Latin America, believing its culture required such a certain level of heavy handedness. This contradiction between striving for freedom and seeking a means of instilling control even through self-righteous authoritarianism remains one of Bolivar’s contradictions. This struggle between aspirations of freedom and liberty tempered with dictatorial means to enforce stability is not unique to Bolivar or Latin America, it is been an issue the world over. However, Latin America’s republics throughout their history, including those founded by Bolivar have also emulated and embodied this contradiction to the present day at various times. It remains an resolved tension in various countries at various times.

-Bolivar’s personal reputation is likewise revered by others outside of Latin America as an inspiration, many of his personal writings still survive and inform of his character and political thought. Others such as Karl Marx actually condemned Bolivar as dictator masquerading as a revolutionary. Yet, Bolivar would hold an appeal to later socialist/communist thinkers in a Latin American context in particular.

-Bolivar does remain a popular figure in Hispanic American historical memory for many so called common/working class people and his name/image are used to evoke revolutionary ideals. He his remembered with everything from US naval vessels to statues the world over, cities and a nation named after him and public holidays in his memory. For all his contradictions and his many struggles, his promise and his failure, Bolivar is undeniably a hugely influential figure in modern world history, particularly in Latin America...

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fycanadianpolitics · 6 years

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Colony or settler state?

Recently foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland dismissed concerns that Canada was seeking "regime change" in Venezuela by saying "Canada has never been an imperialist power. It's even almost funny to say that phrase: we've been the colony."

As I detailed in an initial response, Ottawa has passively or actively supported numerous U.S.-backed military coups against progressive elected governments. But, the conclusion to Freeland's statement above is equally absurd, even if it is a common refrain among liberals and leftists.

Despite its popularity, the idea that Canada was or is a "colony" obscures Canada's place near the top of a hierarchical world economy and polity. In probably its most famous iteration, prominent historian Harold Innis remarked that Canada had gone "from colony to nation to colony."

Between 1867 and 1931, Canadian foreign policy was officially determined by London. But, describing this as a "colonial" relationship ignores the Canadian elite's access to British capital, universities, armaments, etc., as well as Canada's role in extending British power westward and, to a lesser extent, in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

While technically accurate, employing the term "colony" to describe both Canada and Kenya makes little sense. British, French and other settlers in Canada were not dispossessed of their land, but rather dispossessed First Nations. Additionally, they faced no repression comparable to that experienced by the Maasai or Kikuyu. Calling Canada a "colony" is akin to describing the European settlers in Kenya as "colonized". While tensions existed between the whites in Kenya and the Colonial Office in London, the settlers also had privileged access to British arms, technology and capital.

At first, Canada was an arm of the British Empire, conquering the northern part of the Western hemisphere by dispossessing First Nations. After 1867, Ottawa regularly argued it "was looking after British imperial interests in North America and that the country's material growth reinforced the British Empire," writes Norman Penlington in Canada and Imperialism: 1896-1899. "The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway was especially justified as a British military route to the East."

A number of Canadian military institutions were established in large part to expand the British Empire's military capacity. Opened in Kingston, Ontario, in 1876, the Royal Military College (RMC) was largely designed to train soldiers to fight on behalf of British colonialism. Usually trained at the RMC, Canadians helped conquer Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana. Four hundred Canadians traveled halfway across the world to beat back anti-colonial resistance in the Sudan in 1885 while a decade and a half later thousands more fought to advance British imperial interests in the southern part of the continent.

While Freeland wasn't clear about whether she was referring to British or U.S. influence over Canada, the second part of the "colony to nation to colony" parable is also misleading. Has Canada been colonized by Washington in a similar way to Haiti? Among innumerable examples of its domination, on December 17, 1914, U.S. Marines marched to the country's treasury and took the nation's entire gold reserve -- valued at U.S. $12 million -- and between 1915 and 1934 Washington formally occupied Haiti (they retained control of the country's finances until 1947.)

Facilitated by racial, linguistic and cultural affinity, Canada has long had privileged access to the U.S. business and political elite. Longtime speaker of the House of Representatives and Democratic Party nominee for President in 1912, Champ Clark, highlighted Canada's prized place within U.S. ruling circles. "They are people of our blood," Champ expounded. "They speak our language. Their institutions are much like ours. They are trained in the difficult art of self-government."

During the 1898-1902 occupation of Cuba the Royal Bank was the preferred banker of U.S. officials. (National U.S. banks were forbidden from establishing foreign branches until 1914.) Canadian capitalists worked with their U.S. counterparts in Central America as well. In the early 1900s, Canadian Pacific Railway President Sir William Van Horne helped the Boston-based United Fruit Company, infamous for its later role in overthrowing elected Guatemalan president Jacobo Arbenz, build the railway required to export bananas from the country. In the political realm there were also extensive ties. For instance, Canada's longest serving Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, worked for the Rockefeller family while the mother of long-time U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson was from a wealthy Canadian family.

Today, the ties are closer than ever. In a post U.S. election exposé titled "A look inside Palm Beach, where wealthy Canadians are one degree of separation from Donald Trump," The Globe and Mail detailed a slew of prominent Canadians (Brian Mulroney, Charles Bronfman, George Cohon, Gerry Schwartz and Heather Reisman, Paul Desmarais's family, etc.) with winter homes near the U.S. president's exclusive property. A number of these individuals, the Globe reported, could get "Trump's ear" if he turned on Canada.

While there is a power imbalance between the two countries and differing interests at times, the Canadian elite sees the world and profits from it in a similar way to their U.S. counterparts.

Rather than looking at Canadian foreign policy through the lens of a "colony," a more apt framework to understand this country's place in the world is the Canadian elite has had a privileged position with the two great powers of the past two centuries. Or, Canada progressed from an appendage of the Imperial Centre to appendage of the Imperial Centre.

The term "settler state" is a better description than "colony" of what Canada was and is. It acknowledges the primary colonizer (us) and does not obscure the power relations in the imperial order -- our ruling elite is closely tied into the world ruling elite.

Canada's opposition to Venezuela's elected government reflects this status.

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cryptowavesxyz · 4 years

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CFA Franc Collapse and Eco Inadequacy

It has been nearly two decades since the world saw the introduction of a new multinational currency bloc that would alter the balance of global power. Just like the euro, a new currency is taking shape that can compare in scope and vision. Only this time, it’s happening in Africa, and shockingly it’s not digital.

The West African Monetary and Economic Union state countries are currently in transition to adopt a new currency that will be used in a single market across a dozen or more West African countries — the Eco. Pegged to the euro, it is designed to be a new fiat currency replacing the current CFA Franc and will be in circulation in many West African countries.

However, while it might compare in scope and vision, Eco’s mere existence isn’t enough to ensure a currency’s success or power. Surprisingly, the Eco is a non-digital currency that is being launched to increase the efficiency of cross-border trade in West Africa. Yet in reality, it is still pegged to the euro, like its predecessor the CFA Franc. Rather than moving toward a true digital currency market and adopting African cryptocurrencies, the introduction of Eco appears to be a thinly veiled attempt at rexerting French colonial control over Francophone African economies with the launch of another centralized currency from outside of the continent.

The origin of Eco

The WAEMU was established in 1994 by eight French-speaking countries in Western Africa. It is a collection of countries that have joined together in a customs union and currency union in order to advance economic growth. Its origins lie in the shared hope of promoting economic integration in West Africa, which was enduring a stubborn period of economic growth into the 1990s.

The current members of WAEMU are Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. The primary goal of WAEMU and the currency union under the CFA Franc is to create a common market, coordinate policies, and harmonize fiscal policy among neighboring countries to promote security, stability and prosperity.

The CFA Franc has been around in some form or other since the end of WWII, and has driven a persistent connection to France, their culture and their economy. Its backing by the French government has allowed the European power to maintain a level of influence in West African affairs, leading to the end of colonial control and extending the region well into the 21st century.

Modern history of francophone currency in Africa is dripping in blood. Three days after the first President of Togo, Sylvanus Olympio, tried to print their own currency in 1963 rather than the French sponsored one, he was assassinated by an ex-French Foreign Legionnaire. The president of Mali, Modiba Keita, launched a sovereign currency in 1962 and was deposed by an exFrench Foreign Legionnaire, later dying in prison. Even recently, in 2011, President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote D’Ivoire was deposed by French Foreign Legionnaires for considering the same thing, only to be released from European imprisonment without any proper charges or findings of guilt last year.

As the former Finance Minister of France Pierre Moscovici said in 2013:

“We have to speak the language of truth: African growth pulls us along, its dynamism supports us and its vitality stimulates us — we need Africa.”

Even the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio was explicit about this issue in 2019 when he said:

“France above all, has never stopped colonising dozens of African countries. If it wasn’t for Africa, France would rank 15th in the world economies not in the top six.”

Why Eco is doomed to fail

The Eco is simply another iteration of the same idea — storing the wealth and assets of African economies in European banks and putting that wealth on their balance sheets, thereby continuing to prop up European economies.

Unfortunately, the leaders in charge of creating the Eco are still proposing having it pegged to the euro and storing assets in a host of European banks, instead of just in France. They haven’t gone far enough in their effort to allow West Africa a true independence, rather than a continued subservience to the former colonial overlords.

The Eco is not just a new currency, but a strategic tool used by the French government and its allies to control former colonies. The big scandal in all of this — 50 years after the supposed independence of these countries — is that France still maintains a tight grip over the currencies of the countries that make up the CFA, and therefore the Eco. France will still print the Eco in France and circulate them back to Africa for use as fiat currency, which means France will control the supply of currency in circulation and therefore (if need be) switch the economy off or on for “badly behaved” African nations.

The value of African reserve assets held in Paris are variously estimated at between $20 billion and $200 billion on negative interest rates. This means that African governments are paying to store their money in France. This hamstrings many governments and economies by limiting the liquidity of their central banks, effectively blocking access to investment capital. Then, when not supporting France’s own economy, the money is lent back to the francophone African nations at double-digit interest rates set by European rating agencies, impoverishing them further.

The CFA is a key component of the shadow neo-colonial rule that has been pushing the Eco as a replacement, a currency that will still be pegged to the Euro, and therefore, tied to its destiny.

Symbolic and ideological reasons aside, the implementation of the Eco is doomed for failure for a few reasons. First, the Eco is being designed as a currency for more nations than just those who were using the CFA Franc. Currently, the plan is to include seven nations that are not current members of WAEMU into Eco’s orbit — a plan with fundamental challenges that will be hard to surpass (namely, confidence in the stability of many West African nations).

“The risks are political. The only way for the Eco to succeed is if all heads of state and government get involved. At this time, not all of them are taking ownership of the project. Some feel lukewarm about President Ouattara’s leadership status on the matter. They are wondering how things will turn out if he hands over the Côte d’Ivoire presidency in November 2020 to someone who has less experience in this area,” said a leading financial market analyst. It is notable that it was Ouattara who was supported by the French when they deposed Gbagbo and wrongfully threw him in jail, where he sat for eight years.

Additionally, there are other countries in different regions of Africa that speak French, but are not being included in these plans for a new currency. They have been excluded from consideration, as they have a separate currency market that is also backed up by the French government. This is just another example of how the French government continues to exert its control into African affairs, hindering true pan-Africanism to take root.

With the emergence of the Eco, it might appear that many of the governments pushing for a “liberation” from Africa might have succeeded. However, in reality, switching from the CFA to the Eco is trading one dominant economic power for another — in this case, Nigeria. In the current Economic Community of West African States zone, Nigeria accounts for two-thirds of the GDP of the entire region and half the population.

Africans don’t need a single-currency market, they need crypto

Eco is just another imposition of non-African control over currency markets. What it does is maintain the bonds that manipulate current economic structure and institutions across Africa. What Africa really needs for success is full-scale adoption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, which can offer true freedom from Western central banks and influence from former colonizers.

What Africans do need — and indeed want — is for a societal wide adoption of cryptocurrencies and adoption of blockchain technologies to power 21st-century growth in Africa. Over the past year, three out of the top five countries where Bitcoin has been trending on Google Trends are located in Africa.

Cryptocurrencies can also provide unparalleled autonomy and emancipation to countries that have historically — and currently — had their economies and central currencies controlled by powers outside of their lands. They can also provide benefits to consumers who want to control how they spend their money without prior coordination with intermediaries like governments and banking institutions.

Simply put, cryptocurrencies are uniquely suited to help less-developed economies like those that make up ECOWAS, due to the amount of rural, unconnected and unbanked populations of West Africa. It gives them instant access to money in a way that central banking and the money supply cannot provide.

For governments and those that elect them, cryptocurrencies can provide a much-needed level of transparency that they may have never been historically provided. In many West African countries, governments (and therefore economies) have been ruled by military juntas or dictatorships, leaving many civilian populations with little transparency about how their government and economy function. Cryptocurrencies eliminate this by making their books accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

In addition to this massive level of interest coming from Africa about cryptocurrencies and blockchain, the continent is also uniquely poised demographically to achieve mass adoption among its modern consumers. According to Pew Research Center, Africa will lead the world in population growth by the end of the century. In response to this trend, national governments have become increasingly committed to financial inclusion initiatives in hopes of supporting future growth.

What’s next?

Observers assume that the alternative is between a rock and a hard place: strong centrally banked notes backed by global currencies versus nonfungible, volatile, local African money. But that’s not the exchange. It is, instead, a choice between the Devil and the deep blue sea. It is increasingly likely that the much-troubled post-Brexit EU will falter (and with it, the euro) than proceed immutably.

It will probably survive as a currency, but few remember that the euro is only twenty years old, was trading at just $0.86 in 2003, was nearly twice this price in 2008, and is now back at nearly a dollar. It could yet fall to $0.50. Economies in Africa would fall with France’s.

Better to choose the deep blue sea by cutting the euro out and choosing a future that looks toward Africa’s digital and demographic destiny: A multi currency universe based on mutuality.

Currently, Africa has 200 million people aged between 15 and 24, making Africa the continent with the youngest population in the world. This specific age bracket represents the population that is aging into the workforce, and entering the economy for the first time. This population is uniquely predisposed to accept tech solutions and is seen as an area for the economy to grow, given the digital payments and e-commerce sectors.

What Africans need is less focus on rigid institutions set up nearly a century ago by colonial powers. These institutions have failed to deliver lasting economic prosperity, and their new “solutions” are inadequate for the modern global economy. What is needed are decentralized and transparent systems that anyone can enter for access to financial autonomy.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Chris Cleverly, a barrister by profession, has made it his mission to help bring development mechanisms to Africa which can empower Africans to seize their own destiny. His journey on this mission began during the 1990s when he attended King’s Law College and became a barrister. After graduating, he founded the Trafalgar Chambers in the U.K., and became the youngest head of chambers in over a century. In 2005, he founded the Made In Africa Foundation, an organization he has guided to fulfill his dream of bringing systemic infrastructure change to Africa. Today, he is CEO of Kamari, a blockchain project looking to build an ecosystem of mobile gaming and payments for one billion people across Africa.

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angryconnoisseurface · 4 years

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CFA Franc Collapse and Eco Inadequacy

The origin of Eco

As the former Finance Minister of France Pierre Moscovici said in 2013:

“We have to speak the language of truth: African growth pulls us along, its dynamism supports us and its vitality stimulates us — we need Africa.”

Even the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio was explicit about this issue in 2019 when he said:

“France above all, has never stopped colonising dozens of African countries. If it wasn’t for Africa, France would rank 15th in the world economies not in the top six.”

Why Eco is doomed to fail

The CFA is a key component of the shadow neo-colonial rule that has been pushing the Eco as a replacement, a currency that will still be pegged to the Euro, and therefore, tied to its destiny.

Africans don’t need a single-currency market, they need crypto

What’s next?

Better to choose the deep blue sea by cutting the euro out and choosing a future that looks toward Africa’s digital and demographic destiny: A multi currency universe based on mutuality.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

The post CFA Franc Collapse and Eco Inadequacy appeared first on Tip Crypto.

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shmosnet2 · 5 years

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What Is Colonization: Are There Still Colonized Countries?

Colonialism refers to the domination of one group over another using power. However, there are still 16 territories around the world that are under colonial rule.

Ever wonder why English and Spanish are considered some of the most important languages to learn? Or why they’re the most commonly used languages across the world? The answer is colonialism. To understand what colonialism is and how deeply it has impacted human history, imagine that you’re back in high school. There is always one cool group in class and everything they do is considered important; the rest simply try to follow in their footsteps in order to become ‘cool’. If a geek has something important to offer, it won’t be considered important by the rest of the class unless the ‘cool’ group likes it. Colonialism is like a global high school. Here, the cool group is Europe. The group or nation that dominates others is known as the colonist or the imperial power, while the nation being subjugated becomes the colony. This power game that colonial nations use to exploit other nations for their personal gain, impose their culture, religion and education, use their resources and maybe even physically settle there is colonization. How did countries colonize other countries in the first place? By 1914, most of the countries in the world had been colonized by Europe. The primary motive was to become a planetary superpower and dominate the world. Thus, many European countries, such as Italy, Portugal, Greece, Spain, England and Germany, began acquiring colonies, leading to the colonial division of the world. Thus, most of the countries in Asia and Africa were now colonies. Australia had become a settlement colony where British officials could settle and use as a prison, since no one could escape the island country. This all started during the Age of Discovery, when European nations began seeking new trade routes; new lands were discovered by Christopher Columbus and Vasco Da Gama. These Europeans were able to acquire those lands, since the indigenous tribes did not believe in owning lands like the Europeans. The Europeans considered the indigenous tribes to be savages, cannibalistic and barbaric; under the guise of trade, the Europeans started invading these new lands and claiming ownership over them. Colonialism began when new lands were being discovered for trade (Photo Credit : DEmax/ Shutterstock) Their conquests were cleverly disguised with the religious justification of civilizing the savages, as though it was the moral responsibility or Europe to do so, which led to the spread of Christianity. After worshipping the elements of nature for thousands of years, the indigenous tribes of America and Africa were forcefully converted and forced to adopt Christianity, which is why it’s one of the major religions around the world. Was colonialism a blessing or a curse? Let’s start with the blessings, since there aren’t many, given the ironically barbaric behavior of the colonists. The colonists invested in infrastructure, trade, medical facilities and technological advancements in their colonies. They helped establish democratic systems of government and spread literacy. Under the coat of religion, a great deal of military action was taken against the indigenous tribes. The Hispaniola people was reduced to 15,000 from 250,000 under Spanish rule. Similar acts of warfare were seen in Africa and other colonies who tried to revolt against colonization. We’re all aware of Black Slavery, and the years of racism, slavery and dehumanization that those people endured. Indigenous people were sold off as slaves to the ‘whites’ or taken as soldiers to fight battles, especially in the World Wars. White culture, education and religion were imposed on the people of color, against their liking or wishes. Colonization also had a deep psychological impact, not only were their lands being taken away, but also their minds. The colonists began feeling like an inferior race compared to the ‘whites’, shattering their self-esteem and poisoning their culture. Slavery in Africa (Photo Credit : Morphart Creation/ Shutterstock) Are some territories still colonized? After countless wars fought between colonists and colonies, a wave of decolonization swept across the world in the 20th century, liberating the majority of nations from colonial rule and establishing their independent identity. There was a political revolution after the formation of the United Nations in 1945 that safeguarded the territories of all nations and maintained international peace. However, there are still 16 territories that are under the colonial rule of the UK, the USA and France. These relationships are known as Residual Colonialism. These areas haven’t attained self-government yet and are labelled as NSGTs (Non Self-Governing Territories) that together account for 2 million people under colonial rule. The territories include Western Sahara, the Falkland Islands, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, French Polynesia, Guam and others. 16 territories are still colonized, according to the list of the UN (Photo Credit : nexus/ Shutterstock) These territories are not just small marks on the world map, but actually have significant economic importance for the colonists. The Cayman Islands and Bermuda are on the top ten list based on GDP per capita, and Guam provides important regional security. Gibraltar and the Falklands are diplomatically disputed, so it is becoming difficult to decolonize them. Colonialism is nothing but an evil and greedy game of power that needs to be completely eradicated like the rampant disease it is. Apart from physically decolonizing, decolonizing the minds of the colonies is also important, since colonialism still impacts the memory and attitudes of the victims, many of whom find it difficult to move on from those horrors. References Stanford University EGO Shoes National Geographic United Nations University United Nations Help us make this article better

https://ift.tt/2LHjgBr . Foreign Articles October 03, 2019 at 10:17PM

#. Foreign Articles What Is Colonization: Are There Still Colonized Countries?

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afrikanza · 5 years

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10 Super Talented African Artists

Africa is a vast continent with a rich and diverse culture and traditions.

This wealth and diversity ensures that Africa is served with some of the world’s greatest artistic talents.

Discover more: 10 Most Influential African Women

To celebrate and honor this wealth and diversity, we have compiled a diverse list of our favorite famous African artists who are still alive today.

10. Michael Owusu Addo (Sarkodie), Musician – Ghana

From his humble beginning as an underground rapper, Michael Owusu Addo (1) who is popularly known as ‘Sarkodie’, rose to fame through his single debut by the name ‘Baby’.

Being the first Ghanaian (2) to win BET Award, Sarkodie has received the most nominations by any Ghanaian standard. This is evidenced by the fact that he was billed as the 19 most influential Ghanaian of the time, a great fete in a continent that still ‘worships’ politicians to the demigod status.

Sarkodie has been a staunch advocate of Azonto, a popular African music genre that owes its roots to the traditional Ghanaian Kpanlogo dance.

His first single, ‘Mewu’, from his fourth Album became an instant sensation upon release with sales topping 4,000 copies on its first day of release in Accra Ghana.

Billed by Forbes as among the “Top 10 Richest/Bankable African Artists,” Sarkodie has definitely etched his mark on the African entertainment scene.

9. Aya Tarek, Graffiti Artist – Egypt

Aya Tarek (3) is a street artist (graffiti) who came to fame during the ‘Arab Spring’ – a political uprising in Egypt (4) that ended the long reign of dictator Hosni Mubarak.

She used her graffiti to express political views and communicate to the world about the feelings and sentiments of the Egyptian people protesting against the autocratic regime.

Apart from grafitti, Aya Tarek has also participated in film creation. She has featured in Microphone, a film created by Abdallah whose primary theme is about art scene in the Alexandria Metropolitan. She has also featured in her own masterpiece, “How to F*ck Your Mind”, which is an explosive expression of her views.

Discover more: 10 Interesting African Tribal Tattoos

Her niche, using graffiti to communicate political and national issues, has made her uniquely positioned not only as the voice of the voiceless in the gravely censored media space in Egypt, but also in the Arab world.

8. Ama Ata Aidoo, Playwright – Ghana

Maybe too big for this list, Ama Ata Aidoo (5) is much more than an artist. Apart from being a playwright, poet, and author, she is also a scholar, a politician, an administrator, and philanthropist. She has been a Minister for Education under Jerry Rawling’s regime.

Aidoo is currently running Mbaasem Foundation which she established in 2000 as an organization dedicated to the promotion of African women writers.

She has more than a dozen titles to her literary work. The most famous of them being ‘The Dilema of a Ghost’, ‘Our Sister Killjoy’, and ‘Anowa’.

Discover more: 10 Must Watch Nollywood Movies

7. Nkosinathi Maphumulo (Black Coffee) – South Africa

Born in Kwazulu Natal, Nkosinathi Maphumulo (6), popularly known as ‘Black Coffee’, is a multi-award winning artist who has collaborated with world-famous musicians such as Alicia Keys, Drake, John Legend, and Usher, among others.

One of his famous masterpieces is “We Dance Again” from “Pieces of Me” album that catapulted him to global fame.

To his credit, he is the first South African (7) to win BET Award. In addition, he has won DJ Award for Best Deep House, plus three other South African awards.

His Soulistic Music, a leading management and record company, has been able to sign off releases from Zakes Bantwini, Culoe De Song, and Tumelo. All of them made spectacular achievement in gold and platinum sales.

6. Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Playwright – Kenya

Once imprisoned for his theatrical arts, Professor Ngugi Wa Thiong’o (8) is a renowned playwright and literary scholar from Kenya (9). He has worked extensively while in exile in the United States. He has produced various literature works and drama pieces.

As a persistent advocate of decolonizing the African mind, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o has used his literary works to educate Kenyans in particular and Africa in general, against cultural colonization by the West.

It is from this grounding that Ngugi Wa Thiong’o writes extensively in his ethnic Kikuyu language and then makes translation to other languages including Swahili and English. He is one of the rarest few scholars who write in their own ethnic languages.

Billed over the ages as a potential candidate for Nobel Prize in literature, Ngugi continues to inspire many, especially in his persistent message of mental decolonization. Maybe this is one of those unpalatable subjects that the West-dominated Nobel Prize Committee won’t love to entertain.

5. Faustin Linyekula, Choreographer and Dancer – Congo

A master of the dance theater, Faustin Linyekula (10) is well-known in the international choreography arena as a great dancer.

He is mostly associated with Studios Kabako, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (11), which he created by himself. The studios are dedicated for dancing.

Faustin has participated in so many international dance festivals. Some of these include Suresnes Cités Danse Festival, Festival d’Avignon, Le Cargo, Dinozord, Avignon festival, among others. He has also made collaborations with other dancer groups, notably, Ballet de Lorraine, and Sans-titre.

Apart from dancing, Faustin has promoted choreography in Africa as one among Africa’s eminent personalities with regard to this profession. Faustin still has a lot more to offer the world in general, and Africa in particular – in as far as international professional choreography is concerned.

4. Khaled Hadj Brahim in Sidi-El-Houari, Musician – Algeria

Famously known as “the King of Rai”, Khaled is an Arabic music star born and raised in Algeria (12). He relocated his base to France during Algerian political upheavals where he debuted the international scene with his famous ‘’Didi” hit song. “Didi” was released in 1992 and instantly became an international sensation.

Khaled (13) is a highly diverse and varsatile musician. Apart from singing in his native Arabic, he also sings in French. He fuses various genres including Hip Hop, Reggae, Funk, Salsa, among others. Apart from the famous ‘Didi’ hit, another big hit is “Aicha,” which is a love single that he produced in 1996.

Prior to “Didi”, Khaled debuted his music career as a 14-year-old teen with “La Route De Lycee”. This was after he had dropped out of school to start his Five Stars band.

Among the musical instruments that Khalid is able to play include accordion, guitar, bass, among others.

3. Salif Keita, Musician – Mali

Born in 1949 in Mali (14), Salif Keita is one of the veterans of Afro-pop. Born an albino, Salif Keita (15) has been an inspiration to those who suffer from albinism in Africa. Stigmatization and primitive superstitions and beliefs have contributed to albinos being an endangered ‘species’ in Africa. Many have been murdered while others abandoned as babies.

Through his inspirational music career, many Africans have learned that having an albino child is not a bad omen or something to be disgraced about.

Commonly referred to as “Golden Voice of Africa”, Salif Keita has a graveling voice with profoundly poetic lyrics. One of his famous albums is ‘Le Difference’ that he recorded towards the end of 2009. It is dedicated to the struggle of the albino community as victims of human sacrifice.

Salif Keita himself has faced persecution due to his condition. First of all, being disowned by his own father despite him coming from a noble family. Later on, forced to flee his own country for fear of being killed for ritualistic sacrifice and for having been completely obstructed from pursuing his beloved career due to his condition.

Among notable charity works, Keita has participated in includes tribute to Nelson Mandela urging for his release. He has established Salif Keita Global Foundation, an organization dedicated to championing for the rights of albino community worldwide. He has also been a UN Ambassador on albinism.

2. Cheri Samba, Painter – DRC

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is famous for music artists. However, this hasn’t overshadowed Cheri Samba (16) whose drawings continue to leave an indelible mark on Africa’s artistry canvas.

Samba wa Mbimba N’zingo Nuni Masi Ndo Mbasi (Cheri Samba) has a large number of art collections which can be found in world’s famous places including Museum of Modern Art in New York, Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and The Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC).

His artistic work has featured in various global exhibitions, including The Global Contemporary Art Worlds (Germany), The Venice Biennale (Italy), Art contemporain d’un continent (Germany), and Centre national d’Art Contemporain (Italy), among many other places.

1. Wole Soyinka, Playwright – Nigeria

Like Ama Ataa Aido, Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Wole Soyinka) is another heavyweight that probably overflows this list. Nonetheless, we consider his part as a Playwright to consider him on this list.

He obviously has many other forays which make his role as a playwright rather minor. But, as much as this is one of the many roles he has in his career, it has a strong impact on the African continent.

Wole Soyinka (17), the first African Literary Nobel Laureate, has been on the forefront of promoting literary depth in Africa. He has used his playwright talents to champion for socio-political change not only in his native country, Nigeria (18) but also across Africa and the rest of the world.

He has been a stubborn critic of autocratic military regimes in Nigeria, which made him pay the price by being detained for two years by a military junta led by General Gowon.

As a globe-trotting professor of Comparative Literature and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka has lectured in many universities across Africa, Europe, and North America. He has also served as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Promotion of African culture, human rights, freedom of expression, media and communication.

Conclusion

Africa got talents. This is just but a condensed list of the so many competitive talents who deserve a mention. Next time you are in Africa, take a chance to explore works by these greats.

Resources:

Michael Owusu Addo

Facts About Ghana

Aya Tarek

Facts About Egypt

Ama Ata Aidoo

Nkosinathi Maphumulo

Facts About South Africa

Ngugi Wa Thiong’o

Facts About Kenya

Faustin Linyekula

Facts About Democratic Republic of Congo

Fats About Algeria

Khaled Hadj Brahim in Sidi-El-Houri

Facts About Mali

Salif Keita

Cheri Samba

Wole Soyinka

Facts About Nigeria

The post 10 Super Talented African Artists appeared first on Afrikanza.

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jcielyfrance-blog · 6 years

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Host Country Report

The purpose of this blog post is to examine the many different geological and cultural elements of France. Before my sojourning experience to France,30 mile it is very important that I have a deep understanding of the country so I can more easily adjust to daily life in a new culture.

France is one of the most powerful and vast countries in the European Union. The nation is located in Western Europe and shares a land border with six different countries. To the west France boarders; Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Monaco, and Italy. France shares its longest land border with Spain to the south. Additionally, France shares a border with the United Kingdom via the English Channel. In fact, there is regular train service from England to France30-mile tunnel. Because of the immense size of the country, there is a very large variance of culture ranging from region to region. According to Hettinger; France, Spain, and Italy are all very culturally similar. They share very similar, “lifestyles, religious values, and cultural heritage”. Besides their proximity, all three nations are decadents of Latin culture and language. Like many European nations France has spread its influence throughout the world through colonization. The nation of Canada shares a lot of cultural history with France, and cities such as Montréal and Québec primarily speak the French language and live a lifestyle very similar to those in mainland France. Many West African nations were also colonized by the French, therefore they list French as one of their primary languages.

In terms of population, the capital city of Paris is the largest. (Population and Population Structure). The port city of Marseilles has the second largest population and is situated at the southern tip of the country on the Mediterranean Coast (Population and Population Structure). France’s third most populist city is Lyon, which is the western region of the country, fairly close to the Swiss and Italian borders. Other notable French cities include the resort town of Cannes and the historic city of Rouen (Population and Population Structure).

With a nation as old as France, there have been many historically significant events. According to a timeline provided by the BBC; one of the first major historical events was the French revolution (France Timeline). This was a revolution that ended monarchy in France, one dated back to the 9th century. From 1804-1815 Napoleon led France on a world conquest, invading many different countries until he has defeated at the Battle of Waterloo. His defeat led to a reestablishment of the French monarchy. The reestablishment of the monarchy wasn’t long lasting, as King Phillip fell in 1848. France was greatly affected by both World Wars. During World War I, 1914-1918, 1.3 million Frenchman were killed, as the French fought with the Allied Powers. During the Second World War,1939-1945, France was invaded and occupied by the Germans (France Timeline). Many major battles took place in France during the War, such as The Invasion of Normandy (D-Day), and The Battle of Dunkirk. The Invasion of Normandy ended the war and led to French liberation from Axis Powers. More recently, in 1992 France joined the European Union and in 2002 the Euro becomes the national currency (France Timeline). France was the target of its first major terrorist attack in 2012 when gunman Charlie Hebdo offices, and in 2015 France was targeted once again when a shooting spree throughout Paris left 137 dead.

According to another BBC article; French is the national language of France with 88 percent of the population speaking it as a first language (Languages). Three percent of the population speaks mainly German dialects, and 1.7 percent speak Italian as their primary language (Languages). As with the majority of European nations, Christianity is the predominate religion of France. According to Sawe; around 63-66 percent of the nation identifies as Christian, 23-28 percent of people identify as nonreligious, and finally; 7-9% of the population identify as Muslim (Sawe). Much like the United States the French have a law that requires the separation of church and state.

Also similar to the United States the French government operates as a Constitutional Republic, all this means is the government operates using a constitution with the three branches of government separated. Unlike the United States, the French use a semi-parliamentary/ semi-presidential government (Sawe). This means that the citizens of France elect a president, while the parliament also elects a prime minister, both share executive powers. The parliament is elected by the citizens of France and high court judges are appointed by the president, after being approved by parliament (Sawe). This system of government is relatively new, as it was established in 1958. As I previously stated, France is part of the European Union and uses the Euro as it’s official currency.

According to Cultural Atlas; the gender roles of French woman are very similar to those of American woman. They are expected to work, as well as care for the family. In more rural areas of the country, the gender roles tend to be more rigid. French woman are also stereotyped to be “lady like”. This means to dress feminine and refrain from vulgar behavior. These gender types and roles are rapidly changing as feminism is becoming more in the minds of the French youth. Cultural Atlas states that the French are direct communicators. This directness is often times mistaken as rudeness by Americans and other English speaking countries.

Arts and Sports are very important in French society. Soccer and motorsports are the two largest-attended sports in France. The France Ligue 1 is the national soccer league and features teams such as the famous Paris- Saint Germain and FC Monaco. The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s oldest endurance auto race, is held in Le Mans, France every year. France also hosts the French Grand Prix, which is one of the oldest continuous Grand Prix on the Formula 1 circuit. Throughout the film world, French Cinema is known for it’s quality and ability to push limits much further than American cinema. According to an article in The Guardian; the French actually invented the concept of Cinema with the debut of a 50-second film released in 1895 (Pulver). There are many film festivals throughout France, such as one of the world’s oldest, Cannes Film Festival. French television is comprised of both state and privately owned news channels. The most popular network is the privately owned TF1.

This report has helped me gain insight into much of French culture and demographics. I learned much about French history and government that I did not have any previous knowledge of. Doing research for this report taught me just how culturally diverse France really is. I never knew how regional certain aspects of French culture really are. Finally, this project taught me that French culture is really not all that different than my own.

Works Cited

“France Timeline.” BBC News, BBC, 5 June 2012, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/999717.stm.

“French Culture.” Cultural Atlas - French Culture - Communication, culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/french-culture/communication-0ffde593-478c-4097-b41c-hhh05c94570631c#communication-0ffde593-478c-4097-b41c-05c94570631c.

Hettinger, Laura, "France, Italy, and Spain: Culturally Similar Nations, Yet Drastically Different hhhIn Their Roles as European Union Nations" (2008). Honors Scholar Theses. 52.

Languages - Languages.” BBC, BBC, hhhwww.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/countries/france.shtml.

“Population and Population Structure.” Titre | Insee, L'Insee Et La Statistique Publique, hhinsee.fr/en/statistiques/series/103088458.

Pulver, Andrew. “A Short History of French Cinema.” The Guardian, Guardian News and ggMedia, 22 Mar. 2011, www.theguardian.com/film/2011/mar/22/french-cinema-short-history.

Sawe, Benjamin Elisha. “Religious Demographics Of France.” WorldAtlas, 21 July 2016, gggwww.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-demographics-of-france.html.

Sawe, Benjamin Elisha. “What Type Of Government Does France Have?” WorldAtlas, 19 Oct. hhh2016, www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-type-of-government-does-france-have.html.

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assignmentwritingservice17 · 7 years

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Terrorism And Society | Assignment Writing Service

Part A: Q 1

Europe, America, Africa and certain nations globally are shaking with intensified conflict between traditional populations and people whose families emigrated from overseas. France and Britain, two nations with a long history of tolerance and stability, have been the hardest hit (Michaelsen, 2005, p, 322). Violent Islamic militants have emerged in the two nations and built followings that risk to upset national life. It’s no wonder that during the Golden Age of colonialism — from around the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries — France and Britain were the most active conquerors. Majority the wealth obtained by Britain and France were squeezed from the sweat of colonized people from Polynesia to Senegal. Britain prospered via subduing and exploiting the inhabitants in a global empire (National Academies Press, 2002). If these and other European super powers never colonized other nations around the world and implanted the seeds of hatred, those seeds wouldn’t have flowered into the poisonous weeds that are now spreading within Europe.

For a long time the colonial enterprise was lavishly profitable. Imperial powers in Europe extracted vast amounts of wealth from weak countries. When the adventure finally ended — Britain gave up India in 1947, France lost Vietnam in 1954 and Algeria in 1962 — all still seemed well. It was assumed that sins of the past would be forgotten, and that countries that committed them would move painlessly into a new era. One legacy of empire, however, was the more or less free admission of former colonial subjects to the motherland. This immigration greatly enriched both French and British societies. It also brought the seeds of future strife. Cultural conflicts set in motion by colonialism have spiraled into anger and violence (Rasler, & Thompson, 2009, p, 31).

The two brothers that killed the cartoonists and editors at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo were of Algerian descent. So was the gunman that murdered seven people in the Toulouse area some few years ago. All were born in France to parents that lived through the savage French-Algerian War. Without this war, or without France colonizing Algeria, it might have been unlikely that any of them might have find their way to France (Kinzer, 2015).

In Britain, the 11 men were arrested in 2014 as they planned suicide bombings. It was established that this men were from Pakistan- which Britain colonized as part of India. The hatemongering British cleric Anjem Choudary, whose latest fury was blessing the previous atonement of a Jordanian pilot in Syria, is also of Pakistani descent (Kinzer, 2015). Britain’s other leading Islamic radical, Abu Hamza, who was taken to US and sentenced to life in prison for terrorism s, was born in Egypt, which Britain dominated for over 70 years.

Cast adrift in unfamiliar and at times hostile communities, a section of these immigrants or their kids have grown to become infuriated over what they view as Europe’s hypocrisy. They link this hypocrisy to European previous claims that their colonial invasion and occupation were meant principally to civilize the people they oppressed (Kinzer, 2015). If France, Britain, and other European nations had declined the urge to go and colonize other nations — if they had not sent armies to regions such as Syria, Iraq, India, or North Africa — they wouldn’t be facing the terror which is afflicting them currently.

Part B: Q 1

Bombs, guns and knives have traditionally been the most preferred weapons used by terrorists (Cohen, 2005, p, 26). However, the latest type of deadly mass violence has weaponized something far more humdrum: vehicles. Six of the previous nine multiple-casualty terrorist attacks within Western Europe were as a result of trucks, cars or SUVs which were driven into public crowds, at times over long stretches before the attackers are brought to a stop. The violence at times continued when attackers flee their cars and inflict further damage within the surrounding regions. As the following timeline shows, terrorism which started with car contact have been deadly in the past few months.

March 22nd, 2017, London, England — An SUV was rammed into crowds in London near Parliament. 4 people were murdered by the car,

April 7th , 2017, Stockholm, Sweden — A truck was rammed into a Swedish department store, killing 4 people

June 3rd, 2017, London, England — a car rammed into crowds on London Bridge, after which the attackers left the car and stabbed several people within the area. 7 died and about 50 were injured.

August 17th, 2017, Barcelona, Spain — a car plowed into pedestrians in the Las Ramblas tourist area, killing 12 and injuring over 100. Of all of this incidents, the most deadly attack happened in Nice, France whereby a truck mowed down dozens of people who celebrating Bastille Day. As a result of this attack, more than 87 people were killed and 435 were injured.

Towards the end of 2014, IS media group al-Hayat gave a 8-minute video whereby French jihadi Abu Salman al-Faranci directed his audience: “Terrorize them & don’t allow them to sleep as a result of fear and horror.” He went on to applaud car-ramming as the perfect alternative for travelling to Iraq and Syria to fight: “There are arms and vehicles available and targets ready to be run over… murder them and spit on their faces and kill them using the vehicles.” (Jensen, 2016)

IS also applauded car-ramming attacks in its 3rd Ed of its English-language Rumiyah magazine, released in 2016, motivating the usage of cars to carry out attacks owing to the fact that “very few really understand/know the lethal and destructive capability of the vehicles and its ability to affecting huge numbers of casualties if they are used in a premeditated form”. The magazine went on to instruct its sympathizers to steal such cars if needed. From the above findings, it would be prudent to say that attacks using vehicle need to be treated as a related phenomenon to attacks with guns (Cohen, 2005, p,30). Car-ramming attacks perfectly meet the criteria for a successful terrorist technique – undemanding of skill, legitimate among the perpetrators, and very effective. The terrorist have just become innovative in the manner in which they are carrying out their attacks.

The primary aim of the terrorist is not only to instill fear in the society, but also to cause as much harm as possible. It is no wonder that the terrorist have resorted to ramming cars into public places. By doing this, they are able to cause as much damage/harm as possible. Terrorist have resulted to using Cars instead of guns and knives owing to the fact that it makes it harder for them to be detected by the police.

References

Best Assignment Writing Service, (2017) Terrorism And Society | Assignment Writing Service. Retrieved from https://assignmentwritingservice.net/best

Christopher Michaelsen (2005) Antiterrorism Legislation in Australia: A Proportionate Response to the Terrorist Threat?Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 28:4, 321-339, DOI: 10.1080/10576100590950138

Cohen, S. (2005). Post-Moral Torture: From Guantanamo To Abu Ghraib. Journal of , Vol 34 issue 1 pp 25-30.

Douzinas, C. (2003). Humanity, military humanism and the new moral. Journal of Economy and Society, Volume 32 Number 2 pp 159–183.

Jensen, R. (2016). How and why vehicle ramming became the attack of choice for terrorists. Retrieved from The Coversation: https://theconversation.com/how-and-why-vehicle-ramming-became-the-attack-of-choice-for

Kinzer, S. (2015). French, British colonialism grew a root of terrorism. Retrieved from Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015/02/11/french-british-colonialism- bred-root-terrorism

Press, N. A. (2002). Origins and Contexts of Terrorism. Retrieved from National Academies Press: : https://www.nap.edu/read/10570/chapter/4

Rasler, Karen & Thompson, William R. (2009): Looking for Waves of Terrorism. In: Terrorism and Political Violence. Volume 21, Issue 1. p.31

Source: Terrorism And Society | Assignment Writing Service

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