I am interested in your...

Views and opinions on this book, Rodney, his ideas and how they relate to the current situations in Africa post independence, post the demise of the Aparthied regime.

If you have not read this book, why not? Is it that the author is a Marxist? Or that the argument is no longer relevant (wrote more than 30yrs ago)? Is it that you are not comfortable with some of the notions put forward by Rodney? Do you disagree in part, or wholly with his argument?


Note to Moderators

This is a ' political 'question, incase your wondering, or feel the need to justify your existence by moving my thread to another forum

Tahliba: No one feels the need to "justify their existence" - simply ask us to allow your thread to remain in this forum and leave it at that without the snide remarks, thank you.

This book remains an effective and important tool in aiding the understanding of the state of play in relation to Africa and Europe. Rodney makes explicit that the exploitation of Africa is the sine qua non of Europe and the west’s “developed” state. A critique of the capitalist system from a Marxist perspective is now open to being labelled as “outdated” or “defeated” in a Francis Fukuyama “The End of History” sort of way.

"...an effective and important tool in aiding the understanding of the state of play in relation to Africa and Europe" Most definately. But why then have/are so few reading it.

I recently directed someone to the on-line version of the book, whcih is available through a Marxist website. I recieved an email back stating that they were not reading 'any socialsit propaganda'!

I tried to explain the Marxist perspective as more to do with his method of inquiry/analysis (dialetics) But their argument was that Marxism was aliening to Africa, Marx was a whiteman and a jew, bla bla bla.

Others who have actually read the book have struggled with it. I believe this is partly due to them reading it from the beginning (development chapters). I always advice people to pick out from the various chapters and sub sections the areas that interest them most first...If this means starting at the end of the book so be it.

There is also an argument that the book only deals with 'how it was done' and not the 'solutions'(if you like how to undo) And how it is a" blaming the Europeans mentality" This is a popular argument, but I guess you have to read all of Rodneys works for solutions, amongst others.

Given the importance of this book I am saddened and fearful that so many(particularly of a certain age group) have not read it. And those that have, have gained so little from it.

" Francis Fukuyama “The End of History” sort of way" Wash your mouth out.
Seriously though this is one of the sort of arguments put forward to argue the no longer relivant nature of this book. But Rodney's argument is not critiiqing capitalism merely explaining how it was able to develop and expand at the expense of Africa. How Africa as come to be what it is today.

Appriciate your contribution Newstyle.

Tahliba: No one feels the need to "justify their existence" - simply ask us to allow your thread to remain in this forum and leave it at that without the snide remarks, thank you.

@Moderator

You're a spoil sport, 'snide remarks' are my way of having fun.
Seriouly though, there was nothing snide about it.

Taliba, checked it out from library once..never read it completely

Last year Ghana celebrated 50th anniversary.....as the post colonial period moves ahead.......it's good to know what happened first but I think practical analysis and viable solutions for right now are more important.

Long time ago but probably wasn't ready for it back then. Might read it again.

And you don't think reading the history of the current situation a necessary part of 'practical analysis' to provide 'viable solutions for right now'?

It is not good to know what happened first, it is IMPORTANT to understand how it happened, in order to undo.

@Watcher

Please do read it again, like I said it is avaiable on-line, if you don't want to purchase it How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. Walter Rodney 1973

Why do you say you were not ready for it?

Read it when I was 15 coutesy of my brother and it made a big impact on my mind and answered alot of nagging questions. Questions I hadnt even formulated.

I had a geography GCSE a few weeks later and inveitably one of the questions was " how can the third world increase its GDP" or words to that effect. I really let off on that qusetion and answered it with my new found knowledge. Needeless to say didnt pass the exam but remeber a teacher telling me" I must read lots of newspapers" as it was the talk of the staff room appraently.

I just smiled and thought "No sir it wasnt newspapers that opened my eyes."

Glad for the online link.

Thanks for the online link Tahliba, I'll read it when I have some time although a friend has a copy I think. I say I wasn't ready because I was younger, early teens and still quite ignorant in a road sense if you get me. I was just starting to read that sort of thing and it was probably beyond me.

Post colonial era is 50 plus years old.....

new leaders are aware of the problems their countries face.

Despite your good intent, I'd like to know how a group of civilians reading this or any other book is going to impact the way politics are practiced on the continent or in the diaspora. Seriously.

@DtotheJ

‘Post colonial era is 50 plus years old.....
new leaders are aware of the problems their countries face.
Despite your good intent, I'd like to know how a group of civilians reading this or any other book is going to impact the way politics are practiced on the continent or in the diaspora. Seriously.’

Knowing your history is always important and 50 years or so back is hardly caveman times. I think more people (black and white) reading this book would be useful with regard to things like Live Aid, Make Poverty History, they all miss the point. Go into the average living room in the western world and they genuinely believe the 'feed the world' bollocks rather than the fact that Africa IS feeding the world and being paid peanuts for it. The difference between Rodney and say, Geldof. One gets assassinated the other gets knighted. I remember saying in another thread, wishing that Rodney was still around to provide a similar type analysis today. If not Rodney, someone else but you must know how Africa came to be in such a state before you take the baton.

The book is still relevant because the west never actually stopped exploiting Africa, they just had to find different ways of doing it. Also the extent to which it's possible to underdevelop a continent is not immediately obvious until you read the book or go to other sources for facts and figures.

Using Rodney’s own words….
"None of these remarks are intended to remove the ultimate responsibility for development from the shoulders of Africans. Not only are there African accomplices inside the imperialist system, but every African has a responsibility to understand the system and work for its overthrow."

I would urge anyone to read this book. I’ve never understood how we as black people get so hung up on terms like Marxism or socialism or capitalism. The exploitation of black people in Africa has had little to do with any of these systems in the sense that political/economic text books do not include slavery or genocide in their descriptions of these systems. We should be seeking out anyone/anything that exposes the origins of our malaise whatever their political badge.

@Tahliba
Great thread! Wish I'd thought of it.

'Post Colonial'? Post, refers to the period of time after, in this case colonialism.
Ghana gained it's 'independence' in the late 1950's. Zimbabwea, did not gain independence till the early 1980's. South Africa the 1990's Twenty years after this book was written.

Even in your life time, there have been African regions under 'colonial administration' Rule. And what of independnce, do you really believe Europe was going to allow Africans to control the source of their own wealth, exixtence.. Colonialism didn't cease to be, it changed its method of extraction. Just as colonialsm was a change in practice from what preceded it, the slave system.
It's called Globalisation today, or if you like Neo-Colonialism.

So no, it isn't something that happened 'way back then' and then just stopped, When a gang of hand picked African elite got to take over the reigns, while the rest of us were celebrating our 'freedom' Or victory in the war with the oppresso

Those that understood the 'problems their people faced' Were wiped out in one way or another.

You wrote:

I'd like to know how a group of civilians reading this or any other book is going to impact the way politics are practiced on the continent or in the diaspora. Seriously

'google' Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations.

But your popular examples are the Koran and the Bible. Africa, thus the diaspora as been shaped by all three of these books.

But Vicki as provided a brilliant response to the argument underlying the above statment. Think, tree without roots. Why would you not read it?


Vickki wrote:

Knowing your history is always important and 50 years or so back is hardly caveman times. I think more people (black and white) reading this book would be useful with regard to thin