"Truth is the most unbending and uncompliable, the most necessary, firm, immutable, and adamantine thing in the world." (Ralph J. Cudsworth) Adamantine means hard, rock-like and having the uncrushable quality of the diamonds for which the continent of Africa is so famous. In his book, "Capitalist Nigger", acclaimed journalist Chika Onyeani tells the truth about Africa's problems and provides suggestions on how these can be overcome. Unfortunately they won't be overcome while Africa relies so heavily on international aid. As Onyeani points out only the Africans themselves can save the continent.
He begins by showing that the 'promise of independence' has not been realized and painting a horrifying picture of the state of the continent. African countries may be legally independent but their independence is a mirage. They are not militarily, economically or even socially and culturally independent. The continent is plagued by starvation, diseases, wars and corrupt dictators. The Africans, according to Onyeani, produce nothing - everything is imported. Even the basic infrastructure, such as telephone lines and electricity, is built from imports and maintained by Europeans. Africans haven't come to grips with modern technology and so they are being left behind.
He gives another example here. The Africans don't have the capacity to discover, drill, or refine their own oil. They like brand names and Japanese products but according to Onyeani they are not interested in producing anything for themselves, even medicines to treat the sick.
Corrupt dictators are, of course, a major problem in Africa as Onyeani points out. They are more interested in buying imported military hardware and providing themselves with extravagant lifestyles and furthering wars than doing what is best for their countries. Mugabwe of Zimbabwe with his constant abuses of human rights is just one dreadful example.
However, Onyeani tells Africans in this book that they will not get anywhere by blaming others for their problems all the time. He writes that: "It is better to blame others than to confront the truth of our being responsible for whatever has happened to us as an African race." (Onyeani; p. xvii) Instead of this, he wants Africans to be like him and work for their own success and help their own people.
Onyeani advocates the Spider Web Doctrine which he thinks that the Indian and Pakistani immigrants have used in America to become successful. They only buy from their fellow countrymen, he writes, and give their own people jobs when they migrate to America. They have also become successful without antagonizing any particular group but by working hard and helping each other. Unlike African-Americans, Onyeani writes, who have an inferiority complex, these migrants ensure that they are respected by everyone.
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