Who Asked For Your Opinion? Part 1. - The Know It Alls
When: Oct 7th, 2005 1:49:58 am - Subscribe
I'm feeling: Pissed, trrying to be \"Objective\"
Talk, Opinion, Music, Life, Stuff: Opinion
Stop the press!! The Westerners are at it again!! Just when you think they have called us all the names, they go out and come up with a new one. The latest tag they have yoked on us (Kenya) is that of a "failed state." I think I am gonna puke!!! Results from research done by a "top" research organization show Kenya as having all the characteristics of the so-called failed state. BTW, a failed state is "one that has lost control of its territory or of the monopoly on the legitimate use of force and has thus earned the label." In short, they are countries about to go over the cliff. Check out the July/August edition of Foreign policy magazine for more on this crap.
I don't know what we ever did to this particular country. For one, they have refused to remove the travel advisory against Kenya, even when tourist arrivals from their country have increased by around 20%. They have gone to renew these advisories no less than three times. Just the other day they advised their cruise ships not to dock at Mombasa, because political temperatures are rising with the coming referendum. And now this. Talk about MADD hating!!
The source of the research material is also incredulous. They say they used software to analyse data from tens of thousands of international and local media sources. If international media houses portray Africa in a negative light (as they always do), and their stories are used as sources, then the results drawn from this research are already skewed to show countries like Kenya are "failed states". We all know that international media houses have nothing positive to write about Africa.
At the end of the day, such "reports" end up perpetuating negative stereotypes of Africa, specifically Kenya. To those equally ignorant readers, the countries listed sound like war zones, or battle scenes right out of Rambo movies. (Though I never watched them). Most of the countries listed are African countries (of course), so the stereotype of Africa as a jungle full of warring natives is perpetuated.
As an African, I don't have to put up with this poop anymore. In this period that they did their research, did they forget that Kenya mediated peace agreements for Sudan and Somalia? Failed states don't do that! Or that Kenya is practically the economic center of Eastern Africa? Or that after 42 years of independence, our country is still in one piece? There are sooo many right things with our country that they conveniently overlook, but we can put it down to selective memory.
If this was a person writing falsehoods about another, he would be sued for libel, slander or defamation or emotional turmoil. We should prolly do the same. This report makes me wonder if we should waste any time listening to these westerners and their opinions about our continent. After all, what do they know? Their minds are already skewed with all the negative media about Africa, so you can hardly expect any objectivity. Their research is basically done to prove what they already think they know. Such articles also dent the pride and esteem of a country. Who wants to hear negative things about them all the time?
On the other hand, I may be lashing out instead of being objective. I should try to see the merits of their argument. (Yeah right!) I'm human; first I want to scratch your face, then I can talk about the issues. So now the Objective Me remembers the period between 1988 -1992 when the country could easily have plunged into civil war, or the insecurity we now face. But which country has not seen uncertain and perilous times? How quickly they forget that their own country went through a civil war. Even if it is a historical footnote now, they should not be so quick to "research".
I'll admit, things are far from ideal, very far. I don't know how we have made it this far without hacking one another to death. Our infrastructure could use a facelift and security must be tightened. Our dear roads are in a failed state :-). There are many areas to improve, which means many areas of opportunity for employment and work. But I have faith that we will get there, in spite of these doomsday prophesies.
We have made it through 42 years; the next 42 are a piece of cake.
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