Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) Wafawarova has a point regarding 'shock doctrine'

Wafawarova has a point regarding 'shock doctrine'
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:00:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR -- The article by Reason Wafawarova entitled, "Seeking green shoots in sanction" and published on Monday (see here) tells it like it is. This is a masterpiece, detailed, forensic and the analysis is incisive. It confirms the shock doctrine as propounded and tested by the US corporate fundamentalist and economist at the Chicago School of Economics, the late Milton Friedman.

Friedman was the advocate of the shock doctrine, which states that when disaster strikes whether man-made or natural, there are ideas lying around, which make the once politically impossible, become inevitable.

What we are seeing in Zimbabwe is a man-made disaster through sanctions, making the economy scream and inevitably according to the Western corporatist doctrine, unfettered market forces have to be deployed to sort out the problem.

Indeed this means giving the land back to the former white owners lock stock and barrel, handing over the central bank to private Western institutions, giving all mineral rights to foreign and mainly Western companies and totally exclude the indigenous Black Zimbabweans from participating in the mainstream economic activities.

Until this is done to the satisfaction of the West, the very obscure benchmarks will always remain unmet, put simply, the goal posts will be constantly moved.

Let us not forget that the theme which is ostensible whenever Zimbabwe is discussed is the protection of white minority rights. This was confirmed by Henry Kissinger in his memoirs, Years of Renewal. This was the focus point at the Lancaster House Constitutional Conference and all we have witnessed over the years is the unwillingness to support a meaningful land reform programme in Zimbabwe.

We are told that private property rights have to be protected. Contrast this with what Prof Mandivamba Rukuni who said ‘if Western democracy and development is predicated on property ownership, why is the same denied to Black Zimbabweans?’

As Reason rightly put it, this leitmotif is irritatingly pervasive in the Zimbabwean discourse by Western countries.

I personally think that some Zimbabweans have chosen to forget that the racially notorious statutes, the Land Apportionment Act and Land Tenure Act of the settler regime are still affecting the indigenous Black people even to this day.

This approach by the West makes one wonder if there is a general belief that Black people are of a certain genotype which precludes them from being successful farmers or business people in general.

What is surprising is that due to the psychological effect of colonialism, some of the Black folks do believe that Black means brawn and white equals brains.

In fact socio-economic conditions created by the forces of imperialism, make Black people fail not because they are inherently inept but they will never be allowed to encroach the ‘master’s’ domain.

It is high time the West recognizes our quest to self determination, sovereignty and empowerment otherwise our liberation efforts will be in vain.

ABJ.

Labels: NEOCOLONIALISM, REASON WAFAROVA, SHOCK DOCTRINE

posted by MrK @ 4:17 PM