USA...as in "United States of Africa"

[altoo]

Ladies & Gentlemen, I'm lying on my bed late last night, minding my own business while watching the BBC focus on Africa program and suddenly they talking about the annual heads of african leaders summit that just ended in Accra, Ghana and that a resolution was passed by more than 50% of the heads of states present, spearheaded by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi & including our own Kibaki, to expedite the formation of a United States of Africa that will form a one Federal govt stretching from Cape Town to Cairo, Dakar to Dar es Salaam, Marrakesh to Maputo & Abidjan to Asmara....Needless to say, I thought I had died and gone to heaven and I am really all over the proposal as white on rice. What a great idea?........I dunno about you folks but I really believe that if our leaders take this vision seriously, it's entirely feasible, practical and doable and with the consolidation of all of Africa's natural resources and our 800 million common market population, it can de done in a 10 years at least and may be a couple of decades at most. I just wish the self centered leaders can take their heads off their butts, do what's right by sacrificing their personal ambitions &agree to get this great idea on the road after all if the EU has done it, why not us?..what do you guys think?

[altoo]

By the way, earlier this afternoon, I was reading London's financial times and The Wall's street Journal & guess what folks?, their editorial pieces are already rubbishing the idea of a one ''United States of Africa " government on the pretext that Africa is too big to be cost effectively & efficiently run as one govt....ait a minute, wasn't europe said to be too big as well?, isn't Russia considered to big right now?, heck even the United States itself was considered too bis at one time hence the need for Texas and other southern & south western states to seceed from the union .....wtf?.......then again, let's face it, what these folk do doesn't surprise me any more coz their whole game plan ever since they partitioned africa was to divide the continent for their own selfish interests, play africans against africans, & steal all their resources knowing that a people united can never be divided. Well, i guess the ball is now on the court of our 53 African govts to do the right thing, get to the bottom of this idea and expedite it if only to provide a better bargaining power to africa's present & future generations

[preciousA]

i don't know much about this.. but how feasible is this really? with failed states and all.... i just don't know.

[altoo]

It's quite feasible Angela......you got to look at it as a business merger and/or acquistion which happens in corporate america every day where the big conglomerate corporates make proposals to buy the struggling companies in stock & common dividends and with time every one ends up doing a lot better in terms of productivity & economic output.......that's not, by the wa, saying the small countries get swallowed up but I rather look at it as getting adopted to a larger african parent govt. Like the late Sen. Robert Kennedy once said, if our future generation is going to prosper, we got to look at things that never were & ask why not.
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a CITIZEN without POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE is a VIRTUAL CRIMINAL....when the POWER of LOVE overcomes the LOVE of POWER, the WORLD will know PEACE....I would rather be HATED for WHO I am than LOVED for WHAT I am not....LIVE FREE or DIE HARD!!!

[Chemosi]

I don't think Africa is at that crucial juncture of forming a major block like United States of Africa. Not when we still have countries like Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Sudan as some of the decision making countries.
I would think they would try something like the European Union. In the EU every country has its distinctive government and it gets to keep its revenue contrary to the US of A system where there has to be single government, single currency and 95% of the revenue paid to a single Government and by the way has a single president commanding a single military.
I'm aware of the AU but then how come its not being perfected. Is it because they think US of A is easy to implement?.
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Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds.' Einstein. biikabkutit.com

[Werit ab Sonoiya]

Altoo,

Do me a favor, get some ice and dip your head in it. It was all a dream. The idea sounds marvelous but in this age and time it's not possible. It's gonna be like trying to use dry corn stalks to run an iron smelting factory- impossible. All i have to say no one country in Africa will want to be ruled by another. They are going to be fighting for the presidential seat like hyenas do meat. We already have enough problems in Africa, no need to create a larger one.
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[altoo]

hey hey hey bwana Lang'at, take it easy....cut me some slack brother....well, a United States of Africa may be my dream but i sure wish it was every african's dream that is just waiting to be realized....remember back in primo we were all told a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step?....well, in that context, I choose to analyze this matter from that perspective keeping in mind that were it not for Abraham Lincoln who fought for a United States of America during the 1863 american civil war, we wouldn't have a US of A today and chances are, you and I would be back at the motherland chilling.......my point is however, we got to look at the forest as opposed to the tree, look at a galss as half full as opposed to half empty & whether we dream or imagine it, always remember that where there's a will, there's a way. I dunno about you but twenty or so odd years from now, i would love to wake up to a good Kericho morning & have a choice to drive either to the Red Sea beach in Asmara, Atlantic beach in Libreville or the Indian Ocean beach in Mtwara without all the customs crap at the imaginary broders.......remember AFRICA was one country before the the white folks came in as white knights and partitioned it to suit their selfish interests
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a CITIZEN without POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE is a VIRTUAL CRIMINAL....when the POWER of LOVE overcomes the LOVE of POWER, the WORLD will know PEACE....I would rather be HATED for WHO I am than LOVED for WHAT I am not....LIVE FREE or DIE HARD!!!

[preciousA]

[orgoyot]

Bwana Too,
I understand where you are coming from. This is a noble idea to be cultivated by us and passed on to our next generations to decide its fate. The idea of uniting all the african countries can actually be achieved if our leaders were not so selfish. This is an opportunity to actually start debating on the union strategy but instead our african leaders are busy with corruption scandals. Such a union would require massive research and would take generations to complete. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we need to rear in our childrens minds. Such a union would eliminate the vast problems we face in africa. And aid would be equally dispersed to the poor areas. The ecomomy will grow strong and the per capita income will see a boost. Its only a dream now but in the future it could be reality.
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"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist fears this is true."

[altoo]

Orgoiyotab Chepseon, i am glad yu see my point though i must strongly disagree with you on the fundamentals needed to implement the union and actually make it a reality sooner rather than later. All economists worth their salt agree that for any entity to emerge as a force to be respected by its competition, you need to consolidate all available resources and direct it to do the most good to most people at the shortest amount of time. Having said that, since we all agree that you only prosper if you spread your risks to cover any potential loses while expecting the best rewards, we should then also agree that since most of the smaller african countries may not be in a position to cover their debts & liabilities before liquidating themselves in favor an african nation, that's why i am of the opinion that they should take up Col. Muammar Gaddafi's offer to bail them out now as opposed to waiting till later when his offer may not be available any longer....african leaders should just shed their egos and agree to do this NOW for the prosperity of africa's future generations
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a CITIZEN without POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE is a VIRTUAL CRIMINAL....when the POWER of LOVE overcomes the LOVE of POWER, the WORLD will know PEACE....I would rather be HATED for WHO I am than LOVED for WHAT I am not....LIVE FREE or DIE HARD!!!

[Chic12]

The Continent is just too politically & demographically fragmented to maintain a genuinely "united" structure. Maybe someday...
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-An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
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