Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Unraveling the Mystery of Boko Haram

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Friday, January 30, 2015

Unraveling the Mystery of Boko Haram

Click here to access article by Eric Draitser from CounterPunch.

I don't think that Draitser fully unravels the "mystery of Boko Haram" in this two part, lengthy article; instead he answers the question as to who benefits. In so doing, he provides an excellent overview of Western neocolonial operations in resource rich Africa. All the former European colonial powers are back competing for the continent's wealth; but there are new capitalist actors, US and China, that are on the scene to make it even more complicated.

While many of the details remain murky at best, with powerful players operating behind the scenes, the contours of a regional destabilization and a proxy war become discernible.

Although China is a major player, Draitser does not give much information about their involvement. From my memory of other reliable reports, I think the Chinese participation in this continent has had positive benefits for African countries by their promotion of infrastructure construction.