Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Post-Election Violence: Wall Street Plots to Destroy Nigeria

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, April 10, 2015

Post-Election Violence: Wall Street Plots to Destroy Nigeria

Click here to access article by US activist Caleb Maupin posted on New Eastern Outlook.

Usually activities in Africa are poorly covered by US media, and the recent violence following the Nigerian elections is no exception. Mainstream media has covered the violence, which it likes to do, but no accurate political context is ever provided. Maupin in this article provides a lot of insights as to why the violence is occurring.

One of the primary reasons for the rapid expansion of production in Nigeria is its increasingly friendly relationship with the People’s Republic of China. Chinese political figures, including former president Hu Jintao, have visited Nigeria. Chinese investment in the domestic Nigerian economy is higher than ever.

For years the Nigerian state has been battling a group of religious extremists who call themselves “Boko Haram.” While until recently, US officials like Hillary Clinton have worked to keep Boko Haram off of the official list of foreign terrorist organizations, China has been supplying Nigeria with weapons to fight Boko Haram. In addition to selling Nigeria arms, the Chinese government officially presented the Nigerian navy with a battleship as a “gift.” China has acted as a champion of Nigeria, pushing for it to have a greater role in international affairs at the United Nations.

The Nigerian state, despite still working closely with western bankers, has been purchasing a great deal of Chinese weapons.

Maupin continues on to describe the close ties of the terrorist organization known as Boko Haram with Al Qaeda and the funders of both, Saudi Arabia. Sound familiar?

See also this UN report appealing for donations to help the estimated 192,000 refugees in neighboring countries who fled the violence in Nigeria.