Kerry urges steps to ensure democracy in Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — America's top diplomat said Saturday the U.S. is ready to help increase its ties with Africa, but nations across the continent need to take stronger steps to ensure security and democracy for its people.

In an Africa policy address to members of the Addis Ababa diplomatic corps and the Young Africa leader network, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry highlighted crises in Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and the Central African Republic and urged Africans to demand stability and financial development.

He called for an expansion of American investment in Africa and noted that U.S. companies IBM, Microsoft and Google already have spent more than $100 million on projects across the continent.

Whatever small pockets of representative government that ever existed in Africa are now doomed, as “scary Kerry” is on the job, systematically eliminating the few remaining elements of that shattered dream.

Apparently, the normal condition of mankind has been for a small oligarchy, or even a lone despot, to rule by issuing a series of firm demands that certain obligations and duties are to be fulfilled, otherwise the punishment is swift and drastic, up to and including imprisonment or death. This involves some kind of control that always evolves into a police state, and a command economy, working for the benefit of the oligarchy or the despot, and few others.

To satisfy the great masses, the concept the Romans had, of providing “bread and circuses”, is widely employed, or the oligarchy may decide the most unifying of all impulses is to become a pirate crew and rob the neighbors through wars and raiding.

The American experiment was almost unique in the history of mankind, in which all individuals were accorded dignity and respect, and were allowed to keep the fruits of their labor. For the most part of two centuries, this worked well, and the economic pie continued to grow, as initiatives were rewarded and expansion was encouraged.

Despite the French slogan, “equality” and “fraternity” are almost the polar opposites of true liberty, and are incompatible in the end. The French Revolution only overthrew one oligarchy so that another equally unelected oligarchy could take its place.

The American Revolution overthrew the ruling oligarchy, and substituted a diffuse and non-permanent, ever-changing form of rule by common consent, ostensibly subject to recall and removal. But even that has eroded back into the old forms of oligarchy over time.

Perhaps that experiment was doomed from the start. But having seen it in operation once, it should be the dream of many to restore the American Ideal.

Unfortunately, there are way too many who just cannot stand prosperity.

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