Our inflation in the west depends on the exploitation of so-called third world countries. A fact that is little talked about because it means that we not only have to rethink our entire lifestyle but also sacrifice our comfort.
Claiming that a weak legal system, poor governance and lack of transparency and poverty are the reasons for the corruption prevalent in "underdeveloped" countries is false. Most of today's progressive and conservative parties - and those of the past - promote these positions and that is something I oppose. There is always talk about the corruption that prevails in underdeveloped countries, but never how this is designed by the same corporations that have a capitalist interest in this. I resent these statements because they lead to distorted images that have consequences for the people who have (bi)cultural ties with these countries. I am a bicultural Somali, Dutch person, which gives me a bond with Somaliland. I am convinced of a parallel between the exploitation of the "African’’ continent, global south and contemporary subjugation and racism. This parallel can be called white supremacy. The latter takes different forms and indirectly justifies the exploitation of the past and present. Racism is the fuel for this exploitation and oppression. Especially when oppression and racism takes more subtle forms.
This is supported by the corporations and shareholders who have their interests in this. Because the collective consciousness of a group matters to maintain and justify certain ways of thinking and actions. They do this by influencing media channels that spread information. An example of this is surveillance capitalism, but also how corporations pay to give information that is in their interest more visibility in the online algorithms. What is very current within online algorithms is the emphasis on individual responsibility and it is clear that it has more to do with the interest of the same corporations that benefit from this.
In the present it takes the form of the polarization we see, where I think of simplified progressive positions embodied by figures like Kamala Harris or simplified alternative right wing/conservative positions, think of the hyperbolization of individual responsibility. Because if you can hold the victims responsible for playing victims, you can take away the responsibility where it lies. Conservative streams of thought are popular among different folks of different backgrounds because it gives them a sense of agency. ‘‘I am responsible for my life.’’ ‘‘I am not a victim, the world is unfair, that's part of life.’’
The role that the African continent plays in providing raw materials to the West is the reason why this distortion of information is practiced. The destabilization that is (in)directly carried out by supplying terrorist groups with weapons. Sustaining corrupt leaders and regimes by providing them with resources and liquidating leaders who act in the interests of the people are some examples of how this is done. The many wars that arise from this for peace missions and the global mass of immigration as a result. Many indigenous peoples have been driven from their land and experience alienation in a new - often hostile - world. What does this have to do with my positioning? Because I and many people related to these so-called (under)developed countries are provided with a worldview through the media where we grew up.
This leads many to forms of (un)conscious inferiority complexes in relation to our people - sometimes our selves - and the country with which we have a bicultural bond. In the academy I have never been provided with pre and ‘‘post colonial’’ African literary sources. When we are provided with sources from black writers, it is usually explicitly linked to racism. The black individual is identified as an oppressed person. The intellectual property of them and their ancestors is not recognized. The monolithic image of the sentimental or athletic black man or woman is still prevalent in our consciousness. Dissolving this image is sometimes a struggle in itself. However, my goal is to examine these struggles and explore what the possible causes of them all were for the benefit of other black people in predominantly white spaces. Who struggle to find answers, valuable meaning and connection in their white environments where the intellectual property of your ancestors and the land and environments of your ancestors are not given attention. This causes a lot of alienation and I want to let them know that they are not alone and that there is a lot that we do not see and that does not mean that it is not there.
Making the black individual appear inferior in contrast to the white individual is in the interest of justifying the exploitation and domination that has occurred in the past and present. The most efficient means of doing this is to whitewash black history and also to control information, commentary and the discourse of world history. Our Western economy and this exploitation are strongly linked.
The colonial-imperialist worldview that is outlined in which corruption within the global south and African countries is the largest factor for the poverty that prevails there. That it is individual responsibility that creates these situations. That immigrants come here because they have made a mess in their own countries. A well-known scholar who gives space to this sound is Jordan Peterson. He claims that the corruption within these countries is due to the corrupt regimes of these countries and lack of proper organization. Unfortunately, it doesn't go any further than this statement, which I can blame people for making superficial claims. The most poor and corrupt third world countries are usually the richest in natural resources or very important because of their geopolitical location. Due to the exploitation of external parties. It is a given that many of these countries are still under colonial control. This colonial grip or form of (neo)colonization wears a different guise but in fact takes over. This is done by destabilizing countries rich in raw materials by maintaining corrupt regimes because it is an approach that benefits shareholders. Since they (in)directly benefit from this. I am not neutral in this as museums and some individuals claim to be. I am not (yet) an activist because I want to understand the phenomenon better and do not yet know how I can make a positive contribution to it. What I know is what I disagree with. Namely the following statements: that the individual and society have the largest share in this and that large multinationals outside the continent where these situations take place do not have a large share in this. That charity work and chauvinism from the West have mainly made a positive contribution. That the infrastructure that is built in these underdeveloped countries is of interest to these countries themselves.
I think it is important that more awareness is raised about this so that we can work on solutions. In this debate I am not on a side that says: the whole world has been colonized, therefore the problem does not lie there. Colonization takes different forms and there is a distinction where it is more important, such as countries that are rich in natural raw materials. On which large multinationals and countries on the other side of the world are very dependent to keep their economies running. Because the moral baseline is so low and unjust, the next step is imaging a more just future. Realizing how low the moral baseline is in the hyper invidualistic west is one of the main reasons, the urgency to imagine a better future is resonates with me.
Salman Dirir
The question remains: Where to go from here? I have been asking myself this question a lot lately, as it is clear that the legacy of the institutions we work for and their systems are built on the same oppressive systems that some of us are trying to dismantle. Being part of the system inevitably means engaging and feeding it, regardless of the spectrum you’re standing on.
I think being aware and taking responsibility in actual action for where we’re standing on this spectrum is important. This engagement is the least we can do. Through self-sustaining communities equipped with the most necessary resources such as medical care, water supplies, community gardens where people can grow food, schools, shelters, electricity, and defense forces.
At this time it is clear we will witness Western empires collapsing. It is dire we need to equip ourselves with the necessities to shelter ourselves from the upcoming tyrannies of the fascist powers. The collapse of empires is not something that is new as empires always expire and the Western empire has had its time on the scale of the average measure of how long empires last.
A collective consciousness through an understanding of how the current powers are and have been oppressing us and how their power systems work. by informing those who want to know, and being there for those who do not but will catch up in time.
Build self-sustaining communities equipped with the most important resources.
Hold that are silent institutions accountable as they keep on profiting from the exploitative model.
Repeat actions cyclical.