We have a Power: The World belongs to the People and not a Select Few

Every single life is just like a drop of water in the mighty ocean of humanity. In our lifetime we will navigate the same emotions, value similar things and suffer the same fate eventually. In fact, only the common good of humanity really matters, nothing more, or I should rather say no one matters more. However, we inhabit a world with war, suffering and poverty all around. Just because of the greed of a few who wish to concentrate power. They will go all length just to have power over others and do not mind how many lives they destroy in the process. This is the “evil” in our world, and evil is that which takes away the joy of living. Man was meant to be happy and free in every sense of it, no other has the right to curtail it (reference from the book; At The Mountain Top: Essays On The Life Of A Rebel). The world is plagued with greedy men who for the sake of power destroy lives directly or indirectly.

I use directly in reference to wars, aside the quest for power the war economy has made such men wealthy. Indirectly used in reference to political mismanagement. I always say there is a history to this, tracing its roots back to slavery – that partnership between the foreign slavers and the local elites of Africa which still plays out today in the role occupied by the present-day ruling elites and their foreign partners. They keep on taking from the masses everyday, continuing that cycle of exploitation. They intentionally maintain a poor educational system to keep the masses minds in a box. This brings to mind a good old rhyme from our elementary school days:

//Fox fox fox, Go into the box
No no no , Why why why
Because I’m too big 2x//
We never really sit back to give a serious thought to some of these interesting childhood rhymes that actually depict our struggle and the human condition. Society prefects, and I mean those who will power always seek to keep us in check- in the box like the fox. With our thoughts caged and tamed. They can’t afford to have thoughts running free like the fox. It is a danger to their power. So society finds a way of beating in check when one tries to disrupt the system- bad dog! Which is more visible in autocratic regimes but unfolds as well in other dispensations in varied forms.

They know deep down true power belongs to the people. We all possess a power within which is more pronounced when we come together, that is why they will do everything to keep us divided. The rich nations and their billionaires/oligarchs are powerful because of us and I am not even talking about the old power derived from slavery and land expropriations in this instance. I am talking about the power we (people of the world) relinquish everyday to keep them in their position of power through the simple things like patronising their products and services. This week we heard of the Tesla billionaire founder losing 127 billion dollars at a go because of declining interest in Tesla. This is a classical example of people’s power. Powerful nations will lose their level of influence if people in other parts no more patronise their products.

Taking Ghana for instance, because of the nation’s dependency mentality we never produce anything meaningful for ourselves which is why we remain where we are. This is Africa’s problem as a whole, we refuse to cooperate effectively to empower ourselves. Always busy in our small corners making others rich. Our political elites never lay the grounds for local production aimed at self-sufficiency because they are always busy sharing concessions for imports since they get their cut, all at the expense of the masses. By so doing, they create jobs for people elsewhere rather in turn increasing unemployment and poverty in their own countries. I won’t even talk about corruption and white elephant projects today.

The current trade wars in the news are all about more economic opportunities for citizens in those respective countries but here in Africa it is as if the leaders are just sleeping. I saw a social media post recently in commemoration of Ghana’s independence day highlighting Ghana’s thriving manufacturing industry in the 1960’s. We are where we are now as a nation because we did not continue on that path. We would have definitely gotten better in that sector. It is never too late to start over again anyway.