[kictanet] Interesting Piece ...

Fri Jan 27 00:38:27 EAT 2012

Yes. I had email from a Zambian who had a long go at explaining why the
piece was very unpopular, even with Zambians. One of the things I was told
was that the Walter was clearly fictional. Perhaps I ought to have worked
it out for myself.

Anyway. Here's a very nice Zambian response:
http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/archbishoptutufellows/2012/01/25/a-zambians-response-to-you-lazy-intellectual-african-scum/

Daniel Waweru
www.kenyaimagine.com
Art and analysis; debate and opinion.

On 26 January 2012 08:48, Andrea Bohnstedt <
andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com> wrote:

> The 'Walter' of the piece is obviously not a real person. The tone of the
> article is a stylistic device, intended to provoke - which clearly worked.
> It's deliberately 'couched explicitly in the language of superiority and
> inferiority', to use Daniel's words.
>
> And seems to have served its purpose.
>
> Andrea
>
> On 26 January 2012 11:46, <godera at skyweb.co.ke> wrote:
>
>>
>> Daniel,
>>
>> I am not sure why you find it surprising to see such an article.
>> The only difference between Walter and many others of his kind is that he
>> is
>> brave enough to speak it aloud. That does not change what many others
>> think-
>> they think the same.
>> There is only one solution- TO ACT.
>> We all know what ails our lovely continent, what needs to be done, what
>> we are
>> capable of etc.
>> Time to act. Less talk, more action.
>> It is the same practice in various aspects: whether it is black vs white,
>> rich
>> vs poor, one ethnic tribe vs another- the more dominant one takes
>> advantage of
>> the perceived "weaker" one. It is up to the "weaker" one to rise up and
>> turn the
>> tables around.
>> Look at the case here in Kenya. The majority are in the "poorer" bracket
>> but
>> always used by the rich to help them remain in their powerful positions.
>> The masses are yet to learn they have the power in their hands to bring
>> about
>> the change they want rather than blame the rich for exploiting them.
>> It is the same mockery Walter is giving in the article.
>> Why give anyone a chance to trample on you? Instead of moaning, we should
>> simply
>> rise up and turn the tables around! Let us have the last laugh!
>>
>> My two cents.
>>
>> Gilda Odera
>>
>>
>>
>> Quoting Daniel Waweru <daniel.waweru at gmail.com>:
>>
>> > Thanks for the warm words, and apologies for the language.
>> >
>> > It really is something of a surprise to see a piece like this; a piece
>> > couched explicitly in the language of superiority and inferiority. I
>> mean,
>> > in my experience, nobody---except internet trolls and a segment of White
>> > rightwing opinion---actually thinks like this. If White folks by and
>> large
>> > don't think this stuff, what possible reason is there for this
>> silliness?
>> >
>> > Daniel Waweru
>> > www.kenyaimagine.com
>> > Art and analysis; debate and opinion.
>> >
>> >
>> > On 23 January 2012 14:09, S.M. Muraya <murigi.muraya at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > > Responding to Daniel's mostly excellent comments... Not to Darwinist /
>> > > Evolutionist ideologies which "justified" Colonial Practice.
>> > >
>> > > No need for the kind of foul language used by Colonials to describe
>> > > "Inferiors".
>> > >
>> > > What matters most is how we Africans treat each other. Do we believe
>> in
>> > > "Do to others as we would have them do to us"?
>> > >
>> > > Polygamy never opened schools to educate Africans...
>> > >
>> > > The Principle / Conviction... "Do to others as you would have them do
>> to
>> > > you" .... drove a few decent Euros to found schools / colleges such as
>> > > Alliance High, Precious Blood, Strathmore, Kianda, etc...
>> > >
>> > > This while their Darwinist kinsmen opened Colonial schools Africans
>> were
>> > > not welcome to attend...
>> > >
>> > > Most of us love sports / games not formed in Africa but we reject as
>> > > "Foreign" more Universal / Civilizing principles such ... "Do to
>> others as
>> > > you would have them do to you..."
>> > > On Jan 23, 2012 4:31 PM, "Daniel Waweru" <daniel.waweru at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> There doesn't appear to be a valid arguments in the piece.
>> > >>
>> > >> Walter argues as follows:
>> > >>
>> > >> (1) Africans are inferior.
>> > >>
>> > >> (The criterion for inferiority is White opinion. If White people
>> *think*
>> > you're
>> > >> inferior, then you are. Walter clearly thinks Africans are inferior,
>> and
>> > >> the listener, idiot that he is, accepts the thought.)
>> > >>
>> > >> (2) Africans are inferior *not* because they live in a world whose
>> rules
>> > >> are set by people hostile to their interests, and have inherited a
>> legacy
>> > >> of colonialism, slavery, apartheid and the like.
>> > >>
>> > >> (3) Africans are inferior because they don't make stuff.
>> > >>
>> > >> (Sub-argument: Africans don't make stuff because their intellectuals
>> are
>> > >> stupid and lazy.)
>> > >>
>> > >> (4) Therefore, if Africans start making stuff, they'll stop being
>> > >> inferior.
>> > >>
>> > >> The argument neatly destroys itself. Walter tells us that if Africans
>> > >> made stuff, they would no longer be inferior. Now, the test of
>> > inferiority
>> > >> is White opinion, as both Walter and his listener make clear. So,
>> all we
>> > >> have to do to test the argument is to look for examples of what White
>> > >> people think of non-White people who make things. The evidence is
>> not far
>> > >> to seek, since *in the very same piece*, Walter claims that White
>> people
>> > >> have contempt for Asians (I assume he means Indians and Chinese).
>> Asians
>> > >> make things, yes, but, in the White view, according to Walter, they *
>> > >> stole* the technology for making it. Therefore, they remain inferior.
>> > >>
>> > >> Similar arguments can be found in the comments of any right-wing
>> > >> newspaper in English. Even where the industrial achievements of
>> China or
>> > >> India are commended, White commentators will argue that Chinese,
>> Indians
>> > or
>> > >> other East Asians are incapable of original thought. Their
>> achievements
>> > are
>> > >> simply a copy of White achievement. There is no reason to think that
>> > making
>> > >> things will cause Africans to stop being regarded as inferior.
>> > >>
>> > >> The basic move here is the basic move in lots of colonial arguments.
>> In
>> > >> virtue of being human, Africans are the equal of anyone else. The
>> > >> colonialist wants inequality. He has then to find a way to convince
>> > himself
>> > >> and others *either* that Africans are not human, *or* that equality
>> > >> rests on something other than humanity. Walter tells us that equality
>> > rests
>> > >> on the ability to make things. In the distant past, (see the
>> concluding
>> > >> chapter of Johnston's A history of the colonisation of Africa by
>> alien
>> > >> races <http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924074488234>), we were
>> told
>> > >> that Africans were inferior because they had been unable to find a
>> form
>> > of
>> > >> racial unity. Since they were unable to find a form of racial unity,
>> they
>> > >> were doomed to be the servants of superior races from Africa and
>> Asia. In
>> > >> the slightly less distant past (see Christopher Wilson's Kenya's
>> > >> Warning: The Challenge to White Supremacy in Our
>> >
>> Colony<
>> http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Kenya_s_warning.html?id=8a0vAAAAIAAJ
>> >)
>> > >> we were told that Africans were inferior, because their *cultures*
>> were
>> > >> inferior, they circumcised their women and they were polygamous,
>> > therefore
>> > >> they had not earned the right to rule themselves. Examples could be
>> > >> multiplied. It's bad enough to have to read this shit from defenders
>> of
>> > >> colonialism in the past and present, but I was not expecting to have
>> to
>> > put
>> > >> up with it from Africans themselves.
>> > >>
>> > >> Daniel Waweru
>> > >> www.kenyaimagine.com
>> > >> Art and analysis; debate and opinion.
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >> On 22 January 2012 19:13, Francis Hook <francis.hook at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > >>
>> > >>> If we look beyond the effrontery there are very valid arguements
>> > >>> there. Look at India - they manufacture many things - and yes they
>> > >>> still have poverty but they are slowly clawing their way out of an
>> > >>> abyss.
>> > >>>
>> > >>> I hear we have a bullet factory in eldoret - why can we not make
>> > >>> bicycles? We had the nyayo pioneer car and I would like to hear a
>> > >>> valid arguement why that could not have taken off and why we have
>> > >>> become a nation of ex-Japan cars. We used to have a good textile
>> > >>> industry but someone saw fit to allow containers of used clothes
>> into
>> > >>> the country - now we have decently dressed, hungry and jobless
>> people.
>> > >>>
>> > >>> I think the tone is harsh but sometimes we need to take bitter
>> pills.
>> > >>> There is a generation growing up in Kenya who will start asking
>> these
>> > >>> same questions - and we cannot wish away the problem and either have
>> > >>> to find credible answers or bring about some change.
>> > >>>
>> > >>>
>> > >>>
>> > >>>
>> > >>>
>> > >>>
>> > >>> On 22/01/2012, Daniel Waweru <daniel.waweru at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > >>> > Astonishingly stupid piece. I wouldn't have been surprised had it
>> > >>> turned
>> > >>> > out that Ewart Grogan had written it. This part, in particular, is
>> > >>> > exceptionally stupid:
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > Knowing well that King Cobra will not embody innovation at
>> Walter’s
>> > >>> level
>> > >>> >> let’s begin to look for a technologically active-positive leader
>> who
>> > >>> can
>> > >>> >> succeed him after a term or two. That way we can make our own
>> stone
>> > >>> >> crushers, water filters, water pumps, razor blades, and
>> harvesters.
>> > >>> Let’s
>> > >>> >> dream big and make tractors, cars, and planes, or, like Walter
>> said,
>> > >>> >> forever remain inferior.
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > since it *fully* accepts the colonial premiss that the human
>> value of
>> > >>> > people depends on their level of technological advancement. The
>> author
>> > >>> > proves his point about African intellectuals, if not in quite the
>> way
>> > >>> he
>> > >>> > expects.
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > Daniel Waweru
>> > >>> > www.kenyaimagine.com
>> > >>> > Art and analysis; debate and opinion.
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> > On 22 January 2012 17:30, Agosta Liko <agostal at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > >>> >
>> > >>> >>
>> > >>> >>
>> > >>>
>> >
>> http://mindofmalaka.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/you-lazy-intellectual-african-scum/
>> > >>> >>
>> > >>> >> _______________________________________________
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>> > >>> --
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>> > >>>
>> > >>
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