Beware Of Circular Firing Squad Within So Called Best Friends
We always say there are no permanent friends or foes in politics. Well, the same can be true beyond politics including some personal relationships. Africans at home, those whose generation were in America before Columbus and Africans in Europe would not hesitate to attack one another while giving the benefit of doubt to others. We do not treat fellow Africans well or respect ourselves enough, but expect others to respect us.
Obama legacy is now under attack in the United States. Some Republicans attack him all the time to diminish the accomplishment of one of their greatest and most popular President. It may be expected from those Party members. What is happening now is that some members of Obama (with 95% ratings) Democratic Party have come out attacking Obama just to climb to the top of their Party’s nomination. It’s all politics, eh?
There is too much bad blood between black people. You have to watch out for those you call your best friends sometimes. While we expect politicians to articulate their programs and positions on issues that affect the common man, there are sweet talkers and con men that would say anything to get elected just as there are action politicians that are not as fluent or gifted with oratory skills that could help convey their capabilities.
Remember the case of Bishop Muzorewa, Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe? They were the best-known freedom fighters in Zimbabwe before they finally set their Country free. As usual in most African countries, as in South Sudan, when it came to who should become the President, all hell broke loose between Bush Fighters and the Negotiators. Some of us wrongly predicted Joshua Nkomo would be President. The rest is history.
However, brothers and sisters that cannot talk candidly to one another are deceiving themselves. All sides of the discussions cannot prevail. When you destroy a confidant in public in the name of politics, the ulterior motive is crystal clear that you want to replace or climb over him or her. We have seen this in political debates throughout the world.
President Obama warned his Party about Circular Firing Squad. It came true in the Democratic Debate at the end of July 2019. The problem here is that the beneficiaries of their betrayal of trust, drawn daggers or circular firing squad is a party whose ideology if any, goals and missions are inimical or may be detrimental to the progressive ideas. There is another saying that you should stay out when your opponents are at one another’s throats destroying themselves. They wait to use dissentions as political ads.
However, debates are not as effective as people’s trust, integrity or emotional appeal. In Africa, we hardly vote on sound programs but on personality and ethnicity. Nigerian politicians can change parties any time before election and crowd would follow them. While many of us admire Nana Akufo Addo of Ghana for his excellent presentations inside and outside Africa, we cannot hold our breath waiting until implementations.
