Who owns Africa? = "follow the money"
international |
summit mobilisations |
news report
Saturday July 02, 2005 02:34
by iosaf
Francois-Xavier Verschave has died.
Francois-Xavier Verschave, one of the recent generation of french writers to consistently attack french imperialism and post-imperialism in Africa died thursday (29/6/05) at his home in Villeurbanne.
Born in Lille, the 28th of October 1945, he trained as an economist, and founder member of Survie(*) which he presided from 1995.and was the author of two books which influenced many. He is succeeded by a wife and three children.
the red states are "french", when the G8 talk about them, they'll look at Chirac. The green states are British. when the G8 talk about them they'll bleep Geldof.
A specialist in french-african relations, he was singular in the development of the concept
« Françafrique »
which included not only economic and political contrl of the former french possessions in the continent but also the hidden agendas.
Agendas which we may reflect our shared by the British government, and are about to come to scotland.
Of more than twenty published works, the two most important on the "french africa" question are considered to be
"La Françafrique" (published by Stock, 1999) and "Noir silence" published (Les Arènes, 2000), quickly became reference works. His economic theories were close to those of Fernand Braudel.
Others which drew interest were "noir chirac" and "noir silence" [for non french speakers "noir" is black]
According to the provisions of a French law passed in 1881, it is a crime to offend the head of a foreign country. The presidents of Congo-Brazzaville, Chad, and Gabon, displeased with Verschave's depiction of their conduct—he had accused them of murder and drug trafficking—took the author to court in 2001.
On May 4, 2001 a French judge ruled in Verschave's favor, arguing that the 1881 law contravened the European Declaration on Human Rights.
The site http://www.stop-francafrique.com/
will carry on his work, and makes essential reading for those interested in a post-post-Fanon understanding of the issues which cause "poverty" and allow it to persist, in post Algerian independence French relations with the continent of Africa 1960-2004 especially in the lead up to the "Africa G8" meeting in Scotland.
(*)Survie-
http://www.survie-france.org/
stop francafrique
http://www.stop-francafrique.com/
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Comments (3 of 3)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3Not much of the french position, nor for that matter the japanese, canadian etc positions get through the Anglo-saxon-celtic propaganda on one side, and the mostly muted silence on the american side.
But one thing which is clear, is that Chirac wants to place a tax on air traffic and use the money to pay for aids relief (much of africa). He's made that clear over a year. I've alluded to it in the ryanair articles.
The EU fought the commission through June to see a small voluntary tax which would be directed to bilateral development (much of africa) "This will be a voluntary contribution which some member states propose to turn into a mandatory contribution, but we are leaving this open," said Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who chaired the talks among 25 EU finance ministers on 2nd June. The tax would be compulsory in some countries such as Belgium, France and Germany while others would give passengers the choice of paying the tax. "This contribution could be one or two euros," Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders commented.
The levy on airline tickets was revisited at the June 7 finance ministers' meeting after the European Commission puts forward its own ideas on the proposal (they exempted a fuel tax). The measures are still expected to raise 560million€ a year.
Cool! we're all leaving babalon!
africa unite! make condoms history!
Not quite.
(((Now I hope you are making use of the summer holidays to practise your soft math. Check the "bush on africa preG8" article, see how much Africa "needs". quite they're not getting enough for any of the 8 "men"))) But they look at each other and all realise that they are victim to their own markets and own branding. Just like a pop-star they must keep their show on the road. Tony might reflect that the most vocifirous protest in the EU parliament against the "voluntary levy" of watered down Chirac, came from the Shetland island's MEP, who presumedly travels a lot of air.
(((the weather is very unpredicatable near shetland, if sailing you have to deal with many unusual extra hazards such as maelströms, the group of islands best known for housing retired types is mosly served by air, and its indiginous workers mostly helicopter to scotland's oil fields)))
a report from Merrill Lynch (they do money) at the start of 2005 warned that every $1 increase in the price of crude oil translates into a $450 million decrease in the airline industry's pretax profits. Assuming crude prices average $51 per barrel during 2005, Merrill predicts a $5 billion loss for the year.
Last week, as Oil topped one of its magic figures,
the american airlines audibly "squeeked". Good for climate change, less planes in the air, good for the environment, less tourists on the blue flag beaches - you agree. Yes.
The Iraq war might have saved the environment yet, good thing they made it history.
Accordingly, France and Germany (coz they do things together) will table the air-levy motion at Gleneagles. Mr chirac said so at a "micro-finance conference" this week in Paris, (this being "micro-finance" year - put it through the search engine).
Interestingly considering the interest Chirac suddenly took in such things, America "as a nation" puts more money into investing in micro-finance then either the UK or France, and would love to offer africans of stable and reforming free market states the chance of fifty pee and help small business owners sell dogs.
(it all comes together)
on account them being the regimes who took over from the Europeans in the immediate aftermath of WW2. At that article you'll read about their meeting at the beginning of the year, and of their Bob Marley concert and stuff.
(they love music).
http://www.africa-union.org/
30,000 african kids will die today.
same as yesterday. the AU want 0.7% of _every_ rich state's budget. = Does Ireland give 0.7%?
It would just be as easy to ask for 0.7% of every rich man's budget or the budget of every richman's company.
Without getting choosey or blessing the rich men, let us look at the % given by Messrs Gates and "where are u now?" Soros. We ought know we are in wicked times of deceit when such men lead the field of private donations, topping some of the wealthiest states in aid.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68211&condense_comments=false#comment113253
In the absence of PM Blair (who has returned to London to be briefed by his namesake Chief Constable Blair of the London Met and other appropriate officials on the bombings which took place 7/7/05) Chirac, the president of France made a statement this evening that the G8 leadership were approaching "concensus" on climate change policy.
Keen readers will recall that a member of the japanese delegation had told a business TV station that his prime minister was very pragmatic on climate change & had instructed japanese workers to stop wearing ties to work instead of upping the air conditioning.
It is hoped & prayer for, by those in venial and mortal sin alike, and even others beyond who follow the holy book of the prophet PBUH that the measures adopted by the G8 (cost 200,000,000$ 90% of which is security for the world's "leadership") will go beyond "loosen your tie at work" advice, which let us be honest, franmk indeed, is rather like the Vatican's approach to AIDS "just abstain from sex".
Mr Chirac flanked Mr Blair with Mr Bush (the president of the USA, bit of a jinx with it, people die wherever he or his team go) earlier on the 7th of july to condemn the bombing of london.
mr Chirac got to sit in the middle of the front row between the Queen of engurland and her husband for the family photo, which just goes to show he's more important than most people think most of the time, perhaps coz they think in english. He has made no further comment on the food/ cuisine of either Engurland or Finland. If you're interested in the food issue use our search engine for either "mrs beaton" (english) or "antoine carame" (french). If you go to work in a hot country with depleting breathable oxygen (like I do) you will have noticed the helpful metro adverts advising you to "not work" or "have a shower" and "drink some water". Unfortuanately such advice is not helpful to over 70% of the world's population who have no "safe potable water" supply. Indeed drinking their water would kill you quicker than doing an average day of their work.