Global Relations Archive
The Right Can Do No Wrong
Posted by jimheck in Global Relations, Kenya, Politics on May 9, 2013
The tenacity of Rightists that so inhibits U.S. progress is becoming true worldwide, and no better example than the imminent diplomatic earthquake over Kenyan leaders’ indictment by the World Court. The phrase is not mine, but Richard Dowden’s, one of the world’s most respected African analysts, Director of Britain’s Royal African Society. Dowden’s brilliant summary [...]
DisMobius Engagement
Posted by jimheck in Economy, Global Relations, Terrorism on April 25, 2013
Last night a prominent African businessman chastised Obama for “disengaging” from Africa, even as American military involvement grows ominously large. Obama as reflecting the “United States” is a curious shadow box of a troubled society. Are we (is Obama?) pulling inwards, constrained (perhaps by Congress?) to few good acts except our own security? Yes to [...]
Give Peace A Chance
Posted by jimheck in "Modern" Africa, Global Relations, Terrorism, War on February 1, 2013
Conflict in Africa is declining, not only relative to the rest of the world, but historically within the continent itself, and a brilliant University of Wisconsin professor has discovered why. The truth is counterintuitive to many Americans whose understanding of Africa comes mostly from the nightly news and America’s very distorted and political travel advisories. [...]
Surge Then Peace?
When’s the last time the U.S. fought a war in a foreign land that ended with a better society and government for those people and greater peace for all the world? Yesterday. But before that, you have to go back to World War II. But yesterday the U.S. officially recognized the existing Somalia government after [...]
Time to Go Home Now
Posted by jimheck in Global Relations, Somalia, Terrorism on December 11, 2012
Hey chums, time to end the war on terror! We successfully pushed it into Africa! And they’ll do much better once we get the boots out. The modern war on terror is like suburbanites trying to eradicate deer and geese. Few homeowners are ever hurt by deer and certainly not by geese, but their gardens [...]
Better Than Democracy
Posted by jimheck in Egypt, Global Relations, Politics on December 3, 2012
What if they don’t want “freedom”? What if they want a benevolent dictator operating in a framework of Sharia law? Is such liberty to be denied? The Egyptian diaspora begins voting on a proposed constitution Saturday. A week later, those in Egypt will vote and within two weeks Egypt will likely have a new constitution. [...]
No More Grains of Rice
Posted by jimheck in Congo, Foreign Aid, Global Relations, Kenya, Politics, Rwanda, Sudan, War on November 30, 2012
Susan Rice’s performance on the Sunday Talk Shows incorrectly explaining the Benghazi attacks is a perfect example of how she has historically allowed political considerations to trump more important foreign policy or human rights considerations in Africa. She’s been acting like this for years. She seems incapable of intricate analysis and quiet diplomacy. She’s no [...]
Kenyan Thoughts on Obama
Posted by jimheck in Global Relations, Kenya, Politics on November 1, 2012
Should Obama lose so he can save the world? A prominent Nairobi commentator argued that if Obama loses the election he can then join past leaders like Clinton to better influence the world. Charles Obbo writing in today’s Daily Nation explained that if Obama wins, the growing conflicts in Iran, Syria and Mali will turn [...]
The Clothes Stink
Posted by jimheck in Global Relations, Politics on October 25, 2012
The U.S. election dominates much of the media of Africa. Should it matter to American voters what a South African diplomat thinks? Does it really matter to a Kenyan businessman if Obama wins or not? Yes and yes, but unfortunately that’s almost beside the point. I for one have become so weary about the election [...]
General Ndugu Obama
Posted by jimheck in Foreign Aid, Global Relations, Terrorism, War on October 19, 2012
Many will be surprised that America has grown increasingly militant in Africa. Because Africa is where most world terrorists now locate, American policy on the continent is defined overwhelmingly by the American War on Terror. Obama’s massive military involvement in Africa is mostly covert, so not readily understood. But the policy is public if difficult [...]
Black Gold
Posted by jimheck in Economy, Environment, Global Relations, History, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda on September 25, 2012
As the U.S. and Europe teeter with their economies their investors are turning to Africa where energy companies are growing rich overnight. Fed up with the failures of austerity in Europe and the even greater failures of politics in the U.S., giant multinationals are directing investment out of their home turfs to Africa. Facilitated especially [...]
High Road and Low Road
Posted by jimheck in Global Relations, Terrorism on September 18, 2012
The French president’s push for foreign military intervention in Mali is a true leftist at work and frames Obama as the centrist he is. French President Francois Hollande’s foreign policy in Africa is nearly identical to Obama, but their methods couldn’t be different. The new socialist president of France is outspoken and quick to act. [...]
Kenya Great But Don’t Go
Posted by jimheck in Global Relations, Kenya, Planning Travel, Somalia, Terrorism on September 7, 2012
Good news in Kenya is causing extreme turbulence and many countries are cautioning their citizens about traveling there, now. It’s heart-wrenching, because Kenya depends so much on tourism. It’s complicated, because the potential for disrupting foreign vacations comes specifically from a series of successes in Kenya’s military operation in Somalia and its growing role in [...]
Sheik Aside
Tuesday’s drive-by killing of the jihadist cleric Aboud Rogo in Kenya marks a small if hopeful turning point in the troubled East African coast. Real evidence will never emerge so we are left to speculation, but blogs, rumors and common sense seem to converge this time: the murder was specifically intended to stoke religious and [...]
Renewing [or not] The Strongman
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Global Relations, History, Politics on August 24, 2012
Last week’s death (unusually of natural causes) of Ethiopia’s strongman Meles Zenawi is an unique opportunity for America to reflect on its impact in East Africa, if not the whole of the developing world. Meles was one of the most ruthless dictators in the world. He was also heavily supported (argue, “propped up”) by the [...]