The Power of Critical Thinking(lll)

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• francis kwarteng 11 years ago

  African sculpture....graces?
  
  germ, guns, steel...an documentary film by the same name, confirm?
  
  No contraction here again: citing Christianity as a paganistic Greco-Roman religion while simultaneously claiming it owes ...
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  African sculpture....graces?
  
  germ, guns, steel...an documentary film by the same name, confirm?
  
  No contraction here again: citing Christianity as a paganistic Greco-Roman religion while simultaneously claiming it owes its existence to ancient African culture does not represent an explanatory paradox. Ancient Africa laid down the cultural foundation for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, though Roman conquest of North Africa, previously through Greek interaction with ancient Africa, brought her in contact with these seminal cosmogonic ideas of Africa.
  
  These African ideas ended up in the hand of the Catholic Church (Romans/Italians). The Orisis Myth (Osiris, Horus, and Isis) has been shown to be the foundation of Trinity. Moreover, the Black Madonna, composed of Christ (Egyptian Horus) and Mary (Egyptian Isis), came in black sculptures.
  
  The mother-child sculpure (representing Jesus/Mary or Isis/Horus)found in the world from Asia (Russia, etc) to Europe are black. For additional information, see Ivan Van Sertima's "African Presence in Early Asia."
  
  For those who want to now more about African roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, please watch the following:
  
  1) www.youtube.com/watch?v=24KYINdqG-A
  
  2)www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NUBotVtUoU
  
  Those interested in serious academic discussion about these questions can contact me at (franciskkwarteng@yahoo.com).
  
  Overlook errors.
  
  Thanks.

  reply
• insight to the bone 11 years ago

  2000 years of Akan glorious history can not be replace by 50 just because ndc , nkrumah pepeni and ayigbe criminals say so or want it so. Today i listen to my psalms , hymns and war songs by bob marley and 2pac just like Davi ...
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  2000 years of Akan glorious history can not be replace by 50 just because ndc , nkrumah pepeni and ayigbe criminals say so or want it so. Today i listen to my psalms , hymns and war songs by bob marley and 2pac just like David who composed for the Isrealis so remain inspired. i look out of my window and count myself blessed that i have not fallen prey to these fake prophets and priests whose only aim is to collect collection more than 10 times during a service but have the clarity of mind to meditate alone and offer thanks to God. What ever they say i know its the opposite , if they say look right you better quickly closely observe whats happening on the left. the say the economy is grown then you must know its a disaster , they say they are working on fixing the economy , know for sure they are only stealing , infighting now they have marginalized all influence of the Akans the pepeni and ayigbe crminals are now looking to eliminate each other , they say they have found new investors know they have discovered new ways to exploit and channel our money away. they say our women are short and ugly but look at the stinking rats and vulture they can women in their tribes and you you will know ours are the most beautiful in the world . they say they want cooperation but they are only looking to rubbish or steal good projects . they say they want the well-being of the ordinary man but in reality they only want to line their pockets with money and push the Akan further into poverty . they say they want an all inclusive govt but know they just want cement northern and ayigbe domination with their slave tribes like the Gas and some foolish brainwashed brongs , ashantis , fantis assisting them. they say they are evaluating ministers and other appointees but it is now a battle between the ayigbe and the pepeni to reduce the number of ayigbe since the Akans are all already irrelevant in their govt although we are the majority in this land . everywhere you go you find pepeni vultures looking over the carcass of Ghana and tearing out the flesh of wealth for their own greedy selfish selves . they are comfortable now as the critical mass of the people still think things will get better little do they know its beyond repair and can only be remedied with an organized uprising of the Akan. the npp seems to be cleaning house and thanks to ken agyapong most likely true fighters will emerge who will not throw in the towel like nana addo did just before the true battle starts due to cowardice. yes we are ready and will never surrender to these thieves and criminals , long live the republic of Akan

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• abra kuma 11 years ago

  Dear insight to the bone:
  It would seem an oversight occurred here on your part and you lost sight of the theme of the essay entitled "The Power of Critical Thinking III" because I cannot for the love of me or of you see the ...
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  Dear insight to the bone:
  It would seem an oversight occurred here on your part and you lost sight of the theme of the essay entitled "The Power of Critical Thinking III" because I cannot for the love of me or of you see the relevance of your scathing response and therefore it becomes apparent you possess no insight, let alone one that goes right to the bone! Definitely, you must have been looking 'left' when you might also have checked what was on the 'right' hand side; no doubt, you might not have been so blindsided by hatred for fellow Ghanaians. One Love!

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• Kwesi Atta Sakyi 11 years ago

  Francis, this is one essay too much with too many issues raised in one essay. Where is your theme or focus? You should have clearly defined core concepts like Euroentricity and Afrocentricity. Your essay provides food for tho ...
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  Francis, this is one essay too much with too many issues raised in one essay. Where is your theme or focus? You should have clearly defined core concepts like Euroentricity and Afrocentricity. Your essay provides food for thought as it shares knowledge. The Caucasian epistemological foundation is shaky because they preach seeking the truth and practise deception, violence, oppression and subterfuge because they think they are superior. They lack moral and spiritual correctness bcos of materialism.

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• francis kwarteng 11 years ago

  Hello Brother Sakyi,
  
  I did not define them, Afrocentricity and Eurocentrism, here because I have written extensively about them on Ghanaweb.
  
  But I do think the last but one paragraph (Jerome H. Schiele) descriptively d ...
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  Hello Brother Sakyi,
  
  I did not define them, Afrocentricity and Eurocentrism, here because I have written extensively about them on Ghanaweb.
  
  But I do think the last but one paragraph (Jerome H. Schiele) descriptively deals with them in a more general sense.
  
  Anyway, I shall do well to define comprehensively in future essays. That said, the last two paragraphs of your comment summarises my essay in both analytic and philosphical precision.
  
  Finally, the part where I used "Caucasians" should have been "non-Caucasians" and the part beginning with Nicolas Sarkozy was not constructed properly. But your summary indicates to me you did not find that troubling.
  
  Thanks.

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• Kojo T 11 years ago

  Francis , it was too long. The good thing is it is Sunday so we can read. However like Sekyi said keep it to one theme at a time. Keep up the good work

  Francis , it was too long. The good thing is it is Sunday so we can read. However like Sekyi said keep it to one theme at a time. Keep up the good work

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• francis kwarteng 11 years ago

  Dear Brother Kojo T,
  
  Thanks. Advicewell taken.
  
  Thanks.

  Dear Brother Kojo T,
  
  Thanks. Advicewell taken.
  
  Thanks.

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• Appletus 11 years ago

  Remember, Kwasi Atta Sakyi, that Francis is and has been doing a series on this.
  You might have missed the theme and focus if you are a first timer on this issue.

  Remember, Kwasi Atta Sakyi, that Francis is and has been doing a series on this.
  You might have missed the theme and focus if you are a first timer on this issue.

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• Terry 11 years ago

  Francis' essay on critical thinking as one of Afrocentric weapons against Eurocentric misinformation and revision of history is a master piece. His argumentative skill,logic and moral reasoning are compelling to assess the c ...
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  Francis' essay on critical thinking as one of Afrocentric weapons against Eurocentric misinformation and revision of history is a master piece. His argumentative skill,logic and moral reasoning are compelling to assess the credibility of Eurocentricism especially its use of psychological, social and cultural bias to imped the freedom of clear thinking of the African in our multi national world in order to retain their undue advantage.
  
  The truth of the matter is that there is nothing to fear from multiculturalism and people must feel at ease with the rich tapestry of human life and desire amongst people to express their identity in a manner they see fit. Hence the need to deconstruct the west stereotype of Black people because the construction of Black identity seldom come from self identification, but are more derived from the depictions created and endorsed by Western definitions of Africa and the Diaspora.
  
  These stereotypes depict Blacks as intellectually inferior, have no history and have not contributed to world civilization past and present contrary to the evidence that Africa was the cradle of human civilization. But what is most important is that Blacks buy into these impressions that cause systematic self-destructive tendencies such as inferiority complex, lack of enthusiasm in education, and economic despair. In order for African and Black communities to be empowered so as to begin to dismantle the economic, social, political, and cultural structures built through this mis-education,
  Africans and Blacks of Arican ancestry must begin to challenge these concepts through critical thinking as set out by by Afrocentric pedagogy and epistemiology.
  
  The African Union and people of African descent must make the study of some of these important African and Black concepts like Afrocentric ideas and principles and Nkrumaism as part of the National Curriculum which can be analyzed and delivered to our institutions of learning. Afrocentric concepts can work to invigorate Black youth's enthusiasm for education, tailoring individuals and groups to take control of their agency and self esteem.More so it will free them from their mental condition of subservience to eurocentric authority and stereotype.

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• Nii Ashitey 11 years ago

  Correction the author is Nii Ashitey.My son used the computer before me hence the mistake.

  Correction the author is Nii Ashitey.My son used the computer before me hence the mistake.

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• kosoko 11 years ago

  Bravo! As usual, it's very erudite, insightful and informative. I would like to comment on the "female genital mutilation" bit. If you think about it, the term sound stupid. Bishop Sarong once asked "who would institutionaliz ...
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  Bravo! As usual, it's very erudite, insightful and informative. I would like to comment on the "female genital mutilation" bit. If you think about it, the term sound stupid. Bishop Sarong once asked "who would institutionalized the 'mutilation' of his daughter's sexual organ? My problem is why is male incision not a problem to the white scholars? But the female is? Are the two not incision? I think they are up to something mischief rather than just philosophical disapproval of it. This amongst other things is giving rise to unnecessary feminism in Africa these days. They only want our women to rise against us in order to breakdown our marriages in order that the family units will break down as they have done to African Americans to exert more power on us than they have now in our own land. My own philosophy is that if one wants real information or the truth about the African or any other 'culture', the best way is to research from the opposite side of the Eurocentric premise. Well done keep on informing us. We appreciate your effort in this endeavor.

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• francis kwarteng 11 years ago

  Hello Readers,
  
  Let's take note of these surprising facts (I forget to include these facts in the essay because I had so many subjects to cover in one piece):
  
  Please do read more about "METZITZAH B'PEH," a Jewish ritual ...
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  Hello Readers,
  
  Let's take note of these surprising facts (I forget to include these facts in the essay because I had so many subjects to cover in one piece):
  
  Please do read more about "METZITZAH B'PEH," a Jewish ritual where a circumciser (a Mohel), usually a Rabbi, uses his mouth to literally suck blood from a newly circumscised penis.
  
  The fact is that only some in the Unltra-Orthodox Jewish community practice this. Reform (Liberal, Progressive), Conservative, Reconstructive, Karaite, and Humanistic Jews don't recognize this mouth blood-sucking circumcision practice.
  
  Neither do the "Samaritans" in present-day West Bank/Holon (Mount Gerizim/Tel Aviv). Another Jewish community called "Jewish Renewal" alss don't practice or recognize this mouth blood-sucking ritual.
  
  What am I saying? I am saying that the rest of the world (99.999%) do not practice this mouth blood-sucking circumcision. Again, 99.999% of the Jewish community do not do it.
  
  Thus, we see how circumcision, both male and female, a gift from ancient African to the world took on different forms as it spread outside Africa. Please as you read them compare
  
  Compare New Guinea's "ritual homosexuality" and the Jewish "Metzitzah B'Peh." Scholars refer to "Metzitzah B'Peh" as a "homosexual-pedophile practice." How different are they culturally?
  
  Please read the following links (and watch the video accompanying them):
  
  1)en.metapedia.org/wiki/Metzitzah_b'peh
  
  2) abcnews.go.com/Health/herpes-strikes-nyc-babies-ritual-circumcisions/story?id=18890284
  
  2)www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/metzitzah-bpeh-blood-sucking-jewish-circumcision-ritual-debated-by-nyc-mayoral-candidates-video_n_3360526.html
  
  Finally, Kosovo's remarks on "female genital mutilation" are in order. It's why I put "female genital mutilation" in inverted commas in order to acknowledge informally the moral and political controversies surrounding the practice.
  
  There is more about cultural and moral relativism I wish I could discuss here but I hope these few examples suffice.
  
  Overlook my errors.
  
  Thanks.

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• Appletus 11 years ago

  Francis is gradually carving a niche for himself around this delicate but complicated topic.
  I have enjoyed reading it beacsue it has been very informative.
  There is a link to racism what Francis has been advocating for. Ta ...
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  Francis is gradually carving a niche for himself around this delicate but complicated topic.
  I have enjoyed reading it beacsue it has been very informative.
  There is a link to racism what Francis has been advocating for. Take a look at Trayvon Martin's case and quite recently Jordan's whose killer was sentenced to just 75 years in jail term.
  The two cases sort of legitimized the killing of black folks in the name of some "stand your ground law?"
  The whole trial smack of minority vs majority, white vs black, superiority vs inferiority,
  So that, the whole stand your ground law in the State of Florida is racially tainted to say the least.
  But that is what goes on in some portions of America where individuals believe they belong better than others in this melting pot of cultures.
  Whereever they would have ill gotten this idea of superiority is what Francis Kwarteng wants us to know and work toward conscientiously to, if we can, reverse the status quo. Whether that is possible is a herculean task to accomplish.
  Some even believe that Caucasians are more intelligent than the black folks
  If you haven't experienced that take a class, sit in a class and you need patience to forge ahead and make good grades. Nothing is so frustrating when in class you participate vigorously and write quality logical term papers only to be graded down as compared to your colleagues Caucasians who seldom string together and make any sense in their papers.
  That is the stark reality and blacks will have to live with it until some change come our way.
  Honestly, USA is even more accommodating because of their history than some of these European countries that still practice and look very down on the black.
  Thank you again, Francis for this academic discourse.

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• francis kwarteng 11 years ago

  Hello Appletus,
  
  Thanks for your insightful remarks. Let me give another example: One of my kid brothers took a philosophy class at Lehman College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, and got a C for a ...
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  Hello Appletus,
  
  Thanks for your insightful remarks. Let me give another example: One of my kid brothers took a philosophy class at Lehman College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, and got a C for a term paper. He then approached his white professor to find out how a good essay such as his should earn a C.
  
  I had read the paper before he submitted and gave him an A. But his white professor after listening to him said he was not Socrates. I then asked my brother to go and show the head of the philosphy department his paper. The issue was thoroughly investigated after which he was an A.
  
  Some of my future will cover my own experiences in the American classroom.
  
  Thanks Appletus.

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• kosoko 11 years ago

  Brother, I studied in Europe so I know the feeling! They do these manufactured grading based on color to get future manufactured statistics justify their brutality and justification

  Brother, I studied in Europe so I know the feeling! They do these manufactured grading based on color to get future manufactured statistics justify their brutality and justification

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• kosoko 11 years ago

  Brother, I studied in Europe so I know the feeling! They do these manufactured grading based on color to get future manufactured statistics to justify their brutality and discrimination. Don't forget about the Bell Curve!

  Brother, I studied in Europe so I know the feeling! They do these manufactured grading based on color to get future manufactured statistics to justify their brutality and discrimination. Don't forget about the Bell Curve!

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• princewilly@ymail.com 11 years ago

  Woman:
  Do you drink beer?
  
  Man: Yes.
  
  Woman:
  How many beers a day?
  
  Man:
  Usually about 3.
  
  Woman:
  How much do you pay per beer?
  
  Man: $5.00 which includes a tip.
  
  (This is where it gets scary!)
  
  W ...
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  Woman:
  Do you drink beer?
  
  Man: Yes.
  
  Woman:
  How many beers a day?
  
  Man:
  Usually about 3.
  
  Woman:
  How much do you pay per beer?
  
  Man: $5.00 which includes a tip.
  
  (This is where it gets scary!)
  
  Woman:
  And how long have you been drinking?
  
  Man:
  About 20 years, I suppose.
  
  Woman:
  So a beer costs $5 and you have 3 beers a day which puts your spending each
  month at $450. In one year, it would be approximately $5400 …correct?
  
  Man:
  Correct.
  
  Woman:
  If in 1 year you spend $5400, not accounting for inflation, the past
  20 years puts your spending at $108,000, correct?
  
  Man:
  Correct.
  
  Woman:
  Do you know that if you didn’t drink so much beer, that money could have
  been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting
  for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought a
  Ferrari?
  
  Man:
  Do you drink beer?
  
  Woman:
  No.
  
  Man:
  Where’s your Ferrari?

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• kosoko 11 years ago

  Lo!

  Lo!

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• Kojo T 11 years ago

  I read your comments on Keta . So how do you know the Tabikas and the rest? You must be around 60. Sure the place was full of life and business was brisk .Expect an email from me soon

  I read your comments on Keta . So how do you know the Tabikas and the rest? You must be around 60. Sure the place was full of life and business was brisk .Expect an email from me soon

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• princewilly@ymail.com 11 years ago

  I was born in the Army Barracks in Takoradi.My great grand aunt was married to Dzokoto.I knew all the Tabikas including the old man.
  Dr victor Dzokoto of vicom clinic in Dansoman is my uncle.

  I was born in the Army Barracks in Takoradi.My great grand aunt was married to Dzokoto.I knew all the Tabikas including the old man.
  Dr victor Dzokoto of vicom clinic in Dansoman is my uncle.

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• abra kuma 11 years ago

  “....with the economic, scientific, political, and technological ascension of Japan in world affairs, the West no longer refers to Shintoism as “animism,” a nomenclature the West arrogantly and ignorantly accorded Shint ...
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  “....with the economic, scientific, political, and technological ascension of Japan in world affairs, the West no longer refers to Shintoism as “animism,” a nomenclature the West arrogantly and ignorantly accorded Shintoism at the height of its imperial power.”
  
  Given that our historians, political scientists, economists, sociologists and anthropologists have repeatedly researched and found the West wanting in its attitude and policies towards Africa; indeed, in spite of Eurocentric leaders like France’s Sarkozy, and Pat Buchanan of the US, it is imperative that our leaders - particularly those from currently booming economies - at last take a good and honest inward look at themselves. It behooves us in Ghana to decolonize our minds, to stop copying Western policies simply because "it is made for the West by the West, therefore it must be good" without forethought to the already-documented negative repercussions that exist,and to desist from corrupt practices which will inevitably impact even those they seek to protect in their acts of corruption.
  
  We must think critically about the way forward, recognize the value of Afrocentric teaching, and embrace it fearlessly – we have leverage because we have the resources the West wants. They cannot survive without us, not without our melanin, our human resources - manpower and others - not to mention our natural resources. Let’s get smart in our thoughts and actions; that will help us create a vision for Ghana’s genuine unification and social and economic development “in order to restore dignity and respect” to our persons. That’s how they have always done it, - made themselves their number one priority. So what’s wrong with we doing that?

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