Re: Defending The Indefensible: Nkrumahism

In a Feature Article of Tuesday, 17 January 2012 entitled above, Philip Kobina Baidoo Jnr argues that Nkrumaism is “Marxism, better known as communism, and euphemistically called socialism”.

He continued that Marxism is “the single worse political and economic ideology.” Philip Kobina Baidoo Jnr even cites foreign examples in support of his argument including the following: “The best the Soviets could offer was the Gulag, which claimed the lives of 20 million of its citizens. The Chinese gave us the Iron Rice Bowl that ensured the murder of 40 million of its nationals when they implemented their communist ideology. The Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot murdered between 1.7 million to 3 million of their fellow countrymen though he had a firsthand knowledge of what was going on in China. Cambodia was a tragedy because the victims of Russia and China were a drop in the ocean regarding their population.”

I contend that Philip Kobina Baidoo Jnr seriously misled us his Readers over “Nkrumaism”.

Nkrumaism is not “Marxism, better known as communism, and euphemistically called socialism.”

Nkrumaism is a distinct African ideology that compares and contrasts with (1) Marxism, (2) Social Reformism, (3) Liberalism and (4) Conservatism, the four main Western ideologies.

Nkrumaism according to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah himself is “Consciencism: philosophy and ideology for de-colonisation and development with particular reference to the African Revolution”.

In "Consciencism” which has five chapters, many ideas and theories are subsumed including the following: ‘socialism remains the same and pure; in application it is realistic and scientific’- scientific socialism, 'class struggle', 'Marxism', ‘Einstein’s theory of relativity’, “the phenomenon of radiation and the wave mechanics of quantum theory”, ‘'materialism', 'idealism', 'unity', 'liberation', 'development', 'Pan African unity', ‘philosophical consciencism’, ‘socialism’, 'dialectics'.

Together these and more all constitute the “thought” of Nkrumaism. This is why Philip Kobina Baidoo Jnr should not REDUCE NKRUMAISM simply to just 'Marxism' which he does not even understand is a major Western ideology. Similarly, it cannot be reduced to just 'class struggle' or just ‘Einstein’s theory of relativity’ or just “the phenomenon of radiation and the wave mechanics of quantum theory”, ‘'materialism' etc. Accordingly, Philip Kobina Baidoo Jnr makes an error in reducing Nkrumaism to Marxism.

I would like Philip Kobina Baidoo Jnr to know the following:

(1) "Consciencism" is the "philosophy and ideology" of Nkrumaism - i.e. philosophical consciencism (philosophy- see chapters 1-2 especially) and consciencism (ideology - see chapters 3 and 4 especially).

(2) "Africa Must Unite" is the politics of Nkrumaism.

(3) “Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism” is the economics of Nkrumaism. Read backwards it covers socialist science namely Lenin first and then Marx. Lenin’s book said imperialism is the last stage of capitalism. Marx wrote Das Kapital which is the best explanation of capitalism there is. Nkrumah built on Lenin saying that neo-colonialism is the last stage of imperialism which Lenin said is the last stage of capitalism which Marx explained and wanted overthrown through class struggle.

So, together, these three books which Nkrumah asks us all to master are the PPE (philosophy, politics and economics) of Nkrumaism.

"The Handbook of Revolutionary Warfare" is an instrument of what I call the PPE of Nkrumaism.

Conclusion It is clear Philip Kobina Baidoo Jnr does not understand Nkrumaism.

Note Christian Agbodza is a member of CPP UK & Ireland. He can be contacted on Kwami_agbodza@yahoo.co.uk. He is a Professor of Consciencism.