A well fed slave or a free hungry person; What will you choose?

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SARPONG 11 years ago

Peter, I think you have so far done a better article about Nkrumah done all of us whether for him or against by putting up two scenarios where each one of us can place ourselves.

I for instance will place myself as willing ...
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Peter, I think you have so far done a better article about Nkrumah done all of us whether for him or against by putting up two scenarios where each one of us can place ourselves.

I for instance will place myself as willing to live in the midst of hunger and having my freedom because I cherish my God giving rights and liberty and not willing to exchange it for a bowl of porridge.

Even if you wanted to be a slave in exchange for plenty as your history of Nkrumah's government showed, your option was non-existent because there was no land of plenty during the later part of Nkrumah's dictatorship.
insight to the bone 11 years ago

some people from the ndc when they hear the truth about their genocide and racist tribalism go into a stupefied frenzy foaming at the mouth thinking that will make their lies and propaganda true . The fact remain the Akans ar ...
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some people from the ndc when they hear the truth about their genocide and racist tribalism go into a stupefied frenzy foaming at the mouth thinking that will make their lies and propaganda true . The fact remain the Akans are being systematically denied their rights in their own land , being robbed in broad daylight by this mafia stealing ndc . they even tried to corrupt our morals by forcing down our throats so called sodomy and homosexuality by all surveys prove 98% of the people are firm and steadfastly against such perverse corrupt behavior . the days of the ndc are over but they dont see it , they will not get even 5% of the vote as its now clear to all what their true agenda has always been . The anti Akan mission has failed and we stand stronger than ever before .yes they say anyone who speaks up is illiterate but i say we have gone to the school of hard knocks and graduated from the university of bullshit , right now i am writing my doctorate thesis on the correlation of the female ass shape and the frustration of the people . we see the diverse beauty and fine proportional shape of the Akan woman and compare it to the ugly stinking disproportion of the ayigbe , ga , and pepeni females . We understand the Europeans whose women have bodies with no shape like teenage boys so recognize their inability to differentiate between the sexes and insist that sodomy or gay is right . but for them to come again and misbehave with their cheating bullying and mobbing mentality today is too much, look at even their embassies , almost all of them have walls higher than Jericho or are designed like military bases to keep our people out , i wonder why they even come , we should encourage them to close this offices of oppression and leave , their people are welcome to come but these politicians and their servants are not . in europe towns with less than 100,000 population have consulates opened but here they all herd up in Accra and talk shit with this EPA, what a nerve , we should cut off their balls and feed it to them . in the meantime after blaming some poor Akan man for the last Turkey/ Iran gold scandal we see now who the real culprits are . Pepeni kwasea himself is putting our gold there as he knows for sure the revolution is coming and he plans to run off to his Islamic criminal brothers .Yes we shall establish a new state based on freedom , equality and justice for all .This idea of reconciliation has denied true justice and all countries that went down that path have only regretted . The Jews didnt accept reconciliation rather up to today hunt down the Nazi criminals , we should deal with jj fake revolutionaries the same way and arrest all of them as a lesson to future generations that crime does not pay no matter the ideology its wrapped in . we see today big men from the ndc trying to cut deals with the npp in secret but we shall never forgive them and make sure they feel the full force of Akan law . their days are numbered , we have defeated them in their propaganda war and now we shall dismantle all their evil
Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK 11 years ago

Happy Easter SARPONG. For me it's not choosing between one or the other because life is not simply about either A or B but very complex and most likely to comprise elements of both. For example, often Ghana is compared to som ...
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Happy Easter SARPONG. For me it's not choosing between one or the other because life is not simply about either A or B but very complex and most likely to comprise elements of both. For example, often Ghana is compared to some of the Asian Tiger states such as Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, etc. These states developed not through what we can call as democracies but through democratic dictatorships. Again, these types of governments were reasonably acceptable in those days.

I must admit that some of the measures Nkrumah instituted were uncalled for but in other cases he was compelled to. This is not blame others for his dictatorial tendencies but to keep the state together and to implement his development programmes.

I am not sure any Ghanaian who benefited from Nkrumah's development such as free education given the choice would say that they would have preferred to have been illiterate or uneducated to having free education and live in a democratic country. As the saying goes, if education is expensive, try ignorance.

I am also sure that if Nkrumah were to be alive today, he would admit that his form of government would be unacceptable to Ghanaians today and would not have contemplated implementing those decisions today.

The question of whether Nkrumah's overthrow was good or not could be best answered by asking whether that ended dictatorships in Ghana and improved the lot of Ghanaians as a whole and the answer is not? The democracy being practised in Ghana today is not because of Nkrumah's overthrow but the global geopolitical change (the end of the cold war, the demise of the communist bloc and apartheid and the supposedly new world order).

Peter, I cannot read and write Akan though I am Akan but are you sure that "Mate me ho" means reformers? I thought it meant "separatists".
Kojo T 11 years ago

But what is De facto as opposed to de jure. In any case Sarpong will defend his choice. How can there be a democarcy among illiterates and hungry people.It is not a question of choice. Where we are today is a direct result of ...
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But what is De facto as opposed to de jure. In any case Sarpong will defend his choice. How can there be a democarcy among illiterates and hungry people.It is not a question of choice. Where we are today is a direct result of the great foundation he laid
kwadwo. 11 years ago

Were the people starving before the advent of Nkrumah? How much foreign reserves did we have when Nkrumah was elected, and how much did we have before he was overthrown? He inherited a prosperous country and bankrupted it bec ...
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Were the people starving before the advent of Nkrumah? How much foreign reserves did we have when Nkrumah was elected, and how much did we have before he was overthrown? He inherited a prosperous country and bankrupted it because of his communist and pan African dreams and we are yet to recover from his political adventures. Should we thank Nkrumah for using our own money to build schools? Folks, Nigerians did not have Nkrumah, but they are equally educated like us.
SARPONG 11 years ago

Kwadwo, the Nkrumah acolytes are brainwashed their brains are like caked cement, nothing can penetrate it for them to use it because they have been programmed like robots and will parrot the same idiocy irrespective of the e ...
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Kwadwo, the Nkrumah acolytes are brainwashed their brains are like caked cement, nothing can penetrate it for them to use it because they have been programmed like robots and will parrot the same idiocy irrespective of the evidence.
GHFUO, be serious & change ur MENtali 11 years ago

WHO SHOULD BE IMPRISONED, RALLY THE MASSES FOR SELF GOVT, SACRIFICE HIS LIFE FOR THESAKE OF GH INDEPENDENCE. FOR OTHER BACKSTABBIING BUFOONS TO COME AND RETRACT US BACK TO INDIRECT SLAVERY OR NEOCOLONIALISM? IM NOT IN FAVOR O ...
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WHO SHOULD BE IMPRISONED, RALLY THE MASSES FOR SELF GOVT, SACRIFICE HIS LIFE FOR THESAKE OF GH INDEPENDENCE. FOR OTHER BACKSTABBIING BUFOONS TO COME AND RETRACT US BACK TO INDIRECT SLAVERY OR NEOCOLONIALISM? IM NOT IN FAVOR OF DICTATORSHIPS SIMPLY BECOS IM A DIEHARD LIBERAL. HOWEVER, GIVEN WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE TIME IN GH. PRESSURE FROM SEPERATISTS, OUTSIDE INFLUENCE ETC, PERHAPS NKRUMAH WAS JUSTIFIED IN WHAT HE DID. HISTORY HAS SHOWN THAT THIS TYPE OF DICTATORSHIP PRACTICED ESPECIALLY IN CUBA, CHINA, CERTAIN ASIAN NATIONS ETC HAVE REALISED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. THERE IS NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE, AND PERHAPS THE COUP WAS A DIRECT PUNCHBACK OF NKRUMAH'S RADICAL POLICIES OF PRESIDENT FOR LIFE. I DONT KNOW WHAT HIS INTENTIONS WERE,BUT HEY. IF NKRUMAH'S HATERS WERE OKAY WITH THE BRITISH MONARCHY' POSSIBLE LORDSHIP OVER GH FOR ALL THESE YRS.. WHY WERENT THEY SATISFIED WITH NKRUMAH BEING A POLITICAL DESPOT FOR LIFE?
LOOK AT CHINA AND SOME OF THESE SO CALLED 1 PARTY STATE NATIONS IN ASIA WHO ATTAINED INDEPENDCE, THE SAME TIME AS GH. LOOK AT THE STRENGTH OF THEIR ECONOMIES TODAY? HOW MANY GH PPL WOULD WANT TO BE CITIZENS OF SUCH NATIONS? HAD I KNOWN SYNDROME IS DEFINITELY AT PLAY HERE,IF YOU ASK ME.
MINOR CASE 11 years ago

I call them Nkrumahist automatons.

I call them Nkrumahist automatons.
SARPONG 11 years ago

Kofi, analyze the two scenerios the Author presented and you will come to realize that it is based on those two scenerios that separate the Nkrumah supporters and those against Nkrumah.

For those of us who are not Nkrumah ...
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Kofi, analyze the two scenerios the Author presented and you will come to realize that it is based on those two scenerios that separate the Nkrumah supporters and those against Nkrumah.

For those of us who are not Nkrumah supporters, we will choose liberty over slavery in exchange for milk.

Yesin life, we are always forced to make choices everyday and we do so it is about our political support.
kwadwo. 11 years ago

With Liberty, my cocoa farmer would have educated me.Nkrumah was doomed as a dictator.

With Liberty, my cocoa farmer would have educated me.Nkrumah was doomed as a dictator.

kwadwo. 11 years ago

It should read" my cocoa father farmer"

It should read" my cocoa father farmer"
Moses Larry-Japan 11 years ago

Very Good article, Good job mr Peter!

Very Good article, Good job mr Peter!
ELINAM 11 years ago

Those who drove KN out could not match him with ideas. Go ask them why they have to burn his books. I thought they claimed they're intellectuals, and how could educated ppl burn books.
What dictatorship has to do with sabota ...
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Those who drove KN out could not match him with ideas. Go ask them why they have to burn his books. I thought they claimed they're intellectuals, and how could educated ppl burn books.
What dictatorship has to do with sabotaging silos for post harvest surpluses? Or was silos new word for socialism?
KN wrote books to make his argument and predicted how we would be neocolonized and reduced to a state of destitute and it came to pass.
Ask why the fake intellectuals could not write a single book to buttress their claim of how we could develop under this new dispensation?.

The last time a whole library was touched to deny the black man knowledge for ever was two thousand years ago when one barbarian named Alexander of Macedonia rode into ancient Egypt and razed down over ten thousand years of knowledge compiled by the black man. The barbarian was latter honored "the great" by the anti-Africa powers for destroying the largest library any man had put together.
Those who got paid for been traitors are nothing but self-serving anti-Africa coons.

I also went by my middle school in Tema in 2000 and found out that the water closet that we had during my days were turned into KVIP. That is not progress. One move from KVIP to WC and not the other way round, and the huge pavilion that served as an assembly hall and a shade was torn down as no one could repair it.

I'd rather be a civilized person under KN than be an animal under lazy coons who lack all knowledge and rather prefer whites to feed us.
KWAJO KUSI 11 years ago

So so sad, so we called Ghana after KN as freedom country....and that KN was going to make us well fed slaves---My question to anti KN supporters is "why is it that for more than 40+yrs of overthrowing KN we are still a natio ...
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So so sad, so we called Ghana after KN as freedom country....and that KN was going to make us well fed slaves---My question to anti KN supporters is "why is it that for more than 40+yrs of overthrowing KN we are still a nation of beggers. Are we really really free hungry people, or we are just hungry slaves of no need to our slave masters". For Ghana/Africa to develop, we need to start applying critical thinking and stop feeding on western propaganda. Finally I want the anti KN supporters to tell me what country has made it to a developed level, socio-politico economics advancement, and can say that such country went throughout their struggles to be where they are without her citizens loosing any of their so called God given rights. Even America which claims to be the vanguard of human rights, gave less right to African Americans compared to Ghanaian's during KN's last two years in power. The sad story is that, we still continue to believe everything the White-man tells us. This explains why the continent of Africa still remains in darkness. These very people that we listen to had committed some of the worst atrocities against humankind and still continues.---Well so called hungry freemen; the Chinese are buying your country, and we shall see what kind of freedom you will be left with--Truly may God open our minds. Africans MUST WAKE UP!!!
John Musah 11 years ago

Who is this Casely Hayford? What does he know about Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah? Without Kwame Nkrumah, there would be no Ghana as we know it. If he hates Kwame Nkrumah so much, let him return to the colonial period and consor ...
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Who is this Casely Hayford? What does he know about Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah? Without Kwame Nkrumah, there would be no Ghana as we know it. If he hates Kwame Nkrumah so much, let him return to the colonial period and consort with his imperialist friends.
Kwame Nkrumah is the greatest, the Feb. 1966 coup was unnecessary, and an imperialist strategy to stop Kwame Nkrumah from developing Ghana and Africa.
Ghanaba 11 years ago

If in the light of Nkrumah's undeniable excesses which you have so correctly tabulated, are you saying that you wished you had grownup an uneducated person in the slum without the high school you attended, and that you are so ...
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If in the light of Nkrumah's undeniable excesses which you have so correctly tabulated, are you saying that you wished you had grownup an uneducated person in the slum without the high school you attended, and that you are sorry Nkrumah made you into the educated enlightened man with an intellectual capacity to criticise him? Yours is the tragedy of Prosperos' Caliban in Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST. That is why we are now well-fed horses in royal stables
Kojo T 11 years ago

Just stop the debate and make Ghana a Pan African " Mecca" . You can exclude Sarpong and the Okoampas

Just stop the debate and make Ghana a Pan African " Mecca" . You can exclude Sarpong and the Okoampas
Kululu 11 years ago

what is freedom for a hungry man who is unable to feed himself or decide on his own destiny? A free but hungry man end up living like a prostitute. Like the hen, it would blindly follow who ever can offer it a grain of corn a ...
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what is freedom for a hungry man who is unable to feed himself or decide on his own destiny? A free but hungry man end up living like a prostitute. Like the hen, it would blindly follow who ever can offer it a grain of corn and thus would one day end up miserably. Freedom in any case is a state of mind, it is not real on this earth.There is no 'free' something anywhere. If one labor in slavery knowing that you would be well fed in the end, it means one would be recognized and be rewarded for ones labor.It means you know where your labors and toils would end up, a future and a goal. democracy is a nice 'dress' but doesn't fit everybody in the same way. Family units are not democratic after all but steady. compare having different fathers in life, good and bad ones, to the stability of a home with a father whose actions is predictable.
Tina 11 years ago

Not all of us are as hopeless as you.
Act and think like a REAL man.
You are just like the politicians in Npp and Ndc who will sell their soul and children for their OWN comfort.
Mercy on u.

Not all of us are as hopeless as you.
Act and think like a REAL man.
You are just like the politicians in Npp and Ndc who will sell their soul and children for their OWN comfort.
Mercy on u.
Kululu 11 years ago

Mr Tina,You can only insult because you cos dirty oil is leaking from somewhere into your brains. Idont blame you for hiding behind a female name. Get your brains back and make your own opinion on the subject. if you think y ...
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Mr Tina,You can only insult because you cos dirty oil is leaking from somewhere into your brains. Idont blame you for hiding behind a female name. Get your brains back and make your own opinion on the subject. if you think you are better off a free but hungry man, who cares.

Tina 11 years ago

Pathetic African man.

Pathetic African man.
Kululu 11 years ago

get your brains back, Tina, or cry your own cry. what is pathetic about saying what i think.Do you want me to think what you think? you are a fool to think that way. You are rather pathetic. Go see psychiatrist brain fellow.

get your brains back, Tina, or cry your own cry. what is pathetic about saying what i think.Do you want me to think what you think? you are a fool to think that way. You are rather pathetic. Go see psychiatrist brain fellow.
GHFUO, be serious & change ur MENtali 11 years ago

PERSONALLY, I WOULD RATHER DIE ON MY FEET THAN DIE ON MY KNEES. YOU KNOW WHY? BECOS, U CAN CONNIVE AND ACT TACITURN BY LIVING AND SURVIVING OFF YOUR KNEES. THIS IS WHAT SLAVERY AND COLONIAL RULE WAS ABOUT. HOWEVER, BE PREPARE ...
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PERSONALLY, I WOULD RATHER DIE ON MY FEET THAN DIE ON MY KNEES. YOU KNOW WHY? BECOS, U CAN CONNIVE AND ACT TACITURN BY LIVING AND SURVIVING OFF YOUR KNEES. THIS IS WHAT SLAVERY AND COLONIAL RULE WAS ABOUT. HOWEVER, BE PREPARED TO ALSO DIE AT A MOMENTS NOTICE. IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, ALL UR YESSA MASSA BULLSHIT WILL BE REPAID WITH MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT. I WOULD RATHER GO OUT GUN BLAZING THAN TO LIVE AND DIE LATER.
GHFUO, be serious & change ur MENtali 11 years ago

WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT UR MASSA WILL CONTINUE TO FEED UR LAZY BELLY FOREVER? IS UR MASSA NOT JUST AS HUMAN AS YOU ARE? IF HE IS JUST AS HUMAN AS YOU ARE, THEN REALISE THAT PROMISES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN. SO DONT PUT ALL UR ...
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WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT UR MASSA WILL CONTINUE TO FEED UR LAZY BELLY FOREVER? IS UR MASSA NOT JUST AS HUMAN AS YOU ARE? IF HE IS JUST AS HUMAN AS YOU ARE, THEN REALISE THAT PROMISES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN. SO DONT PUT ALL UR EGGS AND TRUST IN UR MASSA. WHO DO YOU EXPECT UR MASSA TO TRUST?
FREEDOM IS RELATIVE. IF YOU ARE TRULY FREE IN ACTIONS AND IN THOUGHT. YOU HAVE THE LIBERTY TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. IF YOU CHOOSE TO SELL UR PUSSY OR ASSHOLE FOR MONEY TO FEED YOUSELF, THEN SO BE IT. U ALSO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO ENGAGE IN OTHER FORMS BUSINESS. BEING UNDER SOMEONE'S LORDSHIP RETRICTS YOUR ABILITY TO THINK FOR YOURSELF.
KULU, U SEE THE EXAMPLE YOU CITED IN THE HEN? WELL, THAT IS YOUR TICKET RIGHT THERE. GH HAS 2 CHOICES ON THIS EPA ISSUE. WE CAN CHOOSE TO ACT LIKE THE HEN AND BE READY TO SOLICIT GRAIN FROM OUR EU MASTERS. THE SAME EU MASTERS WHO HAVE ISSUES WITH THEIR EURO. OR, GH CAN CHOOSE TO BE THE INDEPNDNT HEN AND CRAFT A SUSTAINABLE FORM OF FEEDING PROGRAM FOR ITSELF. U SEEM TO BE CONTRADICTING YOURSELF, KULU.CITS LIKE BEING A KID RELYING ON UR PARENTS FOR FOOD EVERYDAY. OR BEING AN ADULT AND HAVING TO FEND FOR YOURSELF. AS A KID, YOU DONT HAVE A CHOICE WHAT YOU EAT. AS AN ADULT, U HAVE A CHOICE. WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFER, KULU?
kululu 11 years ago

Those who read my comments took it literally than relate it to the subject of the article. All I was trying to say is, I prefer Nkrumah's dictatorship with all the good and vision it holds for our country to our corrupt democ ...
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Those who read my comments took it literally than relate it to the subject of the article. All I was trying to say is, I prefer Nkrumah's dictatorship with all the good and vision it holds for our country to our corrupt democratic regimes which has taken us nowhere in development. Its unfortunate people didn't understand me this way. I don't think the article is directly asking people to chose between freedom and slavery.
Spiky 11 years ago

Hume was right. There are those who don't want freedom, and that is why there are slaves; mind you, not forced- slaves but those who want to be slaves because they cannot "feed (themselves) or decide (their) own destiny". Do ...
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Hume was right. There are those who don't want freedom, and that is why there are slaves; mind you, not forced- slaves but those who want to be slaves because they cannot "feed (themselves) or decide (their) own destiny". Do you belong to the latter?
Elmina dame 11 years ago

You are trying to be objective but you need to read more to get all the facts.. The PDA was in response to all the assassination plots( from 1958!) and his overthrow by the CIA(proven by their own files which can be accessed ...
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You are trying to be objective but you need to read more to get all the facts.. The PDA was in response to all the assassination plots( from 1958!) and his overthrow by the CIA(proven by their own files which can be accessed on the internet) in collusion with these same plotters achieved its objective: to stop the industrialization of Ghana, the prospect of a united and strong Africa, and to keep the mineral resources of Africa for the same colonialists and neo colonialists. We have everything on this continent, and this is what has fueled the growth of the western world which will keep us forever enslaved and dependent in order to use Africa as it's abundant source of raw materials. Nkrumah understood this clearly and spent his life trying to break that cycle but that's over--- the Casely-Hayford's and their masters have succeeded in projecting their false version of history into the record, and most Ghanaians are too ignorant and lazy to question it or to actually think for themselves. Look around the continent and see the poverty, the conflicts, the corrupt leaders and greedy middle class busy amassing wealth or longing to get to Europe or America--- is this because we are a race of stupid, unintelligent people or there are factors at work which deliberately keep us in this condition, often with the connivance of our very own people? You be the judge.
Seriously thinking 11 years ago

Nkrumah's problem was that he himself was tied to the apron strings of colonial masters. Having to rely on aid from America made him vulnerable. We were not independent at all.

Nkrumah's problem was that he himself was tied to the apron strings of colonial masters. Having to rely on aid from America made him vulnerable. We were not independent at all.
Pelicles 11 years ago

If free and yet hungry means one is unable to take one destiny into his/her own hands. Ghana is independent yet, how many are trying "hard" to flee or leave the country for reasons best known to them.

Look at this scenari ...
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If free and yet hungry means one is unable to take one destiny into his/her own hands. Ghana is independent yet, how many are trying "hard" to flee or leave the country for reasons best known to them.

Look at this scenario. Let's divide Ghana into two with one halve under the care of us and the other under the care of white leaders and let see who will put structures in place to make ones life better?

We are independent yet, where do our leaders go for check-ups when sick? Don't we have the men with brains to examine our leaders? Most of who visit this site are not in Ghana but will tell you that we will prefer to be hungry and free and if that is the case, we should pack our baggage or whatever and leave to Ghana. How do you live in a nation where there are no water, light, jobs, hospitals, roads etc and who in his/her right mind will live under such a useless condition?

When Mugabe launched his "operation taken our lands back" some Zimbabweans who have been living with the White farmers, left with them because they no outcome of that operation.

Remember that a free hungry person will resort to act of violence to survive which does not make any sense. Why is armed robbery on the ascendancy in Ghana?
The 11 years ago

What the fuck is your point, you are not making sense.

What the fuck is your point, you are not making sense.

Thucydides 11 years ago

So then Pelicles, if an African who has spend more than five years outside the African continent and has seen the 4 walls of University, is he / she still and African? Bearing in mind education in and of itself is a cultural ...
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So then Pelicles, if an African who has spend more than five years outside the African continent and has seen the 4 walls of University, is he / she still and African? Bearing in mind education in and of itself is a cultural indoctrination, no?
For me therein lies the idealogical muddle to be considered in these kinds of discussion of dialogue, no?
Seriously thinking 11 years ago

The writer has said there are people who will not leave Ghana even if they are offered a million cedis or dollars

The writer has said there are people who will not leave Ghana even if they are offered a million cedis or dollars
Kosoko 11 years ago

Certainly, you appear to be objective and impartial when you asked readers to judge at the end of your essay. In so doing, you ended up in a ‘limbo’ yourself and for your readers that Nkrumah was doing good on one hand an ...
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Certainly, you appear to be objective and impartial when you asked readers to judge at the end of your essay. In so doing, you ended up in a ‘limbo’ yourself and for your readers that Nkrumah was doing good on one hand and was doing bad on the hand—thereby rendering the import of your essay meaningless. The fact is one person cannot bad and at the same time a good person. From my point of view, your analysis resulted in this dilemma because your methodology in discussing the ‘Nkrumah’ subject was faulty. Having delineated some of his achievement in accordance with his overall vision, you failed to discuss the combined external and internal forces opposing his vision and subsequently projected his responses to these forces as his flaws and then asked your readers to judge him. That is not fair or is it? The following are some weakness of your essay:
1. "....1958 Nkrumah introduced legislation to restrict various freedoms in Ghana. After the Gold Miners' Strike of 1955, Nkrumah introduced the Trade Union Act, which made strikes illegal. When he suspected opponents in parliament of plotting against him, he wrote the Preventive Detention Act that made it possible for his administration to arrest and detain anyone charged with treason without due process of law in the judicial system”.
The questions here are first, why did Ghana Parliament (and not Nkrumah) passed the Trade Union Act to make strikes illegal? Once you leave such a question unanswered, straight way you hound the uninformed reader to believe that Nkrumah was simply power drunk. Second, what prompted the need for PDA? Did Nkrumah’s government executed anyone under the PDA and if not what was its intended purpose?
Here are the facts. With the realization that Ghana’s industrialization had gathered momentum and with the fear that other African countries would follow suit, the prices of cocoa mysteriously fell at the international market drastically knowing very well that the income from Cocoa constituted the lion share of Ghana’s budget thereby disrupting all other economic activities. The opposition forces having realized the workers’ agitation in general as a result of the difficulty government found itself in responding to workers demands, they started feeding into the challenges by covertly instigating unending demonstrations. The government thereby had no better choice than to come out with the said Act to bring socio-political sanity to prevail. I expect critics then and now to offer an alternative strategy than the ‘power drank’ claim. What prompted the PDA is well know i.e. to overthrow the government not by constitutional means but by violence and the constant attempt to kill Nkrumah in person. But unlike in India, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. no one arrested was executed—a clear indication that, the government instituted PDA purely for deterrent purposes but not to victimize political opponents as Nkrumah’s critics wants to believe.
2. "The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was formed at this conference with the main purpose of working for the Unity, Freedom and Prosperity of the people of Africa. Soon after the conference, somewhere in 1964, he established Ghana as a One Party State with himself as Life President. This is where I find it paradoxical for a person who worked so hard to liberate his people will end up establishing himself as a president for life”.
If you have researched about the case for One Party State, it would not have been paradoxical at all. Nkrumah made a case for it in his book ‘Dark Days’ in Ghana and the argument still reigns supreme. Although those who prefer multi-party democracy could not make any strong case for it apart from their usual incantation of freedom of speech, the result is what we have seen in last two decades.
Here are arguments of ‘One Party State’. The very essence of democracy rests on social structure of western countries. In England for instance, the Conservative Party represents the ‘upper class’ whilst the Labor Party represents the ‘working class’. In America, the democrats represent the working class interest and the republicans represent the business class and in both countries, the parties debate on class interest lines in parliament. In Africa on other hand and Ghana in particular, we did not then and now have such social class systems and interests. Hence, in parliament people were opposing government just for opposing sake with insult and tribal derogations taken the Centre stage. Nkrumah’s government responded to this anomaly by critically examined the traditional African political system where everybody is party of the chieftaincy system in the community with a fruitful discussion during deliberations. A rebirth to this concept is what became know as ‘One Party State’ and what the term scientific socialism.
3. “Advisers close to Nkrumah became reluctant to question policies for fear that they might be seen as opponents. For example, when the clinics ran out of pharmaceuticals, no one notified him”.
Are you suggesting that at point in time Nkrumah was taking decision alone in his government? Please! This is an excuses than a reason to denigrate Nkrumah and more of a political rhetoric than academic enquiry!
Peter Osei-Adjei 11 years ago

Thanks Mr or Mrs. "Kosoko". I've never reacted to readers comments on my opinions, however, you seem to be; and I'm very confident based on your response to my article that you are very knowledgeable in matters of national i ...
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Thanks Mr or Mrs. "Kosoko". I've never reacted to readers comments on my opinions, however, you seem to be; and I'm very confident based on your response to my article that you are very knowledgeable in matters of national interest.
Additionally, you've raised some very compelling and challenging questions that I cannot afford to ignore. Unfortunately, I do not respond to readers who give "fake names".My personal intellect and instincts as well as personal opinion tell me that the name "KOSOKO" is NOT genuine. I really wanna respond to all the challenges you've brought before me, so please, I would be grateful if you could contact me through my email for further discussions. Thanks for your input. They are very insightful and and academically challenging questions. I think, you've already provided me the fertile grounds for 'deeper thoughts'. Thank you!.Peter.
GHFUO, be serious & change ur MENtali 11 years ago

YOU CAN CHOOSE TO BE A WELL FED PIG IN CAPTIVITY OR A FREE BUT HUNGRY HUMAN. CHOOSE ONE....LOL
I WILL CHOSE THE LATTER. AFTERALL, I CAN STEAL THE PIG AND CHOP AM...

YOU CAN CHOOSE TO BE A WELL FED PIG IN CAPTIVITY OR A FREE BUT HUNGRY HUMAN. CHOOSE ONE....LOL
I WILL CHOSE THE LATTER. AFTERALL, I CAN STEAL THE PIG AND CHOP AM...
Nana Kwaku 11 years ago

Peter, your email please. I would love to share something with you. Thanks.

Peter, your email please. I would love to share something with you. Thanks.
Peter Osei-Adjei 11 years ago

My emails:
poseiadjei@yahoo.com
poseiadjei20@gmail.com

My emails:
poseiadjei@yahoo.com
poseiadjei20@gmail.com

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A well fed slave or a free hungry person; What will you choose?

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