AFRICOM is the United States attempt to control the African continent through regime change, drone strikes, espionage, and “diplomacy.” The purpose is to control Africa and it’s people, and to continue the US’s plundering of Africa. The United States is in Africa steal resources such as oil, diamonds, gold, timber, and more. AFRICOM was also created to discourage African countries from collaborating with communist and socialist countries, primarily China.

What is Africom?

Africom is the “United States Africa Command,” a military program started in 2008 to “counters transnational threats… strengthen security forces, and responds to crises in order to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.” taken from their website. However, AFRICOM, as explained by Netfa Freeman, “has put most African nations under the effective military control of the United States. AFRICOM is the re-colonization of Africa by the U.S., with thousands of U.S. troops now stationed in some 30 African countries and dozens of U.S. bases across Africa. The total estimated cost for AFRICOM in 2018 is $236.9 million.“

African leaders as a whole rejected AFRICOM, all the way back in 2007. Despite this, the United States continued their invasion, and now has military bases in an estimated 60 countries.

Why does africom exist?

1. “ENDING TERRORISM” The US claims that they’re in Africa to end terrorism. However, this is just a cover for the US’s military presence.

In fact, terrorism has increased since AFRICOM started, but the program was never meant to actually help African people. By all standards, the US is the greatest terrorist in the world. As explained by Tunde Osazua, “The occupation of foreign countries and devastating bombings that the United States has used to achieve its goals in Africa are acts of terror. The U.S. also leverages economic terrorism with the World Bank and IMF to transfer wealth and force austerity measures, and it enforces murderous sanctions on African countries. Al-Shabaab, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and their counterparts cannot come close to the kind of death, destruction, and destabilization that the U.S. has brought about in Africa.” source

2. NEO-COLONIALISM infiltrating states under the guise of “counter-terrorism,” encouraging capitalistic dictatorships and taking out socialist and communist rules.

This is not the first time the United States has destabilized democratically elected socialist or communist leaders. As early as the 1950s, the US has assassinated and overthrown African leaders. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana was overthrown in a CIA led coup while he was visiting China. More recently, the United States invaded Somalia in the 1990s, plunging it into the conflict that is still happening now.

3. PREVENT COLLABORATION WITH CHINA prevent China from trading with African countries, and discouraging south-south solidarity

(this racist cartoon)

The view of China giving loans and trading with Africa as predatory is untrue. In truth, Africans on average have a positive or neutral view of China. Portraying Africa as being taken advantage of by China is infantilistic, and also enraging when put in comparison to the United States literally invading, killing, and destabilizing African countries again and again to protect US hegemony. Imagine if China drone bombed one of these countries? We must end the normalization of mindless killing in the global south (as well as the valorization of the US military and veterans).

What is AFRICOM doing now?

Right now, AFRICOM is trying to get the right to drone bomb Kenya to prevent “terrorism.” Even more conservative American news sites like the Washington Post admits is incredibly violent, and will likely cause more unrest. President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya has said that he will not give the US permission to drone strike Kenya, and that there aren’t any terrorist camps in Kenya. However, not getting permission from country leaders to drone strike hasn’t stopped the US before. This plan is remarkably similar to what the US did to Somalia, in which US backed Ethiopian soldiers wrecked havoc.

It’s important to know that AFRICOM is supported by the democratic party, even more “progressive” politicians like Ilhan Omar. While AFRICOM was created in 2008 by George Bush, it grew by 2,000% under Obama, and is currently supported by both Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Additional Resources

This is a great article, it’s an article on the Black Agenda Report detailing why Africom exists and what it does, by Ebrahim Shabbir Deen.

This article explains China’s relationship with Africa, by Danny Haiphong.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2242937-universal-basic-income-seems-to-improve-employment-and-well-being/

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Emergency room visits related to mental health

Road traffic accidents.

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People, for the most part, want to work.

UBI would allow us to expand the definition of “work.” If somebody can live off of UBI, then they can devote themselves to things which we don’t currently value financially such as the arts, raising children well, etc.

There are so many people who are struggling with mental and physical illnesses, and chronic pain, who are still breaking themselves working because they don’t have another option - because it can take years to get on disability, and it’s not enough to survive on, so people keep going as long as they possibly can.

Even if it’s not a matter of disability, as such … people get burned out?

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