Can African countries form a 'United States of Africa'?

[Kofi]

What do you think about the United States of Africa? I believe in unity. I believe there is power and strength in unity. I believe with unity and love, all things are possible. America is America because America is "United States". America wouldn't be America if America were "Separate States".

Africa has over 52 different countries or states but the problem is that it is not "United States of Africa" instead "Separated States of Africa" and I think that is the main reason why Africa isn't Africa. This I think is the main reason why Africa remains poor.

I believe it is time all African coutries come together as one Africa and stand against the western oppression. I think it is time all African countries come together to help protect Africa. I think it is time all Africans come together as one people with a common destiny. I believe by coming together, Africa can once again become the most prosperous continent on earth.

What do you think? Should all the states or countries in Africa come together to form one big Africa? should all the states come together to form a United States of Africa? What do you think?

find the answer as to why OAU

[Doug]

America is America because America is "United States".

America is America because of the kind of people that settled in it.
America is America because people wanted freedom from the tyranny of religion.
America is America because people wanted to be free.
America is America because people were willing to fight for their independence.
America is America because people were willing to die for their moral values.
America is America because people were and still are willing to work hard.
America is America because people have dreams of a better life and work for it.
America is America because people are willing to do all these things.
America will become like Africa when all the above qualities above become corrupt. We are on our way.

And so Kofi states do not come together, people do. What is government? Government is nothing more than people of the people governing their fellow people. When the people become corrupt, lazy, superstitious, divided in purpose, etc. you no longer have unity. When people are taken from this generation of corrupt people to govern the people you have nothing more than what the people are. Corrupt, lazy, superstitious, greedy and on and on. So until you have enough people who change their ways and filter into this corrupt system the whole nation is nothing more than what the bulk of it's population is. As the old farmer knows, you reap what you sow. I also like this little play on words, think about it: I am what I am because I am what I am.

Oh, and I almost forgot! Americans are free to choose a religion but there is a complete separation of religion and government. In Africa religion controls masses of people. Everything from old African rituals, islam, christianity and so forth. The separation of state and religion was one of the most important tenants of the founding of our country and the unity of states. Can Africans relegate religion to a personal quality? Can Africans reject a religion having rule over their minds and use those minds to think for themselves what is good or evil?

I won't go into Africans selling their fellow man to slave traders. To this very day the African/Americans in the United States are robbing and killing their fellow man. Just read in the papers that over 80 percent of the black babies here are born out of wedlock. The mothers must raise the family on state welfare. The kids grow up in poverty and the cycle continues.

Why cant African countries form United States of Africa? I think you know just like I know. What can we do Kofi? Nothing! What can any other country do? Nothing! The people have to screw their heads on right. Unless they trade their traditions, morals, religion and habits in for a good law of life such as, treat others like you would like to be treated, they will wallow in their sewer of life, killing each other, poverty, superstitious bondage, and such.

Guess I said some of the things on my mind in response to your missive so I'll quit. Have you any ideas? Why are they poor? Why are most Africans poor in the United States? How about that one?

[Kofi]

Thanks very much. Your post sums it all. I would not say we Africans are lazy but corrupt, yes we are very corrupt and our leaders are very greedy. As the above poster mentioned, we have OAU (the Organization of African Unity) which includes all the 53 states in Africa coming together to make decisions but how can such an Organization work when you have wicked people like Gadafi and Robert Mugabe as the main speakers? When Gadafi says yes everybody including my own president is afraid to say no.

You mentioned separation of religion and government being one of the most important tenants in the founding of the United States which is the way things are supposed to be. Although most of our leaders are atheists in nature, they use the fear of religion and old superstitious beliefs to control the masses because most of us are illiterates and unwilling to accept new ideas.
In my country for example when it is time for elections, you will see most of the candidates carrying Bibles and going from church to church to campaign for votes but once they get to power, you will never see them with Bibles and you will never see them going to church yet they will use the fear of religion to control the masses.

If you are a candidate in my country and you mention separation of religion from government, people will consider you the devil and they will not vote for you. One disease killing Africans in huge numbers is illiteracy. As you mentioned, Americans were and are willing to fight for what is right and it is because the majority of Americans have good education and are ready for a change. In Africa the majority are illiterates some with even no basic education and it becomes very difficult to convince these people to change for the better. They are not willing to trade in their old superstitious beliefs, old customs and traditions, for new ones.

Why are most Africans poor in the United States? I don't know much about African Americans but as you mentioned, the family system is broken. We Africans believe it is the father's duty to train the boys and it is the mother's duty to train the girls but in a situation where the family system is broken and only the mother has to train both the girls and the boys, there is something very missing.

Even in an advanced country like the United States where there are jobs for everyone, if you grow up on the streets and don't have good education I don't think you will get a good job.

As a South African, I honestly don’t like the idea of a UNITED AFRICA, one GOVERNMENT RULE...I actually think it is a bad idea. I like the idea of a common African identity and redefining the African identity to include all kinds of African people, it seems to me that people fail to realize how diverse Africans are.

Development in Africa is so uneven, you have a few countries like Egypt, South Africa or Botswana which are doing really well and their economies are growing quite rapidly. Social and economic development in South Africa, for example, cannot be found elsewhere in Africa. If Africa had to unite as one, this will mean that these small emerging African economies will have to carry all other struggling African economies...this would really not be fair.

Another things is that, it is hard enough uniting people from one country in Africa because of all the ethnic differences, just look at how we have this division between Zulus and xhosas in South Africa...now imagine having to unite people from two different countries. If you don't believe that it’s going to be difficult just think of this: about a year ago South Africans lashed out, we had major xenophobic attacks and South Africans wanted all foreigners out of their country. The attacks were directed mainly to African foreigners because it seemed to me that the same frustration was not expressed towards non-African immigrants. I asked around, and the main thing that South Africans were complaining about is: the economic and social benefits that they feel foreigners are stealing from them, the crime that African immigrants living in South Africa are associated with. Most South Africans said that they find it hard to relate with other Africans, they don’t agree with their way of life. It's clear, cultural conflict obviously fueled these attacks.

I love Africa too, but I feel like Africa was never united...even before colonialism...so let’s just leave it at that.

All African countries must always be ready to help fellow African countries which may need help, this is a way forward...knowing that problems in another African country is my business and always being prepared to push my government to intervene where necessary and instilling this kind of mentality in all Africans is the best we can do.

well much has to be done for the betterment of the lives of African people,daily basis Africans are dying but in Western Countries is much differ due to enough resources and better usage of their resource.No hunger for power but knowledge and ideas are implemented for the betterment of the country as well the people,much different in Africa where there is war and diseases.

Much more help or intervention of the Western Countries

If l just want to have an imagination of how many brothers,sisters,uncle who have passed away because of the lethal disease HIV and AIDS its terrible

kofi,
Africans cant form united states of africa because of the folowing

1. The diverse cultures and languages in Africa

2.The economic status of african counties,you form and maintain such unions with cash which most african countries lack.

3.greed among african leaders.


Safe man,

A United States of Africa is possible in theory only. It will not work in reality because Africa is different. language barriers, religious barriers, cultural barriers, just name it.

my brother abeg this your idea na good inside book but once u wan put am for action this no go work at all why because that na the way my people live since na the beginning. na if you put a warri boy for central bank no no say that one go sell the entire continent? abeg lets live like this o. peace na the only important thing.

the division of Africa benefits the greedy western countries and that is why they always support rebel groups to destabilize Africa so they can benefit from our natural resources and poor governance. Have you ever seen the western world support any good leader in Africa before? they support only the bad leaders in Africa so they can benefit from the bad governance. have you forgotten so soon? when Kwame Nkrumah talked about African unity the western countries came together and killed him. When Gaddafi talked about African unity the western countries came together again this time around under NATO banner and killed him. I can go on and on.

Gaddafi was right. may his soul rest in the bossom of Allah.

[rayan]

i do believe in United STates of Africa, but only and if only there will be sharing of resources.
don't be like EU (European Union)
and see the problem they are facing today, as being united....their is power, but it is not equally shared....

you want all Africa to become one country? that is impossible because of those Arabs in Africa. I don't hate Arabs but to be honest with you, those Arabs in Africa are the worst kind of people to live with. they think they are above everyone else. meanwhile, most of them are illiterates who cannot even sign their names.

Also, there can never be peace and unity where ever Islam dominates and sadly, Islam dominates most countries in Africa.