April 14

I had planned to use our 6 sea days to step back and reflect on our visits to African countries, Colonialism and 1984 (Orwell.) As I was organizing thoughts,I realized that rather than 3 items it was one longer related rant. Here goes….

My starting point

Having been raised in Southwest Portland in the 40’s and 50’s, I have an orientation or perspective on the world..conscious or not. As a kid, I recognized that my parents had lived through the Great Depression. And, I was born during the early part of World War 2. The Depression led to values like being careful with your money and cleaning your plate every meal. I don’t remember much from the war, but I do recall rationing…bacon, in particular…and collecting tinfoil for the war effort. As we came out of the war years, we all knew that, with the growing economy, we had the opportunity to do better than our parents. I remember my mom telling us that she had one school dress; she was really worried after spilling something on her “school dress” in chemistry class. And, both parents thought that providing for their kids was their number one priority. Despite having a racist uncle from Jackson, Mississippi, we were raised to believe that we’re all equal…or at least should be provided with equal opportunities.

Jackie Robinson broke through in 1947, followed by a growing number of quality Black ballplayers. Even though we were told that Blacks couldn’t run distances, Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia won the 1960 and 1964 Olympic marathons….the first while barefooted. We were making progress and I was encouraged by the optimism of the Kennedy years, the excitement about the Peace Corps, the emphasis on international aid programs, and the prospects for President Johnson’s Great Society. It was hard not to be inspired by Martin Luther King’s leadership. Moving through my career as a manager, it was easy to get on board with what came to be known as DEI programs. What could go wrong?

It was very common for kids to live in the same city in which they grew up. Get a job with a company and retire 40 years later. The company was part of one’s identity. From top to bottom, everyone wanted their company to be successful. CEO’s earned an average of 20 times the front line worker. (Japan was 11:1, Germany 12:1 and France 15:1) Last year, in the US, the CEO/front line ratio was 361:1. Computers were irrelevant, but there was some concern that “automation” might replace some jobs. But, it took people to produce automated systems so it would probably be alright. We learned in school that, in Latin America, the countries couldn’t be successful because of the great income inequality; the top 10 percent had 50 percent of the wealth. Today,in the US, the top decile now has 70 percent of the wealth. Since 2020, the top 1 percent has “earned” 2/3 of the income. Minorities are disproportionately represented in the lowest decile.

While the capitalist system was expected to reward those who worked hard and earned accordingly, it was recognized that not everyone started from the same place or had the same opportunities. Recall George Bush’s opponent, Ann Richards,  saying George was born on third base and thought that he had hit a triple. One of the jobs of government was to address the disparate starting points and different opportunities. The political parties argued over how much government involvement was necessary, but the role was recognized. Level the playing field.

Colonialism and Africa

Human life started in Africa and over the centuries developed into about 3000 separate tribes…many with their own language. The tribes had governance, economies, disagreements, wars, slavery and whatever else is expected from groups. But, they were not “discovered” until Western Europeans started to sail around Africa, looking for a route to the East. First, the Europeans established coastal trading posts and then supply stations. The tribes generally controlled inland territories and participated in mutually beneficial trade with the Europeans. As late as 1870, Europeans controlled only 10 percent of the continent. But, as the extensive resources of the continent were recognized and industrial processes were improved, Europeans appreciated the advantages of greater control. The Berlin Conference of 1884, known as “the Scramble,” was held to divvy up the continent among civilized Europeans. Belgium, France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain were all to get their shares. By 1914, 90 percent of Africa was controlled by Europeans. There were lots of different models and situations, but there was generally a combination of political control, occupation, exploitation, religious conversion, and destruction of indigenous societies and customs.

Some extreme examples of harsh treatment stand out. The slave trade moved something like 15 million Africans to the New World. Trevor Noah states that more people were killed in the Belgian Congo than during the Holocaust….but they didn’t keep records. Forced labor and slavery were common within Africa so that the abundant natural resources could be tapped. Traditional cultures were disrupted and new political systems imposed. The erosion of local authority and loss of cultural identity plus the imposition of Christianity all took a toll. The challenge for the Europeans was to control the natives and exploit the resources, not develop institutions that prepared the Africans to govern. ( While I’m writing about Europeans and Africa, the model is not appreciably different than how Americans treated the 724 Native  American nations as they moved West.)

When African nations began achieving independence after World War 2, they had to deal with various flavors of economic underdevelopment, political instability, social inequality, and ethnic rivalries….to name a few things. Even when national growth rates are high…like with the export of oil and diamonds….the benefits are not widely shared. Government corruption appears to be common.

Our visits to Madagascar, Mozambique, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, and Angola reinforced the impression of struggling economies. We found unemployment rates of 30-50 percent, perhaps a higher number living below the poverty line, lower life expectancies and higher infant mortalities. Frequently we were warned of security concerns. And, we saw some of the more prosperous areas…like Cape Town. But, even there, we saw acres and acres of “informal housing.” It was generally warm so that clothing was not a big problem, but jobs, food and the future were. It was possible for us to enjoy the animals and visit upscale malls…and buy beautiful clothes…but we were never far from the challenging lives of the majority of residents. Given my (our) values it wasn’t possible to get over that. 

The US and 1984

Not long ago, I was proud of the role that our government played in addressing problems of less developed countries. Our foreign aid programs addressed hunger, disease and birth control. While we saw the problems in countries that we visited, it felt good to know that we (our government) was trying to help. And, with the existential threat of climate change, we had a leadership role in addressing it. Now, our administration has shut down foreign aid. ….what does it do for us? And, climate change is a phrase erased from our government documents…it doesn’t exist.

But, our reduced international role is only part of the problem. I reviewed the lessons of Orwell’s 1984 which focused on the dangers of totalitarianism, propaganda, and erosion of personal freedoms. Five indicators of a movement toward totalitarianism are mentioned:

   – Manipulation of truth and history;

   -Surveillance and control;

   -Loss of individuality;

   -Power and propaganda;

   -Language as a tool of control

There are 10 steps leading to totalitarianism listed in another publication:

   -Construct an internal enemy;

   -Isolate and demonize the enemy;

   -Enlist and create sources and distribution of information;

   -Monitor and discredit those who challenge;

   -Subvert and malign sympathizers of the enemy;

   -Solicit collaborators from the enemy;

   -Pathologize the enemy;

   -Criminalize the enemy;

   -Reward mindlessness and apathy;

   -Maintain silence.

It is hard to read through these lists and not be concerned. So many words and phrases can no longer be used in government documents…federal funding is cut off for states and institutions focusing on DEI…citizens are removed from the streets and expelled from the country….citizens are sent to foreign prisons with no due process…law firms are threatened for representing adversaries of the government…press outlets are expelled for stating different views…lies and big lies are common….those, like inspectors general of federal agencies, who are charged with looking into wrongdoing are terminated. And this list doesn’t even deal with the threats to the international order. Take over Canada, Panama and Greenland….Hit everyone with tariffs…withdraw from international climate action efforts…take over Gaza….hang Ukraine out to dry. We have a new King in town.

Starting with the values of the 50’s and 60’s….looking for a level playing field…helping less developed countries…”ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”….it’s very discouraging. The international aspect makes it more so. We’re having a good time, but it’s impossible to avoid the cloud that hangs over us….within our country and in the countries we’re visiting. We can do better.

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