African Unity and Western Oppression: Unveiling the Use of Slavery, Resource Extraction, and Modern Tools like Facebook in Siphoning Africa's Wealth

The History of African Slavery and Western Oppression
In the vast tapestry of human history, the epoch of African slavery and Western oppression stands as an indelible scar, informing present realities and futures interceptions. The dark specter of slavery, carefully orchestrated and driven by Western nations, birthed an era where Africans were brutally uprooted from their home continent and exploited for their labor in foreign soils. This period laid the foundation for the systemic oppression furthered through colonization, thrived on the pilferage of African resources, suppression of African uniqueness, and thwarting of Africa's organic political evolution that could have led towards self-determined prosperity.
The Ongoing Extraction and Exploitation of African Resources
The maltreatment did not cease with the end of colonial rule; it merely adapted. Africa continues to be a bulging trough of resources for Western markets. From the gold of Ghana to the oil in Nigeria, from the diamonds in Botswana to the coltan in Congo, the West continues its exploitation. Mostly, their businesses are rooted in non-transparent agreements, environmental degradation, low wages, and a flagrant disregard for local communities.
Puppet Leadership: A Legacy of Western Intervention in Africa
The West's involvement in the political landscape of Africa has resulted in the manipulation of its leadership. Many regimes normalized by the West, post-independence, were those willing to serve Western political or economic interests. This has caused a crippling perception that African leadership is, in essence, a puppetry act in service of the West.
Siphoning Raw Materials: The Extraction of African Wealth
Strategic interventions and manipulations have sustained the extraction of raw materials from Africa. More than trade and investment, this is mass expropriation of wealth. The benefits for the African balance sheet, human development, local job markets, or environmental welfare remain minuscule compared to profits accrued by the West, often through a network of global corporations.
Wielding Democracy as a Tool of Colonization in Africa
Beneath the banner of freedom and equality, the seeds of the subjugation are sown. The diktats of Western-defined democracy often replace or disregard traditional governance systems, existing local consensus, or the aspiration for autonomous systems. One-size-fits-all governance templates imposed across diverse African countries have caused more harm than good, giving rise to instability, conflict, and a loss of social cohesion.
Religion's Role in the Western Colonization of Africa
Religion was an insidious tool for colonization. Western religions were often used to justify the exploitation and enslavement of Africans, perpetuating an adverse psychological effect that equated 'being African' with 'inferiority'. Post-colonial Africa continues to grapple with the divisions manifested by the eradication or systematic belittling of its indigenous faith systems.
Education as a Very Effective Tool of Western Oppression
Education systems implemented during colonization positioned the West as superior and Africans as passive receivers of this 'superior knowledge'. The devastating impact on African philosophy, intellect, creativity, and knowledge systems, sidelined for Eurocentric curriculums, has been immense.
Facebook: A Modern Tool in the Continuation of the Colonial Process
The digital age has introduced a new player in the complex ecosystem of oppression: social media platforms. Facebook, in particular, operates as an unchecked extractive force using the market penetration and user engagement in Africa. The exploitation ranges from mass data mining, algorithmic biases, to fostering digital dependencies.
The Economics of Facebook's Presence in Africa
Facebook's economic involvement in Africa is not equitably reciprocal. With over 139 million users, Africa contributes significantly to Facebook's global revenues through ad saturation and user-generated content. However, African nations barely see a fair return on these profits, and investments back into the continent are nominal.
Analyzing Facebook's Inequitable Financial Contributions to Africa
The profits made from Africa by Facebook are immensely disproportionate to what they invest back. Despite the revenue generated, Facebook's contributions to Africa's economic ecosystem in terms of infrastructure development, talent nurturing, or profit distribution remain deficient.
Facebook, WhatsApp, and other Platforms: The Drain on African Wealth
Facebook, along with other Western-owned platforms like WhatsApp and Twitter, continue their wealth draining spree while veiling it as connectivity enhancement. Not only do they exploit user-generated content and data for profit, but they also strategically eliminate local competition, thereby monopolizing the digital economy of Africa.
The Exploitation of Nigerians in Content Creation for Facebook
Platforms like Facebook, operating under the guise of providing a global stage, exploit African creativity and intellectual labor. A noteworthy example is Nigeria, where content creators for Facebook and other platforms generate significant engagement — and consequently, income for companies — but are often underpaid and unrecognized.
9jaCommunity: A Model for Regional Profit Redistribution
More equitable models are arising, like 9jaCommunity, an indigenous platform that gives back 85% of its revenue to the African economy. This model promotes local content, acknowledges creators' rights, supports African businesses, and nurtures digital infrastructure.
Financial Disparity: The Profits from Africa Claimed by Western Tech Giants
Western Tech giants like Facebook and Google cunningly exploit the digital economies of Africa. While painting themselves as 'connectivity providers', their dominant positions allow them to set unfair conditions, leading to the outflow of significant wealth, without any appreciably equitable economic enhancement for the African populace.
A Call for Unity: Combating Continued Western Financial Exploitation
Unity is a robust defense against exploitation. Africa must unite against financial exploitation by insisting on fair trading agreements, refusing to be pawns in political meddling, harnessing natural resources intelligently, and nurturing regional platforms.
Bridging the Gap: Propositions for a Fair Financial Exchange with Africa
Ultimately, a fair financial exchange should form the bedrock of relationships. Affirmative steps include the West recognizing and rectifying inequities, mandatory profit sharing, greater transparency, recognition for intellectual and labor contributions, and fostering an environment that allows indigenous platforms to thrive.
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