Africom launched

Via Crossed Crocodiles.

Most countries exist more happily when they are not on the U.S. political radar screen. Unfortunately, as the New York Times reports today, the African continent is looming more important to Washington policy makers. And this week, it got its very own Africa Command, cutely called Africom for short.

In the newspaper of record, it emerges that this is part of the worldwide militarization of U.S. relations as the empire struggles to preserve a threatened monopoly on shock and awe. When the Pentagon is around, all other agencies of the U.S. government become obviously dispensable bit players.

Refugees International released statistics showing that the percentage of development assistance controlled by the Defense Department had grown to nearly 22 percent from 3.5 percent over the past 10 years, while the percentage controlled by the Agency for International Development dropped to 40 percent from 65 percent.

For another look at the U.S. in Africa, check out Crossed Crocodiles, a site that has been trying to expose the implications of Africom for awhile. Here's the CC take:

The Africa Command is a creation of the Bush Cheney American corporate predator state. It was conceived by people who were focused on Africa’s oil, other natural resources, and on opposing China. These are the same Bush Cheney cronies that have done the most to convert American democracy into a corporate predator state, and destroy American democracy in the process. ...

Although there is a lot of talk from AFRICOM about partnerships, there has been little real consultation with Africans. ...

Funny thing, the prescription of both the author of Crossed Crocodiles and the Africans he quotes is exactly what many of us in the States want:

What is needed is energy, focus, and money to strengthen civilian democratic political, economic, and social institutions, so that democracy, participation of all the people, can grow and flourish.

Democracy remains a potent idea.