Masopher's Mind

Europe is a mess of political geographic and social lines that Brussels will take decades to untangle even before it can think about dealing with them. From early 20^th century fascists in Austria, neo Nazis in Berlin, ultra liberal Parisians, British Labour and Tories, Italian proto-dictators, eastern European (former?) communists.

In the United States, though far less socialist minded there still remains several fractures between secessionists in the west(Texas Alaska and California), Liberals on the coasts, Social democrats, Libertarians, Conservatives, militias is Michigan, massive and disenfranchised African American and Latin American populations not to mention the minute population of the original inhabitants that survived the holocaust (starting) 4 centuries ago.

Even in China one learns of a complex set of peoples who are genetic continuations of Arab, Indian, Mongolian and Russian neighbours. The neo-communist clique in Beijing might like us to think that the only differences in the nation are the different ways the regions cook their chicken and noodles but this is less convincing than assertions that Tibet and Taiwan are part of the happy family. So too in the middle east, 7 million embittered Jews and Arabs live unhappily in an area the size of New Jersey, while Sunni, Shia, Turkmen, Persians, Kurds, Balochs, live uneasily united only by the thought that the rest of the world is out to get them for the black liquid they happened to have pitched their tents or daubed together their hovels on.

Why then can the most massive continent on earth be summed up by the phrase “poor, corrupt black people”? In the north of Africa, the Muslim and Maghreb populations are more Arabic than “African”. In Ethiopia, Eretria and Somalia yet another genetic line exists. I can spot an Ethiopian within minutes, their distinctive faces and ears making them stand out more than Obama in the senate. Northern and Southern Nigeria have very different tribes, at each others throats and the massacres in central Africa should be more than enough to convince even the most casual racist that behind all the dark faces there are eyes that see something a bit more than non-white skin.

Even beyond my rant. Significant populations of white and mixed Africans live on the massive body of land. South Africa for starters. It is the least equatorial of the African countries; Scarlett Johannsen, Prince Williams Girlfriend, Richard Dawkins, Sade, 90% of the South African cricket team… white Africans aren’t to hard to find and I don’t think that a Boer who shoots a native for being on “his land” experiences a moment of irony.

The divide I am currently researching is the Maghreb /Aethiopia divide. For those who forgot, Aethiopia is sub-Saharan and southern Africa and the Maghreb is North Africa minus Egypt. Egypt is just Egypt, but it is also Africa, North Africa and the Middle East. To the west of that is: Sudan, Libya, Algeria and Morocco. These countries are predominantly Muslim and strongly influenced and affiliated with Arabic culture.

Below the belt of Saharan sand, former European colonies -many of them Christian –  eek out a different kind of existence.  With Zimbabwean and Bantu roots the various cultures enjoyed a semi isolation from the world of Caesar, Qin, Charlemagne, Ottoman, and other primeval empires. Only after Europeans discovered boats and Arabs started packing them into them for the slave trade did Aethiopians become fully aware that life existed above the harsh sands of the Sahara. And it was harsh indeed, the life that is and the inhabitants of the cradle of civilization learned the hard way to grow up. This part of Africa went through its own hardships and kingships and even some international travel and trade but never sought to amount to much since every man languished in natural wealth and an abundance of mega fauna/flora. Content as well to worship whatever stick or stone they please, conquest ran out of steam and the kind of domination and leaps forward seen in the northern hemisphere.

The African North has been a crossroads, a road, a battlefield, a hideout and a fall back spot for conquesting civilizations. The African South has been a new land, a place to exploit and a sleepy backwater of civilization.  The differences are myriad.