Keeping The Greasy Guts

There is a biter-sweet love between some of us and the colonialists of Africa. Those colonialists whom some of us really despise are Germany, the United States, France, and Great Britain. Spain and Portugal ventured into Africa, but we do not hear a lot about what they did or did not do in that part of the world. They stand absolutely immune. Once in a while, a shot is taken at these despised colonialists that some of us hate to love. A case in point is the gesture shown to Mali by the French, an old friend, who came to the aid of the Malian people when extremists occupied the Northern part of that country. Some people don't appreciate the help. I do not understand why:

So why are some of us so upset that France came to the aid of the Malian people? Mali, according to the BBC article, has been in the mining business since a King carried tons of gold on caravans from Timbuktu! The French and the Malians have been friends long before we were born.

What would some of you have preferred? Would you have wallowed and celebrated in the fact that Northern Mali was invaded, Timbuktu burned, people killed, and the invaders continue their escapade down South with Liberia in the cross hairs of their Libyan weapons?

We live in a dangerous and unpredictable world. And furthermore, I did not see the Malians whose city was liberated, protesting the presence of the French liberators. Had this been an all African affairs with all the blah, blah, blah, Bamako would be under siege by this time!

I know America, France, Britain, Germany, are all countries some of us hate to love. Some of us can't just stand these people. Yet, most of our people are much, much safer and happier with them around, looking after their backs. In other words, these porcupine guts are just too bitter to eat and yet, too greasy to get rid of.

Scenario: If there were a plan in the offing, for example, by a group of happy-go-lucky guys to say, blow up the iron ore facilities in Yen-yen with the intention of pushing further into Kakata, would any of you prefer that Liberia duke it out alone, without rapid outside intervention? I mean seriously, rapid intervention!

Well, here is what I would be doing in front of the Capitol Building in Washington, DC: I would print myself a placard and march around the reflecting pool in front of the Capitol, asking the American people to help Liberia immediately by sending a few Marines to end the Odyssey of this evil group. My first instinct won't be to worry about iron ore, rubber, future oil exploration, piassava, or anything else. I would be deeply concerned and worried about the lives of the Liberian people.

For like we say in Liberia: Duty before complaint!