By Mahir Balunywa
To understand and interrogate Donald Trump’s maiden speech, we need more logic than emotions. Trump himself employed political emotions with captivating undertones to appeal to his voters. Now, I employ logic—grounded in historical and dialectical materialism—to uncover the hidden transcript behind the words of the 47th President of the United States.
What Trump said and what he meant may differ from what will actually work and how it will unfold. However, the most crucial question is: How should Africa prepare for the new Trump administration? This requires Africa to realign its strategic thinking—rethinking its current and future position in the global political economy. Decolonizing the African economy alone is not enough; we must also decolonize the African mind.
Chinweizu (1987), in Decolonizing the African Mind, warns of the lingering effects of the colonial mentality. He argues that colonialism has obstructed African economic development and cultural renaissance since political independence.
Trump’s Speech: A Global Wake-Up Call
With fear, trauma, and anxiety, the world listened to Donald Trump’s inaugural speech. His new policy directives, encapsulated in his executive orders, raised significant points of divergence. Before delving into the key takeaways, I must highlight his opening remarks:
“I will make the nation of America great again.”
To justify this, he cited past American presidents who, in his view, made America great—emphasizing the wars they successfully fought. His remarks received thunderous applause from his supporters.
But what does making America great really mean? In my view, it involves plundering global economies, exporting wars through proxies, and influencing social, political, and economic events worldwide. Is this not what America is doing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)? Could this explain its support for M23 rebels? Wasn’t the intervention in Libya driven by its interest in Libyan oil? Are American peacekeepers in the DRC truly keeping peace, or are they looting Congo’s resources?
Can America afford to lose African markets? Or is it orchestrating a new Scramble for Africa—sponsoring comprador state actors to ensure that plundered resources end up in the U.S. for military-industrial production?
The African Labor Question and Trump’s Repatriation Policy
Trump terminated labor contracts and repatriated African workers, labeling them illegal immigrants. This decision sparked mixed reactions.
Some believe that without the U.S., they cannot survive. Others argue that Africa must now take charge of its development. Former Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta once urged African nations to cut unnecessary expenditures, readjust budgets, and stop wasting resources on wars of self-destruction.
But who will stop these “mad dogs of war”? Who is fueling these conflicts in the first place? Are these not the same American proxy wars? Who has sustained Somalia’s civil war? Is it not America, which bankrolls Al-Shabaab and then pretends to be the solution? Who initiated the Said Barre conflict in Somalia? Wasn’t it part of America’s strategy to dominate global military positions?
Recent evidence suggests that America orchestrated the 9/11 attacks as a pretext for its long-standing strategy of creative economic destruction—a concept rooted in Joseph Schumpeter’s economic philosophy.
Decolonizing the African Economy
If Trump is repatriating African labor, Africa must reciprocate by rejecting American economic oversight. It is time to expel American consultants employed by the IMF and World Bank to dictate African economies. Africa must reduce its reliance on American imports and explore alternative partnerships with China and Russia. Joining BRICS is a necessary step to counterbalance Western economic dominance.
For decades, America, through the IMF and World Bank, has manipulated and controlled the global economy to the detriment of Africa. It is time for Africa to chart its own path.
Africa must realign its education system to serve its own needs—not those of Europe or America. Our curriculum must produce graduates who are relevant to African demands, not Western economies.
Trump must remember that Western economies were built on African labor during the transatlantic slave trade. By extension, Africa has a stake in America’s development.
The late Ali Mazrui once led a commission demanding reparations from the West for unpaid African labor. The proposal was blocked, as Western powers feared justifying Africa’s legitimate claims.
America’s economy has thrived by plundering African resources, setting unfavorable trade terms for Africa, and exporting wars that destabilize the continent. The largest U.S. export is war, and its greatest investment returns come from the diseases and destruction that follow—creating demand for American pharmaceuticals.
Trump must apply historical materialism to inform his policies on Africa. Not all his executive orders will stand the test of time. In his first term, he employed the same rhetoric—and we saw its consequences.
Africa must learn from this moment. We do not need war; we need harmony. Africa can and must trade with itself, just as China did before opening up to the West.
Plundering Africa’s resources only serves Western interests. The looting in the DRC does not benefit Africa—it benefits the global powers orchestrating these conflicts.
History shows that regimes built on plunder eventually collapse. As Plato observed, an army that becomes rich through looting loses the appetite to fight in self-defense. It grows weak, consumed by its own greed.
Similarly, Trump’s insatiable appetite for economic control led to conflicts with Mexico, which ultimately contributed to his failure to secure a second term in 2020. If African leaders do not rethink their role in the exploitation of DRC’s resources, the consequences will extend beyond the Congo—weakening regional alliances such as the EAC, SADC, and African Union.
The revolution of common sense demands that Africa ends this cycle of economic dependency and self-destruction.
Center for Critical Thinking and Alternative Analysis
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