Long before 1885 when the major European powers gathered in Berlin to divide Africa amongst themselves at the infamous Berlin Conference, the United States of America had been in a solo quest to conquer the Western Hemisphere.
Having displaced Native Americans, they went on in a ‘magnanimous’ act of benevolence to give them 2 percent of the land they had appropriated from them as Reservations.
Europe, namely France the United Kingdom, and Spain were going to lose their possessions in the Americas to the United States either by gentle sales transactions, forceful sales transactions or outright war. The Yankees were not in the mood for any jokes. They barred European powers from coming anywhere close to the Western Hemisphere and they had the power to back it up. Whilst on the one hand, some scholars may call their moves acts of banditry, others would like to call it visionary thinking.
The United States of America is today, the most naturally secured nation.
The United States is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the East, the Pacific Ocean to the West, and the Arctic Ocean to the North (via Alaska), with the Gulf of Mexico (a marginal Sea of the Atlantic) to the Southeast creating a vast coastline across its mainland, Alaska, and Hawaii.
Having saved Europe from German domination twice—first in the First World War and subsequently in the Second World War—-add to that the Marshall Plan funding for the rebuilding of Europe post Second World War, it could be argued that America has a right to claim anything they want in Europe. Whereas their contribution to NATO should be about 16%, they carry 75% of the burden.
This is one prism through which the American quest for Greenland can be viewed.
The second prism could be that the quest for Greenland violates a
core principle of the UN regarding the equality of states as enshrined in Article 2(1) of the UN Charter, which declares that the organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.
This fundamental doctrine dictates that all independent states are legally equal under international law, regardless of their size, power, or influence.
Thank you.
Now, let us take a look at another provision in the UN Charter.
“Veto power in the United Nations is derived from Article 27 of the UN Charter, which requires that all substantive (non-procedural) decisions by the Security Council be approved by an affirmative vote of nine members, including the concurring votes of all five permanent members (P5: China, France, Russia, UK, US). A negative vote from any P5 member blocks the resolution.”
Please try and reconcile both provisos in the same charter of the same organization.
Does that not fly in the face of equality?
This is the real world.
The big bad Wolf, (America), may be perceived as evil personified, but how are the Hyenas, (Europe), different?
In the movie, ‘Geronimo,’ the character who goes by that same name in a conversation with a US army general had asked the question: “Why do you need all our land?”
The General could not respond. At that point, his Indian Apache tribe had been confined to a tiny piece of land that was not only un-arable, it was too small to support their population. Geronimo was sent to prison in Florida. He died there 22 years later.
The big bad Wolf does not change its essential nature. She is what she is—-A Superpower without equal. It makes no pretense about its essential nature, mission and purpose. So, when a tiny power in Europe says they want to invoke the ‘Bazooka doctrine’ against the United States for saying they want Greenland, they should think twice. America, the Big bad Wolf will take Greenland when they want to take it.
Let’s move on to other matters.
The Jeffrey Epstein files are still dropping. Republicans have their head in the sand. The Clintons have been invited to testify. They say they want the world to watch their testimony live.
No spin.
It can only be hoped that the drip, drip will drip into the midterms and America will begin to self-correct from the damage that Trump has inflicted on the country. His immigration policy implementation is leaving death and a public relations disaster in its wake.
What is curious about the Epstein files in America is the lack of consequences because of the involvement of the big Kahuna. In Europe, people are losing their jobs. The King has punished his brother by stripping him of his title. With Trump, even when he’s caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he says it’s a hoax and his supporters continue to turn a blind eye.
CAN NIGERIA WIN THE WAR ON TERROR?
Back to Nigeria, even as the war against terror has gathered momentum in several parts of the North, the bandits are waging their war further South to Kwara where over 300 people were slaughtered a few days ago.
Eye witnesses say the bandits operated for 10 hours and left casually before the army arrived. Considering how thinly spread Nigerian forces are right now, one wonders whether the time has not come to create a hybrid version of the American Second Amendment, (Right to bear arms), where elders in villages are allowed to bear state registered arms as the first line of defence.
Now that American boots are on the ground in Nigeria, whereas we should be rejoicing, I’m not so sure. Are there any quick solutions to the deep-seated problems that the North has created for the whole of Nigeria by refusing to send their people to school since independence?
A Northern State that accepts 2 percent as pass mark to enter a Federal College ought to be ashamed of itself.
It is doubtful that Nigeria can win this war if the North does not change in fundamental ways.
EDO STATE UNDER A MICROSCOPE
Out here in Edo State, we have many reasons to be proud and one to be worried about.
One of our distinguished Senators was caught with his hands doing some “work” aboard a private jet.
His handlers should tell him to stop feeding the news cycle with explanations that only serve to add fuel to the matter. He is advised to stop making excuses. After all, they are both consenting adults.
In Public Relations parlance, —-Mr. Distinguished Senator,—-Please quit digging already.
Also, the distinguished Senator ought to know by now that we all know that the game is up. Men in khaki can neither afford exceptionally beautiful women nor the Supra luxury of a private jet.
Now, to the great news. The Edo State government just took its first Retreat for government officials to the heart of Esan land. This is delightful news on multiple levels. Above everything else, it is a declaration that Esan land has come of age.
Party affiliations aside, all that any person traveling through Edo State needs are their eyes to be able to see all the construction work going on across the Edo landscape.
For 8 years of the immediate past governor, we were inundated with signposts begging us to understand that totally unmotorable roads in Edo State were federal roads.
This governor is not begging us or giving excuses. He is getting the job done.
Thank you, Mr. Governor.
Finally, in a couple of months, the governor will have a big nut to crack. The race for who will represent Edo South in the Senate race has begun in earnest.
The sitting Senator in Edo South wants a second term. The immediate past Senator wants to run.
A young, vibrant Oil magnate also wants to run. A sitting Federal appointee wants to run. And then, we have the Iroko of Edo politics, an astute political operative without peer.
The Governor must come out with a declarative statement that says—“I cannot and will not choose the next Senator for Edo South. Let the process play out in the Party Primaries and may the best man win.”
On a street level, the Benin people having actively supported the Esan agenda wish to be left alone to choose who will lead them in the next Senate.
This is the wisdom of Solomon that the governor needs in this matter as the first law of survival is self preservation.
The governor will soon be running for re-election himself. He must preserve the coalition that brought him to power. Until we meet again, goodbye and Goodluck.
Michael Ovienmhada.
