[Rhodes22-list] Re: So what is the list option about sending troops to Liberia?

[FredkLange at aol.com]

Having lived in Liberia 3 yrs as a Peace Corps Volunteer, let me 'splain some 
things.

Liberia has been America's colony in Africa for over 150 yrs.  It was 
"settled" by mulatto decedents of slave holders who fathered children by their women 
slaves.  These settlers have been dubbed "Americo-Liberians."  Although most 
fathers of mulattos left their children with their mothers in slavery, the 
Americo-Liberians settlers were raised and educated in the homes of their fathers.

With no place in upper class ante-bellum society for high status blacks, the 
US government granted colonization rights and backing to the original 
Americo-Liberian settlers.  Until the Cold War, Liberia only consisted of some coastal 
towns that squeezed by trading slaves, diamonds and rubber latex with 
America.

During W.W.II, the US stationed an Army regiment in Liberia mainly to protect 
the rubber supply of the Firestone plantation.  We also built up our naval 
and air corps facilities to protect shipping along the Gulf of Guinea.  

The Cold War gave us cause to help the Americo-Liberians subjugate the 
indigenous people throughout the interior.  Along with that came US financed road 
building, missionaries, Lebanese cash crop traders and the good old Peace Corps.

The indigenous people overthrew their Americo-Liberian masters about 20 years 
ago.  Charles Taylor, the current dictator-president, reestablished 
Americo-Liberian rule starting with terrorizing the population using a child army 
invasion in 1989.

Former European colonial powers feel a moral obligation to help their former 
colonies sort out their messes.  After all, it is the mistakes of colonialism 
that are the root of many Third World problems, to wit, the British 
colonization of Iraq and Kuwait.  Even the hated French are always putting their troops 
lives on the line to help their ex-colonies, especially in Africa.

Africans feel it is our obligation to help as any other former colonial power 
who messed up a part of Africa. Unlike our recent invasion targets 
Afghanistan and Iraq, the indigenous people of Liberia really want our help.  If we fail 
to help now, then they too may join the world-wide resentment toward the USA.

If moral conduct is not our thing, then we should at least realize by now 
that Americans can die when states fail.  The countries bordering Liberia have 
already suffered from Liberian terrorism.  It is not a challenge for 
Americo-Liberians to blend into American society to further whatever goals they may have.

Fred

In a message dated 7/13/03 12:00:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
rhodes22-list-request at rhodes22.org writes:

> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Bill Effros" <bill at effros.com>
> >To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> >Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 3:04 PM
> >Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] So what is the list option about sending 
> >troopstoLiberia?
> >
> >
> >Actually, Liberia was purchased by slave owners as a place to send the 
> >slaves after they were freed--something many slave owners saw
> >as only a matter of time.
> >
> >They did not want slaves to become citizens of the United States, and they 
> >did not intend for Liberia to become a colony.  They
> >wanted the US government to provide free one way passage back to Africa and 
> 
> >a place for slaves to go.
> >
> >Bill Effros