08-08-08:
Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart': time for Nobel prize for Literature has come - says Prof. Lindfors at USAfrica Best of Africa 080808 events in Houston; challenges Nobel committee to do what's right and deserving....

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Nelson Mandela's political trinity: the man, the messiah and the mystique. 

Obama turns the page of America's history with 2008 nomination

Special to USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston, USAfricaonline.com, CLASS magazine and The Black Business Journal

http://www.usafricaonline.com/chido.obama08houston.html

Summary of essay:
Today, the historic dateline of Tuesday June 3, 2008 has become etched in the collective history of mankind as a worthy milestone. "Tonight, we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another-- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Because of you, tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States." With those soaring words, the history of this day continues to resonate all over the world as Senator Barack Obama, the savvy, hardworking son of a Kenyan immigrant and White mother, shattered the iron-gates of what seemed culturally and politically impossible.

He did it by creating the most cross-ethnic and trans-generational coalition in the history of American politics; indeed of any modern society. He did it by resolutely and clearly defeating his hard-charging, relentless opponent, former American First Lady New York Senator Hillary Clinton and the entire bare-knuckle Clinton machine for the Democratic nomination to become the first African American with a credible, viable and realistic chance of winning the presidency of the United States. On June 3, 2008, Obama won convincingly past the "magic number" of 2,118 delegates. With only 3 years in the U.S Senate, Obama's thunderbolt rise seems almost metaphysical and a remarkably unique political moment in America. The 46-year old former assistant professor of law soared in speech, again, after the superdelegates and June 3 votes shuttered Clinton's incredible week of the collapse of her efforts. "You chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears, but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations," Obama told teeming supporters at a rally in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In ways and means almost reflecting the harmonization of the political, financial and strategic elements of presidential quests, Obama has already started writing and turning the pages of America's history. After all, did he not enthrall millions with the political theology and chant of making the seemingly impossible altogether possible: yes, we can! Only in America!! By CHIDO NWANGWU

The FULL text of Chido's Obama history making nomination commentary follows:
http://www.usafricaonline.com/chido.obama08houston.html

The historic dateline of Tuesday June 3, 2008 is being etched into the collective history of Americans, Africans and the entire mankind as a worthy milestone. On that day, Senator Barack Obama, the savvy, hardworking son of a Kenyan immigrant and White mother, shattered the iron-gates of what seemed culturally and politically impossible.

Without any doubt, the June 3, 2008 affirmation of Obama as presumptive flagbearer of one of two dominant political parties in America, when set against the fitting background of the anniversary of Martin Luther King's 'I've a Dream' speech dedicated, certainly adds to what I call the ever renewing story of the global brand USA, the refreshing dynamic of America, The Beautiful!

Evidently, America continues to have a place for the purposeful and the capable, and has shown a capacity to turn the page of history, however difficult and untidy. Are politics ever tidy? No.

But America has again shown itself as a country large enough to uplift some of its very best. My position is that Obama is one such person. On June 3, 2008, Obama won convincingly past the "magic number" of 2,118 delegates. With only 3 years in the U.S Senate, Obama's thunderbolt rise seems almost metaphysical and a remarkably unique political moment in America to win the Democratic nomination and became the first African American with a credible, viable and realistic chance of winning the presidency of the United States. 

On that day, he said "we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another-- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Because of you, tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States." 

With those soaring words, the history of these blessed United States added fresh pages, new chapters and new opportunities as the event continues to resonate all over the world.

For many African immigrants to America such as myself who's slightly younger than Barack Obama, the aspirational, strategic and psychological impetus and meaning of his history-making win of the numbers for the Democratic Party presidential slot are almost immeasurable.

First, it offers the reality that no matter its imperfections, America is still the greatest land of opportunities and possibilities in the world. Only here in America can the son of goat herders, the son of an African professionals, the son of a Kenyan scholar from the Nyangoma-Kogelo community, defeat the wife of a former president, a sitting senator (Hillary Clinton and other well-known public officials) in a hard-fought, fair contest of will, strategies, ideas and policies.

Second, offers many developing countries a clear lesson that political contentions are not do-or-die affairs, settled only by guns, missiles and macthetes. Recall that only a 70 days or so ago, members of the same senatorial districts in Obama's shared heritage homeland of Kenya, ethnic groups of the same country decided to settle ballot box disagreements in murderous weeks of conflicts. Here, Americans of all races and gender and generations preferred to vote via ballot boxes.

Third, the world is going more towards the politics of progressive, cross-ideological coalitions, and those win over ancient grudges and shibboleths of division. Hence, Obama's history-making victory of June 3, 2008 --win or lose the November 2008 elections-- finds further resonance from his words to those who voted that "You chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears, but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations." Yes, it was fuelled by their hopes for a renewed, refreshing vigor, a guided, hopeful risk for their children's future

Despite all the divisive spin, nuanced racist appeals, and sundry Bubba fulminations, Americans gathered around Obama with their votes for the most cross-ethnic and trans-generational coalition in the history of American politics; indeed of any modern democratic society.

Fourth, the political-demographics implication of June 3 tally of Obama's votes among others, is that more Americans sidestep Hillary's varied mis-speaks and tortured mis-thoughts set on fuzzy math and banal pandering to look towards the Kennedesque-Reaganesque America as a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere.

Fifth, the other major meaning of this Obama moment for the world and America is that America offers decades old opportunities for which you may never predict its fullness, ultimate value or time of fruition. Recall that when this country offered his father Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. (1936&endash;1982) the opportunities for higher education including attending Harvard as an economist, the seeds for the younger Obama's giving back to America was sown. It was a support which also had major support by individuals such as Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Jackie Robinson, and Elizabeth Mooney Kirk according to the Kenyan Tom Mboya's archives at Stanford University, California. The visionary, pan-human practical goals of public service endemic to most of America's university curricula saw the ring and part of that fullness coming together on June 3, 2008 at the arena in St. Paul Minnesota as the 46-year old former assistant professor of law Obama spoke to affirm his win.

Sixth, the June 3 event showed the common human interest and pulling for the underdog. As one who loves to cover rugged but lawful political conflicts, it was interesting for me to follow, daily, the tick and tock of America's presidential politics where a previously unknown David (Obama) respectfully but resolutely defeated the favored, hard-charging, relentless opponent, former American First Lady New York Senator Hillary Clinton and the entire bare-knuckle Clinton machine.

In ways and means almost reflecting the harmonization of the political, financial and strategic elements fit for a possible, history-making presidential leadership, Obama started writing and turning the pages of America's history along time ago.

I'm glad I witnessed the writing of one of those chapters when he came to our city Houston on February 19, 2008. I counted among other 20,000 who witnessed firsthand and blogged on USAfricaonline.com (below) the political psychologics, meaning and tempo of the Obama "yes, we can" movement. He simply rocked and informed and elevated the vital issues. He does politics in motion and poetry. On this issue, shall we say, politely, Obama compares more favorably against President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain.

Obama's June 3, 2008 win is a milestone for underlining the singular most vibrant motto for any political campaign in the history of America, the Obama political theology and chant of making the seemingly impossible altogether possible: yes, we can! Only in America!!                    
Chido Nwangwu, recipient of the Journalism Excellence award (1997), is Founder and Publisher of USAfricaonline.com (first African-owned U.S.-based professional newspaper to be published on the internet), USAfrica The Newspaper, www.PhotoWorks.Tv, CLASS magazine and The Black Business Journal. He served as an adviser to the Mayor of Houston on international business (Africa), the Houston board of the NAACP, and appears as an analyst on CNN, VOA, NPR, CBS News, NBC and ABC news affiliates. Cell direct: 832-45-CHIDO (24436).

Feb 19, 2008: "Houston, I think we've achieved liftoff here..." Before an enthusiastic 20,000 plus audience (inside and around) the Toyota Center in Houston on Tuesday Feb 19, 2008, Senator Barack Obama told Houstonians that his break-away win over Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin primaries reflected further momentum. In affirmation and appreciation, many chanted Obama's mantra of change, "Yes, we can!" When the impact and dynamics of the Obama movement is explained in textual formats or even on television, it brings only a part of the totality of its socio-political breadth and purpose-driven, evangelistic frenzy. Significantly, more than we have ever seen him before, he laid out more detailed, policy specific offerings to woo voters.

Especially, he spoke about changing what he considers the prevailing "disease care" to real "healthcare" while challenging the youths of America to service. The Houston event is especially valuable too, for the fact that there was not teleprompter; minor recourse to his written notes and a direct policy points on such issues covering energy, education, AIDS, jobs in America, NAFTA, AIDS, use of America's armed forces, veterans care, war on terrorism, Iraq and others .

Taking the battle to Clinton and Sen. John McCain, the Republican front-runner who also won Wisconsin, Obama said with his pitch rising and booming through the massive arena: "I opposed this war in 2002. I will bring this war to an end in 2009. It is time to bring our troops home."

The Clintons are ratcheting up their negative, sharp "contrasts" campaign which have, thus far, not yeilded votes or better value for the agenda to govern if elected. Rather those tactics and some ill-advised comments especially by former President Bill Clinton in South Carolina have combined to minimize, as polls and reactions and voters show, the Clinton legacy -- especially among African-Americans where Obama is averaging 86% of votes in the primaries.

(in picture, USAfricaonline.com Founder Chido Nwangwu at the Feb 19, 2008 Obama event in Houston. Hundred of pictures I took at the event are posted on photos/events our mega-site, www.PhotoWorks.Tv ).

The debates are expected to get more aggressive as Hillary Clinton says it's all about her "experience" versus what she insists are nothing but Obama's "speeches." As one among the 20,000 who heard some of the substance behind the speeches, more surprises will unfold in Ohio and Texas where the Clintons are positioned as front-runners.

Remarkably, I saw several 4 year-olds with their parents, enthusiastic college students and young professionals, hundreds of seniors over 60 years old chanting and throwing their fists into the air in a revivalist fervor and finality of resolve "Yes, We Can", and affirming their shared hopes that the young, impressive candidate Obama will make a difference in their lives, should he become President of the United States. But he cautioned them that "The change we seek is still months and miles away." So true, because a day is a long time in political contention and struggles, moreso in this digital age where information travels far and fast. Yes, We Can!

INSIGHT: Why America should halt the genocide in the Sudan. Nelson Mandela's political trinity: the man, the messiah and the mystique.  Nelson Mandela celebrates his 89th birthday, launching a humanitarian campaign along with former President Jimmy Carter, ex-U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other "elders" of the global village. The initiative stems from an idea by British entrepreneur Richard Branson and musician Peter Gabriel to create a world council of elders to tackle issues such as conflict, AIDS and global warming. "This group of international leaders will share how they intend to work together to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity in addressing some of the world's toughest problems," organizers said in a statement. Branson and Gabriel, who founded an international human rights organization and championed the anti-apartheid cause, attended part of a week of festivities for Mandela's birthday. A children's party that has become an annual fixture wraps things up July 24. Before that, events will feature Bill Clinton and soccer legend Pele, who will play in a special star-studded match to honor Mandela. COUNTERPOINT Tiger Woods is no Nelson Mandela! By Chido Nwangwu DEMOCRACY WATCH: What Bush Should Tell Obasanjo.... By Chido Nwangwu (Founder and Publisher of USAfricaonline.com)   Can Africa live a future without war? An Open Letter to Mandela. By Fubara David-West, USAfricaonline.com contributing editor FLASHPOINT! In 15 years: Nigeria could collapse, destabilize entire West Africa - U.S. intelligence analysts claim; Obasanjo calls them "prophets of doom...." VIEWPOINT: Obasanjo, Go! Just go! Prof. Wole Soyinka Why Bush should focus on dangers facing Nigeria's return to democracy and Obasanjo's slipperyslide. By Chido Nwangwu INSIGHT: Destruction of property and human massacres are always traumatic events in a community, saddening and enraging, but the organizers of the beauty contest, as well as the participants, must understand that they are totally free of guilt. The guilty are the storm troopers of intolerance, the manipulators of feeble-minded but murderous hordes of fanaticism. By Prof. Wole Soyinka INSIGHT Why Martin Luther King's legacy and vision are relevant into 21st century. By Chido Nwangwu     USAfricaonline LITERATURE Why Chinua Achebe, the Eagle on the Iroko, is Africa's writer of the century. Achebe, scholar, social conscience, cultural historian and globally-acclaimed writer, has been a significant and binding source for an engaging understanding of African pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial history and realities. I believe that such insight has made him a favorite of African-Americans, and other scholars and regular folks in search of a better, realistic understanding of Africa, at least, from Achebe's utilization of his rich and dynamic Igbo ancestry, in south eastern Nigeria. I share the same ancestry, and he's one of my mentors. By Chido Nwangwu. Click here for commentary Chinua Achebe returns "home" from U.S., to love and adulation of community. Exclusive USAfricaonline.com tribute: Since 1958, Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" set a standard of artistic excellence, and more. We met in person at the first conference on Commonwealth Literature, organized by Professor An Jeffares at Leeds University in 1964. We met again in Lagos, later, the same year. We met again at the Canadian Association of Commonwealth Literature conference in Toronto in 1973. By Douglas Killam Chinua Achebe: A Literary Diaspora Toasts One of Its Own. By Somini Sengupta POLICY A trial of two cities and struggle for justice. By Jack E. White, an essay by Time magazine columnist for USAfricaonline.com COMMUNITY INTEREST Johnnie Cochran will soon learn that defending Abacha's loot is not as simple as the O.J Simpson case. By Chido Nwangwu A Lott of Racism? Implications of Obasanjo's late wake up to the challenges of Sharia in Nigeria. By Ken Okorie Osama bin-Laden's goons threaten Nigeria and Africa's stability. By Chido Nwangwu What has Africa to do with September 11 terror? By Chido Nwangwu Reflections on September 11. By Jonathan Elendu And the Rocks Cried Out (For Safiyatu). By Effenus Henderson DEMOCRACY'S WARRIOR Out of Africa. …The cock that crows in the morning belongs to one household but his voice is the property of the neighborhood. -- Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah. An editor carries on his crusade against public corruption and press censorship in his native Nigeria and other African countries. By John Suval. 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APPRECIATION A young father writes his One year old son: "If only my heart had a voice...." USAfricaonline.com NEWSBANK: OBASANJO'S FAILED 3RD TERM POWER-PLAY IS GOOD NEWS TO NIGERIANS, ABROAD AND HOME.... USAfricaonline.com and its correspondents in Nigeria and across the major cities of the U.S are reporting an increasing tally of anti-3rd term phone calls and e-mails from our readers. By a margin of almost 7-2, USAfricaonline.com data show that an overwhelming majority of the politically active citizenry are happy that Nigeria's Senate halted retired Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo's stealthy, unpopular, behind-the-scenes-wink and nod power plays to secure an "unrequested" 3rd term as president of Nigeria (a total of 12 consecutive years). Many Nigerians still feel disappointed that a man (Obasanjo) who had gained so much from Nigeria would cling so tightly to power, even against the popular will of the people, moreso with age, energy and fresh ideas for a new era not on his side. 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I gave INEC the money and asked them to call the result." The revelation caused an uproar as well as some applause in the hall. "The person we took his thing is here," Uba said, pointing at Peter Obi (the APGA candidate) who was sitting among the audience, in the back row. USAfrica The Newspaper voted the "Best Community Newspaper" in the 4th largest city in the U.S., Houston. It is in the Best of Houston special as chosen by the editors and readers of the Houston Press, reflecting their poll and annual rankings. DEMOCRACY WATCH: Obasanjo raped Nigeria's constitution by suspending Plateau Assembly and Governor. Prof. By Prof. Ben Nwabueze, leading constitutional scholar in the Commonwealth for almost 45 years, former Nigerian federal minister and SAN. OIL in NIGERIA: Liquid Gold or Petro-Dollars Curse? 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Nwangwu, adviser to the Mayor of Houston (the 4th largest city in the U.S., and immigrant home to thousands of Africans) argued further that "the issues of the heritage interests of 35 million African-Americans in Africa, the volume and value of oil business between between the U.S and Nigeria and the horrendous AIDS crisis in Africa do not lend any basis for Governor Bush's ill-advised position which removes Africa from fair consideration" were he to be elected president. By Al Johnson ARTS The Life and Irreverent times of Afrobeat superstar, FELA     PANAFRICANIST Tanzania's founding president Julius Nyerere       ELECTIONS Gigolos on the Campaign Trail. By Prof. Walt Brasch Can Africa live a future without war? An Open Letter to Mandela. By Fubara David-West Sex, Women and (Hu)Woman Rights. By Chika Unigwe Abati's Revisionisms and Distortions of history. 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By Jonathan Elendu HEALTHWATCH EVA champions efforts to combat AIDS among Nigerian youth. By Jessica Rubin Pros and cons of the circumcision debate. By Ngozi Ezeji, RN TRIBUTE Prof. Chimere Ikoku: Remembering the legacy of a pan-Africanist, scientist and gentleman. By Prof. Chudi Uwazurike SPORTS: Tiger Woods makes more history with another golf Masters win. He shot 12-under-par 276 and a final round 71 at Georgia's Augusta National Golf Club event and collected $1,008,000, on Sunday April 14, 2002. With it, the world's golf phenom added another green jacket to his array of championships and titles, placing him, in this instance, in the same respected Masters' league as Nicklaus (winner 1965 and 1966) and Nick Faldo (1989 and 1990). The three are the only men to win back-to-back Masters. At 26, Woods has since become the youngest golfer to win his seventh professional major championship. He was joined by his parents and his 22 year-old Swedish model girlfriend, Elin Nordegren. Impeachment process shows Nigerian democracy "is alive... being tested." Nigeria's president retired Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the impeachment process shows that "democracy is alive, is being tested, and being tried.... What they (the legislators) have tried to do in the democratic way, which is not easy, would probably have been done by taking arms or by -- with bullets. So, but with democracy, of course, some people feel that this is the way this should be, and then I have an opportunity to defend myself. There is discussion. There is dialogue. There is a decision. There is fairness." He made these comments when he appeared on Tuesday September 17, 2002 on CNN International to discuss the issues of impeachment facing him, the allegations of corruption, abuse of the constitution and deployment of soldiers ina civilian environment which led to the "massacre of civilians" in Odi (Bayelsa) and Zaki Biam (Benue). On the charges by international human rights organizations and Nigerian media that his government has been involved in actions which have led to the deaths of thousands of Nigerians, the retired General gave a surprising answer. He was asked that "as many as 10,000 people, it's being reported, have been killed in Nigeria (in) communal rivalries, and the number is believed to be increasing. And people are saying that although President Obasanjo has done a lot of good for Nigeria, you're accused of not -- accused of failing to halt that spiraling violence." Obasanjo: Let me say this to you, when you put the question of 10,000 -- 10,000 people dying in Nigeria, of course, for a population of over 120 million people...." But USAfricaonline.com Founder and recipient of the Journalism Excellence award (1997), Chido Nwangwu, who appeared on the same program as as a CNN International analyst (Africa) pointed out that "when (President Obasanjo) answered that in a country of 100 million that 10,000 people are said to have died, as if that was a small number, that in itself reflects a disconnect with the concerns of Nigerians. The second one is that when the risk is civil disagreement, the police are required to intervene in the country. And the deployment of the armed forces of Nigeria requires at least some consultation, however modest, with the parliament." Nwangwu, former member of the editorial board of Nigeria's Daily Times continued that "the third factor that is equally important to underscore is that the armed forces of Nigeria moved in for a punitive action rather than just containing a civil disagreement." He noted in USAfricaonline.com backgrounder "it was revealing and interesting interesting discussing Nigeria's issues with its leader - under the current circumstances of an increasingly out-of-schedule elections and the gathering storm of an impeachment process by a majority of the members of the National Assembly, predominantly by Obasanjo's party members." See rush transcript of the CNN International news program. Obasanjo facing corruption and ineptitude impeachment charges, again since the parliament, a few weeks ago, passed a motion carrying a majority of the members of Obasanjo's party, the PDP. RELIGION AND ETHNIC CONFLICT: Sharia-related killings and carnage in Kaduna reenact deadly prologue to Nigeria-Biafra war of 1967. By Chido Nwangwu It's wrong to stereotype Nigerians as Drug Dealers. By Chido Nwangwu Nigeria as a Nation of Vulcanizers Why Colin Powell brings gravitas, credibility and star power to Bush presidency. PUBLIC POLICY Private initiative, free market forces, and more democratization are keys to prosperity in Africa. The Civilianizing of African soldiers into Presidents Maduekwe, Nwachukwu clash over Obasanjo at World Igbo 2002 convention in Houston. USAfrica Special report DEMOCRACY DEBATE CNN International debate on Nigeria's democracy livecast on February 19, 2002. It involved Nigeria's Information Minister Prof. Jerry Gana, Prof. Salih Booker and USAfricaonline.com Publisher Chido Nwangwu. Transcripts are available on the CNN International site. Steve Jobs and Apple represent the future of digital living. By Chido Nwangwu The coup in Cote d'Ivoire and its implications for democracy in Africa. By Chido Nwangwu (Related commentary) Coup in Cote d'Ivoire has been in the waiting. By Tom Kamara Why Powell's mission to the Middle East failed. By Jonathan Elendu TRANSITION General Tunde Idiagbon:  A nationalist, an iron-surgeon departs Abiola's sudden death and the ghost of things to come   Gen. Shehu Musa Yar'Adua's prison death, Nigeria and The Ghost of Things to come .....