HISTORY - Africa, Uncolonized: A Detailed Look at an Alternate Continent

By Frank Jacobs

What if the Black Plague had killed off almost all Europeans? Then the Reconquistanever happens. Spain and Portugal don't kickstart Europe's colonization of other continents. And this is what Africa might have looked like. 

The map – upside down, to skew our traditional eurocentric point of view – shows an Africa dominated by Islamic states, and native kingdoms and federations. All have at least some basis in history, linguistics or ethnography. None of their borders is concurrent with any of the straight lines imposed on the continent by European powers, during the 1884-85 Berlin Conference and in the subsequent Scramble for Africa. By 1914, Europeans controlled 90% of Africa's land mass. Only the Abyssinian Empire (modern-day Ethiopia) and Liberia (founded in 1847 as a haven for freed African-American slaves) remained independent.

This map is the result of an entirely different course of history. The continent depicted here isn't even called Africa [1] but Alkebu-Lan, supposedly Arabic for 'Land of the Blacks' [2]. That name is sometimes used by those who reject even the name 'Africa' as a European imposition. It is therefore an ideal title for this thought experiment by Swedish artist Nikolaj Cyon. Essentially, it formulates a cartographic answer to the question: What would Africa have looked like if Europe hadn't become a colonizing power? 

To arrive at this map, Cyon constructed an alternative timeline. Its difference from our own starts in the mid-14th century. The point of divergence: the deadliness of the Plague. In our own timeline, over the course of the half dozen years from 1346 to 1353, the Black Death [3] wiped out between 30 and 60% of Europe's population. It would take the continent more than a century to reach pre-Plague population levels. That was terrible enough. But what if Europe had suffered an even more catastrophic extermination – one from which it could not recover?

To read more - http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/africa-uncolonized

POLITICS: Chart: Almost Every Obama Conspiracy Theory Ever

http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2012/10/chart-obama-conspiracy-theories

SPIRITUALITY/RELIGION: Who says more antiquated things about women and families, Christian fundamentalists or Islamic fundamentalists?

Who says more antiquated things about women and families, Christian fundamentalists or Islamic fundamentalists? Here are nine stupid, backward, and often misogynistic quotes from nine different Islamic fundamentalist and Christian social conservative leaders. See if you can spot which one is which.

http://mobile.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2012/10/richard_mourdock_rape_scandal_spot_the_difference_between_the_christian.html

HUMOR: If Marilyn Monroe was a Muslim?

http://electrictoothbrushentertainment.tumblr.com/post/24704832730/courtesy-of-diana-greene-via-bookface

HUMOR and SPIRITUALITY/RELIGION: Islam vs. Christianity

I got this from a link from GodlessGirl on Twitter. - OlderMusicGeek

CULTURE/SOCIETY, SPIRITUALITY/RELIGION and POLITICS: Email on Obama's Chuch

I got this email from a co-worker. I won't embarrass this person by even mentioning who it might be. And then I add my comments later in italics. - OlderMusicGeek

Now I do know that we get a lot of stuff through our email, but this one certainly is an eye opener!!

Obama mentioned his church during his appearance with Oprah. It's the Trinity Church of Christ.

I found this interesting. Obama's church: Please read and go to this church's website and read what is written there. It is very alarming, Barack Obama is a member of this church and is running for President of the U.S.

If you look at the first page of their website, you will learn that this congregation has a non-negotiable commitment to Africa. No where is AMERICA even mentioned. Notice too, what color you will need to be if you should want to join Obama's church... B-L-A-C-K!!!

Doesn't look like his choice of religion has improved much over his (former?) Muslim upbringing. Are you aware that Obama's middle name is Mohammed?

Strip away his nice looks, the big smile and smooth talk and what do you get? Certainly a racist, as plainly defined by the stated position of his church! And possibly a covert worshiper of the Muslim faith, even today.

This guy desires to rule over America while his loyalty is totally vested in a Black Africa! I cannot believe this has not been all over the TV and newspapers. This is why it is so important to pass this message along to all of our family and friends.

To think that Obama has even the slightest chance in the run for the presidency, is really scary.

Click on the link below: This is the web page for the church Barack Obama belongs to: www.tucc.org/about.htm

Well, I did check out this website of this so-called "racist" church.

Here is their 10-point vision:

The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point Vision:

1. A congregation committed to ADORATION.
2. A congregation preaching SALVATION.
3. A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION.
4. A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA.
5. A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION.
6. A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION.
7. A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA.
8. A congregation committed to LIBERATION.
9. A congregation committed to RESTORATION.
10. A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.

They didn't number these points, but I did to make them easier to discuss.

First off, I don't think too many people are going to complain about half of these points. The only ones I can see them having trouble with is points 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Well, I personally don't have a problem with blacks being proud of where they come from and their heritage. Actually I'm upset my African ex-wife doesn't tell my daughter more of her African heritage.

And I don't see why African Americans shouldn't have economic parity with European Americans.


And as for this church supposedly being racist, let me quote from the website this email sent us to...

These are from Dr Wrights talking points. I made some the wording bold and italicized to stress it.

• To have a church whose theological perspective starts from the vantage point of Black liberation theology being its center, is not to say that African or African American people are superior to any one else.

• African-centered thought, unlike Eurocentrism, does not assume superiority and look at everyone else as being inferior.

• There is more than one center from which to view the world. In the words of Dr. Janice Hale, “Difference does not mean deficience.” It is from this vantage point that Black liberation theology speaks.

I don't agree with these points 100% - I think Afro-centrism like Euro-centrism can be racist. But it's obvious that Dr Wright doesn't want them taken in a racist way.

This church strikes me as black PRIDE group, but not as a black SUPREMACIST group.

But what really offended me this claptrap - more than the accusation of racism - is the accusation that Obama might really be a Christian, but a Muslim spy.

I'm sorry, folks, but I find converters tend to be more loyal and believe in a religion more strongly than other folks. Just look at born-agains!

And I was really offended by the comment - Doesn't look like his choice of religion has improved much over his (former?) Muslim upbringing.

Excuse me, but what is wrong with being a Muslim? I even wrote this question to the co-worker that sent me this. She didn't have anything to say about that question!

And what the hell does someone's middle name have to do with anything? One - Why is it wrong to be named Mohammed? And two, Barack didn't get to pick his middle name anyway! And three, his middle isn't even Mohammed - it's Hussein!

And these people are calling Barack and his church racist?

Okay, I'm done ranting.

Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. I'm better now.

Snopes.com's take on this email

Ernest T Spoon's take on this email - in full disclosure, I must say that I forwarded this email to him, because I knew that he would be upset by it even more than I was and would write on it.

Newsweek's report on emails about Obama

Trinity United Church of Christ website
Dr. Wright’s talking points for Trinity United Church of Christ its Web site and the Black Value System (in response to Erik Rush’s comments (2.28.07) on the Hannity and Colmes show)
- the video clip is below

POLITICS and ENTERTAINMENT: Moby's Take on Barack Obama

I got this from Moby's blog on MySpace. He talked about all the candidates, but I loved what he had to say about Barack Obama. - OlderMusicGeek

barack obama. first off, he has the single worst name anyone could ever have in the history of politics ever ever ever. barack(rhymes with iraq) hussein(like the guy who tried to kill gw's daddy) obama(one consonant away from bush family pal osama bin laden).

personally i see his terrible name as being kind of a plus, as it really couldn't be worse unless his name was satan hitler babyeater.

he's the least experienced of the candidates but he's also really smart and principled and telegenic. he seems like he would be fun at a barbecue but he'd also be good if you needed help doing your taxes and he'd definitely be nice to you if your goldfish died. ironically i think he's the democrats best chance to win. ironic, as he's:
a-inexperienced
b-1/2 muslim
c-possessed of the worst name in the history of politics

but gw was a coke addict with 2 dui's and a history of running companies into the ground(not to mention a last name that is colorfully and colloquially used to describe ladies baby making parts). so who knows? barack obama seems like the dem's best choice.

plus it would be awesome to have an african-american president. the rest of the world wouldn't be able to hate us as much, which would be nice.

and i hope that dennis kucinich runs every 4 years, because, not to sound shallow, it's great to have a healthy vegan with a beautiful wife running for president.