By Fred M’membe, President of the Socialist
The United States has tasked Zambia with hosting its second so-called Summit for Democracy, starting on March 29. Mr Mulambo Haimbe, Zambia’s Minister of Justice, says Zambia’s selection by the United States to host this summit, “Comes against the background of the country’s strong commitment to the principles of democratic governance, respect for the rule of law and human rights”. Ummm, what democratic governance, rule of law, and human rights can this Zambian government really show?
According to Mr. Haimbe, the objective of this summit is to underscore the global desire for transparency, accountability, and rights-respecting governance. What rights? LGBTQI rights!
The truth is this summit is for drawing an ideological line and turning democracy into a tool and weapon for inciting division and confrontation and diverting attention from its internal problems.
This summit is nothing but a tool for the United States to help preserve its hegemony over the world and undermine the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law.
Contrary to its claims, the United States is not a beacon of democracy. American-style democracy has deviated from the essence of democracy.
American-style democracy is full of malaises. Problems like money politics, identity politics, partisanship, political polarisation, social division, racial tension, and the wealth gap, are getting worse.
American-style democracy is a money-based game for the rich.
The dysfunction of American-style democracy – the Capitol riot that shocked the world, the death of George Floyd that sparked mass protests, the tragic mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the harsh reality of the rich becoming richer and the poor poorer – is a fact that cannot be masked by holding so-called democracy summits.
Surveys show that 72 per cent of Americans believe that democracy in the United States has not been a good example for others to follow in recent years, and 81 per cent of Americans believe there are grave domestic threats to the future of American democracy.
After all the coups and killings of our leaders the United States has carried out against us, we don’t need to be schooled by them about good governance, rule of law, and human rights. Moreover, a country’s path to democracy should be chosen independently by its own people, rather than imposed from outside.
As a common value of humanity, democracy is the right of people in all countries. It is not a prerogative of a small number of countries. Whether a country is democratic or not should be decided by its own people, not by a handful of finger-pointing outsiders.
Stoking division and confrontation in the name of democracy is to backpedal in history, and will bring nothing but turmoil and disaster to the world.
For a long time, the United States has been imposing its political system and values on others, pushing for so-called “democratic reforms”, abusing unilateral sanctions, and inciting “color revolutions”, with disastrous consequences.
Democracy has become a “weapon of mass destruction” used by the United States to interfere in the affairs of other countries.
Since 2001, the wars and military operations waged by the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, caused millions of injuries, and displaced tens of millions of people. The fiasco in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya has shown that imposing American democracy on others simply does not work. The United States is still trying to divide the world into “democratic” and “non-democratic” camps based on its criteria, and openly provokes division and confrontation. Such practices will only bring greater turmoil and disaster to the world.
Facing the impact of COVID-19 and major changes unseen in a century, countries have become more interconnected and interdependent. The international community needs more than ever to strengthen solidarity and cooperation based on the norms governing international relations represented by the United Nations Charter.
We don’t need American democracy summits. The United States has nothing to teach us, and the world, about democracy!
Gay summit! Get it right
YOUR PF Gays will be haappy then, Soon they will be able to come out of the closet
and the legal wigs can come off
During our rule there was zero tolerance for gays. Go ask the former USA ambassador. But under your government the gays are even free to meet your gay president at community House. Fuseke
Iwe cde Membe……….
You are becoming boring with your hysterical ati west stance………..
If the USA wants to support zambia or the Chinese want to support zambia……….
We will listen to them , and if possible take their aid…………
@Spaka, stop looking for handouts. That’s what the West uses to control poor countries. “Do what we tell you, or we will withdraw our aid,” is the threat they always use to make poor vulnerable countries do their bidding. Dependence on aid works against Africa’s development. If you think the West is interested in seeing Africa in general and Zambia in particular develop, then I have a piece of land on the moon to sell you. Africa beyond aid. Zambia beyond aid is what we should be working on. He who feeds you controls your life too. Wake up.
This article is rubbish, a hotchpotch of things throw together, just like all the other articles that this man writes.
Why does LT keep on publishing them? What percentage of the Zambian population does he represent?
At best he is a fringe politician who rants and rave.
For once and for all realise that this person is irrelevant
@Ben…I would rather believe comrade Membe over the West any day. He has told nothing but the truth in this article. Point out what you don’t agree with. Would you say with a straight face that America is still a good example of democracy today? America can’t even hold a peaceful election anymore without bitter disputes.
ZAMBIA IS A NON ALIGNED NATION IN THE GLOBAL VILLGE AND THEREFORE ZAMBIA SHOULD CONTINUE ENJOYING GOOD INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS WITH ALL THE OTHER COUNTRIES. AS FAR AS ZAMBIA IS CONCERNED .CHINA, USA, RUSSIA, UK AND OTHER COUNTRIES ARE ALL WEATHER FRIENDLY COUNTRIES ,AND THATS WHY THEY ALL HAVE EMBASSIES IN ZAMBIA . SO IT IS TOTAL MADNESS FOR MEMBE TO LABLE USA AS AN ENEMY. ZAMBIA IS NOT IN ANY CONFLICT WITH ANY COUNTRY .SO MEMBE STOP YOU HATE SPEECHES AGAINST ANY COUNTRY IN OUR GLOBAL VILLAGE
Fred M’membe the Socialist is a non entity,an irrelevance in Zambian affairs & politics.
IN CHURCHES , THE BOOK OF MALACHIS REPEATEDLY USED TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT DEVIATING TITHES. THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT IGNORING TO PAY TITHES (TAXES). AND ALL WHO EITHER DIVIATE OR IGNORRE TO PAY OR GIVE TAXES/TTAXES MISS THE BLESSINDS AND THEIR MINDS ARE HARDENED AND MADE CONFUSED. SOBIS MEMBE. ZAMBIA NEEDS ALL THE OTHER COUNTRIES. YOU CAN SEE THA THEMOST EXPENSIVE PROJECT IS GIVEN TO CHINESE .IF THAT NDOLA -LUSAKA WAS GIVEN AMERANS
Sad indeed it seem like the country is beign sold slowly,slowly to our diplomatic enemies of the universe they is nothing good any more that will come from this. Some of the commentary i’ve just read supporting America to improve our way of living is just absurd you ppl really and truely should some how understand the policies and politics of the West, let’s not close our windows and doors without looking outside and have a glance to know what the world is revolving!!! Westerners never live you alone when they smell a apple pie on your turf they always want to get a big chunk piece of a pie before they live you alone that is just the tenacious of western world.