The cry about the lack of economic opportunity and the blaming of White people for oppressing minorities, especially Black people, is an ongoing mantra that never seems to end. Certainly slavery was, and is, an inexcusable and horrendous practice and let’s not forget who in fact ended the slave trade as explained in “Slavery: You’re Free Thanks To White People.” The standing claim is that if only Black people weren’t oppressed and exploited, they would have developed their own societies on par with Western Civilization. Fortunately we can rely on historical facts to derive an answer, with Liberia being the perfect example — and the proof is always in the pudding.

The subject country of this exercise was introduced in the book “2081,” and here’s the summary.

Liberia began as a settlement of the American Colonization Society in 1822, who believed black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence in 1847, and is Africa’s first and oldest modern republic. Like most African countries, Liberia still depends on external  “interference” although it enjoys plenty of resources that could be explored by the locals.

Then a synopsis provided by CIA’s World Factbook followed.

Liberia is a low-income country that relies heavily on foreign assistance and remittances from the diaspora. It is richly endowed with water, mineral resources, forests, and a climate favorable to agriculture. Its principal exports are iron ore, rubber, diamonds, and gold. Palm oil and cocoa are emerging as new export products. The government has attempted to revive raw timber extraction and is encouraging oil exploration.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, civil war and government mismanagement destroyed much of Liberia’s economy, especially infrastructure in and around the capital.

Much of the conflict was fueled by control over Liberia’s natural resources. With the conclusion of fighting and the installation of a democratically elected government in 2006, businesses that had fled the country began to return. The country achieved high growth during the period 2010-13 due to favorable world prices for its commodities. However, during the 2014-2015 Ebola crisis, the economy declined and many foreign-owned businesses departed with their capital and expertise.

And the conclusion is quite simple: In short, Liberia still depends on colonizers!

Plenty of opinions existed regarding Liberia, and one can read about them in “How a Movement to Send Freed Slaves to Africa Created Liberia.” But while there’s an unshakable focus on the past and the Black/White relationship, the examination of the progress since then is avoided for obvious reasons.

We could dissect the economy of Liberia but that would be a monumental waste of time that wouldn’t serve any purpose. Suffice to say that “Liberia is rich in natural resources” and it’s mind boggling why the country places 221st in terms of GDP per capita out of 228 countries in the world — $1,461 vs $64,623 for the USA. Must note that Liberia’s GDP is inflated by over 200% using PPP (Purchase Power Parity), a silly formula at best. In contrast, New Zealand, independent since 1907, has a GDP (PPP) of $45,185 per capita, and both countries have a population of about 5 million people. Do you see where this is going?

Prior to the civil war, it was among the leading producers of iron ore in Africa. Its sizable reserves are found primarily in four areas: the Bomi Hills, the Bong Range, the Mano Hills, and Mount Nimba, where the largest deposits occur. Other minerals include diamonds, gold, lead, manganese, graphite, cyanite (a silicate of aluminum, with thin bladelike crystals), and barite.

And it’s not as if Liberia lacked visionary leaders when it was founded, as summarized in Wikipedia.

Joseph Jenkins Roberts (March 15, 1809 – February 24, 1876) was an African-American merchant who emigrated to Liberia in 1829, where he became a noted politician. Elected as the first (1848–1856) and seventh (1872–1876) President of Liberia after independence, he was the first man of African descent to govern the country, serving previously as governor from 1841 to 1848. Born free in Norfolk, Virginia, Roberts emigrated as a young man with his mother, siblings, wife, and child to the young West African colony. He opened a trading firm in Monrovia and later engaged in politics.

Therefore, the free Black people of Liberia were and are exposed to Western Civilization, have not suffered from the oppression of White privilege, but have not produced much of value or built a prosperous society since 1847 — or ever. Considering that elementary through high school takes 12 years, and a college degree adds another four years, what exactly is the excuse for the lack of socio-techno-economic achievement over the last 173 years? There’s no White supremacy encumbrance.

When self-centered loudmouths cannot overcome the irrefutable facts after stating that we are all intellectually equal, the argument shifts to emotion, rage and social labeling in an attempt of psychological manipulation by inducing guilt, which, ironically, validates the declaration that we’re not all intellectually equal. It’s a snake eating itself.

Ultimately debates about everything are always reduced to the simplicity of the core facts and unbiased measurements, and while we can engage in name changing, statue destruction and overall symbol cancellation to deflect from reality, as covered in “Statue Destruction Is Not About Slavery And Oppression,” nothing will ever change the foundations of humanity’s triumphs and shortcomings: It’s always about the quality of the people!

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