fran died, while westerners had been concerned about a chocolate shortage or price of searching for their favorite suite, treat little spot is given to where that chocolate is coming from, or what's causing the disruption in the supply chain, towards worker's rights. on this episode, we'll explore complaints of the exportation of african farmers by multinational western corporation. and how recent anti western sentiment and politics may turn the so called chocolate war into a hot one. alright, let's get into the m o. the s no secret that africa is a content rich and natural resources from precious gems like diamonds to cobalt but powers. the lithium for your cellphones and eaves to the cocoa used to create

your favorite dessert. it's all found in africa, but in recent years, africa is more northern parts known as the hell region. and much of west africa have kind of come under scrutiny by western powers. namely, the us and france between political instability such as kuda taz to the plight of coco farmers looking to earn more from multi national corporations such as nationally or cargill. the eyes of the west are looking toward africa. joining us to discuss, he is not a far freeman. he is an organizer with the pan african community action and coordinating committee member for the black alliance for peace. he's also a host at voices with vision at w p. s. w here in the dc metro. that's part of the pacifica network of stations. so net 5 1st. in recent weeks, news across the us,

it was highlighting the chocolate shortage. bloomberg reported that rock cocoa was surging towards $10000.00 a tonne. that's an unprecedented number for this commodity. however, the source of this shortage was actually man made african cocoa far, but being farmers were actually demanding higher prices for their product from, you know, companies such as nestle or hershey, cargill general mills and so forth. so that's a chocolate, is a $130000000000.00 industry annually. you have the farmers in places like court of law or gonna earn about a dollar a day. the farmers were asking for pennies more, but the corporations decided they wouldn't pay it, saying the farmers were acting like a cartel, trying to be like opec. so they just stop buying the beans. now the farmers are in a right and the end consumers like you and me, are paying the price your thoughts on this as well. this is

a result of the near liberalism, of the international global economy. the relationship between the coke farmers and the corporations, like nestle and hershey and car gurus and general mills. and these are a direct legacy of european colonization of africa. and then what we're seeing is the contention between, you know, the farmers and, and regular peep. ready and their intent to, to charge a passive self determination to start their interest. and so under new colonialism, africa still doesn't control the exports of the defense goods for even the cat. and this is the cast cross the co and where the money is is when it comes out of the country as manufacturing. and we find that the finished goods like the chop, the parts and things. ready we have an in particularly in ivory coast and gonna is this 4 major corporate producing countries and that's

a camera room. nigeria go to wire ivory coast and i have to say, i've been gone it gone and i've read close in the farmers. they're like you said, it's make only like $1.00 a day or something like that. and we're not even talking about the disparities and big plantation. coca pharmacy, 1st at the small family farms. the big plantations are what's financed and encouraged by the structure adjustment programs and, or the low lending of i met with bank. but the coke of farmers regards whether it's punched asians or small funds are now beginning to realize their interest in what's happened to this is what's driving the price up isn't particularly ivory coast and gone to the chain together to put up a fixed price. this also higher for them to be able to the, to sell the price of their coke up and also included what's known, what they're calling living income, differentiate. and that live in income, different genes show, which is part of the higher prices to go directly to the farmers. now,

new liberalism, new liberalism doesn't broach anything about, it's not, it doesn't, it's not for the interest of regular people, regular people's values only as good as what their profit, what, how much profit they can yield to corporations, that international finance capital. and so it doesn't really think about those things now. hershey and nestle and all these other corporations. and this is what we saw initially when the, the, or the coca farmer is organized and initiated this price fixing these countries the, they had to go on a public relations acknowledging the fairness of this and that they would comply with this higher price. but then reneged almost, it was just really just the do something in the public, but then also started go reverting back to only paying the lower price. and that as a result of this, the farmer is also started withholding, trying to sort of a battle, a contention withholding their coca. but at the same time, the, you know,

the companies in the international market with the co farmers don't control, can this stand and also just like they do corporations, they just raise the prices in order to deal with a shortage of, of what is coke as the less what we're, we're seeing here, we're seeing the, the farmers realizing their interest in trying to find that. and so, yeah, to yes, so hershey, mars and mando as are 3 of the top 5 chocolate manufacturers in the world. all american companies, any surprise to you, that the reason for the shortage the plight of the farmers is not being discussed by mainstream media outlets here states. i know this is not any surprise at all. one of the inconvenience of the, the moment is that we're living in the time we're actually experiencing the time of the year. the chocolate is, you know, being advertised,

some of the companies and news like this, what we're not getting sympathy for these big companies, like hershey and nestle, and all of that with some countries really, especially they, they, they can't really afford to cover africa regularly. and especially not in any honest way, and without the racial, under tons of the racial spin racist, been that it has, you know, the advocates backwards and whatnot. news like what's happening here regarding africa has potential of a weakening, the a more like pan african consciousness among the african or the black communities and in a pen african and working class. by now, most concerts is among these communities within the average, within the western countries. and so africa has to be depicted. the only way for people does not have simplifies and, and have a more pen african is or, or international. this regard or, or, or per view is the african has to be depicted as backward and fraught with terrorism in violence and was these to the needs of west to

a system. there's not people centered movements for workers like the farmers in africa and whatnot. and then the people know, with the farming in the top of the industry, this all this, you know, child labor exploitation, the big plantations exploit tired of labor and whatnot. these things have to be made in the blind spots of, of the western populations. otherwise, it will gain ship sympathy, the corporations cannot afford. and so now here's the twist i would say in this, on savory story. several of these cocoa being producing states are equal wass member states, the ivory coast and gonna alone represent 70 percent of the world's production. now we're learning that us after com intends to build a brand new drone basis in, in those states and been in as well. your group, the black alliance for peace issued a statement condemning this move. so 1st, explain for us why you think the drawing bases are a bad idea and i don't know,

is it a coincidence? the situation with the cocoa being farmers and coast of juan gonna so that the drone bases are a bad idea as not just the drone bases that are a bad idea. it is the whole and for comments known as the what's known as an for com is the us africa command, which is, you know, political read it all across the continent. it is united states military occupation of the african continent under the so called auspices of trying to fight terrorism in assist the african everything else. but michael langley, the commander ban for com. just a couple weeks ago. put it plainly when he was asked about the why u. s. military is in africa and what, what people should know about that or the reason for it. and one of the most the most telling aspect of what he said along with all the other fluff is that they were there, quote, for influence and access. this is why and for commas is there. and we know that the

presence of and for calm has the nothing but exponentially put a increase the terrorism, terraced activities there. there's a lot of atrocities based on the drones withdrawn bases, particularly in somalia, in libya. and so when they talking about new drawing bases in beginning, gone and are because they're really just talking about extending the type of atrocities that not just drawn basis. but all of our com is responsible for on the continent of africa. so it's, it's not a good idea. i don't think it's a coincidence that these 3 countries are considered for in relationship to the coca and the coca production in particular. but it's not just the coca production is just a come really about all kinds of industry and access in africa, whether it be timber or oil or the re uranium. but what the west fears is a potential of consciousness of self determination in africa. a radical even if

lead by workers movement is a dangerous to their interest. and we can see self determination. and those types of things express themselves, and particularly in the form of friends comedies with these countries have kicked out france. and we also know that the united that need air, this part of the, of the, what they're referring to now is the lines of the health states, the last country to take over from really the comfort to class. as now, calling for the removal of african from his territory the, the shore answer. and i don't want to be labor that, but directly to your point, is that the, the expect any expansion of africa, whether be drawing bases or anything is dangerous. traffic has been met and nothing but of destruction and death, and they have a motive for doing so, which is about control and access and coming up next. usually, an economic block doesn't threaten military action,

but that's exactly what equal was did following a string of cruise in west africa. we'll discuss it when we return with net 5. freeman. so type m o will be right back the the water is a part of the blog post that isn't the deepest view of us and that in the word part is it something deeper, more complex might be present. let's stop without collision. is that spelled out of the of the

early $1880.00 brands decided to subjugate madagascar. however, the mother got the kingdom, refused to submit it $1883.00. during the 1st franco mail, i guess they wore the french sent a punitive expedition to for submission on the island. the aggressors ships brutally bombarded the coastal settlement. the invaders managed to forcefully impose control over in man a gas cars external affairs. but the french wanted more of a few years later, they started a full scale military invasion ended 18. 95 captured the capital tent and other evil, the commonest exiled queen. run of all on the 3rd and our prime minister brian a letter of une abroad. then the invaders began to clear the island from the malcontents, with iron and blood in 18. 96 france declared. a protector is over man,

a gas guard, and in $1897.00, annex the island. the suppression of the liberation movement erupt. 87 merciless massacre. the capture of madagascar are led to tragic consequences. natural resources were in the hands of french corporations. all local schools were closed and the french language was imposed on the population. the care lasted 15 years and resulted in the death of at least 100000 mile. i guess the people, the colonial regime left an open wound in the history of madagascar. but violence was never able to suppress the malagasy striving for freedom. the boys earn those all why it was can be started by law. peace can be satisfied for the importance of we can the never kind of a stations that transparency is an extraordinary drawn mistake at trees.

then just succeeded in finding documents that existed in making them available to the world public. i mean, what could be more holding back by publishing information and sharing information with the public. he was exercising the right to free speech. he did so in the public interest and wants to so mom realized tends to me, engulfing endlessly to relate to seriously. i know why advice may know who is the guy that illegal anymore wisely bought the adjustments for to be on box weighing a 175 used for virtual give sense. it's all we're going to lift that, stay the

welcome back to the m. o. i, manila chan, network freeman was kind enough to hang out a little bit more thanks for sticking around that by so equal loss isn't an acronym for economic community of west african states. why haven't they spoken up against these multi national corporations who live in points of the group? economic? i mean it's in the name. shouldn't agriculture be more important to the group then? foreign militarism interests? so um, this is, i'm glad you asked this question and then it's a very important question. echo was the economic community with african states has its origins in the seventy's and did have. and it's came right after we solve this, the sweeping of independence and become ization movements in africa, independent countries gaining their independence from formal colonialism in, in, in africa, from europe. but then the configuration of,

of echo wise is that it's is comprised of leaders of the various representatives of various governments in west africa of the country. the 14 or 15 countries that comprise applicants. and being the new colonialism which is the control of the politics and the economics of the countries. but with all the outward trappings of independence, it means that is fostered. well, we referred to as a comfortable class, people who seem to be working in the interest of their population that really are beholden to interest outside of foreign interest. that's what a comfort door is and be with with these being the leaders that are heading most is countries of heading all of these countries. um even though that it had good intentions the beginning. now eck weiss service pretty much serves the interest of the western countries. this is why they threaten the military intervention into these year because of what happened there. they're taking over despite the poppy

popularity of the take over, and the polls in the expelling of the french, they were going to, they threatened military intervention. and the only reason they didn't is because they're, their populations were the population of the various countries heading echo was we're not for the intervention and we're already demonstrating against them. we had demonstrations or celebrations of this, of the, those countries that are expelling france and demonstrations against the leadership . and these compet doors in the countries that are comprising across and that's, and we're threatening for military and intervention. so there's a lot of political instability in west africa right now. i mean, cruise in molly burkina, faso, guinea, new share was the last bastion of american military influence out there in this the hell. but now under the hunter government, they just abruptly cancelled this 12 year old security packed with adver. com. the spokesman for the hunter, colonel major, i'm gonna do, i'm to run line, send this quote, to of the government of new share taken into account the aspirations and interests

of its people. revokes with immediate effect. the agreement concerning the status of us military personnel and civilian defense department employees. in plain language, he basically said new share was expelling the united states. how do you see this impacting the, the growing threat of, say, terrorism from the likes of all, kinda this is a pretty complicated question and, and so i think it's, it's the 1st should be understood that and for. com was not the, despite what they were saying was not having any success, nor the french foreign legion or whatever the. and then how also as french in the us have the have because military footprints with the us, having the largest military footprint on the corner of africa, puts us ostensibly for the purpose of, of fighting terrorism. and they were not having any, if anything, terrorism at once with terrorism grew,

has expanded increased since their presence. so to do so, it would be mistake to think that without them that they would the, for some reason that the, that the terrorism would necessarily grow. because they were gone. now i also think it's important for us to consider what stabilization and how we think of it. let's stabilisation and stabilization for who. so this has been instability for the western economic order and domination of western countries and their ability to have access to mental resources into super exploit africans. but africa, the like we talked about the font farmers and whatnot, who have had been under colonialism for, you know, hundreds of years or so centuries. there was no stability for them. this doesn't represent instability for them. what's happening. and in fact, we should be careful to understand that any, any course,

4 of the conversation for africa, of being able to the polls, the domination of western countries that should include united states, now is the top new cohen eyes on the african continent. required the going through a phase of, of expelling the military's and also expelling the influence of sanctions and, and the international financial institutions like the i m, f and world bank. it would have to go through that in order to gain any sense of real people centered stability, then other was governments and, and states that are operating in the best interest of the mass of the people or the mass of being able to assume control. and so in this sense, what's happening is a precursor, a necessary 1st step further, it'd be real independent, self determined, and even hopefully united africa. and so black lines are peace stand for against

all forms of military intervention in all forms of intervention. and so i think this is the we want the, i think is be a, it's a good 1st step. the nicer is taken. and then we, we call for all the countries in africa to take the same step and, and again, take the same step in and look for a sub determine united africa, this work in the best interest of the masses. yes, stability for who is a great way to look at it. as you mentioned earlier, a new year is uranium rich. france is one of the largest purchasers of uranium from the share. but the military junta announced previously that they were going to halt all sales to the french. there were concerns that emanuel my crone might take military action into new share, you know, under the guise of overturning this cool, which apparently seem to be a very popular movement that hasn't happened though. on the part of france. we saw a lot of russian flags being waived there,

but when you combine this with the eviction of the us military, how do you see things playing out in the share or? yeah it's, it's hard to say, i don't think it would be to put it lightly, a good look for there to be a military intervention on the part of the direct military and the pension on the part of the west to intervene in these year, especially since these, these movements seem to be quite popular. and we've also seen molly, particularly molly and these year and became a facile form what they're calling an alliance of the health states, a security alliance. the 1st of forms of security saying that an attack on one is impact on all of them. and all of them have had taken an anti france or anti western disposition wanting to have their own currency, whatnot. and now now it's looking like it's also spilling over to the us with us

was trying to avoid that and be neutral. and this that everyone knows that they're all, it's all connected. what's also going to be interesting is, is, and we didn't get a chance. and we won't be able to talk about it is the developments in seminole where there is a newly elected president, the youngest president and, you know, and, and a prime minister. these 2 young people represent a growing young movement. it's also talking about and to france and the self determination of a sent a goal. and then also in the beginning of us out with the revolutionary party of the p, a i g c with the party of a meal car. cobra all has taken been able to form a coalition and, and taking power in a folder and a power. so these are popular governments that they can't accuse of being taken over by 2 military interventions. but all of them are the ones that are in the military lines and the ones and these have the same, basically same as central agenda. and i think the only thing that can result if,

if the west persist with its aggressiveness and its insistence that it dominate it, they're going to bring all of these forces together. and we're going to see emerging a new movement of the quantization or d. neil colonization in west africa, which is long overdue. that's a free man, member of papa and black alliance for peace, also co host and voices with vision on pacifica. thank you so much for your perspective today. thank you for having me. and that is going to do it for today's episode of modus operandi the show that digs deep into foreign policy and current affairs. i'm your host mentor, which and thanks for tuning in. we'll see again next time to figure out the m. o, the

what else shows they just don't have to shape out the application and engagement because the trail when so many find themselves will support, we choose to look for common ground the, the russian states. never. i've side as i'm one of the most sense community, best english, all sense of the, in the 65 let's be the one else calls question about this, even though we will then in the european union,

the kremlin media mission, the state on russia to day and split the ortiz full neck, even our video agency, roughly all the band on youtube tv services for the question, did you say steven twist, which is the latest shooting? it did even a cpd with the story. paid school level, the use of pollution stuff that's due to shifting. it's because she couldn't. miller or collected steve to photocopy slip on to describe the video and introduce i'd have to do is to make sure that you create excuse. but our name is historical stories with disposable cleaning, some doors and not say that the bunch of stuff conflicting the thoughts about

the string of centuries ago. your forebears name, this country ukraine or frontier because your steps blink, europe, and asia, the ukrainians that become frontiersman of another. so the, the president of the moment hold on to this, of this one was which of a high measure them is always, you know, going to try to jump to the most goals. they would have been that much a lot of the heavily coleman joe probably then you post bouquets gift to suck you the. we'll have to upgrade the stuff on the the

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the rates and they so divide some number of states line up against the proposal. so use the blocks west button to strike the interruptions hard treat warnings that there's a roadmap to world war 3 types of western european, an italian women, striking and killing in the house of russia seems very, very dangerous. and breakfast to me. a lot of china family opposed to us playing the taiwan called us according to the chinese foreign ministries folks process the, the latest one i come across the kills at least 35 people despite the international court of justice ruling that the assault must at the.