oppression /əˈprɛʃ(ə)n/
noun
prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority.
the state of being subject to oppressive treatment.
mental pressure or distress.
Ah, good o'l oppression. With the recent happenings in America and basically the West, I never thought that I would ever say this, but y'all need it. As an African girl in a 3rd World African country, (damn, double homicide) looking the way I do, I would say I meet the required experience to prescribe it.
The history of Kenya is strongly intertwined with oppression through colonisation, tribalism and corruption among others. Just as it is the societal norm almost everywhere, the rich rule over everything, our government is one of the most corrupt in the region and police brutality is just like drinking water at this point. We gained freedom from the British but not "FREEDOM". And we never will, no one ever will.
But it seems as if the West is adamant in finding it. They even give it out like flyers through loving missiles to other countries to "free" their people (shout-out Libya, Syria). First world countries cannot seem to fathom that other countries do not need to have all the liberties they have. I mean they literally rather have died, than be told by the government how to avoid literal DEATH from a deadly virus rampaging the whole world. WhAt? That is the role of the government. To tell you what to do.
Not to mention that their freedom has led to more discourse that civil conversation. I'm all for free speech. With everything wrong with our government, Kenya holds up pretty well on the free speech front. #KenyansOnTwitter (#KOT) is just us bullying our president. But even though we have very unlimited freedom of opinion, we seem to hold together and not divide into only 2 different sides. No instead, we divide ourselves into 44 and cause a civil war, ah yes, freedom! But this is far worse in the West, whereby unlike Africa where division happens because of bioligical and geographical identities, they divide themselves through thoughts, like actual opinions. Huh, sounds about right? Freedom!
When the pandemic struck, all "oppressed" countries followed the government protocols: stayed home, kept social distance, spread propaganda on WhatsApp. And what did the West decide to do? Hint: None of that. They suddenly decided to protest everything on the earth. No masks because it was their right. Well I guess, they had a right to die as well because the consequences were dire and affected a whole lot of people.
Oppression in the West looking in from a person in the East, is typically non-existent and the fact that they think they are oppressed is so preposterous (I am unable to can at this point). Please put on your masks and no I will not be sharing your aesthetic pastel post on Instagram to spread awareness, I am literally in a country that is about to inaugurate a horrible constitution that may lead us into another wave of civil war (that I will actually be old enough to remember this time).
The plight for absolute freedom is impossible just by the mere fact that morality exists. And with that the law and a government. If we achieved total freedom, I don't think we'd have an issue with overpopulation anymore. People seem to equate totalitarianism with tyranny and huma right violations. Some examples for sure but for other countries it works. Let's not only see democracy as the only system that benefits a country when countries such as: Russia, Rwanda, Singapore exist. All these have elements of dictatorship but also some of the best economies and cleaner countries of their respective continents (Russia is to be debated). So many issues would be fixed with some level of oppression, well that is my theory at least. We will never save this planet if we aren't literally FORCED to do it. People will still complain about their right to freedom. Corruption will stop if the politicians are scared enough of the oppressor.
The West itself is an oppressor, these same people who yearn and fight for their freedom, oppress us. Just look at Libya, they killed Mu'ammar Al-Gaddafi (we miss you G) all in the plight for freedom of the Libyans, well now they are freely suffering in a civil war. Human society cannot run without a level of oppression, it holds society upright. We need it.
It is a normal part necessary for our existence. A taste of it wouldn't hurt.
Song:
Matalib - Sammany Hajo
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