When the proverb "When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers” (attributed to Kikuyus of Kenya) was coined, no African knew of whales. They thought elephants were the biggest animals on earth. If it were to be whales, now that we know about them, would it be that when they fight, it’s the water that’s thrown off our planet?
We of a lesser world wouldn’t be far from the truth if we called USA and China whales, compared to our countries. Imagine, then, if they were to come to bare-knuckle – if not super-big-bomb – blows. Wouldn’t their fight’s spin-off blow us, the water, off this planet?
Already many in the world are suffering scarcities, hiked bills and an impending freezing winter for some Western countries because of the fight between what’s an elephant, Russia, and what the Western media terms a "porcupine”, Ukraine.
So-termed because the West has stuffed it with dollar billions and massive weaponry to shield itself. Still, Ukraine has been reduced to rubble, though it continues to feebly push on.
It’s no wonder, then, that recently, tension around the world has been building up to fever pitch due to the sabre-rattling going on between USA and China. The world is on tenterhooks, as the two whales maintain their stances, because they’d spell doom’s day for us all if they clashed.
When Chinese President Jinping warns: "Those who play with fire will perish by it”, it’s no idle blabber. And for effect, its military drills over Taiwan’s territory and waters were there for emphasis.
Still, US House of Representatives Speaker Pelosi was not deterred and scratched the whale’s b--ls by visiting Taiwan. She was greeted with China’s heavier burst of military activity all around Taiwan that, rather than abet, intensifies even after her departure.
If Taiwan doesn’t do the wise thing and accept it is part of China, becoming another "porcupine” will not save it. Its threat to choke China of its advanced semiconductors will be a joke that it might not have time to crack.
Whatever amount of ‘quill-weaponry’ USA may pour in to turn Taiwan into its "porcupine”, if she opts for a face-off with China, it’s definite to end up as rubble, too.
US President Biden says he could not ask Ms. Pelosi to cancel her trip due to the independence of Congress. And yet he knows her history of incessantly rubbing China the wrong way, one time even unfurling a banner in memory of protesters killed at Tiananmen Square in 1989, thereon.
These values of democracy that don’t allow for inter-branch (for branches of government) dialogue and exchange of ideas – if Biden’s utterance wasn’t pulling the wool over our eyes – may it not visit our highlands of Rwanda!
President Biden himself one time, at a gathering of Asian leaders, responded with "Yes” to a reporter’s question about whether he would get involved militarily to defend Taiwan. This combined scorn by US top leaders may be enough to push China into punishing Taiwan.
Remember, Whale of the West, the sleeping Whale of the East has a long, vengeful memory. And it likes that what belongs to it truly belongs to it, as Hong Kong may be its witness.
But again, Whale of the West, this vanity of bestriding the world like a colossus, provoking fights that often give you a bloody nose and other times make you leave rubble in your wake, don’t you sometimes reflect over it and imagine one day it might boomerang on you?
Surely, it’d be a better world if all societies stuck to their own areas, respected one another’s sovereignty and modes of governance and instead collaborated for shared gain to together build a better future. No societies should think they are better off dominating others.
Be that as it may, Rwandans, brace yourselves. Come next week, US Secretary of State Blinken will be in town. And I’m sure it won’t be to break bread and have laughs all around. Most likely it’ll be to read Rwanda the riot act.
I can imagine the barbs of questions to our bemused President Paul Kagame. "Why don’t you give Rwandans freedom to grumble about not having freedoms? Why don’t you release our decorated US resident from prison, even if we’ve seen evidence that he has carried out terrorist acts against your people? Why don’t you pacify your neighbouring country, D.R. Congo?”
A few curt answers, in form of questions, would suffice. "One: have you asked Rwandans if any of them is unhappy? Two: in your country, what do you do to terrorists? Do you remember Bin Laden and his Pakistani home-bedroom execution and burial on the high seas? And the other day, the drone-precision bombing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, on his Afghani home balcony? Three: do you know that the DRC is a self-governing state that doesn’t host any clean Rwandan? And that you can ask the peace-keeping MONUSCO that’s been there for over two decades?”
But knowing our President Kagame, we know he will patiently give elaborate answers. Still, they should leave Secretary Bliken pink in the face, if he actually listens attentively.
The views expressed in this article are of the writer.