Posted by TheBlackList on August 29, 2009 at 8:09pm
Book Review
Sovereign Evolution: Manifest Destiny from "Civil Rights" to "Sovereign Rights"
by Ezrah Aharone
(Reviewed by Dan Tres Omi, The Liberator Magazine)
http://weblog.liberatormagazine.com/2009/08/from-civil-rights-to-sovereign-rights.html
When the topic of legal sovereignty is brought up, it is usually masked by spookisms
and gobbledygook. When one attends lectures on sovereignty one is bombarded with
quotes from the Bible or the Qu'ran. Sovereignty is sold as this mysterious legal
undertaking that only a few have access to. It is a tremendously complicated concept
that many of us would rather avoid. When this book came across my desk, I hesitated
to read it. The book's synopsis, however, offered a different view point.
Ezrah Aharone is no ghetto scholar. A scholar and a well-traveled man, Aharone's
background qualifies him to be an expert on the topic. Yet, after reading Sovereign
Evolution: Manifest Destiny from “Civil Rights” to “Sovereign Rights,” it is very
clear that Aharone writes for the lay man. His argument is clear and current.
Aharone does create a utopian and mythic past and makes his points relevant.
Usually, one hears how sovereignty is good for the individual. Aharone however,
points out that freedom is relative and comes in states. From that viewpoint,
Aharone explains how sovereign rights are good for the collective. He states that it
is part of our political evolution. A good number of people feel that we have
reached our political peak in the 21st century and Barack Obama's successful
campaign is the best example of that. Aharone begs to differ.
Aharone's main argument is that Euro Americans never had it in their plans to
accommodate people of African descent in any way, shape or form. It is obvious that
this dilemma continues today since we are given a few token measures and laws to
give the illusion that democracy is working. "The real mockery," Aharone says, "is
that we remain in a unprincipled political relationship with a European people who
hold 'parental authority' to conditionally approve what they feel is politically
best for us." Again, history is the best measure we have. Aharone uses several
historic examples to demonstrate how sovereignty is used to acquire political and
economic power.
Aharone describes the relationship between people of African descent with Euro
Americans as one of products and owners of product. It is no lie that our ancestors
were bought here as laborers. Their work was a form of free capital that was used to
build up the United States. Today, we are still a dependable labor force. His
solution is to create a collective sovereignty not just legally, but spiritually and
mentally. That is the component that we fail to realize. Sovereignty should not be
seen as just a legal position, it should be seen as a mental and spiritual one. Many
of us don't just want to assimilate politically, we want it to be all-encompassing.
To quite a few of us, this information will not be new. Yet, Aharone's voice is not
fiery. He uses a sound scholarly voice and leaves it up to the reader to make the
final assessment. He lays out his argument, at times in a somber voice, but he does
not chastise or place blame. The word is evolution. We must never assume that we
have reached our peak. I look forward to reading Aharone's earlier work and for him
to continue writing on this subject. For those who are opponents or skeptical about
sovereignty, I suggest reading Aharone's latest offering. It will not only make one
rethink his or her position on sovereignty, it will also help one rethink the course
of our political evolution.
Ezrah Aharone is also the author of Pawned Sovereignty. He can be reached at
Ezrah@theCSA.org.
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Dear Dan Omi, greetings. I truly enjoyed your review of Ezra Aharone's book, "Sovereign Evolution". To be truthful you are the second person I came across, Aharone being the first who believe sovereignty is at all attainable or even worth considering by the masses of Black people. As you truly stated when the topic of legal sovereignty is brought up it is usually masked by spookism, especially if it is not from the Bible or Quran. It is, indeed, a mysterious legal undertaking that only a few have access to. I am proof of that. I came to this lovely country, a country a owe my gratitude, nearly three decades ago. I came as a sovereign, yet not many were convinced. Ezra Aharone must have had the same problem, I am not quite sure. However, in 1990 I published a booklet, "Black Sovereign, the Black Alternative. Some thought I should do away with the word Black and some did not see it as an alternative, but with hard work and diligence I came to be successful and today I am under many people's microscope. I would like for you to review two of my websites and do give me a feedback. www.kiafrakan.com and www.merkhutu.com. Thank you and do have a great day. Nefertari.
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