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Annotated Bibliography

A Struggle Against Imperialism...Or Not?

Noah Nelson

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

17 March 2017

Annotated Bibliography
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Adam, Dr. Gamal Nasser. The Struggle Against Imperialism In The Context Of

Nkrumaist Development Paradigm. Ghana Web. 17 March 2011,

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/The-Struggle-Against-Imperialism-

In-The-Context-Of-Nkrumaist-Development-Paradigm-205170. Accessed 12 February

2017.

This political-based keynote address delivered by Dr. Nasser examines the

colonial history of Ghana and traces the struggle for national independence in the

country. Being a lecturer at the University of Ghana and a leading member of the

Convention People's Party in 2011, Dr. Nassers points remain credible and helpful to my

research in a number of ways. Not only does this source give Ghanaian political facts

from a Ghanaian-born expert, the high level of planning and order that was put into the

address allows for in-depth analysis and critical thinking to take place surrounding the

topics being presented. For example, he focuses his attention on Kwame Nkrumahs

development agenda while in office and how effective or ineffective he was with certain

strategies. In addition, Dr. Nasser discusses in detail the failed attempt to take Ghana on

the path of neo-liberalism and how it affected the government and country as a whole.

Much of the information presented in this speech is supported by a number of different

credible sources. Nasser gives the audience many titled and awarded individuals

opinions on the topics to improve his arguments depth. Because of this, I will use this

source to examine many of the things he examines, from the colonial history of Ghana to

the struggle against imperialism in the country. This article has provided me with a

primary source from a Ghanaian-born individual which plays a key role in the

development of a thesis for my research. Nasser turns the tables when giving this address
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at the Ghana Day of Shame International Conference by focusing the outline of his

speech first on fact and then personal belief which improves my research to an even

greater degree than before. The back and forth between fact and opinion not only makes

for a good speech but it also develops an agenda for the countrys leaders to act upon in

the future. My initial thoughts on the topic of imperialism in Ghana and its effects on

politics are solidified by Dr. Nasser and his take on the issue.

Boot, Max, and Jeane J. Kirkpatrick. "U.S. Imperialism: A Force for Good." Council on

Foreign Relations. 13 May 2003, http://www.cfr.org/iraq/us-imperialism-force-

good/p5959. Accessed 14 February 2017.

This academic article from the Council on Foreign Relations uses a variety of sources to

develop an argument surrounding the United States imperialistic footprint. The authors

begin by asking critical questions in order to present their arguments in a orderly fashion.

Rather than looking at US imperialism and its effects on developing countries, the

authors take a different path. Throughout the article, facts are presented and events are

questioned to discover what the greatest dangers facing America are as it seeks to rebuild

Iraq. Though my projects focus is not on Iraq this source seeks out answers for America,

explores the positives and negatives on the country, and is one that I used strictly for

opposing argument purposes. The article was written about the United States and its

imperialistic hands being a force for good. It was interesting to read simply because it

was a differing point of view from my initial one and I was able to receive a better

understanding of the actions that the US has taken, will take, and how those actions will

impact the country and world as a whole. This is an unbiased source, as the two authors

from the Council on Foreign Relations are simply using fact and personal knowledge to
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provide the reader with information on US imperialism in Iraq. By backing up their facts

with well-developed opinions provides a greater degree of extraction on my part, and will

benefit my projects research depth.

Mahama, John Dramani. My First Coup D'etat: Memories from the Lost Decades of

Africa. London: Bloomsbury, 2012.

This book source, My First Coup Detat by John Dramani Mahama, offers personal

reminiscences of the vast cultural changes that took place in Ghana after independence,

as old tribal ways died out. Mahamas writing is a rare literary voice from a political

leader, and his personal stories work on many levels - as fables, history, cultural and

political analyses, and as the memoir of a young man who would grow up to be Vice

President and later President of his nation. Though non-fiction, the stories told by

Mahama are ones that rise above what is seen on the surface. They transport the reader

into a new world which straddles a time lost and explores the human emotions of love,

fear, faith, despair, loss, longing, and hope despite all else. I will not only use this source

for historical references but also as an inside look into the political and cultural values of

Ghanas people. His detailed descriptions of certain events that took place, the most

valuable being his accounts as a young child of the overthrowing of Ghanas government,

further improve the depth of my research and raise more elaborate questions to be

answered, or unanswered, later on. Though he wrote very well, I believe Mahamas

writing could come off as bias simply because he was the sitting Vice President of Ghana

at the time of the books writing and release and was trying to make himself more

appealing to the country so he would be elected as President in 2012 (which, interesting

enough, did end up happening). Because of the possible biased spin on the book, I must
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be careful and methodical in my selections of excerpts of information to ensure that my

own paper does not become a bias mess, rather than a paper that explores and questions

imperialism. This book, however, is essential to my research because of its direct

correlation to my topic and gives me yet another primary, Ghanaian-born source which is

what I have been seeking from the start.

Nkrumah, Kwame. Introduction. Neo-colonialism, the Last Stage of imperialism, Thomas

Nelson & Sons, 1965, pp. 3-11.

This excerpt explains in great detail how the West, and especially the United States,

responded to the success of national liberation movements by shifting its tactics from

colonialism to neocolonialism and is explained through Kwame Nkrumahs eyes.

Detailed descriptions are provided of the infiltration and manipulation of organized labor

organizations by agencies of the neocolonial countries, especially the United States. At

the time he published the book Neo-Colonialism, the last Stage of Imperialism, Kwame

Nkrumah was the President of Ghana, the first African country to achieve independence

from colonial rule. One year later he would be deposed by a military coup that was

supported by the American CIA. Nkrumahs introduction, though potentially bias due to

his political position as President, explains aspects of neocolonialism at the core and

provides detail on the subject in Ghana specifically. He points out that neocolonialism has

succeeded thus far by the tactic of "divide and rule" and that it will ultimately be defeated

by the unity of exploited peoples. With this source in my possession, I am able to provide

a strong argument against neocolonialism and still remain credible through Nkrumahs

research. After reading this introduction, I have gained new insight as to how the country
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of Ghana can finally overcome the firm grip of imperialism and how they can unite with

other countries to assist them in their struggle.

Sachs, Jeffrey D. The fatal expense of American imperialism. Boston Globe. 30 October 2016,

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/10/30/the-fatal-expense-american-

imperialism/teXS2xwA1UJbYd10WJBHHM/story.html. Accessed 14 February 2017.

This online news article explores American imperialism from the perspective of America

and how it has potentially caused more harm than good. According to Sachs, the single

most important issue in allocating national resources is war versus peace. The United

States is getting this choice profoundly wrong, squandering sums of money and

undermining national security. In economic and geopolitical terms, America suffers from

imperial overreach. If the political leaders of the US continue to trap the nation in

expensive Middle East wars, the budgetary costs alone could derail any hopes for solving

our vast domestic problems. This in-depth article from the Boston Globe gives me many

paths of information to follow whether it be the effects of American imperialism

domestically and how those effects can potentially lead to further economic, political and

societal issues. Being a University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable

Development at Columbia University, Jeffrey Sachs provides an unbiased, scholarly

insight to many domestic issues I was unaware of. For example, the United States has a

long history of using covert and overt means to overthrow governments deemed to be

unfriendly to US interests. From successful US-led regimes such as those in Honduras to

failed attempts such as the Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba in 1961, this article allows me to

explore and examine such accounts and their expenses economically and politically. I

will use this articles articulate information to take a different approach in part of my
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project to thoroughly explain how America negatively affects itself within its own

imperialistic grips. From this reading, I am able to ask more critical questions of my topic

such as what America can do internally to loosen the grip of imperialism altogether and

improve domestic affairs and foreign affairs alike. It is clear to me that the far smarter

approach will be to maintain Americas defensive capabilities but end its imperial

pretensions. It will be intriguing to research and discover what specific events in history

have triggered the negativity and pain of issues that Sachs speaks on throughout. I believe

that with this developed source, as with all of my sources, I will be able to ask well-

informed inquiry questions and finalize a conclusion surrounding the struggles and

successes of imperialism.