What is capitalism?
If someone asks you for a summary and you don’t know how to explain it in scientific terms, you can paraphrase Thomas Sankara’s quote:
“It is the system where you have to decide whether a minority drinks champagne or everyone has access to drinking water.”
If it’s still not clear, you can tell them the story of the former revolutionary leader of Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world, from 1983 to 1987:
- He launched a national literacy campaign.
- Built railroads, roads, and housing.
- Banned female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and polygamy.
- Expanded women’s rights and access to education. He also appointed women to high-level positions in his government.
- Redistributed land to peasant farmers.
- Vaccinated over 2 million children against meningitis, yellow fever, and measles, saving 18,000 to 50,000 children’s lives annually.
- Built schools, health centers, water dams, and provided free access to everyone in the country.
- Suspended rural taxes and house rents.
- Planted over 10 million trees to combat desertification.
- Reduced the infant mortality rate from 208 per 1,000 births to ~100.
- Refused to submit to the IMF and the World Bank.
A reader of Marx and Engels and a jazz guitarist, Sankara was assassinated by his former friend in a coup with the help of the French government. A right-wing dictatorship friendly to the French was installed. Much of the progress Sankara made in power was undone during this period. Many believe that the coup happened because Sankara, a pan-Africanist, was fighting for African countries to unite and refuse to pay the debt that colonizing nations, like France, had imposed on them.
- Sankara was known for his charisma and his commitment to social justice. He was a vocal critic of colonialism and neocolonialism, and he called for a united and independent Africa.
- Sankara’s legacy is still debated today. Some see him as a hero and a visionary leader, while others criticize his authoritarian methods. However, there is no doubt that he had a profound impact on Burkina Faso and on the African continent.
