Capitalist Nigger: The Road to Success: A Spider-Web Doctrine

by Chika A. Onyeani

CAPITALIST NIGGER excels as an explosive and jarring indictment of the Black Race. Capitalist Nigger: The Road to Success (Timbuktu Publishers, September 17, 2000) asserts that the Black Race, is a consumer race and not a productive race. Says the author, Chika Onyeani, "We are a conquered race and it is utterly foolish for us to believe that we are independent. The Black Race depends on other communities for its culture, its language, its feeding, and its clothing." "Despite enormous natural resources," according to the author, "Blacks are economic slaves because they lack the "killer-instinct" and "devil-may-care" attitude of the Caucausian, as well as the "spider web economic mentality" of the Asian." The author is not afriad to use the most hated word, the 'N' word as a title of his book. He says, "It is not what you call me, but what I answer to, that matters most." The further asserts that "Blacks are economic slaves. We are owned lock stock and barrel by people of European-origin ... I am tired of hearing Blacks always blaming others for their lack of progress in this world; I am tired of the whining and victim-mentality. I am tired of listening to the same complaint, day in day out - racism this, racism that. It's getting us nowhere." "Africans have a stance, 'live for today, let tomorrow take care of itself and be damned' attitude," the author says. "We've become a sheep-like consumer race that depends on other communities for our culture, language, feeding, and clothing. We've become economic slaves in Western society." CAPITALIST NIGGER reserves its harshest criticism for African leaders, who according to Onyeani, have allowed Europeans and others to pillage and plunder Africa's wealth, without anything to show for it, other than more starvation, disease, and dictatorships. "We have as little today than when most of the African countries received independence from their colonial masters," Onyeani says. CAPITALIST NIGGER is an anguished cry to the Black race to wake up, stand up and move on." "We must abandon the victim mentality baggage that we've carried for so long: the notion that somebody owes us something," the author says. "We've got to stop whining and stop begging. The Black race needs to wake up and stand on it's own feet." Says Onyeani, "We need to recognize and learn from others what it takes to succeed. We need to adopt the "devil-may-care" attitude and the "killer-instinct and whatever-it-takes attitude" of the white Caucasian, and the "spider web economic mentality" of the Asian."

Genres: Nonfiction, Africa, Inspirational, Race, Nigeria, Economics, Business

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2000

Reviews

[Zanele Ngwenya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The truth hurts... Chika tells it like it is. I love this book... Inspirational!!!

[EnglishMajor · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I have ever read. Onyeani's argument can basically be summarised in two pages. Why write a whole book where the author repeats himself to the reader, as if the reader is some dim-witted, backwards two-year old? Thoroughly wasted my time reading this. It would have served him better as some journal article or a little blurb on an anonymous (or even not-so-anonymous)blog. Waste of time...

[Sipho · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is basically a rant. An incoherent and factually questionable one at that.

The author's main contention is that most black people are mere consumers and not creators. he cites the fact that despite enormous natural resources, Africans remain economic slaves.

The proposed solution to this crisis is to replicate the Asian and Jewish people and adopt the economic principle of the "spider-web doctrine". This concept is one of extreme ownership where every dollar spent in the community is deliberately made to stay in the community. The way a spider traps flies. To achieve this, black people must buy black and only black: black-manufactured goods, black restaurants, black schools and the list goes on.

While there is merit to some of the arguments, the book was for me severly tainted by the hostile and somewhat condescending tone. Added to that were the numerous spelling and grammatical errors in the book itself. For a book advocating black excellence, it was ironic to see so many faults in the writing.

The title of the book is meant to be provocative and attention grabbing. Sadly, the content does not justify the headline.

[Nthabiseng Ngoasheng · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally got to reading it off my shelf this year and Mr Onyeani makes a good point. However, he rants to a point of impractical advise in some areas. I found the book painfully repetitive and badly edited. A good intention nonetheless, angry enough to incite a mind shift I hope.

[Mpho muthelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Progressing as a black nation.building your own world,rise and shine as a black human being without pointing fingers to other nations.The book encourages all nations to end the black african culture of blamming the whites for who we are.It is indeed our road to success.

[Victor A. Chaungwe Jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking,the content carries a lot of weight because it is coming from a fellow Blackman,who was born and raised in Africa, Nigeria to be specific.
A few correlations on a number of views, especially on our Education,why it is so self seeking and not impactful for the greater good of our communities.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Substantial interesting points and arguments raised. Definitely something that affects the way you think and see society in general. Overall very insightful, though a tad bit too repetitive.

[Peter Wauyo · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author's points on consumerism are valid, black people should spend less, save more and invest more.

The author however goes on to rant on and on about the weaknesses of black people without appreciating the huddles we have passed through.

If one considers what black people have been through, you start to see just how successful we have been; being able to defend our own and survive the times.

The native Indians of America who to an extent faced similar challenges (biological terror through diseases; wars and raids etc) were not as successful and have been almost wiped out to extinction.

The author makes comparisons between blacks and the likes of Bill Gates, he forgets the environment and level of opportunity a person like Bill Gates had when he was growing up. Bill Gates was born to rich middle class parents in a war free society where he got to go to the most prestigious schools and had access to the latest information and technology of his time.

These factors disqualify Bill Gates as a worthy comparison, the same with all the Silicon valley tech gurus he praises.

The bible says; 'why look at the speck in your brother's eye but do not notice the log in your own eye.' In this spirit, before the author gets worked up about why Africans are not starting successful multi-billion dollar companies, he should ask himself why he hasn't started one himself, why he is not a billionaire.

Speaking of billionaires, there are a number of Africans who have become billionaires on the continent, against all odds. However, I can't say the same for the author.

When I google his name nothing much is said about a multi billion dollar empire, not even a million dollar enterprise. Its therefore funny how this guy undermines the success of the black businesses that were profiled in the Black Enterprise Magazine in June 1999 because the number one had revenues of 'only' $389 million.

It is a bad book, with a lot of inaccuracies and little research. The following is taken from Wikipedia:

" A few of his most inaccurate comments and racial stereotypes include: "In Africa there are more Mercedes Benz, BMW (sic) and Jaguars than there are people." "There is nothing in Africa that is owned by the people."

One notable contradiction is when he calls for adoption of the spider web doctrine, but then cautions successful 'capitalist niggers' (like himself) to keep other Blacks at arm's length. "

I live in Africa, and everyday I see honest people going out to work hard and make it, despite all the challenges.

The bias, the lack of strong factual argument, the inaccuracies and the exaggerated claims in the book go a great length to show that Chika is just as incompetent and as lazy as the black-man stereotype he builds.

[Dumisani Hlophe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful book. We need to hear such truths as black people. We need to get over this consumer mentality.

[Chidi]

I am yet to experience the spiderweb doctrine being lived to the core. The concept of BEE in South Africa is the capitalistic niggerism in the right direction but then black people do not go and support fledling black SMME. They would rather go to a fancy white restaurant instead of a black owned.

Eish politiks

[Nonsikelelo Nonty · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book i never got to finish realy...... but having read soo much of it i really enjoyed it! soooo empowering and motivational if only it wasnt stolen with just 47 pages to go before i finished it i wouldve learnt more !!!

[Raph Kazidule · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first you would call the author a jerk! Continue reading. While several things have changed over the years from the time he wrote the book, a big percentage still remains. Its an eye opener to how we approach success.

[Sicelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

great and uncovers facts

[Seretse Mothibi · Rating 3 out of 5]

we live in a world of superfluous expenditure

[Dr. Corey Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful book given to me by a good friend from South Africa.....own something dont consume everything..

[Josef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haters gone hate but this book is an absolute masterpiece

[David Lyelu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book awakening the black man to move from consumerism to being producers and competing on the global stage and moving to real independence.
However, I think the book was repetitive and could have been shorter summarizing his main points he kept repeating.

[Wachia Kayanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book in the corners of my father's library and picked it up because the word 'NIGGER', large and bold and glittery was screaming in my face. On that front I have to hand it to Mr. Onyeani, a provocative attention-grabbing title and cover is A+ marketing and indeed sparked my interest.
But that's where the excitement ended really.

With all due respect, the book read like an angry rant of a middle-aged man dissatisfied that the lot he's achieved in his life are not comparable to those of the likes of Bill Gates and George Soros. Hence, he points the fingers at his own people. For not subscribing to The African Sun Times, his literary journal and similarly, and at black businesses for not advertising in his journal.

He brands black people, both continental, diasporic and African-American as lazy consumers. While there is a small truth somewhere very very...very far in that broad and hasty generalization, it is not specific to the black race but to consumerism culture in general. Which is what he should have been attacking - not the black race.

Yes, we live in a capitalist society where money is the ubiquitous marker for success. But the ''devil-may-care" and "killer-instinct" of the Caucasians which he pointed out as lacking in black people are one of the core reasons why black people find themselves in this position on the economic totem pole.
According to Mr. Onyeani, black people should be asking themselves why our ancestors didn't go out and enslave the Europeans and pillage and plunder the Americas and Europe before they could do so to us.

This book went round and round in angry circles, pointing out badly-researched problems without going to the root of them, and without offering holistic solutions. The book didn't seem to have an editor which it would have benefited greatly from.
Furthermore, Mr. Onyeani seemed to me to be a self-loathing diasporic African.

I googled him to discover that he died in 2016. I was trying to find material from him to see whether his views had changed or solidified since writing this book in the late 90's.

Rest in Peace Mr. Onyeani. I hope you became the Capitalist Nigger you wished so badly to be.

[Ben Hinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great message, albeit too repetitive.

[Nancy Bianca]

not bad

[Elliard Shimaala · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Author made his point in chapter one, after that he really struggles to bring out anything interesting in his book.

[Missy Mokel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains some well-taken points but is highly repetitive.

[Samantha Mutirori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chika basically raises a few points and keeps hammering them forever. There is more of ranting than actual useful material.

[Robert Jere · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would have been easy to just dismiss this book after the first chapter. However, I decided to ignore the wild generalisations and continued reading. I think the decision paid off. The book is enjoyable as a kind of rant from a drunk uncle.
The author describes a 'capitalist nigger ' as an individual who shamelessly seeks to make money within the law. The individual has to be black of course. And there lies the first issue with the book. The definition of 'black' is so broad that it just creates confusion.
Another issue is that it is not clear to me that these criticisms cannot be applied to another ethnic group, especially if the definition of the group is as loose as the one applied to 'blacks'.
The individual criticisms themselves are interesting. I have heard about almost all of them from people in Zambia. If we put aside the attribution to over a billion people, then there is a conversation to be had. The issues raised on the quality of governance in Africa are perhaps the most robust in the entire book.
My final issue with the book is the economic ignorance of the author. This is important because his 'solutions' are grounded on a foundation of economic reasoning that was debunked over 200 years ago. A prime example of this is the 'spider-web doctrine '. The idea is a variation of the old mercantilist falacy of confusing currency with wealth.
Overall, I am glad that I read this book. At the very least, I now understand why it is popular. The cheeky style of writing was fun to read as it reminded me of the work of Mencken.
There is nothing 'new' in this book, so it is tricky to recommend it to a particular reader. However, there are a lot of people who hold views that are similar to the ones expressed by the author. Those people may like to have their worldviews reinforced. Those who disagree passionately may also want something to get worked up over.

[/d. · Rating 1 out of 5]

As other have pointed out, this is not a book. It's a blogpost or a newspaper column that has magically stretched the sentence "There is absolutely nobody else who is responsible for whatever happens in my life, except myself" into almost 200 pages - a crowning achievement that would almost warrant more than one star.
Onyeani confronts us with wisdom such as:

You will be in control because you will totally understand that everything that happens to your child at school is a result of the learning environment you have provided him or her at home.

or

The fact is that none of the natural resources Africa is blessed with is under African control. We don't even understand the value of the natural resources we possess; otherwise, we would know how to cultivate them.

Right. That's why. Onyeani's ignorance is jarring to the degree that I seriously doubt that this "book" is anything more than a troll work supposed to provoke. Zero substance in the book warrants zero substance in the review. The only reason I can think of for this "book" to become a "national bestseller" has to be the fact that the word "NIGGER" is printed across one quarter of the books cover - kind of hard not to take look at it. #sadcringe. Don't read it.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, arguments are well put, some points are hard truths. However, it often baffles me why some Africans think pointing fingers at your perpetrators encourages complacency. It is not like that. Africans can be at a place where they know and recognize those who have done them wrong historically whilst also bettering themselves. The two are not mutually exclusive. Here's an analogy: an abuse victim can point fingers at the abuser whilst simultaneously getting counselling. Letting go of that truth that we were oppressed and still are passively oppressed in some parts of Africa is blatantly naive. I know black people who are far more successful than many of us dream to be but still see the injustices of the system against black people.

Conclusion: some arguments are right but "don't victimise yourself" argument is totally wrong. Victims are victims. I don't hear anyone telling the Jews that they shouldn't victimize themselves when they look back at the Holocaust. We all must who oppressed us, why, when and how. Only then we can find ways to move forward. Declaring yourself a victim does not encourage complacency.

[Duncan Dash · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read. I had issues with the way the author presented some issues at times, some contradictions, some rage pouring on paper but he managed to get the points across in the end. If you can brave the insults, there is a good book in it. Also, try to understand the context and time when this book was written. While written 25 years ago, most of the issues that Chika observes are still relevant today with very little changes registered in the power dynamics among blacks, and between blacks and other races. A must read for anyone interested in getting a challenging perspective on race especially for black readers both in Africa and in the diaspora. Just a heads up for modern readers, the book has some kind of self-hatred content, but like Chika states “he had to tell it as it is”

[Mohlamme Mokone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The truth that is spoken by this African man about African men is shameful, but it would be a lie to not admit that it changed my world. Had it not been about this man, and other great men, I would've been in the same path that makes one the pawn of the game until the very end and broke.
It made me reflect on my life and choices deeply, and watch closely on my habits and culture, so that I can make adjustments when there is a need. Chika Onyeani insulted a black man using his own culture, the insults in which every black man, from the mother land or diaspora, should learn a lesson and prepare a better future for his children. Independence does not come from a political paper but from the ability for one to can self-sustain. I can not emphasize how compulsory it is for every black men and women to read this book before they bring any new soul to this world, so that they will have something valuable to teach them. If you are African and reading this review, I encourage you to make this one your next read.

For most, I am very thankful that I came across such great lessons at my early twenties. I am also thankful to this man for taking such a great burden to try to correct the entire culture with self-love. It must have been difficult spiting saliva unto himself. I take the lessons personally.

[Phila Madondo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book with a powerful message, but which is sadly badly written. The author states claims without any references to back up such, e.g. he never mentions who is this Japanese Prime Minister who talked badly about black people.

Furthermore the author repeats the same things over and over and over again - which tells me that this book could've been fully written over 20 pages.

The solutions that the author offers are impractical, considering the embedded human behavior and daily practices.

[Kandachamy Vijayakumaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

With my limited reading about Africa, I had always wondered why the resource-rich countries of Africa should remain poor, in spite of the development aids poured in from the west. Later I came to understand how Europe underdeveloped Africa. But never I had doubted the inherent cultural and social factors causing the inertia in the African development. This book is an eye opener, sharp to dissect the psyche of the black and expose the bare truth for everyone to understand. Yes these truths are to be internalized by every African in and out of the continent to bring the change.