The Salience of the Rawlings Quasi-Revolution in Shaping Contemporary Ghana between History and Ideology

In: Latin American Report, Volume 32

Abstract

The ideological ferment occurring during Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings' ascension to political power in Ghana has forged our understanding of the political and economic developments of the country. Such an ideological turn occurring during Rawlings' secondcoming has defined and continued to shape Ghana's economic and political developmental trend as we know it. While some, if not most, of the revolution's upshots prove to be perfunctory and ephemeral, Rawlings' revolution, though ideologically disinclined digressed from this norm. This article argues that, based on experiences elsewhere including the Caribbean, the true significance of the Rawlings quasi-revolution therefore is not to be found in the polemics of scholarly pursuit of what constitutes a true revolution or not, but in its earnestness of providence in its quest for economic stability, growth and consistency, also in its ability to purge, both in government and in society. The true measure of Rawlings' second coming is that it created the environment, politically and economically, through which to implement economic reforms, thus defining a clear developmental trajectory post military rule for Ghana.