African Economic Development
Posted Thursday, May 26th, 2005 at 1:00 pm
Found this interesting article about economic development in African and “its image problem.” Quoting Charles Stith, former US ambassador to Tanzania, now at Boston University:
- “There’s a historic framework, “he says, “that by definition sees Africa … and Africans as inferior and negative,” and makes most stories about the continent negative.”By contrast, he says, “China has problems, but we see and hear other things about China. Russia has problems, yet we see and read other things about Russia. That same standard, he says,” should apply to Africa.”
“What do you think?”
May 27th, 2005 at 3:18 pm
Actually, what you hear or see on television news and read in magazines and newspapers is not investigative journalism. It is, however, the news that somebody gives to the newspapers and magazines and to the television people. It is the only news they get. It is like feeding a formula to a baby. The daily dose of crap that is delivered at the White House briefing at Noon is a classic example of news being manipulated. So what you read about Africa is meant for us to read. No creative journalism there. It is the same for China and Russia. We get a different slant for them because somebody wants us to get that slant. Think about it.
May 27th, 2005 at 3:34 pm
So why do you think the slant is different for Africa?
May 27th, 2005 at 8:24 pm
It may be the case that African “good news” is under reported. But that was not always true. During the independence movements, the world was very hopeful about Africa, and the media reported plenty. The sad truth is that precolonial and colonial patterns of repression continue to keep Africa from fulfilling its potential. Among these are its history of slavery, dating back even before the devastating European slave trade, its precolonial “Big Man” systems of government patronage, its tribal divisions, its precolonial suppression of literacy in many areas, and its patriarchal mores (which have, among other things, contributed to the AIDS epidemic). These are not imaginary, and historians who have documented them are not racists.
June 1st, 2005 at 4:35 pm
Great topic to mull over, Scott. It is true that there is a different view that the world has about areas of the world, which is a kind of racism (which is what he is implying). Although I think the comparison to China and Russia is a little unfair, since their economies and are on a different scale and their governments wield significantly more clout in the world.
My limited experience with poverty says that intractable poverty is two-sided: there are things the poor do to prevent economic success for themselves and there are systemic things that make their attempts much harder. It’s the same in inner-city LA, as we get frustrated by both the things our students do that hurt themselves and we get angry at the larger societal and legal structures that keep them down.
Weirsdo’s response is very informative and relates a lot of the ways that poor countries in Africa shoot themselves in the foot. It seems like the rest of the world has assigned Africa to the role of “patient/client/aid recipient” and that means investment and reform are not considered for them, only aid.
-mark.