Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Excellent critique of Dead Aid

On the Oxfam site. The question is: why is a book with two questionable alternatives to aid (deal with China and government bonds) so popular?

Posted by Jeremy at 10:49 am

4 comments:

Anonymous,  11:09 am  

It beats me as well. In the final analysis, Moyo's self promoting campaign isnt healthy for the continent.

Chude

Dade,  1:56 pm  

Chude,

A good debate like the on-going one around Dambisa's book has always been healthy for any one/society that wants to make progress.

To answer Jeremy's question,
My guess is that her central points on the failure of western aid in Africa have met the wave of a growing sentiment in western societies on the point of continuing with the 'charity giving' approach of most current aid programs.
Also with the struggling finances in most western countires in the light of the global economic crisis, governments are looking for areas to cut back on, and cutting back on aid is an area that is not a vote loser.

And into this mix comes a book from this good looking, well-educated and articulate westernised African woman who speaks the lingo, saying to the Geldofs, Bonos and their buddies in government: stop giving us more of the same hand-outs, we're not kids! Her message came to meet this 'right' moment.

Anonymous,  5:47 am  

Well said Dade

Dambisa's arguments are resonating with a lot of people including African rulers..many of whom have asked her to assist them develop programs that will wean them off foreign aid.

Also Dambisa is attractive, highly educated, passionate, cool headed and very telegenic....the western media love her and she's finding an audience for her thinking wherever she goes.

Well done to her and hopefully this will be the start of a wave of self sufficiency sweeping across the African continent

Anonymous,  11:02 pm  

Actually Dade, the 'Moyo-inspired' debate is not new, it's an old one that has only been made farcical by the simplistic ratio of:

"Africa gets aid. Africa is still poor. Therefore aid makes Africa poor."

Nonsense.

If you notice what I said, whilst her telegenic personality might create a wave, my eye is on what happens after all said and done. Aid is reduced, whilst the illusory 'self sufficiency' that the continent's emerging elite keep crying for doesnt suffice.

Africa's problem is not aid. Africa's problem is right here within us. Until we sort it out - we need aid.

And the more the west cuts aid, with its consecience assuaged by the 'telegenic' campaign of Moyo - the more lives are lost.

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

About This Blog

  © Blogger templates Psi by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP