Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Socialism was the biggest mistake in the history of Africa - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni
United States Department of State (Washington, DC) via AfricaOnline ^ | November 11, 2003 | Jim Fisher-Thompson

Posted on 11/11/2003 10:35:41 AM PST by dead

Washington, DC

Adds that Uganda and others could still be "economic tigers"

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda capped a weeklong investment tour in the United States with an education lesson for the press on how misguided policies, based on ideologies like socialism, hindered economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa even as other nations such as the so-called "Asian Tigers" prospered.

Museveni spoke at the National Press Club November 7, following a meeting with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice at the White House. He said he had also had an opportunity to meet with President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who was also in town, to discuss the turmoil in the eastern Congo where, Museveni said, "things are moving well" toward peace.

At the Press Club, Museveni told the media that following independence in the 1960's, Africa nations missed their chance to be prosperous like Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and Malaysia because "our leaders opted for socialism, which interfered with the private sector."

Many African countries, like Uganda, could be as prosperous now as the "Tigers," he said, "if it were not for the ideological confusion of our leaders then." The Ugandan, who came to power in 1986 after liberating his country from the rule of two brutal dictators, said, "their shortsighted policies of seizing or 'nationalizing' private business wrecked economies by chasing off investors while taking away incentives for local business to flourish. "

"This was the biggest mistake" in the history of development of the continent, Museveni declared, and was compounded by leaders "not understanding export-centered strategies" for building up the manufacturing and small-business sectors of their economies. They relied too much on the export of raw materials -- in Uganda's case coffee and cotton, unprocessed with little value added and therefore subject to low prices and wide market fluctuations.

Asking rhetorically, "Will we see 'Tigers' in Africa?" he responded: "For sure!"

"Will we see them quickly?" "Yes," he asserted, "if the U.S. cooperates."

Museveni explained that when he was young high school student, his economics teacher taught him that "demand equaled desire plus the ability to pay." While Africans have the desire to buy American manufactured goods like washing machines, he said, "they do not have the income to pay."

America can help here, he said, by buying more African products and putting more disposable income into African hands. "Exporting to your (U.S.) market is the quickest way to empower African markets," he told journalists.

One program that does that is the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which Museveni described as "the first act of solidarity between Africa and U.S." in hundreds of years and "a win-win situation" for both Africa and America.

[Congress passed AGOA, the first-ever trade pact with sub-Saharan Africa, in 2000 to provide duty- and quota-free entry of a wide range of African products -- about 6,000 -- into the U.S. market from nations that are reforming their economies.]

Museveni's remarks reflected his belief that private-sector-led growth holds the salvation for million of Africans living in dire poverty, which, with his forthright approach to combating HIV/AIDS and terrorism, helped establish a close relationship between him and President Bush. In reciprocal meetings at the White House in June and in Kampala in July, Bush cited the Ugandan as a remarkable leader and model for the continent in his determination to reform Uganda's economy and as a staunch ally against global terrorism.

Asked to comment on the seizure -- in effect, nationalization -- of mainly white-owned farms in Zimbabwe by President Robert Mugabe, Museveni refused to assign any blame, noting, "Zimbabwe is not Uganda." But he added, while "I do believe there was a true need for land reform [there] I don't think it should be done in that disruptive way. I do not understand why it could not be handled in a more harmonious way. I think in Zimbabwe the whites are the losers by this [Mugabe] method.

"We have such problems in Uganda, by the way," Museveni added, "but the problem of land ownership is black on black...[and] we have set up a land fund so the peasants can use it to buy [land] and pay the landlords who can use it to go into other business. This is how it should be handled, in my opinion."

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: africa; africawatch; socialism; uganda
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

1 posted on 11/11/2003 10:35:43 AM PST by dead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: All
This guy knows nothing about getting his name in the paper. If he had just blamed white Americans for all of Africa's problems, he would have found himself on the front page of the NY Times tomorrow.

Now, you'll only read his comments here.

2 posted on 11/11/2003 10:37:10 AM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
Love the man, he should bump out Kofi and lock him up for the genocide Kofi, the french, and the Belgiums allowed in his country.
3 posted on 11/11/2003 10:39:27 AM PST by Porterville (Proud American, anti communist, anti liberal)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
Sad, but true. Let's hope that Africa can get itself straightened out one day. Getting the UN and European socialists to stop helping it might be key.
4 posted on 11/11/2003 10:40:03 AM PST by DeuceTraveler ((wedgie free for all))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dead
At the Press Club, Museveni told the media that following independence in the 1960's, Africa nations missed their chance to be prosperous like Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and Malaysia because "our leaders opted for socialism, which interfered with the private sector."

He is exactly right. But so are you. If he just would have blamed today's failures on the "legacy of white European colonialism" he would be front page New York Times. But now he will be lucky to make a blurb on page A14, right along with the treasonous senate democrat intelligence memo.

5 posted on 11/11/2003 10:48:05 AM PST by KC_Conspirator (This space for rent)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dead
Socialism was the biggest mistake in the history of [the]Africa World.

There. That's better.

6 posted on 11/11/2003 10:54:28 AM PST by jjm2111 (But siiirrrrr, I don't wanna clean the head.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
No kidding. And it wasn't just the Russians who taught it to them. It was also the British, the French, the Germans, and the ever helpful Swedes.
7 posted on 11/11/2003 11:04:29 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
Socialism was the biggest mistake in the history of Africa - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni

I've got news for Museveni-the scope of that mistake is not limited to Africa.
8 posted on 11/11/2003 11:07:12 AM PST by Spok
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
I will cheer this when Koffe Annan (sp?) gets on his knees and apologizes to the US, the world, and Africa for his feckless leadership.
9 posted on 11/11/2003 11:07:43 AM PST by SkyPilot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
Just by his remarks, this guy has alientated himself from Jesse Jackson and Julian Bond.
10 posted on 11/11/2003 11:10:43 AM PST by Hacksaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
Musaveni's right.

Unfortunately for Africa, most of it was cursed with a bureaucracy created by the colonialists and well-educated in the principles of mid-20th century progressive democratic socialism.

They usually dropped the progressive and democratic, but held onto the socialism. It destroyed Africa.

Had Africa been blessed with the principles of liberal civilization, a la pre-WWI, life would have been immeasurably different for Africans.

Uganda, Kenya, Rhodesia and Ghana, would easily have attained the living standards of Malaysia or Thailand today.

Thankfully, their eyes are opening. History is not over.
11 posted on 11/11/2003 11:25:10 AM PST by headsonpikes (Spirit of '76 bttt!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
Here's how to sell the story to the Paper of Wreckers: "Europeans have enslaved Africa twice: once with whips and chains, and once with failed political ideologies." Packaged that way, they might find it acceptable :-)
12 posted on 11/11/2003 11:34:54 AM PST by Eärendil
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
bump
13 posted on 11/11/2003 11:45:25 AM PST by malia
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Eärendil
Packaged that way, they might find it acceptable

Only if they could identify the ideology as capitalism.

Nary a word against socialism will ever be formed with NYT ink.

14 posted on 11/11/2003 11:49:07 AM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: jjm2111
I figgered some Freeper would beat me to it...you did. Socialism: the biggest mistake in HISTORY.
15 posted on 11/11/2003 11:51:21 AM PST by Pharmboy (Dems lie 'cause they have to...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Pharmboy
Big time. The sad thing is so many people thing, "It would work THIS time if WE were in charge." Right.
16 posted on 11/11/2003 11:58:02 AM PST by jjm2111
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Clive
ping
17 posted on 11/11/2003 11:58:28 AM PST by Libertarianize the GOP (Ideas have consequences)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: dead
Nary a word against socialism will ever be formed with NYT ink.

Yeah, I know. I wasn't actually making a serious proposal, 'cause I know better. I just thought the idea was somewhat humorous.

18 posted on 11/11/2003 12:08:32 PM PST by Eärendil (Epitaph of the SF Bay Area: "They came. They saw. They moved to Concord.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Libertarianize the GOP; *AfricaWatch; blam; Cincinatus' Wife; sarcasm; Travis McGee; happygrl; ...
-
19 posted on 11/11/2003 12:26:53 PM PST by Clive
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: dead
So, it he going to be the next target of a Boondocks nastygram?
20 posted on 11/11/2003 12:28:55 PM PST by Question_Assumptions
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-35 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson