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

[blam]

Bump.

[Cindy]

Socialism is the biggest mistake anywhere, anytime. Period.

[T'wit]

Hong Kong and Singapore have freer economies than ours, China and Russia are beginning to breathe down our necks. It would be the supreme irony if Africa shook off its chains and turned into an economic colossus even as we are forced to drink the liberal hemlock and sink into collectivist ruin.

[Valin]

Great minds think alike.

[dead]

Bump. I agree. The next ten years are as critical for us in knocking back socialism as they are for Africa.

[RinaseaofDs]

I'd agree, but I think he'll do more good in Uganda.

I would love nothing more to see a pro-Western thriving economy in Africa.

It boggles the mind that you have a continent that size and it is largely economically irrelevant.

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[RightWhale]

African products? Cotton sheets, and, uh . . .

They could manufacture the usual micro-electronics, but who would want to place a hi-tek plant in the middle of civil war? Otrag did that and lost everything.

[headsonpikes]

Excellent bump!

[snopercod]

Yoweri Museveni still has a lot to learn. He has a vague sense that the philosophy of socialism is a failure and is looking for something better, but that's about the extent of it.

He sees that capitalism "works", but is afraid to use the word. Like a cargo-cultist, he wants the material fruit of capitalism to fall out of the sky without knowing how or why. He still doesn't understand that capitalism is the only moral economic system, but that it requires certain things.

Hint: The word "rights" was not mentioned once the article.

[GOPJ]

The first step toward prosperity is to "get it". Step one has been taken:

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. "

[GOPJ]

bump

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 11/11/2003. Thanks dead.

[AdmSmith]

But it is still valid.

They have the normal problems (from August 2010):

Some money meant to reimburse the absentee landlords in the affected districts was realised last financial year. Each acre was valued at about sh30,000 and a square mile at about shs19m; this figure is far below the market rate

As a result the absentee landlords prefer to sell their land to new immigrants who can afford the market rate. This has further disadvantaged the indigenous people who cannot afford and are even opposed to buying back their land.

Further still, by the time the lengthy government processes for reimbursement and release of funds are complete most of the land will have been acquired by third parties. This means that unless the Government puts a temporal ban on the selling of this land until the issues are sorted out, the indigenous people will be completely dispossessed.

The Constitution provides for government borrowing and donor funds to equip the Land Fund. The responsible government agencies should, therefore, ensure that the Fund is quickly strengthened to effectively and promptly tackle the challenge.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201008310042.html
It is not expensive: Each acre was valued at about sh30,000 (USD11.24, Oct 2011)and a square mile at about shs19m(USD7116, Oct 2011 );