Posted on 04/27/2012 7:16:04 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi insists China is now coming to the rescue of Africa after a failed Western ideology of the past three decades has let the continent down.
He said the so-called Washington Consensus that aimed to liberalize the economies of developing countries had demonstrably failed and the Chinese were now picking up the pieces.
"The official doctrine among the international financial institutions which in the past determined policy in Africa was that infrastructure would be taken care of by the private sector. Well, we have waited 30 years and nothing much has happened," he said.
"When the Chinese companies came in and started building infrastructure in a big way they were filling this major gap in the development of Africa. We, in Africa, should feel very satisfied with it."
(Excerpt) Read more at usa.chinadaily.com.cn ...
-- 1850 or so: Tribal warfare, primitive conditions, lack of civilization.
1850 - 1950: European colonialism, schools, hospitals, roads, railroads, modern governments. Some abuses, sure (it's Africa) but civilization made an appearance.
1950 - 2000: End of colonialism, return of Tribal warfare, primitive conditions, lack of civilization.
2000 - 2012: Colonialism returns through Chinese intervention. Return of schools, hospitals, roads, railroads, modern governments.
The only time Africa makes progress is when non-Africans start caling the shots.
I thought the failure in Africa was a combination of failed marxism/tribalism throughout the continent and warring muslims constantly dragging people down the rabbit hole of despair. No rule of law. No safety for businesses to operate. IF the Chinese can fix all that, my hat’s off to them.
Their Chinese bosses will whip these laggards into shape...and they’ll be fine with that...or else.
“The prime minister dismissed notions that Africa had to also overcome perceptions that its workers were not as productive as those from Asia.”
Heh. This is going to be fun. Think I’ll pop some corn, open a brew, pull up a chair, and watch the show.
Funny how it’s the rest of the world’s fault that Africa is so underdeveloped...
“...Western ideology...”
Like private property ?
You might need larger quantities of corn and brew before you'll see something.
“You might need larger quantities of corn and brew before you’ll see something.”
Oh, I dunno. The downward slide of Rhodesia into Zimbabwe was stunningly quick.
I hope the Chinese know what they’re getting into, culturally.
Western colonialism had at least a veneer of Christian altruism, wanting to improve conditions for Africans. Chinese colonialism does not have even that veneer.
At the moment, the Chinese are playing nice. At the point where Africans decide to try to expropriate Chinese property, the Chinese will decide to stop playing nice. China needs Africa's resource. China has little need for the Africans. China has lots of peasants that could come over and do the work, and do it better than the Africans, especially in the more temperate regions of southern Africa.
Good summary...
Major investments from international community including China because...A whole continent of natural resources that have not been exploited in the modern era. Mining is going crazy over there.
Below a minimum population median IQ, it may be unworkable to have a Western-style society.
The Chinese are building commercial enclaves (visualize a factory, an admin-services building, worker housing, and support infrastructure,....with a fort built around it), where Chinese handle security, and Chinese rules apply.
Workers (many women), can work and stay inside, as long as they follow the rules.
The barbarian tribal thugs and criminals get to stay outside, and stay alive. They can wait for a worker to stray outside of the gate to do their "business" with him, if they don't starve to death first.
>>Oh, I dunno. The downward slide of Rhodesia into Zimbabwe was stunningly quick.
And I expect to see South Africa unignorably heading the same direction within a decade. There are already signs.
>>I hope the Chinese know what they’re getting into, culturally.
The Chinese are unimpeded by media scoldings. It is the African locals who don’t know what they’re getting into.
I will point out that China has literally millions of excess military-age males as a result of their one-child policy and decades of female infanticide. Dealing with African locals doesn’t take first-line troops . . .
Yes, but in the end “Africa” wins. The Chinese will have their hands full, even though they are very ruthless. The Africans will discover quickly that the Chinese are a very different group from the Europeans who were trying, on the whole, to uplift the world’s most backward continent.
You and I see this similarly; see my previous.
***IF the Chinese can fix all that, my hat’s off to them.****
The Chinese are not hindered by Western concepts like “Political Correctness”.
Africans are by temperament and inclination .....born slaves.
You have absolutely nailed it. My brother did a major film shoot for a top charity org some years back in Africa. He said that every time he commented on a beautiful building, a modern road, or anything else that showed industry and accomplishment, the response would invariably be, “Oh, that was built when the French (English, Belgians, etc) were here.”
What is it about so many Africans (there and here) that they seem so incapable of giving credit or taking blame?
um, they may call it “picking up the pieces” but history might view it as re-colonization by another name
food, fresh water, minerals, other natural resource (the vision of locusts comes to mind)
Ironic, isn't it, considering that Mao practically invented the term in his 'Little Red Book'.
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