Posted on 12/19/2018 1:05:14 PM PST by Kaslin
President Donald Trump continues to take bold steps, recapturing America's exceptionalism at home and leadership abroad.
These important developments are too often getting drowned out by relentless noise in Washington, where the media obsess over many issues concerning this president except those most relevant to his job -- his performance leading the nation to excellence.
A good example is the superlative new initiative just announced by National Security Advisor John Bolton establishing a new Africa strategy.
The initiative echoes the foreign policy vision Donald Trump articulated in his inaugural address.
That is, that America's relationship with the nations of the world should be defined first by our national interests. "We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone," he said, "but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow."
The Africa initiative is driven by three components: expanding and building new trade and commercial ties; containing radical Islamic terrorism and violent conflict; and assuring that American aid dollars are used effectively.
Among the concerns of the administration are aggressive moves by Russia and China into Africa, whose approach is far different than ours.
Corrupt regimes are an enormous problem in Africa. Both Russia and China see corruption as an opportunity for commercial gain by buying off regimes and building debt dependence through loans.
For instance, China, according to Bolton, is moving to take over the national power and utility company of Zambia to cover billions of dollars of debt.
The best-known public measure of corruption is the Corruption Perceptions Index published annually by Transparency International.
Countries are graded 1 to 100, 100 being corruption free -- which, unfortunately, is nonexistent. The average global score is 43. The U.S. score is 75. The average score in Africa is 32.
China's scores is 41 and Russia is 29. It's clear that neither is motivated to further African development by cleaning up corruption. Quite the opposite.
However, disinfectant is not just the morally right thing to interject into African politics; it's also the economically right thing to do.
Plenty of research and experience point to the single most powerful potion for economic development and prosperity -- economic freedom.
Economic freedom means limiting the size and scope of government, maintaining a reliable system of law and courts that protect property and contracts, keeping regulation to a necessary minimum, allowing citizens to trade freely abroad and keeping the nation's currency stable.
Average per capita income in nations that rank in the top 25 percent of economic freedom is $40,376. Average income in the bottom 25 percent is $5,649.
According to the World Bank, average per capita income in the 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa was $1,464 in 2016.
It's no accident that African nations that are the most economically free also have the highest per capita incomes, such as Botswana, $7,596, and Seychelles, $15,505. These also are among the least corrupt countries in Africa according to Transparency International scores. It stands to reason that corruption is minimized when citizens have more freedom to do their own business and politicians have less power to interfere.
However, most African nations woefully lack economic freedom, which is why there is so much corruption and incomes are so low.
The Trump administration is right on target in advancing both American and African interests by moving "nations toward self-reliance and away from long-term dependency."
As is generally the case with welfare, foreign aid is notoriously ineffective and counterproductive, undermining self-reliance and fostering dependency.
U.S. aid to Africa in 2017 was $8.7 billion.
The new Africa strategy, by bringing to bear American ideals, will efficiently use our taxpayer funds and bring forth the great, unrealized potential of the African continent.
U.S. aid to Africa in 2017 was $8.7 billion. .......................... Hmmmmmmm, we can finish the Mexican wall and start on the Canadian one?
Maybe Jared can find a 10 billion dollar “Pot of Money” for Africa!!
I don’t remember Trump talking about Africa when he was running for president. I DO remember him talking about ensuring US border security with a border WALL. When is that going to happen?
More billions in foreign aid. How does that make America great again right here at home?
“Important New Africa Strategy”
Take the money and run?
Build a giant fence around the continent and make it illegal for anyone to go there
I do....and just as the article reads the concerns of the administration are ‘aggressive moves’ by Russia and China into Africa. Bolton wrote about this as well long before he went to Washington....and it needs concern....so they are doing what is necessary.
Trump has foreign policey which is far far more than we could ever say of Obanana.......all he did was get on the Global Elites bandwagon and dish out our cash to enemies of this country.
As for the Wall...take a look at what’s already been done and in the midst of ..it’s exciting to see the difference it’s made already.......and there will be more no doubt.
You cannot watch this administrations efforts here on the homefront without also keeping on eye on China and Russia..as you Kaslin know well...
Knock knock...
It’s not about the money.....never was.
Barack Obama’s $9 billion Power Africa initiative makes slow progress
Programme was aimed at doubling access to electricity across sub-Saharan Africa
© Bloomberg
Pilita Clark, Environment Correspondent JULY 24, 2016
When Barack Obama unveiled a $9bn US tax dollar plan to double access to electricity across sub-Saharan Africa it was hailed as game-changing step that could transform millions of lives.
Crumbling, mismanaged energy systems have long been an oppressive brake on economic growth in the region’s 49 countries, which have less grid-connected electricity than South Korea and about 600m power-starved people.
However, three years after Mr Obama promised to bring “light where currently there is darkness” and “clean energy to protect our planet”, progress on the ground is proving painfully slow.
The Power Africa programme, which the president launched in 2013, is supposed to add 30,000 megawatts of electricity by 2030, equal to nearly a third of sub-Saharan Africa’s existing generating capacity.
But only 374MW from six sizeable power projects is up and running so far, according to data provided to the Financial Times by the US Agency for International Development, co-ordinator of the multiple government agencies and companies involved in Power Africa.
Other large power schemes are due to come online soon and the programme is backing several ventures providing smaller household solar panel systems to more than 450,000 customers.
But the rate and nature of progress is raising pressure on an initiative that follows a spate of other well-intentioned efforts to transform a continent blighted by some of the world’s most intractable development problems.
Concerns about Power Africa’s progress have started to surface in some of the companies involved in the initiative, including General Electric, the US conglomerate.
Power Africa is a “well-intentioned effort with a lot of smart people,” John Rice, GE’s vice-chairman, told a conference in Rwanda in May.
THEY might be better off if that was done actually.....it’s amazing what can be done when your hungry. Take out all the leadership as well.
“Important New Africa Strategy”Take the money and run?”
China’s policy...Take them suckers for a ride...Work’em to near death ..BUT GET all them minerals out of there and back to your Chinese Homeland and then forget to pay’em....Loan’em money you know they will/can never repay and end up with YOU owning their minerals.... etc etc just as you Chinese have been doing for many,many moons now while the USA stood by in silence....
Buy wall components from Africa and install them here.
Care zero feks about Africa.
Not quite sure what you are saying exactly.
but i meant we should stop sending billions and billions to all these other countries...including Africa.
I am with you.
The money should not be sent to any communist and racist government period.
Take the money, use it on the wall! Simple.
$8.7 Billion over 10 years = $87 Billion! Think of what that alone could do for the wall and border security conversation.
Africa is a Continent and not a country. It does have many countries though and the include Muslim countries.
yes, I knew that.
Should have said including ALL of Africa.
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