Brother OAK,
According to the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index of 2013 Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway and Singapore are the least corrupt countries in the world. With Sierra Leone as a prototype, President Obama can demand that the USAID under the auspices of the State Department, the assistance of the UNDP and the Danish government can institute transparent mechanisms that are analogous to the latter's with a Sierra Leonean context—whatever that is.
I had been suspicious of the Chinese. When they built the Siaka Stevens Stadium—name after a thief, brutal and corrupt dictator—they brought their laborers, consequently, the construction of that huge infrastructural project was detrimental to the local populace.
According to Deborah Brautigam, author of The "Dragon's Gift – The Real Story of China in Africa," in 1964 when Ghana's President Dr. Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah asked for industrial assistance from the Chinese, their Premier Zhou Enlai recommended that he "scale down his industrialization plans" because they were 'too ambitious'.
I respectfully disagree with your assertion that "… to lead rather than follow on their development as China herself has done." China's development was enhanced with Japanese and "western" technology and management dexterity. When China's Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping visited the US in 1979 he stipulated--and received--that scholarships be offered to his students to attend all the Ivy League schools and other prominent universities.
China, Brazil, Israel, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, South Africa, became industrialized with technological and managerial transfers from the West and Japan.
Please expand on your definition of experience in politics and also include the name of these "present day African leaders". Botswana used to be my proud example of an African success story, but after I read in the Economist magazine that they had been "fracking" and destroying their environment without informing their citizens, I gave up the proverbial ghost.
The solution to your question of "Why are the leaders waiting for or seeking Obama's assistance and counsel on what they need to do and how, to advance their countries and enrich the lives of their fellow citizens," is both simple and complex which may sound paradoxical and it is. I will not elaborate but in most of sub-Saharan Africa governance is inverted, whereby the leaders are followers and the followers are the leaders.
I will not dignify former president Obasanjo by commenting on his actions. But I am not proud of the socio-economic policies of Dilma Rousseff.
This is a great contradiction that, "Transplanting development from one country to another is not an obligation for any country," my brother, because modern day China borrowed many economic and development policies from Singapore and Japan. When Deng visited Singapore he was so amazed by her development, he requested that Prime Minister Lew Kwan Yee accommodate a large Chinese delegation which will be educated in his country's socio-economic development strategies.
I agree with this statement, " Development is an active, guided process that is informed by a well laid out long range plan that has self-reliance and self-agency at its core", but it has been fifty or more years of 'independence' from colonialism but we are still profoundly socio-economically and politically backward.
On Sun, Dec 15, 2013 at 2:18 PM, Anunoby, Ogugua <AnunobyO@lincolnu.edu> wrote:You are right WB. U.S. President Eisenhower had a day job- advancing the national interest of his country as all presidents should. He did a good job as president of his country. He worked with other countries with shared interest in stopping Lumumba. They did. Tshombe, Mobutu, and others were successfully hired to do the job. Everyone who cared or cares knows why. Who lost at the end of the day? The people of the Republic of Congo and their neighbors. One can only imagine the high cost in human suffering, lives, and treasure that ordinary people in that region of Africa especially, have and continue to endured for what you called Eisenhower's day job.
Countries work to their self-interest and not against it. Foreign gifts may be Greek gifts. Charity in international relations is mostly an illusion that is not free and may be detrimental to recipients in the long-term.
African countries have waited decades for Europe and North America to transplant economic and political development to them. The waiting goes on. They wait in vain. Some of the countries are turning to China. Is this the right turn to make? Will outcomes be different? May be if the countries make the conscious, rational decision to lead rather than follow on their development as China herself has done. The Arab Gulf States did not wait for the East or West to transform their countries. They led and foreign assistance followed. China did the same with the assistance not leadership of the Soviet Union. Ditto Brazil, Israel, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and even Apartheid South Africa. ANC led South Africa seems to have been infected by the African disease. The country seems to be less self-reliant today than Apartheid South Africa was. Self-reliance is a pivotal factor in national development. Foreign assistance in an investment instrument. Like capital, it follows return even in the presence of risk.
President Obama is younger and less experienced in Politics than many present day African leaders. Why are the leaders waiting for or seeking Obama's assistance and counsel on what they need to do and how, to advance their countries and enrich the lives of their fellow citizens? One is painfully reminded of the indignity of Nigeria's Obasanjo seeking Tony Blair and Virgin Airlines' Richard Branson's counsel and direction, and his pitiable walkabout in the U.S. State Department on many occasions. Malaysia's Dr. Mohammed or Brazil's Dilma Rousseff could never do that.
Transplanting development from one country to another is not an obligation for any country. Hope for it by a recipient country is bound to be forlorn. Development is an active, guided process that is informed by a well laid out long range plan that has self-reliance and self-agency at its core. A common thread that runs through all transformational leaders is faith in themselves and their followers. How many African leaders today are characterized by that quality? The prize that is development has to be sought. It is never a gift. It remains true that the surest and most secure development is self-development.
oak
From:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of william bangura
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 8:56 PM
To: dialogueSubject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - ACTION THAN RHETORIC
Brother Anunoby,
President Eisenhower had a day job but he ensured that Patrice Lumumba would be assassinated so there will not be another "Communist" in the heart of Africa, since he did not prevent Fidel Castro's revolution in Cuba. President Kennedy had a day job but President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana was his first official guest.
At independence every sub-Saharan African country had a GDP larger than South Korea but none of our countries are comparable to the latter. Please inform me the sub-Saharan Africa country that has "advanced".
If Obama does not intervene to assist us with the aforementioned problems sub-Saharan Africa will continue to deteriorate.
WB
On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 11:27 AM, Anunoby, Ogugua <AnunobyO@lincolnu.edu> wrote:
Let us say for one moment that Obama will do all WB wishes him to do, what will be left for Africans and their and Africans to do? Sometimes it is forgotten that Obama has a day job and it is not to babysit Africans, their leaders, and their countries. I do not know that societies advance when their members abdicate their responsibilities or outsource them. National development is a work-intensive choice that is not inevitable.
oa
-----Original Message-----
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Emeagwali, Gloria (History)
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 10:33 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - ACTION THAN RHETORIC
'....Obama.........to solve the issues of governance, corruption, the rule of law, fairness, equality, education, health care, and the provision of basic amenities such as food, clean drinking water, affordable electricity, shelter and appropriate sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa.' Bangura
That is a really tall order. President Obama is having a rough time getting his health care program on its feet in the US - to mention just one of numerous local U.S. problems he has to deal with.
Professor Gloria Emeagwali
africahistory.net
vimeo.com/user5946750/videos
Documentaries on Africa and the African Diaspora
________________________________
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of John Mbaku [jmbaku@weber.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 4:57 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - ACTION THAN RHETORIC
This was a memorial service for a fallen hero and it would have been in bad taste had President Obama or any other dignitary used the occasion in ways other than pay their respects to a dearly departed leader. Besides, no nation or region of the world has ever been developed by outsiders or external actors. Poverty eradication and human development in Africa is a job that only Africans and their leaders must tackle. While countries such as the United States can provide Africans with assistance in their effort to create the wealth that they need to confront poverty and deal effectively with their multifarious problems, Africans must own their problems and deal with them. Admonishments by President Obama or any other international leader, will not resolve Africa's governance and corruption problems, nor will such proclamations bring equality and justice to the continent. At this time when we are celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela, we ought to realize, if we have not already done so, that only grassroots efforts, such as those initiated and carried out by Mandela and the African National Congress, can deal with the problems that plague the continent. In the end, it was not foreign dignitaries who brought democracy to South Africa but South Africans with the able help of African countries such as Nigeria, Zambia and other frontline states.
On Tue, Dec 10, 2013 at 8:38 AM, william bangura <william.bangura17@gmail.com<mailto:william.bangura17@gmail.com>> wrote:
I wish President Obama had used his speech at the memorial of Nelson Mandela to introduce his strategy to solve the issues of governance, corruption, the rule of law, fairness, equality, education, health care, and the provision of basic amenities such as food, clean drinking water, affordable electricity, shelter and appropriate sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa.
He has the moral authority in intervening in our problems because his father is Kenyan, and it will be a precedence that his successor Hillary Clinton will have no pretext but to pursue given the value of the African-American vote in US's elections.
This action will initiate the issue of "return" for Black people. "Intellectuals" will question the location and existence of the state of Israel, but Jews all over the world have a place they call HOME which is comparable socio-economically and politically to any developed nation. Consequently, Jews may not be liked but they are respected.
William Bangura
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com<mailto:USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com>
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue- unsubscribe@googlegroups.com<mailto:unsubscribe@googlegroups.com>
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com<mailto:usaafricadialogue%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups.com>.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
--
JOHN MUKUM MBAKU, ESQ.
J.D. (Law), Ph.D. (Economics)
Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution Attorney & Counselor at Law (Licensed in Utah) Presidential Distinguished Professor of Economics & Willard L. Eccles Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow Department of Economics Weber State University
3807 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-3807, USA
(801) 626-7442 Phone
(801) 626-7423 Fax
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue- unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.