[afro-nets] Eliminating world poverty: making governance work for the poor (37)

["Isaac Kigozi" <kigoziisaac76@yahoo.co.uk>]

Eliminating world poverty: making governance work for the poor (37)
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Thank you for that one George, 

Sometimes we forget ourselves. I have been following this string of ideas and what seems interesting to me is how everyone outside of Africa seems to know how Africa's problems can be solved and how some  tend to think that unregulated capitalism and democracy the US way is the way to solve the problems of the developing world. No one will "take us by the horns" and "pull us" out of anywhere!

I for one think that the problems are much bigger and the solutions more complex than is being put forward. There is no one cure for all, but using different routes the majority of the world can pull itself out of abject poverty. Capitalism and incentives are a way forward...but the way i see things going at the WTO even those capable of producing are put at a disadvantage due to the protectionism  of the developed world. They tell us to work hard and be productive and when we produce sugar or anything at cheaper prices the same governments pay their farmers to sell at prices lower than the world market...how then can  we win?

We are told that socialism and communism failed, maybe they did fail due to the fact that some people could not afford to let them succeed at any cost, because it would expose them and all their exploitative tendencies. Its interesting to note that health care and social services are not the best in the countries known as the paradigms of democracy. In some places a large proportion of the poor are not covered by any insurance and so cant get treatment, while in Cuba, which is communist the quality of life of the whole population is maintained at a very high level at low cost. in spite of sanctions. If you read Barbara Errhenreich's book, i think the title is "How to not Get Along in America" it will show you another side of the American dream. And we all saw what was in New Orleans, now some Venezuelan has to give poor Americans heating oil.

Its also interesting to note that in some democracies, a person can lose the popular vote and still be president! This begs the question whether democracy is the will of the people as we all thought.

Craig for you to say that during the Tsars time Russia exported food is to imply that its productivity has fallen or fell during communism, which I don't believe to be true. An interesting story about productivity and surpluses in agriculture in Africa is an example from East Africa. In the late 80's Uganda, which was short of foreign exchange, was in need of transformers and boots for its soldiers, at the same time Zimbabwe and Tanzania were facing drought and needed Maize. Uganda being a producer offered to supply the needs of the two in exchange for its requirements, seeing that things were getting along well with this project someone thought it was not good and so offered free grain to the two countries and denied Uganda its needs ! This for me showed that however hard you try there are lots of forces ranged against you and  not just the natural ones.

I believe that education, accountability of leaders, peace, security, modernisation of Agriculture and fairer trade will be the  basis of development and will result in better health not the other way round. If you look at the history of the rest of the world, disease eradication is a result of development, not development as a result of disease eradication.

I do not believe that there is only ONE way or model to achieve development and a better world, but that for every distinct society and culture there are peculiarities that need addressing before the stage can be set for development to occur.

Isaac Kigozi 
mailto:kigoziisaac76@yahoo.co.uk