epiminondas writes:
In this vivid, straight-talk article, Paul Theroux discusses the endless repetition of failed missionary and educational plans for Africa. And they have become repetitive, some having been originally tried almost 200 years ago…many times. And the likes of Bill Gates, Bono, Warren Buffet and many others continue to pour money into programs which are guaranteed to fail. Generally, the more expensive the plans, the more certain the failure. So why doesn’t the past instruct these “telescopic philanthropists”? Read on…
Blowhard, Esq.
Callowman
Sherbrooke
Eddie Pensier
Enzo Nakamura
Epaminondas
Fabrizio del Wrongo
Fenster
Brundle Guy
Glynn Marshes
Paleo Retiree
Atypical Neurotic
Question Lady
Sax von Stroheim
Sir Barken Hyena
The Mistaken
Uncouth Reflections 
I’ve been wondering if we’re going to try re-colonizing Africa, under some new guise of course. The fervor that so many of the elite feel for lifting up the benighted heathens, while preening in front of one another about how saintly they are, is disturbingly reminiscent of the self-righteous Victorians during the heyday of the White Man’s Burden and the “scramble for Africa” — as though it made a lick of difference.
That faded out after World War I, albeit with technocratic attempts to help the place out, including truly useful things like fighting tropical disease. But it was free of ideology and self-righteousness. Treating hookworm during a stint in the Peace Corps, for instance.
We’ve been moving back toward the Victorian norm for awhile now, yet we can’t colonize outright like they did before. How will bombastic, shaky governments prove to one another that *they* have greater influence over Africa than their peers? Whatever it will be, it won’t be good.
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Nina Munk’s profile of Jeff Sachs is a good and quick read. It becomes clear, reading her account, that what the development people want (clean water, medicines, better sanitation, bed nets, etc) is very different from what the Africans want (not bed nets). Africa is a fascinating place, but I wouldn’t want to visit.
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That’s a great article, thanks. Something I often wonder is WHY so many bigshots keep trying to save Africa. I wish Africa and Africans well, but how much business is it of ours to make their lives better? And don’t all sensible people know that do-gooding often backfires? (I’d be happy if our efforts vis a vis Africa were limited to not fucking them over and dealing with them reasonably honorably. Otherwise: up to them to look out for themselves. Keeping our own house clean seems to be more than we’re able to manage these days … ) So what is it about saving-Africa as a cause that so appeals to a certain class of people?
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