Great post. Balanced and nuanced on what can be a tricky topic.
I used to work in East Africa and I eventually came to the same conclusion. Colonialism obviously has a big legacy, but it’s not the only factor. To say so let’s a lot of the corrupt politicians and authoritarian regimes there off the hook, and they do not deserve it.
At one stage, I travelled from Uganda to Rwanda. The difference between the two countries blew my mind. Ugandan cities are a lot like many other countries in the region. Hectic, crowded, rough round the edges - cheap infrastructure that is crumbling a bit in places. Rwanda was another world. Central Kigali was like being in any developed city in the world. Full street lamps everywhere, 3 different colours of cat eyes in the road. Super fast internet and shiny new office blocks everywhere. This has come at a cost of course, Kagame has become increasingly paranoid and authoritarian over the years. But you can’t deny he’s developed the country.
Considering Uganda has also had a dictator for decades and decades, Museveni, does show that bad choices are being made there.
Also, can’t believe the Free Press wouldn’t take this! This would have been great for them - a break from beating the woke drum over and over. I liked it a lot when it first came out, but seems they’ve become a bit of a one issue pony recently.
Thank you! I haven't been to the countries I wrote about here, so the ideas I'm exploring might be mislead on some level. Nuanced is what I was aiming for, and it's good to know that what you experienced confirms some of what I read. A few people I spoke to experienced the same as well.
When you went to Rwanda, did it seem like all the wealth was concentrated in Central Kigali or was there a sense of progress in various spots?
And yes, I have a similar feeling about The Free Press.
I travelled around Rwanda quite a bit and yes the infrastructure outside of Kigali isn’t quite as impressive. However, there was still a lot of building work going on elsewhere so it may be the case that they started at the capital and have been spreading it out since. Much of the villages in the rural areas look much the same as in Uganda. Though that will always be the case with development, cities first then out from there.
I don’t want to sound like a Rwanda shill by the way! Kagame is undoubtedly a bad man and he’s seems to have only got more brazen as time has gone on. His kidnapping and torture of Paul Rusesabagina, a hero during the 94 genocide (and main character in the movie Hotel Rwanda) is just one example.
I'm glad you're sharing all this here. Just because Kagame has done some horrible things, doesn't mean we need to overlook the ways he improved the country... And vice versa.
Another point that crossed my mind was that always blaming colonisation for their current situation 63 years later is actually kind of racist using exactly the same reason that colonial government used to oppose independence: “African are like children not responsible for their actions, so they cannot take any adult responsibility like governing a state”.
The following is a rant based of sad experience. I apologize in advance.
I always wondered why Robert Mugabe was never called out for his full throated homophobia in the same way it is in Uganda. (for example: https://www.logotv.com/news/thsbrs/robert-mugabe-resigns-zimbabwe) Was it because he and his henchmen called each other "comrade" and forced an anti democratic one party state? Was it because he was backed by the Soviets and continued to push policies that eventually bottomed out the economy? Was it because Jimmy Carter and Andrew Young forced the British to accept a Mugabe government in 1980 and certain political ideas can't be criticized because Racism?
I also wonder why there is so much focus on anti-homosexuality in Uganda when there is almost nothing mentioned about gay men being hanged from cranes, crushed under walls, and thrown off roof tops in several Islamic countries. Why is culture not respected in Uganda, but is respected in more than twenty countries that impose the death penalty against homosexuality? Is there good bigotry and bad bigotry? I read that American evangelicals and their doctrines are blamed for Uganda's laws, but why aren't Muslim imams and their doctrines blamed for the same kinds of laws?
Maybe it's because cultural imperialism is less risky in Uganda than it is certain Muslim countries. I don't know, but I've long noticed the disparity between how human rights abuses are high priority in some countries and ignored in others. I remember clearly when Susan Rice advised Clinton to not act to stop the Rwandan genocide because there was no political benefit for the Clinton presidency. 800,000 murdered men, women, and children hacked to death for political expediency. Is it always about expediency? What a legacy.
When I lived in Zimbabwe's Matabeleland Province that was the home to Mugabe's political opposition, I often saw army trucks carrying Mugabe's North Korean trained 5th Brigade soldiers out to terrorize the local communities. At night I heard ex-Rhodesian Alouette helicopters in the distance, machine guns rattling, as more villagers were terrorized and murdered. The Gukurahundi massacres left more than 20,000 dead, but the world didn't care. Was it because Mugabe had the correct political credentials, and Museveni and Kigame don't?
As someone who spent more of my adult life in Africa than the US, I could spend a lot of time on this topic, but the more I’ve learned, the less I seem to really know.
For instance, under Ian Smith’s white-ruled Rhodesia, the average life span was 58+ years and trending upward in 1980. 20 years of independence under Bob Mugabe and the average was 42 years, with men being even lower. Using such a basic metric, how could anyone argue that post-colonialism was better?
Every independent state decided it needed the prestige of an nationalized airline. Cross border trade was costly and time consuming. Arbitrary borders were sacrosanct even when they made no sense. Federations of post colonial countries always failed because they tended to limit the opportunity for graft. (See the Central African Federation and the East Africa Federation.) Any attempt at continental cooperation was, in the words of David Lamb, like pissing on a violin to make music.
Cannibal dictators (literally: Central African Republic’s Jean-Bedel Bokassa) were completely unfettered because RACISM, so Africans endured Mugabe, Machel, Amin, Rawlins, Mengistu, Ghaddafi and the rest of their ilk.
But wonderful things are happening, A few years ago, Ghana ( where lessons were learned the hard way, but learned) was even inviting as reverse migration for American blacks. After the initial wave of -isms died out, the standard of living improved for many African countries that once embraced various strains of socialism , communism, and Kenneth Kaunda’s strange humanism governance.
Several countries, including Zambia and Mozambique, learned from the mistakes of Zimbabwe and welcomed the white farmer diaspora to build a stronger agricultural sector. Mozambique and Angola are resurrecting economically and are also becoming incipient multiracial societies. (Shouldn’t it work in both directions?)
African thought leaders are wresting ideas and research out of the hands of the North, and are developing truly African solutions to African problems while reducing the role of “rural development tourism” from the North.
South Africa is still plumbing the depths of political and policy idiocy, as did Zimbabwe. Who knows what will happen in DRC, but at least many of its children are fully employed mining what the West needs to build Teslas. And who knows what will happen as China recolonizes Africa both economically and with the influx of more than a million Chinese settlers. Will the new intellectual resurgence in Africa be enough and soon enough? Stay tuned.
The one thing I do know for sure is that there is not another place on the globe with the resilience, determination, and patience of Africa and Africans.
Thanks for all this information. You have more insight into Africa than I do. The more we add to the list of complications and factors, the more difficult it seems to come with solutions, but when someone who has experienced so much all over Africa ends with “The one thing I do know for sure is that there is not another place on the globe with the resilience, determination, and patience of Africa and Africans,” it shows these nuanced conversations are worth having.
I meant to add a couple of things above to illustrate the difficulties of travel in Africa.
During the Zimbabwe War for Independence, Zambia, in an act of self-immolating solidarity, closed its borders to Rhodesia. Unfortunately, Zambia depended on copper for something like 80% of its foreign currency earnings and it was all shipped through Rhodesia by rail to ports in South Africa. What to do? The first solution was to fly the copper to the port Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Between fuel and aircraft costs, it was a losing proposition. So, along with everything else that need to be imported (fuel, equipment, vehicles, medicines, etc.) Zambia started trucking copper overland on a route quickly named the Hell Run, a track that was seasonal at best.
Then along came the Chinese who offered to build a railroad across Tanzania that would connect Dar es Salaam to the Zambian railroad system. The only problem was that the Chinese railroad gauge and rolling stock were incompatible with the railroad standards of Southern Africa, so all cargo had to be transferred at the border between the two countries. There were also quality issues and parts availability problems, but it was kind of a solution that lasted until Zimbabwean independence in 1980.
I wrote about the following travel adventure in my substack to illustrate the problems of air travel in Africa. I needed to fly from Lilongwe, Malawi to Accra, Ghana for some meetings. Here is the itinerary: Lilongwe, Malawi to Nairobi, Kenya to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Kigali, Rwanda to Bujumbura, Burundi to Kinshasa, Zaire to Brazzaville, Congo to Lomé, Togo to Lagos, Nigeria to, at long last, Accra, Ghana. The return trip followed the same route. In hindsight, it would have been faster to fly from Malawi to London to Ghana.
I had a friend who lived in Kigali and needed to fly to Bujumbura for work. The flight is less than an hour. On his return flight, the weather in Kigali made a landing impossible so the flight continued to Paris, where he spent a week at his in-laws before he could get a flight back to Kigali.
Very nice article on Africa as a very complex continent. Well done. I recognized our discussions in the garden. I also had a conversation with AI on the legacy of colonialism:
User: How come in almost all African countries, the average resident has fared worse after colonization?
Assistant: The effects of colonization varied across different African countries, but there are several factors that may have contributed to the challenges faced by the modal resident post-colonization. These factors include the extraction of resources, disruption of traditional systems, imposition of artificial borders, and limited investment in education and infrastructure during colonial rule.
User: Okay, but why is this much less the case in Asia, despite the bloody wars they had on top of colonization for 60 years?
Assistant: While nationalist movements also emerged in Africa and fought for independence, the outcomes after decolonization differed between Africa and Asia. Various factors contributed to these different outcomes. Additionally, the historical context, specific post-colonial policies, leadership, and geopolitical dynamics played significant roles. It's important to study the history and context of each country to understand these complex dynamics.
User: But what's stated in point 2 should also apply to Africa, where it didn't work.
Assistant: You are right that nationalist movements in Africa fought for independence. However, after decolonization, building strong political and economic systems posed challenges. Factors such as artificial borders, lack of self-governance experience, and limited infrastructure and institutional capacity may have contributed to difficulties in Africa's post-colonial development. Understanding the complexities of each country's history and context is essential in analyzing the outcomes.
User: Okay, but more than 60 years after independence, countries like Congo, Somalia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Malawi, and Mozambique are in much worse condition than during colonization. This can't be solely attributed to colonization.
Assistant: It's true that many African countries continue to face challenges even after more than 60 years of independence. While colonization is not the sole explanation for the current situation, its long-term effects can still play a role. Other factors such as political instability, corruption, economic challenges, and regional conflicts have also impacted the development of these countries. A comprehensive understanding requires considering multiple factors and their complex interactions.
User: What is mentioned in point 3 could have been resolved long ago.
Assistant: Addressing economic challenges and achieving sustainable development is indeed a complex task, and it takes time to resolve structural issues. Building experience, capacity, and tackling deeply rooted problems require sustained efforts. Additionally, external factors, such as global economic trends and climate change, can affect African countries' development. While progress has been made, it is important to acknowledge that each nation's context is unique and requires tailored policies and strategies.
User: Take South Africa, for example: 30 years after apartheid, the country is sliding into chaos and crime, making life worse for 80% of its residents.
Assistant: The situation in South Africa is complex, and challenges exist following the abolition of apartheid. While issues like crime, inequality, and economic challenges persist, it's crucial to have a broader perspective. Factors like the legacies of apartheid, social transformation, economic hurdles, and crime require a coordinated effort at various levels, including law enforcement, judicial measures, and institutional reforms. Time is needed to address historical injustices, promote inclusivity, and foster sustainable development.
User: But if the current government is so intertwined with criminal organizations, it can hardly solve the issue.
Assistant: Making general statements about the involvement of the current government with criminal organizations requires caution. While corruption and organized crime can be challenges in some countries, including South Africa, addressing these issues necessitates strong institutions and independent legal systems. Building robust institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and promoting transparency and accountability are crucial steps in fighting corruption and organized crime. Tackling these complex problems requires time, dedication, and a collective effort from governments and civil society to come to a durable justice based society.
It’s interesting to see the conversation with AI. When I asked ChatGPT a few questions, I also noticed it focused on colonialism and gave these seemingly nuanced views that really just went in circles. With the correct prompts, it will expand on some of the positive effects free market policies have had. But it won’t say anything like “The system surrounding aid, including NGOs and consulting companies, thrived, yet the intended beneficiaries—the impoverished people—were often left behind” without the correct prompts. ChatGPT only provides the least provocative statements possible, which isn’t great. We need to provoke thought to create solutions — just like the questions you ask do.
Yep, that’s true. I asked provocative questions not just for provocatives’ sake but it’s also what I think. In de decolonisation discussion there is always this elephant in the room: after 63 years the African leaders are overwhelmingly responsible for the disastrous condition of Africa. Not the African population who try to survive their governments although they sometimes continue to vote stubbornly for openly corrupt and criminal leaders like in SA just for historical reasons. In Congo they voted for a better leader but their election was stolen by the leaders in power. And now they prefer Wagner and Russia in Mali, who are even as bad as any other colonial leader. With one big difference: colonials built at least infrastructure, schools, hospitals etc. Current African leaders mostly destroy their country for the benefit of 0,1% . So that is still my question: apart of a feeling of freedom, did it improved their lives?
On so many of the issues, the initial points were valid and interesting, and there is still an interesting conversation to be had. But these days, so often the discussion then gets taken over by simple-minded ideologues who try to argue that there's is the ONLY way to view things, and dissent must be harshly punished. Then the right (or the left) responds in equally stupid terms, lather, rinse, repeat. It gets very old very fast. Good piece.
Thank you! And I completely agree that it seems these discussions get taken over by one-sided, simple-minded ideologies. Still, The Free Press claims not to adhere to that type of thinking.
Great, fascinating read. My guess as to why you aren't American enough is because you aren't toeing the progressive left line on these topics. And I say that as a lifelong Democrat who spent much of my younger days fighting for LGTBTQ equality.
Thank you, Michael. And I think you’re probably right about not “toeing the progressive left line,” but The Free Press seems to have articles from various perspectives. Well, less so lately. They seem pretty hung up on criticizing woke culture in America and writing about “free speech.”
You might be right. It does seem to be an angle in some of their articles, but they allow various voices and opinions. They do seem pretty hung up on "anti-woke" articles lately, though.
“As a white cisgender man, you must only use subversive humour on yourself. You can be self-deprecating and look for your flaws as a white man, but you do not have the right to make jokes about people less privileged than you.”
“You must call me doctor. If you use my first name, you are upholding insidious patriarchal values.”
“Before we get started, we have an important task. I would like everyone to introduce themselves with their preferred pronoun. I can’t stress the importance of this enough.”
Good Lord, is this what Colleges and Universities have come to, the LGBT bullshit?
When I went to college in the 90’s, we had an economics class where the professor tried to extol the virtues of Islam. Needless to say, we got him removed for not teaching Economics.
The rainbow brigade has really destroyed modern education and reduced us to the lowest common denominator.
Wade argues that the adoption of socialist or communist ideologies by many African countries during the post-colonial era has hindered economic growth and development.
Communism always hinders economic growth, because central planning never takes into account the expertise of the people who run businesses. There are cycles in business where the growth expands and shrinks. Where they may make a lot of money one year, only to fall short the next.
Central planning never plans on rains, floods, droughts, disease, and it shows.
The reason they didn’t accept the pitches was that my ideas weren’t American enough and didn’t cater to an American audience.
I can see why, but what do you think? What makes my work unAmerican?
UnAmerican, not so much, as even some Americans agree with the African nations. In fact, I would have thought that citing the rainbow brigade would have gotten you some ESG points.
As a Texan, I personally think that we should stay out of other countries cultural problems. If they want to allow the rainbow brigade, that’s their business, if they want to put an end to it, also their business.
America has ceased being the shining city on the hill, and has become a third world slum, and as long as the American People don’t do anything about it, it will remain that way.
The only thing I think is unAmerican to most Americans is the fact it was about ... Africa, a place that is so remote for them as a black hole in the universe.
Most writers and readers here on Substack are American and I’ve found some incredible travel writers who can go beyond their own cultural perspective when discussing the socio-political side of things. Still, many of them will admit that many Americans focus on American issues (in general), and unfortunately, The Free Press caters to that.
It takes 11.5 hours to fly from New York to Accra with a flight change in London. It takes 11.5 hours to drive from New York to Chicago, in light traffic.🤓
"The Free Press" is seemingly not so "free" as they do not accept an article they deem unAmerican. What makes your article unAmerican? Because it is about Africa? Africa is too far away to be of any interest to North American people?
A university professor from Kenia, who was teaching at one of the prestigious universities of the US, told me he used to tell his students that Africa has two moons and his students believed him! Yes, Africa is seemingly too far from the States.
I remember that story about the two moons. That’s insane. But we also need to remember America is still one of — if not the — most intellectually successful country on earth. In general, I think some Americans would admit many of their countrymen believe “Africa is too far away to be of any interest,” and quotes like “God created war so Americans would learn geography” show it’s not uncommon. However, that quote came from Mark Twain, an American. On Substack, it seems most writers and readers are American, and some think outside their cultural frame of reference and have an interest in the world.
If we look at the general population of any country, the average person is focused on what’s going on in their country. The difference is that America has such influence around the world; we have more access to how the average American thinks.
Your comment reminds me of an experience during one of Haiti’s frequent crises, when I took part in a discussion at the National Defense University about What To Do About Haiti. After listening to several hours of bullshit from generals, diplomats and etc., I had to tell them that they didn’t give a damn about Haiti, other than its proximity to Florida. If it was located in West Africa, they couldn’t find it on a map.
Haiti’s misfortune is to be Africa in the Caribbean. It’s easily accessible and a cheap way to polish one’s I Care creds. Professional asshole Sean Penn even showed up after the earthquake as an instant Haiti expert and also to do mandatory community service in lieu of jail time.
As I often say, we Americans don’t need no geography. Also, American English, if spoken loudly enough and slowly enough can be understood by anyone in the world.
Thanks for sharing! I’m interested in discussing the article with people.
Great post. Balanced and nuanced on what can be a tricky topic.
I used to work in East Africa and I eventually came to the same conclusion. Colonialism obviously has a big legacy, but it’s not the only factor. To say so let’s a lot of the corrupt politicians and authoritarian regimes there off the hook, and they do not deserve it.
At one stage, I travelled from Uganda to Rwanda. The difference between the two countries blew my mind. Ugandan cities are a lot like many other countries in the region. Hectic, crowded, rough round the edges - cheap infrastructure that is crumbling a bit in places. Rwanda was another world. Central Kigali was like being in any developed city in the world. Full street lamps everywhere, 3 different colours of cat eyes in the road. Super fast internet and shiny new office blocks everywhere. This has come at a cost of course, Kagame has become increasingly paranoid and authoritarian over the years. But you can’t deny he’s developed the country.
Considering Uganda has also had a dictator for decades and decades, Museveni, does show that bad choices are being made there.
Also, can’t believe the Free Press wouldn’t take this! This would have been great for them - a break from beating the woke drum over and over. I liked it a lot when it first came out, but seems they’ve become a bit of a one issue pony recently.
Thank you! I haven't been to the countries I wrote about here, so the ideas I'm exploring might be mislead on some level. Nuanced is what I was aiming for, and it's good to know that what you experienced confirms some of what I read. A few people I spoke to experienced the same as well.
When you went to Rwanda, did it seem like all the wealth was concentrated in Central Kigali or was there a sense of progress in various spots?
And yes, I have a similar feeling about The Free Press.
I travelled around Rwanda quite a bit and yes the infrastructure outside of Kigali isn’t quite as impressive. However, there was still a lot of building work going on elsewhere so it may be the case that they started at the capital and have been spreading it out since. Much of the villages in the rural areas look much the same as in Uganda. Though that will always be the case with development, cities first then out from there.
I don’t want to sound like a Rwanda shill by the way! Kagame is undoubtedly a bad man and he’s seems to have only got more brazen as time has gone on. His kidnapping and torture of Paul Rusesabagina, a hero during the 94 genocide (and main character in the movie Hotel Rwanda) is just one example.
I'm glad you're sharing all this here. Just because Kagame has done some horrible things, doesn't mean we need to overlook the ways he improved the country... And vice versa.
Another point that crossed my mind was that always blaming colonisation for their current situation 63 years later is actually kind of racist using exactly the same reason that colonial government used to oppose independence: “African are like children not responsible for their actions, so they cannot take any adult responsibility like governing a state”.
The following is a rant based of sad experience. I apologize in advance.
I always wondered why Robert Mugabe was never called out for his full throated homophobia in the same way it is in Uganda. (for example: https://www.logotv.com/news/thsbrs/robert-mugabe-resigns-zimbabwe) Was it because he and his henchmen called each other "comrade" and forced an anti democratic one party state? Was it because he was backed by the Soviets and continued to push policies that eventually bottomed out the economy? Was it because Jimmy Carter and Andrew Young forced the British to accept a Mugabe government in 1980 and certain political ideas can't be criticized because Racism?
I also wonder why there is so much focus on anti-homosexuality in Uganda when there is almost nothing mentioned about gay men being hanged from cranes, crushed under walls, and thrown off roof tops in several Islamic countries. Why is culture not respected in Uganda, but is respected in more than twenty countries that impose the death penalty against homosexuality? Is there good bigotry and bad bigotry? I read that American evangelicals and their doctrines are blamed for Uganda's laws, but why aren't Muslim imams and their doctrines blamed for the same kinds of laws?
Maybe it's because cultural imperialism is less risky in Uganda than it is certain Muslim countries. I don't know, but I've long noticed the disparity between how human rights abuses are high priority in some countries and ignored in others. I remember clearly when Susan Rice advised Clinton to not act to stop the Rwandan genocide because there was no political benefit for the Clinton presidency. 800,000 murdered men, women, and children hacked to death for political expediency. Is it always about expediency? What a legacy.
When I lived in Zimbabwe's Matabeleland Province that was the home to Mugabe's political opposition, I often saw army trucks carrying Mugabe's North Korean trained 5th Brigade soldiers out to terrorize the local communities. At night I heard ex-Rhodesian Alouette helicopters in the distance, machine guns rattling, as more villagers were terrorized and murdered. The Gukurahundi massacres left more than 20,000 dead, but the world didn't care. Was it because Mugabe had the correct political credentials, and Museveni and Kigame don't?
As someone who spent more of my adult life in Africa than the US, I could spend a lot of time on this topic, but the more I’ve learned, the less I seem to really know.
For instance, under Ian Smith’s white-ruled Rhodesia, the average life span was 58+ years and trending upward in 1980. 20 years of independence under Bob Mugabe and the average was 42 years, with men being even lower. Using such a basic metric, how could anyone argue that post-colonialism was better?
Every independent state decided it needed the prestige of an nationalized airline. Cross border trade was costly and time consuming. Arbitrary borders were sacrosanct even when they made no sense. Federations of post colonial countries always failed because they tended to limit the opportunity for graft. (See the Central African Federation and the East Africa Federation.) Any attempt at continental cooperation was, in the words of David Lamb, like pissing on a violin to make music.
Cannibal dictators (literally: Central African Republic’s Jean-Bedel Bokassa) were completely unfettered because RACISM, so Africans endured Mugabe, Machel, Amin, Rawlins, Mengistu, Ghaddafi and the rest of their ilk.
But wonderful things are happening, A few years ago, Ghana ( where lessons were learned the hard way, but learned) was even inviting as reverse migration for American blacks. After the initial wave of -isms died out, the standard of living improved for many African countries that once embraced various strains of socialism , communism, and Kenneth Kaunda’s strange humanism governance.
Several countries, including Zambia and Mozambique, learned from the mistakes of Zimbabwe and welcomed the white farmer diaspora to build a stronger agricultural sector. Mozambique and Angola are resurrecting economically and are also becoming incipient multiracial societies. (Shouldn’t it work in both directions?)
African thought leaders are wresting ideas and research out of the hands of the North, and are developing truly African solutions to African problems while reducing the role of “rural development tourism” from the North.
South Africa is still plumbing the depths of political and policy idiocy, as did Zimbabwe. Who knows what will happen in DRC, but at least many of its children are fully employed mining what the West needs to build Teslas. And who knows what will happen as China recolonizes Africa both economically and with the influx of more than a million Chinese settlers. Will the new intellectual resurgence in Africa be enough and soon enough? Stay tuned.
The one thing I do know for sure is that there is not another place on the globe with the resilience, determination, and patience of Africa and Africans.
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrica!
Thanks for all this information. You have more insight into Africa than I do. The more we add to the list of complications and factors, the more difficult it seems to come with solutions, but when someone who has experienced so much all over Africa ends with “The one thing I do know for sure is that there is not another place on the globe with the resilience, determination, and patience of Africa and Africans,” it shows these nuanced conversations are worth having.
I meant to add a couple of things above to illustrate the difficulties of travel in Africa.
During the Zimbabwe War for Independence, Zambia, in an act of self-immolating solidarity, closed its borders to Rhodesia. Unfortunately, Zambia depended on copper for something like 80% of its foreign currency earnings and it was all shipped through Rhodesia by rail to ports in South Africa. What to do? The first solution was to fly the copper to the port Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Between fuel and aircraft costs, it was a losing proposition. So, along with everything else that need to be imported (fuel, equipment, vehicles, medicines, etc.) Zambia started trucking copper overland on a route quickly named the Hell Run, a track that was seasonal at best.
Then along came the Chinese who offered to build a railroad across Tanzania that would connect Dar es Salaam to the Zambian railroad system. The only problem was that the Chinese railroad gauge and rolling stock were incompatible with the railroad standards of Southern Africa, so all cargo had to be transferred at the border between the two countries. There were also quality issues and parts availability problems, but it was kind of a solution that lasted until Zimbabwean independence in 1980.
I wrote about the following travel adventure in my substack to illustrate the problems of air travel in Africa. I needed to fly from Lilongwe, Malawi to Accra, Ghana for some meetings. Here is the itinerary: Lilongwe, Malawi to Nairobi, Kenya to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Kigali, Rwanda to Bujumbura, Burundi to Kinshasa, Zaire to Brazzaville, Congo to Lomé, Togo to Lagos, Nigeria to, at long last, Accra, Ghana. The return trip followed the same route. In hindsight, it would have been faster to fly from Malawi to London to Ghana.
I had a friend who lived in Kigali and needed to fly to Bujumbura for work. The flight is less than an hour. On his return flight, the weather in Kigali made a landing impossible so the flight continued to Paris, where he spent a week at his in-laws before he could get a flight back to Kigali.
That’s insane!
Very nice article on Africa as a very complex continent. Well done. I recognized our discussions in the garden. I also had a conversation with AI on the legacy of colonialism:
User: How come in almost all African countries, the average resident has fared worse after colonization?
Assistant: The effects of colonization varied across different African countries, but there are several factors that may have contributed to the challenges faced by the modal resident post-colonization. These factors include the extraction of resources, disruption of traditional systems, imposition of artificial borders, and limited investment in education and infrastructure during colonial rule.
User: Okay, but why is this much less the case in Asia, despite the bloody wars they had on top of colonization for 60 years?
Assistant: While nationalist movements also emerged in Africa and fought for independence, the outcomes after decolonization differed between Africa and Asia. Various factors contributed to these different outcomes. Additionally, the historical context, specific post-colonial policies, leadership, and geopolitical dynamics played significant roles. It's important to study the history and context of each country to understand these complex dynamics.
User: But what's stated in point 2 should also apply to Africa, where it didn't work.
Assistant: You are right that nationalist movements in Africa fought for independence. However, after decolonization, building strong political and economic systems posed challenges. Factors such as artificial borders, lack of self-governance experience, and limited infrastructure and institutional capacity may have contributed to difficulties in Africa's post-colonial development. Understanding the complexities of each country's history and context is essential in analyzing the outcomes.
User: Okay, but more than 60 years after independence, countries like Congo, Somalia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Malawi, and Mozambique are in much worse condition than during colonization. This can't be solely attributed to colonization.
Assistant: It's true that many African countries continue to face challenges even after more than 60 years of independence. While colonization is not the sole explanation for the current situation, its long-term effects can still play a role. Other factors such as political instability, corruption, economic challenges, and regional conflicts have also impacted the development of these countries. A comprehensive understanding requires considering multiple factors and their complex interactions.
User: What is mentioned in point 3 could have been resolved long ago.
Assistant: Addressing economic challenges and achieving sustainable development is indeed a complex task, and it takes time to resolve structural issues. Building experience, capacity, and tackling deeply rooted problems require sustained efforts. Additionally, external factors, such as global economic trends and climate change, can affect African countries' development. While progress has been made, it is important to acknowledge that each nation's context is unique and requires tailored policies and strategies.
User: Take South Africa, for example: 30 years after apartheid, the country is sliding into chaos and crime, making life worse for 80% of its residents.
Assistant: The situation in South Africa is complex, and challenges exist following the abolition of apartheid. While issues like crime, inequality, and economic challenges persist, it's crucial to have a broader perspective. Factors like the legacies of apartheid, social transformation, economic hurdles, and crime require a coordinated effort at various levels, including law enforcement, judicial measures, and institutional reforms. Time is needed to address historical injustices, promote inclusivity, and foster sustainable development.
User: But if the current government is so intertwined with criminal organizations, it can hardly solve the issue.
Assistant: Making general statements about the involvement of the current government with criminal organizations requires caution. While corruption and organized crime can be challenges in some countries, including South Africa, addressing these issues necessitates strong institutions and independent legal systems. Building robust institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and promoting transparency and accountability are crucial steps in fighting corruption and organized crime. Tackling these complex problems requires time, dedication, and a collective effort from governments and civil society to come to a durable justice based society.
Thank you, Frank!
It’s interesting to see the conversation with AI. When I asked ChatGPT a few questions, I also noticed it focused on colonialism and gave these seemingly nuanced views that really just went in circles. With the correct prompts, it will expand on some of the positive effects free market policies have had. But it won’t say anything like “The system surrounding aid, including NGOs and consulting companies, thrived, yet the intended beneficiaries—the impoverished people—were often left behind” without the correct prompts. ChatGPT only provides the least provocative statements possible, which isn’t great. We need to provoke thought to create solutions — just like the questions you ask do.
Yep, that’s true. I asked provocative questions not just for provocatives’ sake but it’s also what I think. In de decolonisation discussion there is always this elephant in the room: after 63 years the African leaders are overwhelmingly responsible for the disastrous condition of Africa. Not the African population who try to survive their governments although they sometimes continue to vote stubbornly for openly corrupt and criminal leaders like in SA just for historical reasons. In Congo they voted for a better leader but their election was stolen by the leaders in power. And now they prefer Wagner and Russia in Mali, who are even as bad as any other colonial leader. With one big difference: colonials built at least infrastructure, schools, hospitals etc. Current African leaders mostly destroy their country for the benefit of 0,1% . So that is still my question: apart of a feeling of freedom, did it improved their lives?
On so many of the issues, the initial points were valid and interesting, and there is still an interesting conversation to be had. But these days, so often the discussion then gets taken over by simple-minded ideologues who try to argue that there's is the ONLY way to view things, and dissent must be harshly punished. Then the right (or the left) responds in equally stupid terms, lather, rinse, repeat. It gets very old very fast. Good piece.
Thank you! And I completely agree that it seems these discussions get taken over by one-sided, simple-minded ideologies. Still, The Free Press claims not to adhere to that type of thinking.
Great, fascinating read. My guess as to why you aren't American enough is because you aren't toeing the progressive left line on these topics. And I say that as a lifelong Democrat who spent much of my younger days fighting for LGTBTQ equality.
Thank you, Michael. And I think you’re probably right about not “toeing the progressive left line,” but The Free Press seems to have articles from various perspectives. Well, less so lately. They seem pretty hung up on criticizing woke culture in America and writing about “free speech.”
I’d wager the reason The Free Press didn’t run this article is because transphobia is a major angle on their platform.
You might be right. It does seem to be an angle in some of their articles, but they allow various voices and opinions. They do seem pretty hung up on "anti-woke" articles lately, though.
“As a white cisgender man, you must only use subversive humour on yourself. You can be self-deprecating and look for your flaws as a white man, but you do not have the right to make jokes about people less privileged than you.”
“You must call me doctor. If you use my first name, you are upholding insidious patriarchal values.”
“Before we get started, we have an important task. I would like everyone to introduce themselves with their preferred pronoun. I can’t stress the importance of this enough.”
Good Lord, is this what Colleges and Universities have come to, the LGBT bullshit?
When I went to college in the 90’s, we had an economics class where the professor tried to extol the virtues of Islam. Needless to say, we got him removed for not teaching Economics.
The rainbow brigade has really destroyed modern education and reduced us to the lowest common denominator.
Wade argues that the adoption of socialist or communist ideologies by many African countries during the post-colonial era has hindered economic growth and development.
Communism always hinders economic growth, because central planning never takes into account the expertise of the people who run businesses. There are cycles in business where the growth expands and shrinks. Where they may make a lot of money one year, only to fall short the next.
Central planning never plans on rains, floods, droughts, disease, and it shows.
The reason they didn’t accept the pitches was that my ideas weren’t American enough and didn’t cater to an American audience.
I can see why, but what do you think? What makes my work unAmerican?
UnAmerican, not so much, as even some Americans agree with the African nations. In fact, I would have thought that citing the rainbow brigade would have gotten you some ESG points.
As a Texan, I personally think that we should stay out of other countries cultural problems. If they want to allow the rainbow brigade, that’s their business, if they want to put an end to it, also their business.
America has ceased being the shining city on the hill, and has become a third world slum, and as long as the American People don’t do anything about it, it will remain that way.
The only thing I think is unAmerican to most Americans is the fact it was about ... Africa, a place that is so remote for them as a black hole in the universe.
Most writers and readers here on Substack are American and I’ve found some incredible travel writers who can go beyond their own cultural perspective when discussing the socio-political side of things. Still, many of them will admit that many Americans focus on American issues (in general), and unfortunately, The Free Press caters to that.
That’s why I wrote ’most Americans’ not all.
It takes 11.5 hours to fly from New York to Accra with a flight change in London. It takes 11.5 hours to drive from New York to Chicago, in light traffic.🤓
Another interesting article and well researched.
"The Free Press" is seemingly not so "free" as they do not accept an article they deem unAmerican. What makes your article unAmerican? Because it is about Africa? Africa is too far away to be of any interest to North American people?
A university professor from Kenia, who was teaching at one of the prestigious universities of the US, told me he used to tell his students that Africa has two moons and his students believed him! Yes, Africa is seemingly too far from the States.
I remember that story about the two moons. That’s insane. But we also need to remember America is still one of — if not the — most intellectually successful country on earth. In general, I think some Americans would admit many of their countrymen believe “Africa is too far away to be of any interest,” and quotes like “God created war so Americans would learn geography” show it’s not uncommon. However, that quote came from Mark Twain, an American. On Substack, it seems most writers and readers are American, and some think outside their cultural frame of reference and have an interest in the world.
If we look at the general population of any country, the average person is focused on what’s going on in their country. The difference is that America has such influence around the world; we have more access to how the average American thinks.
Your comment reminds me of an experience during one of Haiti’s frequent crises, when I took part in a discussion at the National Defense University about What To Do About Haiti. After listening to several hours of bullshit from generals, diplomats and etc., I had to tell them that they didn’t give a damn about Haiti, other than its proximity to Florida. If it was located in West Africa, they couldn’t find it on a map.
Haiti’s misfortune is to be Africa in the Caribbean. It’s easily accessible and a cheap way to polish one’s I Care creds. Professional asshole Sean Penn even showed up after the earthquake as an instant Haiti expert and also to do mandatory community service in lieu of jail time.
As I often say, we Americans don’t need no geography. Also, American English, if spoken loudly enough and slowly enough can be understood by anyone in the world.