I've Read - more books on Africa...

Funny, in the mildly ironic way, not the "ha-ha" way, that I'm now living in West Africa.  Focused quite a bit on "African" culture & history in college.  [Yes, yes 'Africa' is not *one* place.  It's shorthand for the lazy.  Like me.]  There was a time, long ago and long since dumped from my brainpan, when I could label a blank map of Africa with every countries' name.  Remember at least one history seminar on the Mau-Mau rebellion in Kenya.  Another on South Africa - my longest paper in college was on Mangosuthu Buthelezi of the KwaZulu - and another cross cultural course comparing early development in Africa, the Mideast and South America.

Plus, I was probably the only caucasian at the Naval Academy with a Malcolm X poster on the wall.  And you can't understand X in the 60s w/o also understanding how the Pan African movement affected his development.  [And nothing about nothing, but X still beats Dr King, even years later, for me.  The right of self - defense always trumps non-violent resistance.  And King's tactics don't work anyways w/o the unspoken threat of violence from X or the Panthers.  But I, hugely, digress.]

The optimism and romanticism of youth, combined with the time in the early 90s where South Africa emerged from Apartheid and before the Rwanda genocide, you could feel positive about the narrative of an emerging "Africa."  The societal and structural problems they'd hit up against - like the Ethiopian famines in the 80s - could be met with aid from Western nations as the continent marched forward and progressed.  Maybe naive, in hindsight.

The last 20 years, despite some successes, the "story" of African countries all too often is one of thuggish dictators propped up by the military and sham elections, tribal and political warfare, and corruption.  The 21st century, so far, hasn't been kind.  And now I live in a country that, only 7 years ago, emerged from 14 years of civil war, which had been preceded by 10 years of dictatorship under Samuel Doe, who came to power in a military coup in 1980.  It's... interesting... where life takes you.

But anyways, wherever I live I like to know a bit about the history and culture.  [Hence my Liberia Primer back when I was still in Japan before I got here.  And reading a couple books when I first got in country - The House on Sugar Beach and Masks of Anarchy - reviewed here.  So thanks to the kindness and recommendations of a fellow ex-pat I added a couple more tomes to my Africa library [in my head.]

China Safari: On the Trail of Beijing's Expansion in Africa by Serge Michel & Michel Beuret details, well, exactly what the title suggests - how China is rapidly expanding its influence and trade throughout the continent.  It makes a good case for how China sees Africa as the stepping stone to a powerful economic empire second to none in the world.  And it is, in that respect, an excellent book providing a very thorough overview of all the geopolitical implications that situation engenders.

What I didn't enjoy about it had a lot to do with both tone and writing style.  Maybe it had to do with having multiple authors, or the authors - who I think are French? - possibly not having English as a first language? - I don't know.  But the book could've used a good editor.  The 'voice' of it is all over the place.  It can't seem to decide whether it's going to be a scholarly, objective bit of reportage or a snarky, sarcastic, hipster gonzo vice guide to China's crazy adventures in Africa.  It was... disconcerting.

The other issue I had for the writing is that it reading it made me feel a bit racist.  Which sounds crazy, but the thing is that the people it portrays come off not as people, but as caricatures and stereotypes.  Chinese are unfailingly money or reputation obsessed workaholics, oblivious to how they're stomping all over Africa while the Africans are either lazy and shiftless or "the oppressed."  I don't know.  Just something about it rubbed me the wrong way.

Ultimately though, if you want an understanding of the moves China is making in Africa, this is a worth a read.

Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There is Another Way for Africa by Dambisa Moyo was really excellent and a book I'd wanted to read ever since I came across it online, back in Japan.  Can't recall how she and her book popped up on my radar, but I posted a bit about her and her ideas, including vids, on the blog back in April.  So I saw that neighbor folks had a copy, I begged to borrow it.

In brief, it was excellent and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  A short book, only about 150 pages, and a quick read.  The book is, basically, divided in two.  The first half addresses the why's and how's of why aid to Africa has failed and how it's done more harm than good.  The latter half addresses what should be done instead of aid that would ensure growth and higher standards of living for folks there.

The first half was brutally effective and convincing to me.  She, point by point and step by step dismantles the arguments for aid as it works in Africa today.  The system is clearly broken and in many ways engenders corruption, bad governance and an entitled and dependent mentality that does far more harm than good.  The latter half was also well written, but honestly, not being an economist, the validity of economic arguments are a bit over my head/above my pay grade.  All I can say is her arguments seem very convincing.  Recommended if you're interested in this kind of thing, even a little.