Foreign aid is
a strategy used in the United States foreign policy to remain in power
economically and politically in order to remain as the world’s dominating
country and super power. It is safe to say that aid is a mechanism used to
ensure that under- developed countries in Africa remain in poverty, making
these same countries remain wholly reliance on the US for survival. Through
this the US achieves its agenda of the exploitation of African resources. My
short article will analyze the slogan ‘More Moyo, less Bono’. It will explain
foreign aid and link it briefly to the US history, it will look at how aid is
needed for the development of Africa and how it is not. It analyses Nigeria; as
lacking development for the majority of its citizens, yet receives high aid, it
is resourcefully rich and is praised for its high GDP. It will close off by
stating that the solution is for Africa doing away with aid and rather discover
its own strategies like trade, education and change in the African culture.
What
‘More Moyo, less Bono’ means
Bono
is a mega rock star from the United States (US) who is a widely known
philanthropist who donates millions into Africa on a yearly basis and is also
known as a successful businessman who has rubbed close shoulders with the
world’s most influential political leaders. Bono writes almost all U2 lyrics,
frequently using religious, social, and political themes. Music has and is
famously known as a medium to address issues in the society and it is through
this medium that a musician can campaign for something and can lure people
emotionally into whatever message they want to convey. Bono is the co-founder
of four poverty eradicating organization for Africa, namely; DATA (Debt, Aid,
Trade and Africa), EDUN started to promote trade through fashion, this is why we
do not appreciate our own design but first to support international brands and
copy their styles. Thirdly ‘One Campaign’ which fights extreme poverty and
diseases, yet rumor has it that AIDS and Ebola was created to destroy African,
however this might sound ignorant to many, especially those in the medical
field). The fourth organization is Product Red, also to eliminate AIDS.DATA,
however is rather ironic organization for me because if it was not for debt
which they allow to happen to us by issuing loans to Africa that lead more and
more to debt trap also known as a Global Gamble a concept of the dollar being the reason for
Africa’s debt (will explain in another writing on the Dollar Wall Street Regime).
Bono was granted a knighthood (one of the highest honors), amongst many by Queen Elizabeth who basically owns nearly most of the world’s wealth, who is even rumored to be the owner of Woolworths. Madonna and Angelina Jolie are also widely known wealthy aid donors of Africa, and both are situated in the United States. We can make an assumption that the more they sponsor, the richer they become, and the poorer Africa becomes. What we can draw out here is a good method of diplomacy by the US which ensures it remains in the good books of Africa in order to make trading negotiations easier when needed and we all know that in life we are slaves to those we depend on for survival. Former president George Bush, quadrupled aid to Africa during his presidency, resulting in the US being today’s leading aid sponsor.
Dambisa Moyo, an economist born in Zambia formed the slogan; ‘More Moyo, less Bono’; arguing that aid does not work in fact it makes things worse, she rephrases it as “ dead aid”. She is against concessional loans and grants to certain corrupt governments, concerned that millions in Africa are poorer because of aid. Suggesting that instead Africa should enter into the international bond market and push free trade.
Definition,
early history of foreign aid and its link to the US
There
are numerous forms of aid, from humanitarian emergency assistance, to food aid,
military assistance, etc. designed to help poor nations grow out of poverty but
does the opposite, donor nations have not been held to account. It was under
the American National Security Council that foreign aid became an important
factor. The Marshall Plan was the first great foreign aid program aimed at
rebuilding Western Europe after World War two. It worked as a weapon against
Soviet expansion. President Kennedy expanded US foreign assistance especially
in Vietnam, to enhance Communism grants and subsidized loans were used as aid .The
Reagan administration did the same in other regions making aid a means to reach
certain foreign policy goals of the US.
It was intensely used during the Cold War. Originally aid
was used as a lobbying tool, to influence the decisions of sponsored government.
After the 9/11, there was a huge increase in foreign aid, as a means to gain
allies. President Bush announced that countries would have to choose whether they
were either on the US or terrorist side. If sponsored you had no choice.
Why
aid is beneficial to Africa’s development
Foreign
aid can be seen as beneficial to Africa because it is the means that sustains
the lives of those in poverty. Through aid there are less deaths, better
health, improvement in shelter, rising provision for education and so on. Jeffrey
Sach argues that Africa is too poor anyway to develop without aid, like a
business aid can be used as the start-up capital, the only problem is with the sponsored
government who is corrupt and fail to use it wisely. Forming policies is a
suggested solution promoting aid should be awarded to those who are able to use
it wisely.
Why
aid is harmful to Africa’s development
Aid
has failed at reaching development and will continue to do so. Nigeria is rich in
oil which was discovered in 1956 during colonization and the U.S is the leading
oil importer from Nigeria, thereafter is had the highest GDP in Africa in terms
of trading, obviously because of its excessive oil export to the U.S, (but the
money never reaches the majority of the citizens), these determined by the US
controlled; IMF. Ironically
previous colonizers are the most sponsors and the wealthiest. Nigerian attacks,
such as those of the abduction of girls and bombing by Boko Haram, the Church
building collapse and Ebola threats, could be a mean for U.S to provide aid and
show support in return for oil. Egypt (oil) and Ethiopia (coffee and oil)
receive high aid yet hardly develop.
Others
may disagree and argue that aid is genuine, it is just remorse by the US and
its citizens and honestly there are those doing it genuinely. Perhaps policies can
ensure that aid is used wisely. Aid will be distributed according to the policy
introduced by developed countries who are dominating international financial
institutions especially the IMF and World Bank (WB). This infringes further on sovereignty
because these financial institutions are US-owned or co-founded, making it easy
for US once again to invade for personal interest like in Libya.
In 1945, Senate Minority Leader Robert
compared membership in the IMF to "pouring money down a rat-hole".
Senator Helms, stated it had little impact on economic development and only benefits
corrupt dictators, while funding bureaucrat salaries. Poverty and inequality, (counter
Americans belief that absolute poverty is morally unacceptable) was the core to
demonstrations against the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the IMF in
recent years.
Beneficial trade, education and
culture change as the best solutions for African development
An
easy solution would be for Africa to continue to receive aid and must simply
learn to use it wisely, but this does not solve the problem because more Bono’s
are still controlling Africa and not the Moyo’s (the Africans). Therefore
Africa needs to find a strategy that can allow them to practice true democracy,
be self-dependent, self-sustainable and consistant because the west and other
continents will want their minerals which cannot be found anywhere. The US
needs Africa more than Africa needs it, all it takes is for Africa to be
conscious of it possible persuasion in the world and it wealth.
The
solution is taking part in international trade using their resources and develop
financial systems. In all of this they must think about the exhaustion of
resources, therefore need to diversify their export, invest in production and
produce in demand products instead of the rich states, their exports will
increase and are able to charge them tax and subsidies. Africa must reach
beneficial agreements such as making traders build infrastructure like China does
in South Africa but employ Africans as labours not Chinese leading to jobs
creation and decline loans Africa should invest more across the world, develop
brands like McDonalds that are owned by Africans not international owners.
In
addition to trade, education and training is crucial, because skills and
intelligence will enhance legit training and experts are needed to draw agreements
with external states, draw subsidies, profit that will benefit Africans,
strategic ways to use resources wisely and consider climate change and so on. Africans
must develop their own system of education instead of imitating the west to
reach development, a system that is more applicable to Africa. Bantu education
must be reinstalled to help Africans. The education system is structured that it
promotes African development and encourage entrepreneurship. This requires
disciplined culture which depends on the government, a culture that is not
corrupt but instead embraces 'Africanism' and hard work.
Development
can never occur unless a culture of hard work, loyalty, no corruption,
deliverance, education, investment and unity amongst individual countries and
African unity does not develop. Africa is rich it but has allowed itself to be oppressed
by others, but WE are to blame, not
others. Foreign aid is foreign not African and has not been worked for by
Africans, this is why we will not appreciate it. African strategies for Africa
by Africans is the solution.
XXX
Aluta continua.
