Africans Needs Liberty, Too

The news that India has extended credits of over US$5 billion to Africa should be treated with scepticism. All the talk of our "shared struggle against colonialism" is nothing but hogwash - but let me explain.

Some years ago, I had the good fortune to attend a seminar at the International Academy of Leadership in Gummersbach, Germany. The seminarians there were from all over the Third World - including, of course, from Africa; in particular, Egypt, Ghana, and Tanzania.

All three countries were ruled by "friends of Nehru": 

• Egypt was ruled by Nehru's socialist friend, Nasser;
• Ghana by Nehru's socialist friend, Nkrumah;
• and Tanzania by Nehru and Indira Gandhi's socialist friend, Julius Nyrere, who also happened to be a teacher. 

During the seminar, it became apparent that each one of Nehru's African friends had destroyed his country with his socialism. The people I met from these countries were political activists fighting for Liberty and Free Markets. They hated socialism. They hated Nehru and his friends.

The news report on what the Government of India is spending on in Africa therefore raises concern - since much of the "aid" is going towards "education."  Only yesterday I commented on the fact that the educational institutions we possess - all State-owned, including IITs and IIMs - are NOT "world class." I insisted everything to with education in India, because of State-ownership, is "Third World Class." Is this what we want to bequeath to Africa?

Let us not forget that the great African musician, Fela Kuti, has a classic song called "Teacher, Don't Teach Nonsense"!

Luckily, Africans are not waiting for us to show them which way to turn. In Egypt, radical change is on its way; Nkrumah is long gone from Ghana; and Nyrere has been overthrown in Tanzania. 

The best performing African country today is Botswana - with a per capita income of $14,800, which is ONE HUNDRED TIMES higher than ours, where "the masses" who are supposed to receive State Welfare earn less that Rs. 578 a month or about US$ 154 per annum, according to the Planning Commission. There is an article on this in today's Times Crest here - but you have to register to read it.


Botswana suffers from the "natural resource curse" - being blessed with diamonds - but they have conducted their affairs well after the Brits departed in 1966. Today, Botswana is the least corrupt country in Africa, according to Transparency International. All this is because of a Free Market and Free Trade policy. Botswana has achieved all this despite being land-locked. Could any Indian state match this? Then what business do we have to go about lecturing Africans and extending them aid - when many of our own states are far worse than anything in Africa.


Africa needs Liberty - just as we do. A presidential candidate from Tanzania whom I met at the same seminar spoke with reverence for Peter Bauer. I was left hoping for such people in India! Yes, it is Bauer's "classical liberal" stand on "economic development" that needs wide publicity in Africa; and if official Indian education takes over there, the very opposite doctrine, of State planning, will rule the roost - and take Africa backwards. Let us say no more statism for Africa - and liberty for all. "Teacher, don't teach nonsense" - as Fela Kuti sang.


To me, it seems absurd that an impoverished socialist nation like India should be extending "foreign aid" to Afghanistan and Africa. We had better use these resources for our own development, for our own roads. We have NO BUSINESS to teach Africans anything. We are far worse off than many parts of Africa.


What should we do in India? The answer was given by Cicero in 63 BC:

The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled and the pubic debt should be reduced. The arrogance of public officialdom should be tempered and controlled. And the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest we become bankrupt.

India cannot lead the Third World unless she improves herself. Her cities are a complete mess - as is the countryside. More than half the territory is lawless. Land records do not exist for the most part of the sub-continent. We are still a socialist country. We are even now attempting - foolishly - to become a Welfare State. This, despite the fact that Europe has got screwed following this path. What we need to do is to embrace the Principles of Classical Liberalism in full - Private Property, Sound Money, Liberty, Free Trade. In which case, we must embark upon a non-interventionist foreign policy - we trade with all nations, and do not indulge in any political entanglements with them. Indeed, if fossil fuels and minerals are required from Africa, private firms will venture out to procure them - and not The State. 

Let the Chinese State do whatever it likes in Africa - but let us not follow their example. On our part, let us spread the idea of Liberty. That should be our principal export - the ideology. If we can do this, Africa and all the Third World will thank us. The silly path chacha manmohan s gandhi is embarking on will get us nowhere - nor will we make any lasting friends.

Recommended reading: My earlier post on Zimbabwe going for a Gold Standard - while chacha is donating funny money to Afghanistan.