Comments on: Do You Have To Be Pro-Aid To Be An Authentic African? http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/ just asking that aid benefit the poor Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:48:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: William Babigumira http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/comment-page-1/#comment-4813 William Babigumira Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:02:51 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/#comment-4813 I am African, but I oppose Aid. I have seen first hand how it destroys the very fabric of society that it proffeses to build in the first place; dependency and all. It is not a new story! Even Humanitarian (food) Aid does more than feed hungry stomachs. In Gulu (northern uganda) a recent study shows skyrocketing diabetes rates among children in the IDP camps (the GM maize they get from food Aid!!) Beggars are not choosers! So, who will sort that mess up? Aid again...... The sad story continues..... I am African, but I oppose Aid. I have seen first hand how it destroys the very fabric of society that it proffeses to build in the first place; dependency and all.

It is not a new story!

Even Humanitarian (food) Aid does more than feed hungry stomachs. In Gulu (northern uganda) a recent study shows skyrocketing diabetes rates among children in the IDP camps (the GM maize they get from food Aid!!)

Beggars are not choosers! So, who will sort that mess up? Aid again……

The sad story continues…..

]]> By: Albert van Zyl http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/comment-page-1/#comment-4812 Albert van Zyl Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:39:33 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/#comment-4812 I guess the key question here is what makes a commentator authentic? Once you start answering that question all the power plays and prejudice behind these debates show their ugly faces. Whatever happened to playing the ball and not the wo(man)? Albert @ The Open Budget Blog I guess the key question here is what makes a commentator authentic? Once you start answering that question all the power plays and prejudice behind these debates show their ugly faces.

Whatever happened to playing the ball and not the wo(man)?

Albert @ The Open Budget Blog

]]> By: Jim http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/comment-page-1/#comment-4811 Jim Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:45:34 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/#comment-4811 I see Dambisa Moyo is now saying that "In the 1970s 10 percent of the population [in Africa] was living in dire poverty. That number is now over 70 percent". That's rubbish, as I'm sure you know. I look forward to this blog subjecting Moyo's work to the kind of careful scrutiny it gives to those on the other side of the debate. I see Dambisa Moyo is now saying that “In the 1970s 10 percent of the population [in Africa] was living in dire poverty. That number is now over 70 percent”. That’s rubbish, as I’m sure you know. I look forward to this blog subjecting Moyo’s work to the kind of careful scrutiny it gives to those on the other side of the debate.

]]> By: Jim http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/comment-page-1/#comment-4810 Jim Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:36:51 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/#comment-4810 I see Dambisa Moyo is now saying that "In the 1970s 10 percent of the population [in Africa] was living in dire poverty. That number is now over 70 percent". That's rubbish, as I'm sure you know. I look forward to this blog subjecting Moyo's work to the kind of careful scrutiny it gives to those on the other side of the debate. I see Dambisa Moyo is now saying that “In the 1970s 10 percent of the population [in Africa] was living in dire poverty. That number is now over 70 percent”. That’s rubbish, as I’m sure you know. I look forward to this blog subjecting Moyo’s work to the kind of careful scrutiny it gives to those on the other side of the debate.

]]> By: Moussa http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/comment-page-1/#comment-4809 Moussa Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:26:17 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/#comment-4809 I think the debate should not be reduced to a mere vote for or against aid. Especially from Chris Blattman who (I think) can contribute a lot to the substance of the debate. The debate is simply two or three things: 1) What is aid supposed to accomplished over the years? 2) Did aid actually accomplished those stated goals? What are the accomplishments? 3) is aid opened ended? If not what is the target date for it to end so that it can be held accountable by that date. As long as the answer to point 1 is NOT something like "Sustainable economic growth", then we in fact agree with Moyo with almost all respect. Otherwise we need to bring answers to 2) and 3). Even though a clear counterfactual is not there to help answer those questions properly, the existing evidences lean toward the "anti-aid" arguments. I think the debate should not be reduced to a mere vote for or against aid. Especially from Chris Blattman who (I think) can contribute a lot to the substance of the debate. The debate is simply two or three things: 1) What is aid supposed to accomplished over the years? 2) Did aid actually accomplished those stated goals? What are the accomplishments? 3) is aid opened ended? If not what is the target date for it to end so that it can be held accountable by that date.

As long as the answer to point 1 is NOT something like “Sustainable economic growth”, then we in fact agree with Moyo with almost all respect. Otherwise we need to bring answers to 2) and 3).

Even though a clear counterfactual is not there to help answer those questions properly, the existing evidences lean toward the “anti-aid” arguments.

]]> By: Ben Wise http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/comment-page-1/#comment-4808 Ben Wise Sun, 05 Apr 2009 12:56:40 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/#comment-4808 I have no doubt that millions of Africans support the aid coming into their countries. But there is nothing controversial about this view so it doesn't get noticed in the media. I have no doubt that millions of Africans support the aid coming into their countries. But there is nothing controversial about this view so it doesn’t get noticed in the media.

]]> By: Pierre-Louis http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/comment-page-1/#comment-4807 Pierre-Louis Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:05:19 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/#comment-4807 Blattman is not always insightful and provocative...most of the time he appears uniformed... Blattman is not always insightful and provocative…most of the time he appears uniformed…

]]> By: Angelo Izama http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/comment-page-1/#comment-4806 Angelo Izama Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:56:17 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/#comment-4806 Should it matter who is making the argument about the effects of aid? Or is it that selection of who makes any argument in the media is never perfect? We Africans do not complain much about how much Britney Spears is on TV or the obsession with Michelle Obama's clothes. Anyway, i think the debate should not be about the aid debate in this sense. Anti-aid voices have been at this for some time including Mwenda. Am yet to hear anything new. Should it matter who is making the argument about the effects of aid? Or is it that selection of who makes any argument in the media is never perfect? We Africans do not complain much about how much Britney Spears is on TV or the obsession with Michelle Obama’s clothes. Anyway, i think the debate should not be about the aid debate in this sense. Anti-aid voices have been at this for some time including Mwenda. Am yet to hear anything new.

]]> By: Lure D. Lou http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/comment-page-1/#comment-4805 Lure D. Lou Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:07:25 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/#comment-4805 George Ayittey, an authentic African and an economist to boot, has been pretty critical of foreign aid for a lot longer than the people you mention. I don't think he is particularly Friedmanesque...he just knows what hasn't worked and why. <a href="http://www1.american.edu/cas/econ/faculty/ayittey.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www1.american.edu/cas/econ/faculty/ayittey.htm</a> George Ayittey, an authentic African and an economist to boot, has been pretty critical of foreign aid for a lot longer than the people you mention. I don’t think he is particularly Friedmanesque…he just knows what hasn’t worked and why.

http://www1.american.edu/cas/econ/faculty/ayittey.htm

]]> By: anonymous http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/comment-page-1/#comment-4804 anonymous Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:16:59 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/2009/04/do-you-have-to-be-pro-aid-to-be-an-authentic-african/#comment-4804 Anti-aid campaigners might partner with an African for the same reason that economists writing about the KKK might partner with Roland Fryer. ''Absolutely, there's an insulation effect,'' says the Harvard economist Edward L. Glaeser. ''There's no question that working with Roland is somewhat liberating.'' <a href="http://www.sachsreport.com/Towards%20a%20unified%20theory%20of%20black%20america.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.sachsreport.com/Towards%20a%20unified%20theory%20of%20black%20america.htm</a> Anti-aid campaigners might partner with an African for the same reason that economists writing about the KKK might partner with Roland Fryer.

”Absolutely, there’s an insulation effect,” says the Harvard economist Edward L. Glaeser. ”There’s no question that working with Roland is somewhat liberating.”

http://www.sachsreport.com/Towards%20a%20unified%20theory%20of%20black%20america.htm

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