Support NeoGAF

[Imm0rt4l]

Colonialism didn't end with independence. Former (and existing!) imperialist nations found ways to take advantage of these countries even after nominally freeing them.

This

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/11/15/how-france-loots-its-former-colonies/

 

[norinrad]

If and when Congo succeeds, the entire African continent will succeed. A peaceful Congo is good for the entire world. The crooks in the West know this way too well.

A short video of some of the events from a lifetime ago that most people don't consider when it comes to Africa.

https://youtu.be/R1fJckuXzpc

http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v2/v2n3/congo.html

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2015/11/15/how-france-loots-its-former

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/opinion

 

[iamblades]

The thing suggested in the paper sounds a lot like post-USSR Russia aka shifting from public corruption to private corruption (production leakage) were Russia is literally worse off. Big price to pay for setting up institutions that might end up shaky anyway. At least it is advised to sell to domestic investors which is one thing I can agree with.

With a strong planned restructure of the economy (akin to classic fascism) public-private partnership might help or maybe with coops/local companies. Since the short term goal is not cashing out profits, it's thought out reinvestment. You have to go through the mud one way or another, better to do it the quickest and most intensive way while keeping the results owned by your own country.

The problem was that there was no actual shift from public to private after the fall of the USSR. 7 of the top ten largest corporations in Russia are still majority state owned.

What is needed is not some public-private corporatist arrangement, what is needed are strong property rights and rule of law. Such that the state can't just come in and set up drilling operations and take the revenue from that and keep it(or use it to pay off your fellow former KGB cronies or what have you), and in the case of mineral rights on state owned property that the revenue goes to the people(who are the rightful property owners in those cases, ie Norway and Alaska) instead of being wasted by a corrupt government.

 

[Condom]

The problem was that there was no actual shift from public to private after the fall of the USSR. 7 of the top ten largest corporations in Russia are still majority state owned.

What is needed is not some public-private corporatist arrangement, what is needed are strong property rights and rule of law. Such that the state can't just come in and set up drilling operations and take the revenue from that and keep it(or use it to pay off your fellow former KGB cronies or what have you), and in the case of mineral rights on state owned property that the revenue goes to the people(who are the rightful property owners in those cases, ie Norway and Alaska) instead of being wasted by a corrupt government.

Tell that to China.

The thing you are proposing is classic neoliberal mantra and does not help developing countries. Private corruption is no different from public corruption. What if a corporation comes and starts drilling after buying off some officials? Why do you focus on state corruption? That is not what is actually happening, it's mostly multinationals buying off local officials. Practical economic theory is to plan industrialization, utopian theory is about first setting up the perfect market and that things will then come automatically.

 

[Lime]

This is taken heavily out of context-

Even in context it is incredibly ignorant and dismissive of how many African countries have been historically and currently affected by European colonization. Especially in the case of France, whose colonial record should make the president of the country much more humble and sensitive around these issues.

 

[Alx]

Even in context it is incredibly ignorant and dismissive of how many African countries have been historically and currently affected by European colonization. Especially in the case of France, whose colonial record should make the president of the country much more humble and sensitive around these issues.

Historical explanation of the situation is a different thing than looking for a solution to fix it. It's important as a way to understand how we got there, but putting the blame on people/countries isn't solving anything.
The context is that he was asked "would a Marshall plan for Africa be the solution ?" and he answered "the solution can't be as simple as throwing money at the problem", which most people would consider a reasonable view. One could argue that he could have mentioned stuff like the franc CFA that may or may not be part of the problem, but as a matter of fact it fits his point that "things have to be done on structural and geopolitical aspects too".
.

 

[iamblades]

Tell that to China.

The thing you are proposing is classic neoliberal mantra and does not help developing countries. Private corruption is no different from public corruption. What if a corporation comes and starts drilling after buying off some officials? Why do you focus on state corruption? That is not what is actually happening, it's mostly multinationals buying off local officials. Practical economic theory is to plan industrialization, utopian theory is about first setting up the perfect market and that things will then come automatically.

Are you saying China isn't corrupt or what?

As for the bolded, in a system with property rights, there is no need for any bribing of anyone. All you need is a buyer and a seller.

Multinationals bribing officials IS state corruption though, unless you are arguing that these officials are not part of the state.

The last bit doesn't even really mean anything, but China's 'planned' industrialization is not all it's cracked up to be:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7enlEd_1XP4

Sure you can get outrageous rapid economic growth in the short term if the economy is run largely by state entities that don't really care about making a profit, but at some point the bill comes due, and it's going to be a steep one.