Stop the Aid?

I want to make perfectly clear that I support aid towards Africa in principle. I would rather the money go through non-governmental organizations and charities than through governments, but I don't think Paul Martin will listen to me.

The issue I have with giving a blank cheque to African countries is that I worry if the cheque will cause more harm than good. What if by giving aid to African governments, all I do is boost morally decrepit regimes? What if the aid just encourages African governments to repeat the problems of the past because they know I will just bail them out?

James Shikwati, confirms my worst fears:

Shikwati: Such intentions have been damaging our continent for the past 40 years. If the industrial nations really want to help the Africans, they should finally terminate this awful aid. The countries that have collected the most development aid are also the ones that are in the worst shape. Despite the billions that have poured in to Africa, the continent remains poor.

SPIEGEL: Do you have an explanation for this paradox?

Shikwati: Huge bureaucracies are financed (with the aid money), corruption and complacency are promoted, Africans are taught to be beggars and not to be independent. In addition, development aid weakens the local markets everywhere and dampens the spirit of entrepreneurship that we so desperately need. As absurd as it may sound: Development aid is one of the reasons for Africa's problems. If the West were to cancel these payments, normal Africans wouldn't even notice. Only the functionaries would be hard hit. Which is why they maintain that the world would stop turning without this development aid.

I really don't know if we should be stopping the aid. But one things for sure - I'm more doubtfull of foreign aid now than ever before.

Tip o' the hat to NealNews.