Africa in Chaos: A Comparative History

by George B.N. Ayittey

Book Overview

In a follow-up to his ground-breaking Africa Betrayed , George Ayittey takes up the plight of Africa at the end of the twentieth century. As he sees countries like Nigeria go over the edge of economic... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312164009
• ISBN13: 9780312164003
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• Length: 399 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.9" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Nkrumah, Nyerere, Kaunda failures all

Excellent book by Ayittey showing the yet again the failures of the liberal-left vision, and its cynical collaborators in business and government bureaucracies. Yet again and again Western taxpayers are called upon to prop up these vampire states- money down an endless rathole. -The "leaders" of many of these failed states have been feted and celebrated in the liberal West, none more so than Nkrumah, Nyerere, and Kaunda. Buit it is all hypocrisy and delusion. Some claim glowing accomplishments by these leaders, but in fact things like high literacy rates are carry-overs from the colonial administrations. In short, the literacy rate and educational opportunities were ALREADY rising rapidly when the colonialists pulled out, rendering claims of "improvement" in these areas suspect. The same pattern is repeated in economic development. Agriculture and industry were ALREADY expanding when the kleptocrats and dictators took over. Under them this progress not only declined but in many cases simply vanished. As for Nkrumah's or Nyere's much touted educational "progress" and "free" medical care, it was neither progressive or free. What use is "free" when your "health" clinics are chronically short of medicine, and competent staff? Just how much "improvement" is there when you don't have enough money to staff or maintain your "free" institutions to even minimal standards? What use is "education" amid cruimbling schools and unpaid teachers, or when you are herding forcibly herding people into dirty, poverty mired "ujamma" villages to be harangued by party hacks about "African socialism"? When has "socialism" fed starving people?Ayittey exposes the bogus claims, and nonsensical fantasies, and cynical self-serving by Western elites and their vampire-like African compradors. A great read, but of course- no one will lesson while even yet more millions of Africans are needlessly sacrificed to fulfill the greed, corruption and self-congratulatory fantasies of Western elites and their African lackeys.

Africa is Chaos

It has been said that there is nothing new in this book. Africa indeed has problems. That is exactly the point of this book and Keith Richburg's "Out of America." Africa has problems and it is not up to AID agencies (USAID could not fix anything even if they wanted to) or foreigners to fix those problems. It is up to "Africans" to fix their problems.ALL nations have problems. The difference between most nations and the African continent is that Africa just gets worse, and worse and worse. I've lived there. I've lived it. I will never return. As a black American that lived in Africa over a period of twenty years, I find the state just gets worse and worse and most African people continue to blame their problems on colonialism, they defect to Europe or the US or just take what their dictators dish out. A Kenyan friend of mine who was MD of the Kenyan Human Rights League, tired of being jailed and tear gased while the people he was demonstrating and fighting for looked on and pointed, said: "Kenya and Africa will never change until the average Kenyan or African is prepared to die for his freedom." No, there is nothing new in "Chaos" or the other books on this subject. Again, that's the point. Contructively Africa: fix your problems. That's what these books are all about: YOU need to fix YOUR problems.This is a great book. I will keep it and others like it for my children to read.

Excellent chronicle of the demise of civil society in Africa

George B. N. Ayittey's latest book, together with his previous ones ("Indigenous African Institutions" and "Africa Betrayed"), places Ayittey within a small group of African scholars whose commitment to classical liberalism is a breath of fresh air on a continent where most well-known scholars are statists. Ayittey and like-minded African scholars regard advancing the ideas of classical liberalism as the cornerstone for the restoration of civil society in Africa....What explains the dismal performance of African economies? Ayittey's book provides a detailed account of government policies that adversely affect the functioning of markets. Instead of building on markets that prevailed in the indigenous institutions, African leaders adopted policies that involved heavy intervention in markets.... One result of this form of government intervention is that farmers, whose performance is a key to economic development, face extremely high taxes and other forms of intervention that undermine production incentives. Furthermore, in many countries, property rights are insecure, and leaders often engage in arbitrary expropriation....If political independence did little to advance the material well-being of the majority of Africans, even less was accomplished with regard to the advancement of individual liberties. There is no doubt that colonial rule was oppressive. Institutions and laws established by the colonialists were clearly designed to serve the interests of colonialists, not Africans. As Ayittey documents, however, political independence in Africa has given rise to some of the most oppressive governments in history. The first wave of civilian leaders adopted oppressive laws and outlawed political competition. Laws were enacted that undermined the freedom of expression, and in virtually all countries, governments enacted laws that empowered rulers to detain opponents without trial. In numerous cases, those opposed to the government were killed or disappeared mysteriously....Ayittey is critical of some of the commonly proposed solutions to the crisis in Africa. For example, foreign aid and loans, such as those advanced by the international organizations, appear to have no positive impact in the long run. In fact, in most cases such aid has contributed to the crisis. Ayittey proposes reform policies that concentrate on the restoration of civil society, whereby civil and economic liberties would be guaranteed. To achieve such a society, Ayittey proposes building on traditional systems of governance. For example, he proposes the establishment of institutions based on the confederacy principle. Such institutions would be more responsive to the public and would more effectively constrain the actions of leaders. Ayittey makes a persuasive case regarding the importance of economic freedom in dealing with the economic crisis in Africa....In sum, "Africa in Chaos" is an informative book that advances our understanding of Af

Pro-Africa; Pro-Africans

This is a devestating indictment of the small percentage of the African population that keeps the rest uneducated and in poverty. Yet it is Pro-Africa in that the solutions proposed are from the continent's tribal past.African-Americans, who want a deeper understanding of what is happening in Africa today and why it is different from the pre-colonial past, will appreciate this book. Others, such as Cynthia McKinney and Carol Mosley Braun, who would prefer to rub shoulders with the same leaders who are causing so much harm to their countries, will feel better if they continue to keep their head in the sand.

This is the most accurate account of Africa: native african

Cover to cover, this book portrays Africa as it is today. Growing up and living in Kenya, as well as having travelled significantly around sub-saharan Africa, I have lived the life portrayed in the book: a life of fear. I would recommend this book strongly to anybody or institution interested in knowing THE true Africa today.George B.N. Ayittey has articulated what many of us Africans experience in our daily lives. The accounts are factual. They are real. I pity the innocent Africans that have lost their lives and those that live in misery, not knowing the reason why they live in chaos.