Why is Socialism so Prevalent in Africa? | George Ayittey

George Ayittey is a Ghanian economist and the founder and president of the Free Africa Foundation. He also taught economics at American University and is an associate scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
Ayittey talks about the failure of Africa's experiments with socialism throughout the 20th century. He tells stories about the inefficiency, waste, and bureaucratic corruption in countries like Ghana, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, and says that wrangling Africa's political class is of paramount importance when it comes to African development.
Full talk from the Future of Freedom Conference in 1989, in San Francisco, licenced under creative common: • The Failure of African...
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Пікірлер: 186

  • @Lowbrow_Mthakathi
    @Lowbrow_Mthakathi4 жыл бұрын

    I wish my African political thought courses included this man and not the men he is speaking of.

  • @hshs5756

    @hshs5756

    4 жыл бұрын

    I found that the two videos I watched just before this one equipped me much better to understand what he was saying. They are this kzread.info/dash/bejne/pIeorpmnmbWdl9Y.html and this kzread.info/dash/bejne/m5uT09KHlruuebg.html

  • @brandanb9735

    @brandanb9735

    4 жыл бұрын

    Similar issue in my global history courses. The postcolonial process and global wealth inequality are ALWAYS presented through the Marxist lens. I wish I knew of Dr. Ayittey earlier.

  • @2Hesiod
    @2Hesiod4 жыл бұрын

    Socialism accuses capitalism of it's own worst fault: exploitation.

  • @billmelater6470

    @billmelater6470

    4 жыл бұрын

    It's projection.

  • @2Hesiod

    @2Hesiod

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@billmelater6470 It's the Left...

  • @2Hesiod

    @2Hesiod

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@billmelater6470 It is projection because, at bottom, socialism is envy and envy is at bottom destructive. Instead of improving themselves, envious people tear down others. They take from others instead of improving themselves.

  • @charlesross9260

    @charlesross9260

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@2Hesiod Socialism sounds so very attractive because everyone would be working together for the benefit of all.

  • @2Hesiod

    @2Hesiod

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@charlesross9260 Holy pretenses.

  • @brucelomax3375
    @brucelomax33754 жыл бұрын

    Africa has been on foreign aid longer than most Canadian/British taxpayers have been born. Let that sink in. Why? Enquiring minds need know.

  • @Tounushi

    @Tounushi

    4 жыл бұрын

    I wonder what would happen to Africa when the gibs end permanently.

  • @kmg501

    @kmg501

    4 жыл бұрын

    Why? Because of egalitarians, that is why. They are despicable short sighted fools who imagine themselves enlightened and virtuous. They are neither, they are just stupid meddling fools.

  • @DrEhrfurchtgebietend

    @DrEhrfurchtgebietend

    4 жыл бұрын

    The British empire invested more money in africa than it got out

  • @Veldtian1

    @Veldtian1

    4 жыл бұрын

    R Selection breeding behaviorism.

  • @shauncameron8390

    @shauncameron8390

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@kmg501 Namely bleeding hearts and activists.

  • @simonsebuliba510
    @simonsebuliba5105 ай бұрын

    This man is the African Thomas Sowell!!!!! I didn't know about Dr. George Ayiteey

  • @AhmedAlsawi-fj1hn

    @AhmedAlsawi-fj1hn

    3 ай бұрын

    ❤❤

  • @nrm224

    @nrm224

    29 күн бұрын

    Bingo.

  • @jamessakeah9791

    @jamessakeah9791

    28 күн бұрын

    These were the stooges used by the west to do their bidding in Africa.

  • @audience2
    @audience24 жыл бұрын

    40 years later and the most successful parts of Africa have returned to free market capitalism.

  • @brandanb9735

    @brandanb9735

    4 жыл бұрын

    True. It's an underreported and underappreciated trend.

  • @shauncameron8390

    @shauncameron8390

    4 жыл бұрын

    Including the once-socialist Ghana.

  • @MrFwalk

    @MrFwalk

    2 жыл бұрын

    Lol almost every nation in Africa is capitalist. Interesting you said the most successful parts. Nigeria is a staunch capitalist nation. I wouldn't call that successful. Ghana, my own country is calling for socialism to come back.

  • @MrFwalk

    @MrFwalk

    2 жыл бұрын

    Lol almost every African country is capitalist. Interesting you said the most successful parts. Nigeria is a staunch capitalist nation and has been for a long time. Ghana, the country he is talking about and my country is calling for socialism to come back. So I don't understand what you are saying here.

  • @jasonc0065

    @jasonc0065

    Жыл бұрын

    Even the DRC today seems to have stumbled onto it. Amini Cishugi is Congolese capitalist.

  • @peterquill2131
    @peterquill21314 жыл бұрын

    Best medication for the suffering in Africa is to cut all aid and let them take responsibility for themselves.

  • @placesandspaces3489

    @placesandspaces3489

    2 ай бұрын

    How about the Westerners and others who need our resources pay fair market prices instead of making deals with corrupt officials to cheat the African citizens. How about not assassinating the leaders who are visionaries and attempted programs within the nations that clearly were working. Then, we wouldn't need your aid.

  • @user-dn5rf8ql2b

    @user-dn5rf8ql2b

    Ай бұрын

    same for Palestine

  • @kimwiser445
    @kimwiser4454 жыл бұрын

    I saw a video about how the shoe company Toms puts shoe companies in Africa out of business. They donate shoes in Africa when you buy their shoes. The unintended consequence is that this has forced small shoe maker businesses to close. I wonder how much of the aid that is given does more harm than good?

  • @sequorroxx

    @sequorroxx

    4 жыл бұрын

    That is actually one of the best weapons of USAID, the IMF, and other globalist financial manipulators. They dump a lot of food and agricultural products onto these societies, heavily subsidized so that locals can't compete. Local government rulers get to dole out the 'free stuff' and get re-elected(or the dictatorial equivalent). This drives out farmers and empties villages, forcing people into the urban centers of these third world countries. Then, the rulers put them to work making cheap goods to export to western nations, per the conditions on the foreign aid by these globalist economic hitmen. Multi-national corporations move their factories over seas and we suffer both the taxes to fund this foreign "aid" and job losses.

  • @jasonc0065

    @jasonc0065

    2 жыл бұрын

    One form of aid that would do net good is paving the roads. Give them the interstate network already. Why don't they do that? We solve the water crisis but not the road crisis. Roads help the revolution. That's why. French sabotage in a nutshell.

  • @megaman1808
    @megaman18084 жыл бұрын

    It's important to remember that the Mali, Ghana and Songhai empires had a huge advantage that made it possible for them to become mighty and important, and that was access to metallurgy, a large river for agriculture and transportation, and Horses. These three things were only possible to get in the western part of Sub-Saharan Africa, a geographic area between a dessert to the north and a rainforest to the south

  • @DoctorDejay
    @DoctorDejay4 жыл бұрын

    A great addition of knowledge of where those wars in starving African countries back in the 80s and 90s came from. We all knew it was Socialism, but an inside perspective of inner workings is even better.

  • @KuftuKa
    @KuftuKa4 жыл бұрын

    Everyone should read Ayittey

  • @MoreSkulls
    @MoreSkulls4 жыл бұрын

    Given the awesome history of governments, it's hard to believe that the people in charge would be corrupt.

  • @brianbob7514
    @brianbob75144 жыл бұрын

    This really makes me sad

  • @NathansHVAC

    @NathansHVAC

    4 жыл бұрын

    Cheer up. Life is better now even in the socialist schiff holes.

  • @tacitustoday3571
    @tacitustoday35714 жыл бұрын

    The trans saharan trade and the east African trade was primarily Arabic. The black free markets as he calls them were places of bata not free markets as we understand them today. In this clip at least he does not mention the tribalism that play such a huge role in producing basket case black failed states.

  • @dongaetano3687
    @dongaetano36874 жыл бұрын

    PI, can't support at this time as old guy working hard, but hope for a better year coming. Not here too often but your pick of vids is always excellent. I see the pics in my notifications and wish I had time to view them all. Great work - have a good 2020

  • @nrm224
    @nrm22429 күн бұрын

    Love this speech

  • @petuniawigglebottom3392
    @petuniawigglebottom33924 жыл бұрын

    Excellent lecture, and it should be required viewing in the u.s..

  • @teweldeambassajir4856
    @teweldeambassajir48564 жыл бұрын

    He is exactly right about Ethiopia.

  • @anaconda470
    @anaconda4704 ай бұрын

    Extraordinary. Noone talks about socialism in Africa. Everyone is blaming 19th century colonialism for current economical failure of the continent. Like the second half of the 20th century never existed.

  • @benjaminlamptey1867
    @benjaminlamptey18674 жыл бұрын

    Wow, somebody already said much of what I've been trying to say in 1989😅. And he's also a Ga man😂. And he also knows some African history, almost everyone you ever get to meet is completely ignorant of African history. I gotta meet this guy.

  • @jamesstaggs4160
    @jamesstaggs41604 жыл бұрын

    Didn't know Lenin equated colonialism with capitalism. I can't really find any similarities between them but nobody said leftists ever have any idea what they're talking about.

  • @jasonc0065

    @jasonc0065

    2 жыл бұрын

    There are similarities with crony capitalism. Letting corporations become foreign policy is the cruelest form that it takes.

  • @laisphinto6372

    @laisphinto6372

    Жыл бұрын

    that isnt capitalism that is coorporatism and coorporatism is fascism

  • @calabash4221

    @calabash4221

    6 ай бұрын

    Just remember that prior to colonialism Europe sent their corporate to enter into agreements with the indigenous people and hence paved way for colonialism

  • @Joao-id4dn

    @Joao-id4dn

    4 ай бұрын

    its ironical that the Soviet Union was the last imperialist power in the western world.

  • @AnAn___
    @AnAn___3 ай бұрын

    Any currently living economists similar to George Ayittey?

  • @sonofode902
    @sonofode9024 жыл бұрын

    Curse of Ham. Vicious cycle of enslaved and to enslave mentality (spirit). It is not physical (skin), its metaphysical, in other word it is mentality, principle, values, tradition passed down through generations on that part of the world. Gin

  • @ericevans8211
    @ericevans82114 жыл бұрын

    I loved the presentation, but think there was another reason Socialism failed in Africa: it was tried.

  • @richardque4952
    @richardque49527 күн бұрын

    In 1960.ghana has average income is slightly higher than south korea.10 years later is was complete reverse.

  • @u.802
    @u.8023 ай бұрын

    rest in peace mr ayittey

  • @theashdey9383
    @theashdey93834 жыл бұрын

    What Africa MUST do to develop even faster than the west or China : - Very low personal income tax rate - Very low corporate tax rate - Very low capital gains tax rate - A law that requires that for every regulation that is passed, two or more regulations must be abolished. - Most if not all state-owned companies must be fully privatized. With these measures, some parts of Africa will even look like Dubai and poverty in Africa will be a distant memory.

  • @saidabeid8249

    @saidabeid8249

    2 жыл бұрын

    This was done already by the third president of Tanzania but nothing changes, He privatized all the companies owned by the government during his time of presidency till now tanzania still is a poor country with all resources it has.Infact is the only country with Tanzanite worthful stones.I don't know what should be done to help Africa

  • @DrEhrfurchtgebietend
    @DrEhrfurchtgebietend4 жыл бұрын

    Wanna see this guy talk with thomas sowell

  • @hrosemd
    @hrosemd4 жыл бұрын

    Sic semper...

  • @michieleverett6665
    @michieleverett66654 жыл бұрын

    With the exception of a few countries the continent of Africa remains in the third world. Socialism promises all but never delivers.,

  • @laisphinto6372

    @laisphinto6372

    Жыл бұрын

    with all the focus on white people they really should have look at eastern europe because the exact same things happened there

  • @mustang607
    @mustang6074 жыл бұрын

    Why are authoritarian regimes so prevalent in Africa?

  • @bolbox7040

    @bolbox7040

    4 жыл бұрын

    People with low iq live there.

  • @goosiechild

    @goosiechild

    4 жыл бұрын

    you heard the man. it's all whitey's fault.

  • @goosiechild

    @goosiechild

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Omne Obstat the idea of authoritarian rule? pretty sure they had that before colonialism, Rousseau. along with slavery, child sacrifice and vampires.

  • @shauncameron8390

    @shauncameron8390

    4 жыл бұрын

    This is what socialism enables.

  • @laisphinto6372

    @laisphinto6372

    Жыл бұрын

    socialism

  • @jasonc0065
    @jasonc00652 жыл бұрын

    "With the possible exception of land". He concedes a talking point to Malema. Seretse Khama nationalized diamonds. CIMCO could have been the Francophone Debswana, if it weren't for the Assassination. Some mixed economy solutions worked. CIA being evil is also part of the story. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja writes that Nkrumah's false gospel corrupted most Congolese leaders. Ghanaian soldiers betrayed them. Does Ayittey understand?

  • @spencerantoniomarlen-starr3069

    @spencerantoniomarlen-starr3069

    Жыл бұрын

    Of course the CIA is evil and has been for a long time. But something being immoral tells you absolutely nothing about how it effected the economies and polities of countries in the long run.

  • @joanhuffman2166
    @joanhuffman216616 күн бұрын

    1. Socialism was the idea of the day at the time of independence for most African countries. 2. Socialism gives to educated people much greater opportunities to exercise power over others. At the same time it limits the consequences of bad decisions to the person exercising this power.

  • @joanhuffman2166
    @joanhuffman216616 күн бұрын

    Foreign aid takes money from poor people in rich countries and gives it to rich people in poor countries.

  • @JanstonCordell
    @JanstonCordell4 жыл бұрын

    The solution to this question is simple: Both Communism and Socialism prey upon the stupid.

  • @laisphinto6372

    @laisphinto6372

    Жыл бұрын

    socialism is the root . communism is an offspring just like fascism and Nationak socialism is an offspring of socialism. all promise paradise to the people,all centralize Power into one single authority and all have one enemy the evil capitalist to blame when it fails. the thing is it "works" at first all the time especially when the country has riches when it spends it away but in the long run corruption sets in, Ressources are wasted and nobody wants to work. the socialist state Hungers for more Ressources and it wnats it immidiatly so it goes after its people or like most of them wants to feast on other nations

  • @stoneageprude3021
    @stoneageprude30212 жыл бұрын

    Rip

  • @Inkognito91
    @Inkognito914 жыл бұрын

    The "Wealth based on Free Market" argument not completly correct. The wealth for example of the Malian Empire based to a huge margin on taxing the salt and gold trade.

  • @I-am-not-a-number
    @I-am-not-a-number4 жыл бұрын

    Social justice for whites in Africa.

  • @mistycloud4455
    @mistycloud4455 Жыл бұрын

    A.G.I Will be mans last invention

  • @nsyln
    @nsyln4 жыл бұрын

    Can capitalism and nature coexist in the long run? Can socialism and nature coexist in the long run?

  • @thastayapongsak4422

    @thastayapongsak4422

    4 жыл бұрын

    Former is true, Latter is impossible. Capitalism is the nature of human.

  • @nsyln

    @nsyln

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@thastayapongsak4422 I actually believe that both will fail within today's context of nationhood.

  • @nsyln

    @nsyln

    4 жыл бұрын

    @justin miller Let me clarify what I meant. Socialism was never developed as a one nation concept but as a concept that all nations should develop with a centralised governing principle while today's concept of nationhood can never allow a truly free market.

  • @nsyln

    @nsyln

    4 жыл бұрын

    @nickyiil When I say nature I am referring to every concept of sustainable development where man and his environment thrive without stating any economic or technological basis.

  • @nicosmind3

    @nicosmind3

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@nsyln Look at the Briitsh fishing industry before the EU ruined it with the common fishery policy (theres a well know fallacy called the Tragedy of the Commons). Before the EU fishermen all had their separate patches and it was withing their interest to not over fish it and keep is sustainable. But within years of that policy starting the fishing stocks were decimated and the fishing industry dramatically shrank. Whole towns which had many fishing boats seen those boats completely disappear. From a town with 100s of fishermen go to zero. And the EU sti doesnt understand or care about the cause, and doing nothing which will actually address the problem. Instead theyve introduce quotas but those quotas are causing more problems. Nets dont care about quotas and by the time the fishermen hall them in most of those fish are dead. But rather than return to port cause theyve enough fish to make their trip worth while they instead have to dump them overboard and keep looking for fish theyre allowed to collect. Then kill more theyre not allowed or reached their quota. Dump them over board and try again

  • @DrFumesta
    @DrFumesta4 жыл бұрын

    Before I watch I'm gonna guess it has something to do with the sub 90 IQ levels.

  • @NathansHVAC

    @NathansHVAC

    4 жыл бұрын

    You didnt watch

  • @dolomaticus1180

    @dolomaticus1180

    4 жыл бұрын

    Nope, its called socialism, it will wreck any country who tries it and here is a fun fact: the people pushing it have IQ levels easily above 120, but are all in on the delusion.

  • @daniellassander

    @daniellassander

    4 жыл бұрын

    So if you watched the video, what was it really about, and was IQ ever mentioned?

  • @spencerantoniomarlen-starr3069

    @spencerantoniomarlen-starr3069

    Жыл бұрын

    IQ was never mentioned in the video

  • @hugh-johnfleming289
    @hugh-johnfleming2894 жыл бұрын

    Legislative ignorance.

  • @di-li
    @di-li Жыл бұрын

    До чего не умный человек. Или лжец. Марксизм он, судя по его тезисам, не знает и не понимает. Отстаивает интересы буржуазии. What a stupid person. Or a liar. Marxism, judging by his theses, he does not know and does not understand. Defends the interests of the bourgeoisie.

  • @ankundamwebembezi6358

    @ankundamwebembezi6358

    4 ай бұрын

    A new group of bourgeoisie is formed under marxism