MIT Study Reveals Why Africa Is Still Poor

[375 Ruger Fan]

Africa is the poorest continent in the world. There are, as always, a lot of factors to consider as to why that is the case, but recently Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson from MIT have released a study detailing the surprising bigger factors in why Africa still struggles to build wealth despite massive amounts of incoming aid and charity work trying to improve the lives of people there. So what are the reasons why much of Africa can't seem to get out of poverty?

 

[chashardy]

The question needs to be addressed country by country. "Africa" is dozens of countries with different histories and different indigenous peoples. The factors in one country that keep that economy in poverty won't be the same in another country hundreds or thousands of miles away on the other side of the continent. The colonial history is probably the first thing to examine. Whether the country was able to transition to independence with a stable economy and government with majority native rule is key.

 

[375Fox]

The reasons seem quite simple to me even if not politically correct to say. There are cultures who think about tomorrow before their actions and cultures who only think about this moment. It’s always sad to me to see opportunity not being taken in Africa. When I hunt conservancies I can’t understand why there are not furniture factories to process their own valuable trees and give employment or community bee keeping projects instead they just sell lumber wholesale for cash or chop down a tree for honey that day. Nothing advances if the mindset stays the same regardless what good intentions a charity has.

 

[artschool]

We are judging the continent by western standards.

 

[Pilgrim]

A big factor would have to be government corruption?

 

[rwp315]

Africa is the poorest continent in the world. There are, as always, a lot of factors to consider as to why that is the case, but recently Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson from MIT have released a study detailing the surprising bigger factors in why Africa still struggles to build wealth despite massive amounts of incoming aid and charity work trying to improve the lives of people there. So what are the reasons why much of Africa can't seem to get out of poverty?

Robert Raurk covered this topic briefly in “Uhuru” or “Something of Value”.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

We've all heard the theories or stories about societies or cultures in the tropics vs temperate zones. Life for early civilizations in the tropics was relatively easy due to favorable weather. In the extreme latitudes, the four seasons existed and drove societies to do stuff on a seasonal basis or you died. Plant crops in the spring and harvest in the fall. Stock up firewood or you freeze to death in the winter.

Why Tropical Countries are Underdeveloped

www.nber.org

 

[Jason Miller]

I could write a book on this subject, I have worked with NGO's since 1996 in many African countries, and if I did, I could never return to work there so will wait until retirement Two countries that stand above the rest, Rwanda and Namibia. Kenya is so brainwashed into the "Charity Mindset" it will take many generations before they can stand on their own. Currently there are over 12,000 charities registered to work in Kibera Slum alone...

I have a close friend that did the first EVER senses of the Kibera slum, door to door with GPS GIS technology tracking each and every person over two years. Guess what MANY less people live in that slum than the the government claims, the data was offered to the government for free and they turned it down, why? Because BILLIONS of dollars in aid come into Kenya to work in that slum, they dont want it to go away,...
I am rambling so wills top.

 

[BJH65]

Once can only conclude government corruption is the primary culprit. Take Haiti for example. From 2011 to 2021, this tiny island nation received 13 billion in aid. If you were to fly over the country today, you would see a giant trash heap. Where did the money go? Into the pockets of corrupt officials I suspect. I believe many African countries are similar.

 

[Aaron N]

We are judging the continent by western standards.

^ This, and also the fact that African (Sub Saharan) self government is still in its infancy, and what are they in, their second maybe third, generation of education?

 

[analog_peninsula]

We are judging the continent by human standards.

FIFY

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

FIFY

Yea I think dirt poor is dirt poor, no matter the continent or hemisphere. I think culture is the primary factor. Corrupt government is just a symptom

 

[375Fox]

^ This, and also the fact that African (Sub Saharan) self government is still in its infancy, and what are they in, their second maybe third, generation of education?

That must be why South Africa gets better every year. They just need more time.

 

[Aaron N]

That must be why South Africa gets better every year. They just need more time.
View attachment 594278

Id say that thinking a culture can make the shift from hunter gatherer tribalism to a full functioning western style democracy in 100 years (only 20 of which they have had power) and there not to be hiccups along the way seems ambitious. There will always be a learning curve.

With that being said, it’s not a problem that throwing money at can solve. Solutions have to be organic and come from the people. The same as Native American issues.

 

[baxterb]

I could write a book on this subject, I have worked with NGO's since 1996 in many African countries, and if I did, I could never return to work there so will wait until retirement Two countries that stand above the rest, Rwanda and Namibia. Kenya is so brainwashed into the "Charity Mindset" it will take many generations before they can stand on their own. Currently there are over 12,000 charities registered to work in Kibera Slum alone...

I have a close friend that did the first EVER senses of the Kibera slum, door to door with GPS GIS technology tracking each and every person over two years. Guess what MANY less people live in that slum than the the government claims, the data was offered to the government for free and they turned it down, why? Because BILLIONS of dollars in aid come into Kenya to work in that slum, they dont want it to go away,...
I am rambling so wills top.

An interesting comment... I read a book once about wildlife management in Kenya and one of the comments he made was that the proliferation of the local NGOs has created a subculture of relative wealth that would vanish if the 'problems' that they were working on were actually solved... so in order to maintain the wealth, the problem must never be solved...

This is pure Eric Hoffer from The True Believer - "Every good cause begins as a movement, becomes a business and eventually degenerates into a racket"

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

The reasons seem quite simple to me even if not politically correct to say. There are cultures who think about tomorrow before their actions and cultures who only think about this moment. It’s always sad to me to see opportunity not being taken in Africa. When I hunt conservancies I can’t understand why there are not furniture factories to process their own valuable trees and give employment or community bee keeping projects instead they just sell lumber wholesale for cash or chop down a tree for honey that day. Nothing advances if the mindset stays the same regardless what good intentions a charity has.

Nailed it.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

^ This, and also the fact that African (Sub Saharan) self government is still in its infancy, and what are they in, their second maybe third, generation of education?

So how would you explain South Africa going from being a first world country under the previous regime where the Rand was stronger than the USD and having one of the top 3 militaries in the world, to its current status?

 

[freefall]

So how would you explain South Africa going from being a first world country under the previous regime where the Rand was stronger than the USD and having one of the top 3 militaries in the world, to its current status?

The same way America is going from the greatest country in the world to where we're about to end up.
People learned they could vote for money.

 

[spike.t]

Id say that thinking a culture can make the shift from hunter gatherer tribalism to a full functioning western style democracy in 100 years (only 20 of which they have had power) and there not to be hiccups along the way seems ambitious. There will always be a learning curve.

With that being said, it’s not a problem that throwing money at can solve. Solutions have to be organic and come from the people. The same as Native American issues.

Some have been independent for lot longer that 20 years.....

 

[spike.t]

So how would you explain South Africa going from being a first world country under the previous regime where the Rand was stronger than the USD and having one of the top 3 militaries in the world, to its current status?

Yup with world class leading companies as well....all these companies are now gone or basically bankrupt....and remember the first successful heart transplant was done in SA.....