- POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT: HOW AFRICA IS CONNED BY THE WEST (PART1) -

Most discussions about "development" assume that the western definition of what "development" entails is the absolute and only yardstick for measuring human progress. But is it really?

Hmmmm.... The west has been known for psychological mischief since time immemorial. Could this be yet another pink evil that we take for granted in our day to day lives? Could it be that the world has been hoodwinked to believe that "western yardstick for development" is the sole and most accuraste yardstick for measuring "development" across the globe? Could this be another naughty extension of the "pink is white and white is best so pink is best" brainwash?

Hungry for facts, I set out on a quest to discover the truth.

The first thing I discovered is that I am not the first person to question the logic, accuracy, applicability and even the motives behind the current "development" yardstick. According to former South African President, the great and wise Thambo Mbeki:

“For some time Africa has been referred to as a "developing continent", and Britain and America as "developed countries." This is, of course, reducing the term "development" to a purely financial or economic meaning, a form of reductionism that implies that only the material things of life matter.

If Britain is a "developed" country, and Africa aspires to be like Britain, does this mean that Africa wishes to mimic Britain on issues like child abuse, divorce rates and treatment of the elderly?

The great arrogance of the West is exemplified and explicit in its reference to low-income countries as "less-developed countries." A much more satisfying terminology would be a reference to "low-income" countries and "high-income" countries", omitting a reference to development altogether."

Given Thambo Mbeki's support for the African Renaissance agenda, which aims at healing Africa from the evil virus of colonial brainwash and neo-colonial rape, it is not surpriising that neo-colonial imperialists quickly launched a global demonization campaign that ultimately lead to his political downfall - and(the real objective) the muzzlement of prominent African rennaisance leaders.

What the west doesn't want the world to know is that Africans see the concept of economy and development differently! In the west, it is about accumulating wealth (purely material driven). In Africa "development" is mostly about uplifting the community and improving community well being (social-values driven).

It is like comparing apples to tomatoes using the same yardstick simply because they are fruits – then, using the number of seeds as the sole yardstick, declaring the tomato a “more developed fruit” because it has more seeds.

What if the yardstick was Number of Calories? The Apple would win.

How about Vitamin A? The Tomato would win.

The outcome changes depending on the measurement criteria and/or methodology!

Thus the great pink con is revealed: The terms “developed countries” or “developing countries” are merely Eurocentric political terms. One party simply promotes yardstick that favors its own culture, much like the Tomato defining the yardstick as number of seeds.

If you use the Western "tomato style" economic measurement criteria, Africa appears to be the least developed continent. The politics behind it suggests that to attain "development" Africans must do as the west does (policies, infrastructure etc). By controlling the yardstick, the west mischievously positions itself as a global leader - reinforcing the "Pink is White and White is Best so Pink is Best" brainwash.

REALITY: From an African perspective, the African economy is the most advanced in the world because it goes beyond simple “accumulation arithmetics-ism” and gadget-ism, into genuinely and holistically uplifting the quality human lives.

Value systems such as Ethics / Morality / Kindness / Arts / Family values / Integrity and so on, while separate from the Economy in Eurocentric cultures, are very much integrated into African Economy.

Western economic ideas fail in Africa because CULTURE and VALUE SYSTEMS are different! We are unique and we must define our own measurement yardsticks to counter prejudicial, politically motivated bias that is inherent in foreign yardsticks.

Copyright 2010. Opinion.