One of the reasons I switched from one political point of view to another in my late teens to early 20's was the realization that humans were meant to make their own way in the world, not to depend on handouts from an all-powerful state. With that in mind, read this piece on Aid to Africa and see if you can disagree.
This is a theorem that has been spoken many times (for example, here), but it does not, of itself, produce a solution. So, to return to the title question, what does Africa need?
1. Property rights
2. Rule of Law
3. Universal Education
4. A government that does not interfere with 1, 2, and 3.
1 is the basis for any functioning market economy. 2 allows disputes to be resolved peacefully and end the cycle of putsch, civil war, and purge that is as much a drag on Africa as anything else. 3 levels the playing field for the native genius of the people. The need for 4 is obvious, and unfortunately, it's the only thing the military power of the West may be in a position to supply.
I submit that if we aren't helping Africans achieve these four things, we aren't helping them at all. It's well past time for a change in the political cultures of the poorest region on earth. It's well past time for the left to realize that Mugabe has done more to harm his nation than any white man. It's well past time for American and other G-8 businesses to consider what profits would be had by making Africans into customers instead of laborers.
It's time to stop flagellating ourselves, and start dealing with the problem.
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