You know, this isn’t a typical blog. Most blogs tend to be the rantings and ravings of people who believe their opinions are important. My wife and I under no such illusion. We write because we both like to write, and it’s easier to post information this way, rather than sending multiple emails to our friends and families when events occur.

I point that out, since I’m actually going to write a stereotypical blog entry… that is, I’m going to express my opinion about a current event. I know you all wait on the edge of your seats to hear what I think about the war in Iraq, terrorist, Live8, and whale hunting in Japan. Well, today is your lucky day.

On the Reformed Theology Discussion List, we’ve been discussing the roll of the civil government in fighting poverty, and specifically, whether the premises behind Live8 are Biblical. One of the members shared an amazing interview from Der Spiegel interviewing Kenyan economics expert James Shikwati. The gist of the interview is that he is pleading with the G8 countries to stop sending aid to Africa, claiming that the money is doing more harm than good.

Such intentions have been damaging our continent for the past 40 years. If the industrial nations really want to help the Africans, they should finally terminate this awful aid. The countries that have collected the most development aid are also the ones that are in the worst shape. Despite the billions that have poured in to Africa, the continent remains poor.

To many people, money and power are an addiction… this is especially the case with many of the leaders of African countries who are receiving this aid. In the case of Africa, if money is the addiction, then the countries giving foreign aid are the enablers. What is an enabler? According to the language of alcohol addition, an “enabler” is the person who knows the alcoholic has a problem, and protects the alcoholic from the consequences of his addiction.

This baffling phenomenon is called enabling, which takes many forms, all of which have the same effect — allowing the alcoholic to avoid the consequences of his actions. This in turn allows the alcoholic to continue merrily along his drinking ways, secure in the knowledge that no matter how much he screws up, somebody will always be there to rescue him from his mistakes.

Imagine someone you truly love and care for is an alcoholic (I hope you only need to imagine). Now, let’s say that person comes doesn’t come home one night, and finally staggers home at 7am wreaking of whiskey. Would it really be helping the person to call their job and say that their sick? Would it really be helping to loan them money when they finally do lose their job?

Such actions may seem to help in the short term, because they’re protected from the pain and consequences, but it’s really not helping the root problem… their addiction to alcohol.

Now, let’s look back at these African countries receiving aid. They really do have serious problems. For example, they don’t produce enough food to feed all their people. So, we send them food, but does this help? In the short term, perhaps, but in the long term, it can actually damage the country. Again, I quote Shikwati:

When there’s a drought in a region of Kenya, our corrupt politicians reflexively cry out for more help. This call then reaches the United Nations World Food Program — which is a massive agency of apparatchiks who are in the absurd situation of, on the one hand, being dedicated to the fight against hunger while, on the other hand, being faced with unemployment were hunger actually eliminated. It’s only natural that they willingly accept the plea for more help. And it’s not uncommon that they demand a little more money than the respective African government originally requested. They then forward that request to their headquarters, and before long, several thousands tons of corn are shipped to Africa… and at some point, this corn ends up in the harbor of Mombasa. A portion of the corn often goes directly into the hands of unscrupulous politicians who then pass it on to their own tribe to boost their next election campaign. Another portion of the shipment ends up on the black market where the corn is dumped at extremely low prices. Local farmers may as well put down their hoes right away; no one can compete with the UN’s World Food Program. And because the farmers go under in the face of this pressure, Kenya would have no reserves to draw on if there actually were a famine next year. It’s a simple but fatal cycle. (Emphasis mine)

He summarizes his position well towards the end of the interview:

There must be a change in mentality. We have to stop perceiving ourselves as beggars. These days, Africans only perceive themselves as victims. On the other hand, no one can really picture an African as a businessman. In order to change the current situation, it would be helpful if the aid organizations were to pull out… Currently, Africa is like a child that immediately cries for its babysitter when something goes wrong. Africa should stand on its own two feet.

The aid that Western nations need to provide is training in business methodology. The Church needs to get into Africa and spread the Gospel… the whole Gospel, which says just as much about economics as it does about getting into heaven.