Neither Devil nor Child: How the West's Attitude to Africa Is Damaging the Continent

If you boil a kettle twice today, you will have used five times more electricity than a person in Mali uses in a whole year. How can that be possible? Decades after the colonial powers withdrew Africa is still struggling to catch up with the rest of the world. When the same colonists withdrew from Asia there followed several decades of sustained and unprecedented growth throughout the continent. So what went wrong in Africa? And are we helping to fix it, or simply making matters worse? In this provocative analysis, Tom Young argues that so much has been misplaced: our guilt, our policies, and our aid. Human rights have become a cover for imposing our values on others, our shiniest infrastructure projects have fuelled corruption and our interference in domestic politics has further entrenched conflict. Only by radically changing how we think about Africa can we escape this vicious cycle. If You Boil A Kettle Twice Today, You Will Have Used Five Times More Electricity Than A Person In Mali Uses In A Whole Year. How Can That Be Possible? Decades After The Colonial Powers Withdrew Africa Is Still Struggling To Catch Up With The Rest Of The World. When The Same Colonists Withdrew From Asia There Followed Several Decades Of Sustained And Unprecedented Growth Throughout The Continent. So What Went Wrong In Africa? And Are We Helping To Fix It, Or Simply Making Matters Worse?--book Jacket. Preface -- 1. Guilt -- 2. $22,000 For Eighteen Cups Of Tea -- 3. Turning A Blind Eye -- 4. The Punitive Turn -- 5. Imposing Rules -- 6. Changing Conduct -- 7. A Failed Project -- 8. Changing Direction. Tom Young. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 203-214) And Index.

Tom Young is a world renowned expert of Africa. This brilliantly written and researched book the first exploration into why Africa can not catch with the economic growth of the rest of the world