THE NATIONAL INTEREST
12 November 2018
by LYLE K GOLDSTEIN
If China’s perception of Africa could be a bit too rosy, the American viewpoint is likely too dark and cynical, unfortunately. One may ask how a catalog of “micro-aggressions” on the other side of the planet ends up being a front-page story in the New York Times recently. Racism exists anytime cultures are coming into close and extensive contact, especially when this a relatively new phenomenon. Westerners should know that better than most. This story is probably the highly regrettable impact of our “leading journalists” being addicted to Twitter. But let’s focus here on matters of real importance, such as people starving or getting killed in wars. The Niger fiasco mentioned in the introduction to this essay is sadly hardly the worst case of American malpractice in African diplomacy. A recent report suggests that the death toll from the civil war in South Sudan has now reached 380,000, a proportionally higher segment of the population than in Syria. This report explains: “South Sudan is a rare test case of the United States midwifing a country into existence, trying to help create a new democracy from scratch.” Then, there is the $14 billion in aid that the United States gave to that specific region since 2005, according to that same report. It is admitted that this major U.S. investment yielded, in the end, “a failed state.” Unfortunately, South Sudan appears to be yet another example of chaos and catastrophe wrought from the “ hell of good intentions .”
Washington’s Schadenfreude for Beijing grows ever more acute and is on full display in Africa. In addition, this unflattering approach seems to infect the American attitude to the “Belt and Road” Initiative more generally. Such an insecure and paranoid outlook is hardly befitting of a true, capable superpower. America has indeed chalked up very significant achievements in Africa, whether the Bush-era outstanding initiative to fight the AIDS epidemic or Obama’s excellent response to the Ebola Crisis not long ago. Instead of “seeking out monsters to destroy” in Africa or bemoaning every Chinese initiative there, America should thoroughly demilitarize its approach and double down on fostering markets, education, environmental sustainability and good health. On many such worthwhile projects, Washington would do well to partner with Beijing.
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-respond-china-africa-35707?page=0%2C1
