Editorial
America’s Lost Opportunities in Africa
The Chinese have seized on various opportunities on the continent and even managed to make more and more African leaders less democratic. Like happened during the Cold War era, some African leaders are playing the East vs. the West. Because China provides aid and monies without strings attached, many African countries are getting their infrastructure built and patched up, and giving sizeable concessions to Chinese firms.
On the other side, the U.S. is sitting on the sidelines. With more than US$1.8 trillion sitting in U.S. banks, with a stock market that is booming, and with problems in the European market, one would have thought that the American government would nudge people along to Africa. But, no: This’ not the case. Many American agencies seem to have caught the err on the side of caution fever, and with good cause. No one – not the Minority Business Development Agency or the Small Business Administration wants to be dragged before the Republican House of Congress for a political shaming.
Besides, if any one understands the No Drama Obama meme, no agency in a very polarized Washington, D.C. wants to be the one to distract the Obama administration with a failure-in-Africa scandal. This would take away from the big things like immigration reform and gun control legislation currently burning the midnight oil in the corridors of power.
In the meantime, Africa provides China with huge opportunities like the Sinohydro Corp, which built most of China’s Three Gorges Dam. The firm has now capitalized on Africa’s vast hydropower resources by developing projects in 21 countries. And where is the U.S., that bastion of aggressive capitalism? Well … The U.S. is still tinkering with the Africa Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) – a program that probably served its purpose up until 2009.
In 2013, AGOA even faces a threat from the European Union’s economic partnership agreements (EPAs). If these things are to be implemented by individual African countries, not only would AGOA be threatened – America would be moved further and further down the totem pole – and in Africa, many may even forget that Coca Cola and Michael Jackson were once part of their daily bread.
Editorial Board,
The Habari Network
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