|
|
3.0 out of 5 stars
Refreshing tone, disappointing analysis, March 29, 2000
Few Africans today would not regard the state of African societies and their economies as regrettable and a serious embarrassment. After decades of costly struggle to rid themselves of the indignity of colonial domination, people in many African countries find themselves caught up in civil wars, brutal military or civilian dictatorships, economic degradation, and hopelessness. Even where there are semblances of parliamentary democracy, the requisite rule of law, freedom of the judiciary, the press, and association by individuals are often missing.Kimenyi traces the African problem, or dilemma as he terms it, to the diversity of ethnic groups, many of which were forcibly and incongruously placed under common central governments by the Berlin Act of 1885. He concludes that the solution is to redraw the boundaries of African countries so that they become consistent with ethnic identities, because it is apparently impossible for different ethnic groups to live together.... Most of Kimenyi's analyses and suggestions appear superficial. For example, he urges the stipulation of constitutional civil liberties and a process of constitutional change as if no African constitution had ever contained such provisions. It would have been helpful to provide some textual examination of a few African constitutions to illustrate his claim. It might have emerged that the misperceived role of government as the creator of economic equality (rather than as the agent to create or maintain an enabling environment for individuals to pursue their own economic betterment) has been the primary cause of most civil strife and political tyranny in Africa and around the world. Thus Ghana, first in sub-Saharan Africa to attain political independence in 1957, has as its motto, "Freedom and Justice." Tragically, the independence arch that bears that inscription has been aptly referred to as the spot where freedom and justice were buried by the dictatorship of Kwame Nkrumah in the name of socialism.... For their endorsement of the redistributive state, academic leftists may be legitimately accused of complicity in creating the African dilemma, and no one should expect that they can now point the way to its resolution. Therefore, Kimenyi's efforts from the perspective of classical liberalism are a welcome addition to the literature. Unhappily, his analysis will disappoint many who share his philosophical perspective. It lacks depth and seriousness. Careful students of African society--its anthropology, economy, history, and politics--will find much to dislike in the book.
|
