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Development Aid

“Izandla ziyagezana” - “Hands Wash Each Other”

Researching for this narrative has left me with nothing but overwhelming respect for the many, many
academics and professionals whose works constantly reflect an immense long-term commitment to
these subjects, and whose studies show an extraordinary range of professional skills and
professionalism. The following indices are based on what sources of data are available at this time. My
qualifiers are more about what use we can reliably make of them and not on the people who compiled
them. I would prefer to encourage these people to go further.)

***** ***** *****
Realities of Democracy

m̩
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There are many in Africa who would question the claims for the 'zuŋ u style of
democracy.
The USA, in particular, has often cast itself as the standard bearer for democracy.

Less and less non-Americans living at this time believe this imagery. During the 60 years of
Africa's independence, the USA has actively used covert and overt forces to undermine and

crush democratically elected governments that had platforms that threatened an

alternative philosophy and style of government to that of the USA
(Think of 1972 and Chile, the death of Salvador Allende. And others)

The USA has waged more wars across the whole globe than any other nation as it
sort to impose its own view on the world.

Anyone who like this author was educated in a school whose roots go back to Henry
VIII and so whose education was focused around studies of the Roman Empire and Ancient

Greece can see strong parallels between the external policies of post WWII USA and those

of the Roman Empire.
The foundation of the 'foreign policy' of the Roman Empire was to protect the

'homeland' (namely the city of Rome and its neighbouring provinces), treat the Italian
peninsula as its 'domestic market' and to wage wars on the borders far from the

'homeland'. The purposes of these 'border wars' was to weaken any potential threat of

attack on Rome's 'homeland'. 'Border wars' were used to so exhaust the resources of
potential invaders so as to nullify any potential threat to Rome itself. But 'border wars' were

also a way of either opening up new markets for Roman traders or to generate contracts for

'reconstruction. (Shades of Vietnam, Iraq and elsewhere?)
Allowed its own democratic processes to be seen by many non-Americans as being

dominated by powerful bodies whose resources ensure they can distort elections in pursuit

of enjoying post-election 'spoils'
(This too will seem familiar to those are familiar with the fall of the Roman Empire)