That was the title of today's provocative policy seminar at the libertarian Cato Institute where the moderator marveled that panelists could say things that you'll only hear at CATO, such as Edward Luttwak's insistence that we just let African states disappear.

The panelists were actually refreshing in that they took a critical look at the impact of aid in all its forms (humanitarian, economic development, military, non-governmental, etc) from the West to sub-Saharan African states.

Luttwak stressed the power of familialism in Africa --the moral duty to support one's family --and how the state has not been able to subordinate that value to good governance.  It took centuries for this to happen in Europe yet when the colonists vacated Africa they left behind the state structure but not the “moral superstructure to make the state function.”

Ayittey argued along similar lines. As he has done in several of his books, he called for “a completely new way of thinking about Africa.” He sites statistics that the West has given Africa over $450 billion in aid since independence.  That number is supposed to shock you, but Ayittey fails to recognize how it’s really just a drop in the bucket, roughly equivalent to the Pentagon’s budget for a single year.  The third panelist, Mauro De Lorenzo, rightly objects to this assessment of aid noting that you need to look at the purpose for which the money was given. During the Cold War, the U.S. and its allies lavished funds on African dictators buying their support with the tacit acknowledgement that these funds would end up purchasing a BMW or slumber in a Swiss bank account.  Today, health care projects are some of the most popular programs to support in Africa because they have tangible results (saving lives) and work better than most development programs.  Yet, they don’t translate to economic growth and so measuring success in that sense is also a false proposition. 

While Luttwak irreverently retorts “aid that is wasted has done less harm,” Ayittey is right to call for Smart Aid –aid that empowers the African people. Luttwak and Ayittey’s ideology for a radical solution to the parasitical African state blind them from the many nuances of such a policy.  On the issue of aid alone, sweeping judgments are incredibly short-sighted as they ignore the immense complexity of the African continent, the players involved, the purpose of the aid programs, and many other variables. 

The genocide in Darfur came up in the question and answer section and what shocked me was the lack of compassion for what’s going on there.  Yes, maybe a radical solution would improve the livelihoods of many Africans in the long run, but are we willing to pay the short term price of the lives lost? Morally, I can’t support such a policy.