Sorry for the delay; just kicked both my newly college graduated daughters who I love, and a house cat I despise out of the nest. Am sick now, and slightly in my cups, so this might be blunt.
So in order:
Africa is huge, and its problems are huge. The entire world's GDP could be dumped into it to "fix" it, and it would still be crap. Having said that, parts of it are "not bad", but I don't think that is necessarily static or something to be counted upon. Nice places can be extremely bad places in quick order. When John Garang was organizing his civil war from my local university, we really thought South Sudan was going to be a great place. I met both Riek Machar and Salva Kiir as well, at the local synagogue (I'm not Jewish, it's just that the South Sudanese secession was coordinated from the Des Moines, Iowa synagogue) and they all seemed great friends and buddies.
Africa's biggest problem is that it's f*cking Africa. I think claiming that its problems are rooted in Imperialism and Capitalism is a cop out. Through sheer accident of geography, Africa is screwed. I would suggest reading "Guns, Germs and Steel" for a greater understanding of why that is.
Having said that, Western non-interference has opened this place up for the Chinese, who operate without the impediment of Western ethics. Or any ethics whatsoever.
On tribalism: Yob tribalism. Tribalism is the lack of civilization. Academic anthropologists who have sold the idea that tribalism is just another, co-equal form of society need to be set on fire, and then buried alive in a common grave. People from tribal societies who are NOT the one or two who benefit from it would do nearly anything to escape it, by and large. Those few who benefit from tribal societies will do almost anything to perpetuate it and THOSE shitheads are where the problems truly lie. So basically, if you want to survive in a primitive society and pass on social mores and coding, tribalism is great. If you want flush toilets, clean sheets and a decent life expectancy, tribalism is not so great.
On do-gooders: The US routinely devastates rural economies by dumping cheap or free grain on them, in order to artificially create demand. I live in an ag area in the US and HATE the stupid mantra about Midwestern American farmers "feeding the world".
90% of the college educated development workers are just a waste of time. They simply don't have experience, especially the kind of experience that is useful in pre-industrial societies. Having said that, very few tribal societies really have 1000 years of experience guiding them. Because of the amount of displacement, most "natives" have spent nearly a generation or more in a camp somewhere, and know jack squat about agriculture. I have literally seen "farmers" dump a bag of seed on the ground in one spot and walk away, thinking they've planted the 2 acre field. What is needed is someone with a good grasp of historical agriculture, in order to determine what is appropriate and sustainable. And necessary. And sometimes the best farmers are the ones you can help the most.
I was suckered to Liberia by wine, a hot tub and an unbelievably small bikini. The boss really knows how to play me and tends to get what she wants. I would probably return, but I don't really think I could make a difference for Africa.
(gratuitous pic to keep those of you who cannot read entertained. NOT the actual bikini worn to lure me to Liberia.)
Anyway, I like (even love) the Africans I met. They are hard not to like and care for. I was raised by conservative Germans in the US and we are open and naive like they are. Most Westerners don't realize how huge of a jump it is for the typical African to make into the same frame of reference.
Anyway, vodka calls. Next stop, Germany and Eastern Europe.
