"DAMBISA MOYO:  IT'S NOT SO CLEAR ANY MORE THAT THE BROADER INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY VALUES THE INSTITUTIONS THAT THE UNITED STATES CAN OFFER IN THE WAY THAT THEY DID PERHAPS A FEW DECADES AGO.  IT'S NOT OBVIOUS THAT INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE WORLD BANK AND THE I.M.F. HAVE THE GRAVITAS THAT THEY HAD, AND IT'S NOT OBVIOUS TO ME THAT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE STILL ASPIRING TO BE MORE LIKE AMERICA IN THE WAY THAT THEY DID WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN ZAMBIA.

I THINK THE WEST MISSED A TRICK, BECAUSE IT ADOPTED - CERTAINLY IN AFRICA AND MANY OF THE POOR EMERGING ECONOMIES - AN ATTITUDE OF "DO WHAT WE SAY AND NOT WHAT WE DO."  THE WHOLE IDEA OF INCENTIVES, WHICH HAS BEEN THE BACKBONE OF SUCCESS IN WESTERN ECONOMIES, IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE WEST TRANSPLANTED INTO PLACES LIKE AFRICA.  THE APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON AID; IT'S BEEN FOCUSED ON WHAT SOMEONE CALLED "LERNED HELPLESSNESS."

THAT'S LEFT QUITE A BITTER TASTE.  ECONOMICALLY, MANY COUNTRIES - NOT JUST IN AFRICA, BUT BRAZIL, CHILE - NOW TURN TO CHINA.  CHINA GIVES THEM A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO SELL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS THAT HAVE BEEN LOCKED UP OUT OF THE WEST THROUGH SUBSIDY PROGRAMS.  IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AFRICA TO TRADE, WHICH IS A KEY PIECE OF THE PUZZLE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.  A CONTINENT OF ONE BILLION HAS BEEN LESS THAN 2 PERCENT OF GLOBAL TRADE.

THE WESTERN PRESS WILL SAY, "OH MY GOD, CHINA'S RAIDING AFRICA, IT'S COLONIZATION.  AFRICANS ARE BEING ABUSED."  BUT IT'S MUCH MORE NUANCED THAN THAT.  PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE THAT AMERICA IS INTERESTED IN AFRICA'S WELFARE BEYOND PERHAPS A FEW CHARITY CONCERTS AND SENDING A FEW BITS OF AID MONEY.  PEOPLE DON'T REALLY BELIEVE THAT AMERICA IS INTERESTED IN JOB CREATION IN AFRICA AND CREATING LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH."

- EXCERPT FROM 'THE SEESAW OF POWER' FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES 23/06/11, AN INTERVIEW BY SERGE SCHMEMANN OFTHE ACADEMICS JOSEPH S. NYE JR., DAMBISA MOYO AND KISHORE MAHBUBANI.

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AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE - NOT VERY LONG AT ALL BUT YOU ARE TAKEN ON SUCH A VIVID JOURNEY QUESTIONING THE FUTURE OF WORLD POWER THROUGH THE MEDITATIONS BETWEEN NYE, MOYO AND MAHBUBANI.  AT THIS POINT IT IS MORE OR LESS FACT THAT THE SHIFT OF HARD POWER EASTWARDS IS UNSTOPPABLE, DESPITE THE SLOW RECOVERY OF WESTERN ECONOMIES AND THE DIFFUSION OF SOFT POWER (INFORMATION) INTERNATIONALLY.  


THE DISTINCT SHIFTS IN CONSUMER CULTURE HERE IN EUROPE HAVE BEEN GARNERING A LOT OF INTEREST - IN PARTICULAR FOR ME THE SUCCESS OF THE BURBERRY BRAND SINCE THE COMPANY'S STREAMLINING OF ITS OPERATIONS POST-RECESSION, AND OF COURSE CAPITALISING ON ITS 'BRITISHNESS' (DESPITE HAVING OUTSOURCED ITS PRODUCTION TO CHINA WHICH ALSO HAPPENS TO BE THE FOCUS OF THE BRAND'S CURRENT SALES PUSH AND THE SOURCE OF ITS LARGEST PROFITS).  THIS INCREDIBLY FERTILE MARKET ALSO MEANT THE LONG-AWAITED PRADA IPO ON THE HONG KONG STOCK EXCHANGE WAS, AS EXPECTED,  A SUCCESS - BOLSTERING INVESTOR CONFIDENCE IN THE GLOBAL LUXURY GOODS SECTOR AS CERTAIN EUROPEAN ECONOMIES STRUGGLE AND AMERICAN NATIONAL DEBT LOOMS (SOURCE: SAVIGNY PARTNERS / REUTERS).


 THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS IS INDEED GOING TO BE VERY EXCITING.