'A great post at China in Africa: The Real Story' or 'Aww snap, Gerson gets served'

Deb Brautigam's blog, China in Africa: The Real Story (Digging into the myths and realities of Chinese aid, investment and economic engagement) is consistently excellent.  There's never been a time that I've visited it and been disappointed.  Today was no different (note: she posted this at the end March) when I read her response to Michael Gerson's WAPO op-ed:  China’s African investments: Who benefits.  She makes the point that it is fine and well to criticize China's role in Africa, but that perhaps we should examine our own role on the continent from time to time.  She uses the example of the US relationship with the dictator/thug/murderer Obiang from Equatorial Guinea. 

     She links to a couple of other good articles and documents:

The IMF's January 2011 report: New Growth Drivers for Low-Income Countries - The Role of the BRICs

SUMMARY:  The emergence of BRICs—Brazil, Russia, India, and China—is reshaping low-income countries’ (LICs) international economic relations. While industrial countries remain LICs’ dominant development partners, LIC-BRIC ties have increased so rapidly over the past decade that BRICs have become new growth drivers for LICs. Trade with BRICs is already close to half of the value of combined trade with the European Union and the United States, and larger than with other emerging market economies. BRIC FDI and development financing are making a significant impact in some key areas despite their relatively small volumes compared with those from advanced countries. Beyond the increased flows of goods and capital, BRICs have brought new dynamics in LICs’ economic relations with the rest of the world, complementing as well as competing with OECD partners. Nevertheless, while potential benefits from the LIC-BRIC ties are enormous, there are challenges and risks in realizing such benefits.

Who's Africa's Worst Dictator? Why don't we hear more about Equatorial Guinea? by Peter Maas

This Slate article is a great read (albeit from 2008).


Please don't take the picture below as a slam on our current admininstration (it's part of Brautigam's blog post)...there are plenty of similiar regrettable photos of President Reagan with brutal African dictators...