The Shackled Continent: Power, Corruption, And ... BETTER

To a large extent, the responsibility for the shackled continent lies squarely with its own leadership. While this assertion could not be made in the early days of independence, forty years of "sovereignty" should have allowed for some genuine progress. Yet Africa continues its painful journey toward maturity. Guest paints quite a bleak picture of the continent: AIDS ravages populations in countries where sex is still a taboo subject, tribal loyalties overwhelm democratic responsibilities, and entire governments succumb to nepotism and incompetence. Rampant corruption has created a continental class of elites who siphon foreign aid to pay for mansions while their populations starve. Unchecked war drains many countries of the sizeable intrinsic wealth they already possess with their vast deposits of precious metals and minerals. On balance, he says, Africa's natural resources have proven more a curse than a blessing. [End Page 242]

The Shackled Continent: Power, Corruption, and ...

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