The World Alone, Just As It Is, Would Not Do It

Even before she would deliver her famous 'The Lady is not for Turning' speech, Margaret Thatcher had said a few important things that had gone into the record books. 'In politics, if you want something said, ask a man; but when you want something done, ask a woman.' Another time, she had quoted figures in response to a question during Question Time in Parliament, and when her advisors from the Treasury prompted her that the figures were wrong, she rebuffed: We are going with my figures. She won the day.

That was years ago. Last week, we had another brilliant woman in America deliver an important statement that got pundits thinking. Michelle Obama told Democrats at the Denver conference: The world alone, just as it is, would not do it. Then, her husband, after his coronation, told the world how America would do it under his presidency. And he made bold propositions: Troops would be pulled out from Iraq, but rightfully; taxes will be cut to make life comfortable for the poor. He did his job. He did it very well.

If the world alone will not do it, then it means something extraordinary needs to be done, if we want to overcome the problems facing us. It also means that certain routines ought to be altered. In our part of the world, we appear stuck to the old Hippo ways of doing things, and that has meant that things have pretty much been the same for so long. So what needs to change? Well, the whole lot: from government policies to dirty gutters. Then, there is the problematic area of policy implementation. A pernicious lack of foresight and poor planning has created a 'moribund' culture where we appear to be doing so much in return for so little. Or, perhaps we are not doing much, because nothing much has been achieved for so long. We don't care very much about changing the old systems and processes that led to our reliance on western powers for our very sustenance. So, even as independent countries with our own elected executives, we are incredibly tied to the apron strings of Britton Woods. Aid and grant are necessary components of our budgets. Grants have been taken granted, and aid doesn't seem to have aided us.

Maybe we have been overly descriptive of the solutions to our woes, but we haven't prescribed anything concrete. The other day, somebody suggested that we make successful African-American politicians heads of state of failing African countries. That is looking at the problem through the wrong lenses. The solution would come from within. We could start from cutting down government expenditure. At any point, there appears to be too much waste that could be cut. That has been the case because we have never had a system in place; what we have is an executive structure that changes every eight years when a new government is elected. Same old ideas are recycled and presented anew. In the end, we make do with what we have, just hoping that a solution will come through from somewhere. We keep talking until we are convinced nobody is listening.

Let's ask: Can we ever be a rich country, looking at our preparation? If triumphant capitalism, American class, is not possible to flourish in our world, then a very liberal welfare strategy is all we need. As Warren Buffet once suggested to Obama, we can raise taxes for the rich and even it on the poor. What about charity? Proceeds from charitable activities will go into a 'venture fund,' to create capital for those who show initiative.

Quesi Ntsiful-Benjamin
Ottawa, Canada
Email: ntsiful_benjamin@yahoo..co.uk

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