By William Easterly
The international aid system has a dirty secret. Despite much rhetoric to the contrary, the nations and organizations that donate and distribute aid do not care much about democracy and they still actively support dictators. The conventional narrative is that donors supported dictators only during the cold war and ever since have promoted democracy. This is wrong. … As for US foreign aid, despite all the brave pronouncements… more than half the aid budget still went to dictators during the most recent five years for which figures are available (2004–2008). … And there are still modern-day counterparts to Mobutu and Bokassa. Paul Biya, the dictator of Cameroon, is marking his twenty-eighth year in power in 2010 by receiving the latest in a never-ending series of loans from the International Monetary Fund with imaginative labels like “Poverty Reduction Growth Facilities.” Biya, whose government also enjoys ample oil revenues, has received a total of $35 billion in foreign aid during his reign. There’s been neither poverty reduction nor growth in his country: the average Cameroonian is poorer today than when Biya took power in 1982. In February 2008, Biya’s security forces killed one hundred people during a demonstration against food price increases and also against a constitutional amendment that will extend his rule to 2018. Many of the victims were “apparently shot in the head at point-blank range.” The IMF justification for the newest loan in June 2009 noted laconically that these “social tensions” have not recurred and “the political situation is stable.” Helen Epstein recently described in these pages the support that aid donors give to Ethiopia’s tyrant Meles Zenawi, who has roughly matched Biya in aid receipts in a shorter period of time… [continue reading here]
9 thoughts on “Dirty secret of USAID and other int’l aid agencies”
Selam all,
You know that maxim which is the subject title for this email, ” All that is necessary for evil to win is for good men and women to do nothing.” Dictators and evils are winning for the time being in our homeland. Only because good men and women like you are doing nothing. That is exactly what it means. I am not talking about other people. I am talking about you. Yes, you.
What are you doing? Many have died and still dying. Paying their dues with blood and tears. With flesh and bones. What are you paying? Nothing? Or once upon a time you gave $20 for Kinijit. And you think you paid. And then complained. Still whining. And still complaining that the scoundrels took your money and run. You are not coming back. You are not trusting anyone anymore. You blame Goshu Wolde. You totally shifted the blame on Kinijit leaders. You passed it on to Hailu Showel, Berhanu Nega, Engineer Gizachew, etc. It is not my fault you claim. I don’t give a hoot for Ethiopia and its plight you declared. But then you lie a little and said that you love your country but not the leaders. Even though, you still are not doing anything for Ethiopia. You do everything for yourself 24/7. All you think is about yourself. Of course nobody and nothing is more important than you. Even God comes after you. I know you don’t say that. But you do it anyway.
Is it possible that someone is speaking into your mind? Nobody knows who. Probably the devil. Or wait. May be Zenawi himself. Zenawi is the devil incarnate, you know. May be Zenawi is saying to you quietly you are no match for him. Whispering to you. ” You are a coward. I know you can’t do anything except making speeches and making noise. I have defeated you. There is nothing you can do about me. Give it up sissy.” Are you sure you are not listening to him? May be you agreed with him. Even though you act like you don’t.
Ya, you demonize and crucify Zenawi in public. But quietly, you are afraid of him. When activists ask you to come to a meeting, you say, ” No I can’t come. My car broke down. ” Or better yet, you say, ” I got a baby shower to attend. Sorry.” And if you are a little sneaky, you will say you will come. And then never to be heard again as if you were dead. May be you are as good as dead. Am I wasting my time? When the activists ask you for $10 dollars, you tell them to take a hike. Actually, you are not brave enough to tell that in their face. Instead you tell them you have tried to send money via the Internet but you could not. Sure you lied. One of those numerous white lies you live by.
But then all of a sudden, some one saw you in a restaurant flashing a $100 bill to pay for that Kitfo you swallowed without chewing. And for the beer you drunk to wash it all down. Sending all of it including the $100 bill down into the darkness. Into that belly that is growing and expanding by leaps and bounds. Only to come out the other end .Ouch! Going into waste. A one hundred bill miraculously changing into a waste that you want to run away from. That $100 would have bought your freedom that lasts for your kids and for generation to come, you know. Sadly, all went into waste. In a matter of three or four hours.
You forgot your duty. You forgot your first love. The duty to save your motherland. The duty Sibre Desalegn died for. The duty the November 7 martyrs were slaughtered for. Your duty to go after Zenawi’s ass. And bring him to justice. You are not doing anything. You use every excuse in the book not to do anything. You are busy shifting the blame on to others. Busy blessing yourself and demonizing everybody. Including the activists who are working hard to do something.
You have become the judge without qualifications. You judge the movement and all those who are working hard for it. But you do nothing. Not even lifting a finger. You have no shame. And you point your fingers at those people who are trying to do something for our country. You call them politicians. You label them as “politicians” in order to attack them. I know this makes you feel better. It washes away your shame and guilt. Little that you know, the activists you are acusing as politicians, have sacrificed everything they own and cherish. While you are still complaining about that lousy $20 you gave to kinijit, the people you label as “politicians” sold the houses and the businesses they own and gave all the money to the movement. Their loved ones were killed or are in prison. They turned away from the opportunity to make millions. Only because they chose their country. Ask Tamagn Beyene. Ask Shambel Belayneh. Ask Dr. Berhanu Nega. Ask Ato Andargachew Tsige. Ask Burtukan Mideksa. Ask Obang Metto etc. This is not all. You spread negativity and discouraging news. Becoming a messenger of evil. A messenger of Zenawi without even knowing it. Using bad news to hide your cowardice and to do nothing. Demoralizing and crushing the movement on your way.
What is your answer? Can you return to the movement? Will you stop bailing out by blaming others? Will you come to the rescue of Ethiopia? Are you sure Ethiopia is still there? Are you sure you have a country to go back after 10 or 15 years? Are you? On this martyrs’ day, November 7, will you promise, in the name of those martyrs who spilled their blood, to answer to the call just like Professor Al Mariam did?
” I believe all that is necessary to win over evil is for all good men, women and young people like you and me to do something. “
I knew even before reading John Perkins books how the WEST is systematically bolstering “friendly tyrants” like Meles Zenawi. The WEST talk of peace and democracy but in reality they love the opposite i.e. war and tyrany. It is very unfortunate but is a reality. Millions are suffering so that some loot and overfeed.
Why do you think the Government of Eritrea kiked out the human leaches like the USAID out of Eritrea? You’ve got it. Those so called NGOs have nothing to do with doing some “humaniterian” work or supporting “Democratic” principles. They are out there to make money for themselves by collecting funds in the name of the por and and many of them are bonofide spies for the west – most notably – the USA!
If aid agencies are politics neutral, then why don’t they support Mugabe to help the people of Zimbabwe or even Bashir of Sudan or Afeworki of Eritrea in any meaningful way. As far as we know there is embargo and blockade on these countries. Aid agencies are front-end shops to keep dictators stay on power so their sponsors will be able to exploit the natural resources of a poor country. They also are the main causes of people displacement forcing many to become refugees from which cheap skilled labor is mined to be employed in the developed world. In a nutshell, they are instruments of oppression. If you do not believe this, just try to find a native country director for these agencies. Never happens. By the way the diplomatic core for the developed world is usually recruited from expat aid executives thereby keeping it all in the family.
Dear Anonymous,
What a dirge! What an invocation! But too naive, I guess. Those you expect to receive such a call, those you expect to poke with the message have gone into an internal slumber long time ago. Or have turned into HODAMS who never care about all the rest except their bellies. We live in an age where Ethiopians are ashamed of being Ethiopians. Look at the number of peole fleeing the country. Look at the typical Ethipian parent in modern time who brags over having children overseas completely ignorant of what kind of life they lead there. Look at the Ethiopians who sell all properties and buy his/her way to slavery in the west. What is this “love” for the country? Who is this “lover” of own’s country? Where is this “love” for ones country?
“The first love” mentioned by you Mr. Anonymous has gone not to return. Or the first love has been changed into one’s love of self where what all matters is the filling of the belly. Who has not cheated on the poor? Ya?! In the name of the poor, be it Woyane, Kinijit, OLF, Ginbot 7, how much was amassed by numerous individuals and stashed in personal accounts?! History will tell.
So, it is all lies. It is all political rhetoric. Good attempt, anonymous. But there is no Ethiopia you are talking about. Gone with the wind, never to return. The day has changed, and so did the people.
Read the book by Swedish Journalist with name Benget Nelsson about how neutral and an human so callad Sweden abused Ethiopia by her agent SIDA from 60s upto now.They need like Meles and his little with short life gang in power and sucked whole people and land nuture.
They are there for (to) abuse the children sexually not for any aid.Ethiopia have enough for her children ´food to feed.
And that is news? Just watch John Pilger’s film titled ‘war on democracy’, you will hear it from the horse’s mouth that the US has never been and never will be interested in democracy. Just interests! A dictator is ok as long as he is a friendly dictator. i.e. One who does as told. And there are many around. Legesse Zenawi along with the most powerful woman in Africa, Azeb Gola, is one darling of the West who can’t do anything wrong. Killed innocent demonstrators – the West says it is a process of democracy. Riggs 99.6% of the votes – West says not perfect but getting there. Commits war crime against the Oromo and Ogaden people, the West sees or hears no evil. By now all the oppressed people of the world whose wealth is exploited in the name of free market and installed puppet regimes should realise that we all live under the US empire directly or by proxy. The rise of China, and collapse of the Anglo Saxon economic model can not come soon enough. We are witnessing green shoots, so fingers crossed!
if u read the book “LORDS OF POVERTY” BY GRHAM HANCOK u will find out how they make Ethiopia look bad on 1985 femine it was all politics and profit no one was there to save life.
Forstand foremost….. Big respect for #1 anonymous for his brilliantly put analysis. I’d go even further …… I’d ignore those ones with baggages in diaspora or in Ethiopia who are serving, directly or indirectly, the the western stooge, Meles, ….. I’d rather focus my attention on the 90% plus Ethiopians who are dispossesed, humiliated by weyane as well as their plights Ignored by those with baggages as they are busy lining up their pocket.
If the struggle can manage to organize atleast 15% of these people, nobody would need the help of those McDonalds feed ones with baggages ….. nor would anybody have to listen or put up
with their whinging and silliness. Organize the poor and the struggle will truimph, no doubt, and once weyane is scrapped ….. The poor should be empowered to decide to choose one of them to represent their village or hamlet so that they can decide to implement what sort of service they need for their children. No Tom, Dick or Harry from London or DC will be allowed to come with his wad of wallet to rule over his affair. Everyone earn according to his labour in freedom and nobody live of the labour of the other like the weyane has been doing.
God bless your just struggle for justice.