35 Comments
Oct 26Liked by Magatte Wade

Thank you so much. This is all new to me.

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Great text, lots of valuable informations!

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Oct 25·edited Oct 26Liked by Magatte Wade

My time in South Africa was limited to a couple of years, Swaziland and Mozambique much less, but my marriage into Afrikaans culture continued beyond that, as did the scars of shame. I wrote a novel to try to turn them out into the sun: https://theglasshouse.substack.com/p/1

I cannot hold in my mind a vision of African poverty that is not reconciled with stolen African wealth; the Afrikaans - and English - life that I experienced there was carved from it. The story I wrote hinges on a twenty Rand note. Its value was determined wholly by its bearer.

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Oct 23Liked by Magatte Wade

I got to add that I am a big supporter of your work to create conditions conducive to business in Africa. There is no need to go backwards, your focus is right on.

If this line of reasoning works for you then I don’t want to mess with that.

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Very insightful. Thank you!1

I'll respectfully add that the root causes for the burdensome regulations can be remedied if it was understood that :

1. Capitalism is economically superior to Socialism

2. Capitalism is MORALLY superior to Socialism

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This is so powerful! Thank you for shedding light on these issues!

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"... we have some of the most challenging business environments in the world" and whom is creating such Reality?!

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"... business in an honest and transparent manner." if you desire that you'll keep on being poor, because it goes against the nature of the MAIN SYSTEM. Sooner or latter you'll be sucked into oblivion.

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Corruption is a KEY FEATURE of the MAIN SYSTEM - the MONETARY SYSTEM. Without this feature the Secular Ruling Families - current owners of the MAIN SYSTEM - wouldn't be able to rule for centuries as They have been ruling.

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"Over the years, I’ve heard a number of answers. Some—like the ideas that Africans have low IQs or that we’re lazy—stem from racial prejudice." Indeed... When in Europe and North America (at least) Africans work hard as hell.

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I am coming to see the wisdom of this message though. It keeps African countries from espousing something similar to the antisemitism claim. Where every conversation begins and ends with “see how we are hated”. Even if the two scenarios are completely different, and they couldn’t be more different. Still, it is a weak position that basically relies on pity. And Africa is strong and doesn’t want to operate that way.

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You make an excellent argument for a way forward. Law has always been a tool of corruption as rulers use the power of law to control the subjects and solicit bribes to change the law or provide special treatment. Under what scenario is that system likely to be overthrown? Why would rulers support their own demise? I wish Africa well.

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You make an excellent argument for a way forward. Law has always been a tool of corruption as rulers use the power of law to control the subjects and solicit bribes to change the law or provide special treatment. Under what scenario is that system likely to be overthrown? Why would rulers support their own demise? I wish Africa well.

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Thank you Magatte, this was so insigtful. I watched your conversation with Dr. Jordan Peterson on this matter.

I want to know if there has been progress with this in the northern African contries?

I am fortunate enough to life in South Africa where we have it quite easy to start a business. But I know of many other Africans that come here just to try and start a business and send money back home.

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I don’t really agree that bad business laws are the root cause of poverty in Africa. In my view it is certainly the three things you mentioned (probably in reverse order): theft, colonization and corruption at the root. Yet business laws are something Africa can change to quickly relieve its poverty.

Also, I do not equate blame with identification of cause. It is possible to correctly identify cause without blaming. That’s important because blaming (self or others) disconnects one’s power and it seems to be addictive. I am very careful to stay away from blame and at the same time I wish to see things clearly as they are. It means digesting my anger.

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Hello, Magatte,

Excellent reflections, thank you for sharing your thoughts.

I invite you to also look at the role of liberal democracy in this process of building better rules for business.

I understand that there is no room for a review of business laws if the macro environment is not involved and moving towards liberal democracy.

I'd like to know your opinion on this too.

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