Sunday, June 30, 2013

Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: France Has Economically Enslaved West African Countries

Dear Professor Mbodj:

Thank you for writing. Alright, let us remain on the CFA issue. The question is: Why should France continue to make monetary policy for independent and sovereign states in Africa? Even if the policies made turn out to be beneficial to the African peoples, that continued (involuntary) dependence of Africans on France dependence does not augur well for successful poverty alleviation efforts. Africans must take ownership of their problems and seek ways to resolve them.

It is unfortunate that many African countries, including Guinea under Touré, failed at independence and in the post-independence period, to sufficiently transform the critical domains and provide themselves with institutional arrangements that adequately constrain the state and, prevent civil servants and politicians from engaging in opportunism (e.g., corruption and rent seeking)--behaviors that are growth-inhibiting and that continue to contribute to poverty. Hence, even though Guinea was able to disengage itself from the French Community at independence, it, like many other new countries in the region, did not engage in the type of institutional reforms that would have deepened and institutionalized democracy and prevented the type of authoritarian and non-participatory governance  that came to characterize the first 50 years of independence.

Yes, it is true that the right to self-determination was legally exercised when these francophone countries were set up in 1958-1960. However, in practical terms, this was not the case. In my opinion,  one of the most important aspects of self-determination is for a country or community to determine its own laws and institutions--that is, the rules that would govern socio-political interaction, provide citizens with the wherewithal to organize their private lives (e.g., engage in entrepreneurial activities to create the wealth that they need to meet their needs), enhance peaceful coexistence, etc. The development of such institutional arrangements, for a new country must start with constitution making. For it to be effective and produce outcomes beneficial to the diverse populations that exist in the new country, constitution making must be bottom-up, participatory, inclusive, and people-driven. This process-driven constitution making was not undertaken in the francophone countries at independence or even afterwards--the model adopted, in some cases, almost verbatim, was the French Constitution of 1958. Hence, I do not believe that what happened in these countries during the 1958-1960 period was true self-determination.

Guinea, by rejecting de Gaulle's offer, had the right approach, but failed to follow through and hence, ended up with the same type of anachronistic and dysfunctional governance institutions that have pervaded its neighbors for years.

I am sorry, but I did not understand the reference to China.

It is true that the CFA Franc Zone has provided its participants with some level of financial stability, but the question is, at what cost? But the bigger issue is, why can't these countries and perhaps, many more, form a currency union without guarantees from the French Treasury or some other outside party?

Stay well.




On Sat, Jun 29, 2013 at 12:27 PM, kenneth harrow <harrow@msu.edu> wrote:
[please reenrol professor mbodj on the list]

Purchase, NY 10577
Phone: 914-323 7183
Email: mohamed.mbodj@mville.edu
_______________________________
From: Mohamed Mbodj
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 10:53 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: RE: CFA

Dear Professor Mbaku,

I am trying to send this, but previously I failed to get through, so bear with me, just in case I need Ken Harrow's link again.

I am not sure why you inject Apartheid here, even if you equate it to colonialism. And I agree with you about colonial policies objectives. On the other hand, I just want to remain on that CFA issue. I am aware of the kind of the studies you mentioned, and I have participated in a few since the late 1970s when I was still teaching at UCAD. My point is I still do not see how much France has robbed so much UMOA countries though the CFA system. Yes again, monetarist policies alone do not build economic performance! I am not the one making that point. The sovereignty issue you invoke if more of a spurious claim as it does not feed the populations, nor does it make a country like Guinea "bigger than they are really"!. In countries dominated by a Sekou Toure, where are the decisions made by the "citizens"? Ghana may be doing "better" than its CFA neighbors, but it was already the case in the 1950s! Is the right of self-determination linked to an independent currency? Then how id China doing? And for my own self-esteem, I rather use the CFA non figurative notes and coins than currency adorning the founding father's picture. By the way, "the right to self-determination" was exercised when these governments were set up in 1958-1960, unless you consider that only Guinea has exercised these rights "correctly".

Mohamed Mbodj, Ph.D.
Professor,
History Department and
African & African-American Studies
Manhattanville College
2900, Purchase Street
Purchase, NY 10577
Phone: 914-323 7183
Email: mohamed.mbodj@mville.edu



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: France Has Economically Enslaved West African Countries
Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 03:10:02 +0000
From: Mohamed Mbodj <Mohamed.Mbodj@mville.edu>
To: harrow@msu.edu <harrow@msu.edu>


Ken,

Just sent this, but I got send failure message back!

Mohamed Mbodj, Ph.D.
Professor,
History Department and
African & African-American Studies
Manhattanville College
2900, Purchase Street
Purchase, NY 10577
Phone: 914-323 7183
Email: mohamed.mbodj@mville.edu
_______________________________
From: Mohamed Mbodj
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 10:53 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fwd: RE: CFA

Dear Professor Mbaku,

I am trying to send this, but previously I failed to get through, so bear with me, just in case I need Ken Harrow's link again.

I am not sure why you inject Apartheid here, even if you equate it to colonialism. And I agree with you about colonial policies objectives. On the other hand, I just want to remain on that CFA issue. I am aware of the kind of the studies you mentioned, and I have participated in a few since the late 1970s when I was still teaching at UCAD. My point is I still do not see how much France has robbed so much UMOA countries though the CFA system. Yes again, monetarist policies alone do not build economic performance! I am not the one making that point. The sovereignty issue you invoke if more of a spurious claim as it does not feed the populations, nor does it make a country like Guinea "bigger than they are really"!. In countries dominated by a Sekou Toure, where are the decisions made by the "citizens"? Ghana may be doing "better" than its CFA neighbors, but it was already the case in the 1950s! Is the right of self-determination linked to an independent currency? Then how id China doing? And for my own self-esteem, I rather use the CFA non figurative notes and coins than currency adorning the founding father's picture. By the way, "the right to self-determination" was exercised when these governments were set up in 1958-1960, unless you consider that only Guinea has exercised these rights "correctly".

Mohamed Mbodj, Ph.D.
Professor,
History Department and
African & African-American Studies
Manhattanville College
2900, Purchase Street
Purchase, NY 10577
Phone: 914-323 7183
Email: mohamed.mbodj@mville.edu


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--   kenneth w. harrow   faculty excellence advocate  distinguished professor of english  michigan state university  department of english  619 red cedar road  room C-614 wells hall  east lansing, mi 48824  ph. 517 803 8839  harrow@msu.edu


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--
JOHN MUKUM MBAKU, ESQ.
J.D. (Law), Ph.D. (Economics)
Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Attorney & Counselor at Law (Licensed in Utah)
Presidential Distinguished Professor of Economics & Willard L. Eccles Professor of Economics and John S. Hinckley Fellow
Department of Economics
Weber State University
3807 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-3807, USA
(801) 626-7442 Phone
(801) 626-7423 Fax

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