AFRICA: A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY
#8: THE LEGACY
Basil Davidson, narrator
(VC0897, vol.  4/b;  approx. 60 mins)

• Problems arising from rapid growth & change:
• the urban-rural split in the society
• the urban problems arising from urbanization (shanty-towns/slums/favelas, which are widespread in the Third World; high crime rates; high unemployment; traffic jams; lack of electricity altogether or of sufficient generating power)
• The quite separate problems of neo-colonialism and "declining terms of trade". Questions: What are the terms of trade mentioned in the video? Why do "primary producers" have a hard time? What imported goods WOULD aid development? Why (if at all) do imported consumer goods hinder development? Jerry Rawlings complained that the West made African societies want manufactured goods; is he just whining, or is this a legitimate complaint?
• Davidson also calls attention to the new elites' "appetite for Western goods", more or less directly blaming the West for catering to these appetites. Is this a legitimate hit? In other words, is the West simply an innocent seller not responsible for a buyer's getting over his head in debt, or does the West more resemble a drug pusher, deliberately trying to hook clients to sell his destructive wares?
• I want you to note one aspect of this appetite for Western goods that Davidson implies but does not state directly: the goods shown are for consumption rather than production. In other words, Africans (like many Latin American countries) did not invest in goods that could be turned around to produce a profit that could pay off its debt. This is one reason, though certainly not the only reason, why Africa and Latin America are saddled with a heavy debt burden. (Curiously, Asian countries have not had this problem. The difference is striking enough to make one wonder what forces created it. Cultural differences? Differences in history? in resources? in geopolitical importance? something else?)
• Despite Davidson's general condemnation of neocolonialism, he does start the film by saying that the "end of colonialism was good for Africa, bringing many opportunities." What were these opportunities (or other considerations) that made neo-colonialism preferable to colonialism?
• Davidson distinguishes between class-divided and industrialized societies, on the one hand, and tribal-divided, non-industrialized societies, on the other, claiming that the political forms of the former should not be expected to work in the latter. Why does he believe this, do you think? Do you agree with his assessment?
• The presence and consequences of tribalism, for example in the Nigerian Civil War
• Are European models of parliamentary government relevant to African societies?
• Was the end of colonial rule good?
• The inheritance of colonial boundaries & conflicts; war among the different states. In general, to what extent are Africa's problems with nation-building a legacy of colonial rule?
• Is military rule a blessing or liability?
• The prevalence of bribery & corruption. Questions: What relationship do bribery and corruption have to development? Are they products, as Davidson suggests, of the penetration of African societies by the West?
• The growing division between rich and poor. Is this turning African societies into class-divided (as opposed to tribal-divided) societies? Will this make European models of parliamentary government more relevant to African societies?
• The cycle of poverty, economic growth goals, debt, and inflation, and how they produce neo-colonialism and economic dependency [raw material prices fall; prices of manufactured goods rise; import tariffs on manufactured goods by industrial nations]
• Ecological problems [e.g., drought and desertification]
• To what extent do various development initiatives or social changes offer hope for the future? These include: national self-development; women's liberation; agricultural cooperatives; land reform.

• Jean-Bedel Bokassa (Central African Republic; capitol: Bangui)
• Idi Amin (Uganda; capitol: Kampala)
• Haile Selassie; Mengistu Haile Mariam; Eritrea (Ethiopia; capitol: Addis Ababa)
• Biafra; Ibo people; Col. Odjuko; [now former] President Alhaji Shehu Shahari (Nigeria; capitol: formerly Lagos, but now to some extent moved to Abuja).

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