Wolfowitz & World Bank: Get Out of Africa

Africa-extremes of poverty and abundance. Poverty, disease and over-population set in lush environments of rain forests, sprawling savannahs with the one of the last remnants of myriad wildlife. Recent evidence by anthropoligists confirm prior data of a migration out of Africa 60,000 years ago. That migration was the founding stock of modern man-no matter the color or race. What caused that migration? Scientists talk about the enablers-walking upright and advances in tools. But not the why. The why is probably the reason people migrate today. People are seeking their own space and want to to determine their own future. There would probably have been no migration , if all of one's desires were at hand in those original locales.

Paul Wolfowitz, the new president of the World Bank and former Pentagon Undersecretary who had a significant hand in the failed Iraq policy, has a plan for Africa. Mr. Wolfowitz's objective is to reduce poverty. To that end he will support and fund projects that include more women's rights, restoring the banks role of building structures like roads,ports and bridges and to act as go-between for other nations with similar objectives.

Say what? Sub-Sahara Africa has about 50 million cases of AIDS,insufficient water supplies and poor soil. Both contribute to malnutrition(50% of childhood deaths). Over population and malnutrition are Africa's biggest problems. But Wolfowitz wants to build infrastructure. Why do the African's need roads? Over 60,000 years ago up until today they have been getting around just fine. They also left Africa 60,000 years ago so they could determine their own future. The new roads will bring the world and certainly end that independence. Africa's highest and best use for all invoved is to be the world's premier game reserve and the suppoting industry should be tourism. Keep it simple. It's natural resources are to be viewed not dug up. It's peoples can understand and support that kind of business.

Wolfowitz was a loser at the Pentagon and will be a loser at World Bank. He is the bag man for global development interests. Africa needs help in reining in population growth and the pandemic AIDS. Low-cost birth control devices and counciling in soil conservation could be a good service funded by World Bank. But of course there is no money in that.