George Ayittey Professions : Economist Born : 1945 Browse All Authors Top 35 quotes by George Ayittey The solutions to Africa's problems lie in Africa, not in Live Aid concerts. George Ayittey aids problem lying Dictators are allergic to reform, and they are cunning survivors. They will do whatever it takes to preserve their power and wealth, no matter how much blood ends up on their hands. They are master deceivers and talented manipulators who cannot be trusted to change. George Ayittey reform hands blood The richest persons in Africa are heads of state, governors and ministers. So every 'educated' African who wants to be rich - and there is nothing wrong with wanting to be rich - heads straight into government or politics. George Ayittey rich government want African history is filled with experiences of people shooting their way to power and then splintering into factions, like in Somalia and Liberia. George Ayittey shooting people way Personally, I regard myself as an intellectual 'rebel,' kicking against the 'old colonialism-imperialism paradigm' which has landed Africa in a conundrum. George Ayittey rebel colonialism intellectual In the West, the basic economic and social unit is the individual; in Africa, it is the extended family or the collective. George Ayittey economic individual west Africa's salvation doesn't lie in begging and begging for more aid, and as an African, I find it very, very humiliating. George Ayittey aids salvation lying Across Africa there is what I call a colonialist mentality or orthodoxy. Orthodoxy in the sense that a lot of things have gone wrong in Africa in the post-colonial period. And time and time again, any time something went wrong, the leadership claims that it was never their fault. George Ayittey orthodoxy faults gone Traditionally, Africans hate governments. They hate tyranny. George Ayittey tyranny government hate Africa is poor because she is not free. George Ayittey libertarian poor There was free trade in Africa. There was free enterprise in Africa before the colonialists came. George Ayittey free-trade enterprise trade The 'Cheetah Generation' refers to the new and angry generation of young African graduates and professionals, who look at African issues and problems from a totally different and unique perspective. George Ayittey issues perspective unique If NATO goes in and solves the crisis in Darfur, when the next one comes along Africa's leaders will just sit back. George Ayittey crisis next leader Virtually all of Africa's civil wars were started by politically marginalized or excluded groups. George Ayittey excluded groups war Getting rid of the dictator is only a first step in establishing a free society. The dictatorship must also be disassembled. George Ayittey dictator steps firsts Dictators cause the world’s worst problems: all the collapsed states, and all the devastated economies. All the vapid cases of corruption, grand theft, and naked plunder of the treasury are caused by dictators, leaving in their wake trails of wanton destruction, horrendous carnage and human debris. George Ayittey vapid naked leaving Back in the 1960s Africa not only fed itself, it also exported food. Not anymore. George Ayittey feds motivation inspiration You have to separate the humanitarian impulse from the record of aid itself. We all want to help. Many people would say that it's the moral impulse of the rich to help the poor, but the record of aid has been terrible. George Ayittey records want people In a banana republic, one might slip on a banana peel but things do work - now and then for the people, albeit inefficiently and unreliably. George Ayittey republic might people What Africa needs to do is to grow, to grow out of debt. George Ayittey debt grows needs Similar Authors Bryan Caplan economist Burton Malkiel economist Bruno Frey economist Brian Wesbury economist Branko Milanovic economist Andrew Samwick economist All Authors
