So who’s turn is it to dominate them next?
Unless they’ve got viable plans for a stable economy with reliable exports controlled by non-corrupt leadership, someone is going to step in to fill the void, and China and Russia are already vying for the position.
China at least tries to develop the economy. China isn’t really desperate for cheap natural resources as much as they are desperate for markets to export their manufactured goods.
Shifting these economies away from being entirely resource-based is the single greatest thing anyone can do to reduce poverty in the region.
China invested a lot into African hydroelectric power plants, apparently with a modest ROI
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Are you under the impression that China hasn’t seen salary growth in the past few decades and thus can outcompete them? China’s median salary today is a third of the US and China’s median salary in tier 1 cities is almost on par in some fields.
There’s a limit because it means that these less-developed countries can’t leapfrog the Chinese economy while depending solely on Chinese support, but that’s a problem for after economic independence and consistent economic growth are achieved.
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Manufacturing output from sub-Saharan Africa grew from $58B in 2000 to $201B in 2019 (this is, of course, after decades of no growth prior to 2000 under Western exploitation). China first initiated the strategic partnership with African countries in 2000 at FOCAC. Objectively and quantitatively, Africa’s manufacturing output has grown and that growth has coincided with China’s focus on the region.
Salaries are only a part of the total cost. China obviously has much higher salaries, but their supply chains are a lot more efficient. Also cheap imports can prevent the growth of domestic manufacturing in the first place, since the initial investment can be quite high.
Salaries are an extremely significant proportion of costs in low- and medium-skill manufacturing. Sure, Africa might not be producing semiconductors this decade, but labour share is still something like 40-50% in China. This is despite China’s shift towards high-skill manufacturing and high value-add products. For low-skill manufacturing and low value-add products, China is simply no longer cost-competitive to the alternatives because human labour is the primary productivity driver and automation is incredibly expensive.
Africa isn’t going to be dumping tens of billions of dollars on semiconductor foundries and nobody is suggesting that. What people are suggesting is that Africa can move into categories like auto and appliances instead of textiles.
That’s pretty fucking racist, my dude. Most countries around the world are intolerably corrupt; it doesn’t mean they should expect or tolerate colonization by others.
I’m obviously blind to the racism; which race am I applying stereotypes to with my comment about power vacuums?
Or is it my pointed jab at colonialism that’s got you thinking I approve? I’ve been calling out the situation in that region of the world for decades. I really hope they can put together some self-governance that holds up. But in the past, every attempt has fallen to corruption taken advantage of by some external power broker that definitely doesn’t have their best interests at heart.
The fact that you’re blaming them for being colonized and hiding behind their government’s rampant corruption to do it.
The U.S. government has been so deeply compromised for decades that it might actually result in the destruction of life on this planet. Does that mean China or Russia can just bust in and take over?
this is a great interview, thanks for the post!
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Read Killing Hope, The Jakarta Method, or Washington Bullets. The US has murdered millions in a worldwide anti-communist and anti-decolonial crusade. Like the other reply said - Domino Theory.
For Castro is a color, Is a redder than red, Those Washington bullets want Castro dead For Castro is the color… …That will earn you a spray of lead
-Washington Bullets by The Clash, Sandinista!
This is untrue, literally domino theory exists as a justification to kill liberation movements like this
What domination? Anyone who isn’t a defeatist in Africa knows that corruption from within Africa is the biggest problem. Oh sure, you can blame the IMF, or you could blame the US, Europe, Russia, or even China, or you can look inwards to which politicians fattened their bank accounts from acting in bad faith with any of these nation actors.
Other than that, if WW3 happens… Africans are not going to be on any winning side, I’ll tell you that much…
