![]() When Europe fails to compete on even terms with Africa and Asia it turns to war and colonization to take by force what it cannot achieve through fair trade. He describes an Africa that is more developed than Europe in most ways except military conquest. Of course, a generous impulse might lead us to help those less fortunate to develop and share the goods of the world, maybe not to achieve full equality, but at least enough to meet their minimal needs. ![]() Africa’s underdevelopment was thus to a large extent Africa’s fault. The implication was that they mostly deserved their status as did the less successful ones. ![]() Rodney presents a new way of thinking about Africa’s so-called “underdevelopment.” The question was “why are some areas of the world rich and others poor?” I had been taught many reasons for this-that successful countries had better inventions, more adventurous explorers, greater natural resources, geographical advantages, better climate, less corruption, or just good fortune. ![]() The book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, is now available online. ![]() I read it shortly before the author, Walter Rodney, was assassinated, in 1980, at the age of 38. Amita’s interesting post, Education for Liberation…., and the materials she cites ( Challenging White Supremacy workshop), reminded me of a book that had a big influence on me. ![]()
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