For me, continuous reading, experience, and reflection are essential for professional development and thus for constantly refining the tools necessary for effective African nation-building.
In line with this objective, I finished reading and reflecting on the book “Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism” by Ha-Joon Chang —a work I highly recommend! And not being too dramatic but, given the rich content, it should have been titled “The Gospel of Economic Development According to Chang”.
The range of topics, the sharpness of his analysis, and his dynamic use of humor made the examination of economic development both insightful and engaging. His work has enhanced my perspective and sharpened my African nation-building toolkit!
Summary:
Using wit, an engagingly personal style, and a battery of examples, Chang blasts holes in the orthodoxy of Thomas Friedman and other liberal economists who argue that only unfettered capitalism and wide-open international trade can lift struggling countries out of poverty. On the contrary, Chang shows that today’s economic superpowers-from the U.S. to Britain to his native Korea–all attained prosperity by shameless protectionism and government intervention in industry.
He argues that the alliance of advanced countries (acting as ‘Bad Samaritans’) have conveniently forgotten this fact, telling the world a fairy tale about the magic of free trade led by the US and mediated by the ‘Unholy Trinity’ of international economic organizations that they largely control—World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organization; ramming policies that suit them down the throat of the developing world.
Unlike typical economists who construct models of how the marketplace should work, Chang examines the past: what has actually happened. His pungently contrarian history demolishes one pillar after another of free-market mythology. We treat patents and copyrights as sacrosanct―but developed our own industries by studiously copying others’ technologies. We insist that centrally planned economies stifle growth―but many developing countries had higher GDP growth before they were pressured into deregulating their economies. Both justice and common sense, Chang argues, demand that we reevaluate the policies we force on nations that are struggling to follow in our footsteps.
Three Previously Completed Books:
✅ Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity , and Poverty – Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson.
✅ Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa – Dambisa Moyo
✅ Africa Unchained; The Blueprint for Africa’s Future – George Ayittey
Onward & Upward!
~Dr. Ikenna Ezealah
“Builder of the African Future”
Nation Upbuilding 