Socialism and African Development

PIA 2574

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfUdOREnsDo

Socialism- One View

Socialism in Africa

At Issue: new look at development strategy?

the role that ideology has played in effecting performance of state

(Anti-Socialism a self-ascribed ideology)

Non-socialist Ideologies

The Socialist Framework

Dependency as an alternative form of analysis to Modernization

Socialist Assumptions (Redistribution, autarky and collective ownership)

Influence of socialist ideas since 1965

in Africa

The first assumption is that it is the duty of the community to insure its individual members against individual misfortune.

The second is that, just as the carrying capacity of a bridge is measured by the strength of its weakest support, so the quality of a society should be measured by the quality of life of its weakest members

Tanzania’s Ujamaa Policy

President Julius Nyerere

Arusha Declaration: 1967: Socialist Declaration- Control Commanding Heights

Collectivism and Self-Reliance

An approach to agricultural class formation

Tanzania Socialism

Arusha Declaration Celebration 1971

The 1960s-Voluntary Collective Farms Goal: create villages from small family

households

Self-sustaining economic units of 20-30 families

Primary target- the subsistence farmer

1968- official policy but voluntary

Issue: Forced Settlements

Villagization- Up to 5000 people

1970s

Goal: Prevention of a rural proletariat

1970- Few villages established

Government Spending only on “ujamaa villages”

Popular Response- poorest areas of the country marginal farming/pastoral areas

After 1973

Targets the wealthier areas and the rich farmers

“Kulaks”

Russian Kulaks

1975

Forced Collectivization and Collapse of Policy

Problems with Ujamaa

Tanzaphilia- “Socialism and the Field Administrator”

Shift from voluntary to compulsory: “Burning Houses”

Shift from goal of local level decision-making and village autonomy to centralized decision-making and standardized policies

“What is Tanzaphilia? It is neither a disease nor an exotic flower. It is a political romantic spell: the kind experienced by Western Marxists”

Ali Mazrui

Problems: Collectivization Forced, use of state violence

Villages became very large: 3000-5000 people or more (Resembled State Farms)

Target: Universal villagization by the end of 1976

Resistance from Wealthy Farmers

Result: Food Shortages

Zimbabwe Supermarket c. 2004

Government Reaction

Withdrawal from World System

Drought, Agricultural Mismanagement

Agricultural Collapse

1983- Tanzania Moves Towards Policy Reform

Membership in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Group

HIPIC Africa

SAPS- Increase Capital Flows and Exports, decrease health and education. Food costs increase.

Regime Types in Africa (Crawford Young)

1. African (Socialist) and mixed Economy regimes: pragmatism or African capitalism (Kenya and Senegal in 1960s)

2. Socialist- Populist

(Tanzania, Zambia,

Mozambique in 1970s)

African Regimes

3. Afro-Marxist or Leninist Vanguard regimes (Angola, Benin 1980s)

4. Marxist-Leninist- (Ethiopia under Dergue)

5.Post-Structural Adjustment Regimes Mozambique, Uganda and Ghana (1990s)

Lenin in Addis, 1992

Attractiveness of an ideology

Impact of Policy on development in the 1980s

Will effect rule making and resource allocation

Ideology does make a difference

Attractiveness of an ideology

There is a measure of internal slack or decision-making authority

A choice that can be made (in terms of dependency) that can be made internally

Thus Socialist Policies can be tested

Evaluation criteria-

Socialism (1965-1985)

Growth

1. Growth is still important- though downplays mineral induced growth and tourism

2. Focus is on peasant based subsistence agriculture rather than export commercial agriculture

Subsistence Agriculture

Result

Import Substitution, inflation and decline of food production

Import Substitution Products in Oman

Equity or distribution: Effects

1. Effect of taxation- especially indirect tax mechanisms (extractive)

2. Pricing policies deflate income for agricultural commodities

3. Relocation of rural resources to urban areas

4. Wage control policies (no strike clauses)

Debates about Urban Bias

Autonomy and self-reliance-

1. Delinkage from the international economy (Autarky)

2. Increased debt burden, continued use of expatriate personnel as planners (often sympathetic)

3. Exploitation of natural resources and foreign exchange outflow

Autarky?

Exploitation of Human Rights

1. Goal- human dignity

2. Reality of repression- movement of peoples

3. Economic and political refugees

4. Increased size of security forces

Human Security Issues

Development capacity: Goals and Results

1. Ability to plan and manage state resources and stimulate economic behavior change

2. Expansion of the social capacity of the state

3. The African disaster- Tyrants, corruption and Skimmed public resources?

Jeanne Kirkpatrick, former Reagan U.N. Ambassador

She is said to have stated, Mobutu “may be a Son of a Bitch but he is our Son of a Bitch”

Socialism

Why has it Failed?

Or Has it?

Group Presentations