Shiraz Dossa, ‘_Slicing up development: Colonialism, Political Theory, Ethics’,_ Third World Quarterly, 2007, 887-899.
This article provides a very strident argument about what the author sees as the evils of development, and its costs on the nations of the South. The article is very assertive in its positions regarding the concept of development being a ruse by ex-colonial powers to establish a form of neo-colonialism. The author looks at various examples of what he sees as the North’s hypocrisy towards development in the South, and why he believes that some of the more prominent philosophers on the subject have got it wrong. Whilst at times the authors writing style can seem a little histrionic, there is no doubting his passion and commitment to the subject matter.
Firstly we must understand what development means in the south. Unlike the north where it is viewed as massive industrialization, new models of some form of technology every year or an ever rising share price. In the south it represents, as the author rightly points out, things those in the north take for granted, stability and security, clean permanent water, ongoing effective education, with real life opportunities after education, and adequate nutrition. Unfortunately even after some 60 odd years of supposed post colonialism efforts, there is little in the way of success to be shown.
The article shows that its author is in no doubt that this is a deliberate tactic of the North to secure their own economic and political interests at the expense of the south. The author somewhat justifiably points out that under the guise of “civilizing”, the North was actually far more focused on exploiting the natural resources of the South, and even saw its population as a resource to be exploited through cheap labor and indentured slavery.
The colonially drawn borders have in themselves caused ongoing problems. Different ethnic, language and religious groups would be banded together under the construct of a new nation. Old ethnic tensions, favoritism of one group at the expense of the others, created discord that very often even today flows over into civil disorder and open conflict. Some of the more obvious effects of that are unstable government, financial resources that could be dedicated to areas like health and education are siphoned off into the pockets of corrupt officials and military and security services are used by the power elite to maintain their hold on power and associated control over lucrative monopolies and concessions, whilst also using them to create fear, and persecute the general population and any attempts at opposition or alternate government.
A strong point is raised regarding the change to the western ideal of putting self before others or the greater good of the community. Resulting from this has been a move away from the traditional practice of the “commons” that benefited the entire community, ensuring that in difficult times the sick, the young and the old were still provided for.
The author’s practice of blaming the North for all the changes of culture and ideals, does seem to be far too across the board. Technology and education have informed even the most remote villages, of the world around them and the material things in it. People see this and aspire to the standards of living enjoyed there. Whilst the author sees this evolution as a plot by some dark economic cabal, I think it more simply represents the aspirations of people to rise up to an easier and more prosperous way of life.
Being completely focused on the failures of development and paying only lip service to any success it has had, the author at times drifts into the use of very emotive language, using words like “Barbaric” and “Tyrannical” without providing evidence or proper example.. The article also accuses the United States and Great Britain directly, of attempting to control southern development, the only evidence to support this is referred to as “recently declassified files” with no further identification.
At different stages the author makes claims regarding the North’s racism being behind the failings of development. The author himself seems to come very close to racism with claims of “white mythology” and “white ink”. There has over the years been various initiatives proposed and put forward for the South to rise out of the mire of poverty and disadvantage. This article whilst being very forthright in denouncing the failures of development, offers little in the way of better paths to overcome the issue. Rather than an objective view of where we stand, the article seems dominated by the authors personal views of conspiracy and racism by the North against the South.