Africa

🌍 We wish to help African nations with the current crises, but I do not know how to solve the problem of military coups that are plaguing Africa. I believe the heart of the problem is that many African countries have failed to create a civic culture based on mutual trust and public responsibility. What is required moving forward is good governance, a huge investment in human capital, and a psychological transformation of society to create an entrepreneurial class as Robert Gilpin has noted in his book on the Global Political Economy. This kind of civic culture is necessary to support a market economy like the USA's and provide civil society with the liberty they need to pursue their interests, create innovative businesses and, in turn, develop a thriving economy.

Perhaps the authorities in Africa can start with a plan to transition from military rule to civilian rule in Niger as the Foreign Ministers of Algeria and Italy have proposed, and ensure that Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Chad follow their transition plans as well. A transition plan could be created for Gabon too. Perhaps the regional institutions, the AU, or the UN can construct the transition plans from military to civilian rule. Perhaps these institutions can also create an election monitoring group to ensure that elections are fair across the continent moving forward. Perhaps the authorities can impose term limits on elected officials. Perhaps the authorities can create a special military unit that is trained and prepared to immediately eradicate a military junta within 24 hours after a coup d'état as deterrence against future coups. Perhaps African nations will consider putting a civilian in charge of the military as we do. Perhaps the authorities can block influence campaigns by foreign powers like Russia and China that sow mistrust among civilian groups with the intent to destabilize African nations. Ultimately African nations will have to create a culture of trust for democracy to work. We hope most of all that African nations will not give up on democracy.

There may be other paths to security and prosperity, but the only path we know is the path we carved out for ourselves through liberty and democracy. xo