News / Africa
Moyo attacks Bill Gates' critique
10 Mar 2015 at 08:36hrs | Views
American business magnate, philanthropist, investor, computer programmer, and inventor Bill Gates is not a fan of Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo. Responding to a question about Moyo's book Dead Aid, which criticizes Western aid interventions in Africa, Gates claimed the book is 'promoting evil.'
Gates was asked for his views on Dambisa Moyo's celebrated book Dead Aid "which argues that foreign aid has harmed Africa by creating a culture of dependency" .. Gates said the book promotes evil: "I think that that book actually did damage generosity of rich world countries," Mr Gates said. "People have excused various [foreign aid]cutbacks because of it … Having children not die is not creating a dependency, having children not be so sick they can't go to school, not having enough nutrition so their brains don't develop. That is not a dependency. That's an evil thing and books like that – they're promoting evil."
It turns out that Moyo is not happy with what Gates has to say about her book. Moyo issued a pithy response to what she described as a personal attack by Gates.
"To say that my book 'promotes evil' or to allude to my corrupt value system is both inappropriate and disrespectful," writes Moyo in a blog post this morning.
The short blog post makes two points to refute the remarks made by Gates. First, Moyo says that the book serves as a debating point on aid. She says that both she and Gates agree on the goal to improve the livlihoods of Africans in a sustainable way. Her goal was to raise concerns about the limitations of aid.
The second point made by Moyo addresses Gates' claim that she does not know much about aid. Moyo is quick to point out her experience in the classroom, a PhD, and out, World Bank Consultant. She concludes that her experience being raised in Zambia provides her with a unique first-hand insight into poverty in Africa and the impacts of aid. It is the very same selling point that Moyo used in promoting her book.
"To cast aside the arguments I raised in Dead Aid at a time when we have witnessed the transformative economic success of countries like China, Brazil and India, belittles my experiences, and those of hundreds of millions of Africans, and others around the world who suffer the consequences of the aid system every day," says Moyo.
Gates was asked for his views on Dambisa Moyo's celebrated book Dead Aid "which argues that foreign aid has harmed Africa by creating a culture of dependency" .. Gates said the book promotes evil: "I think that that book actually did damage generosity of rich world countries," Mr Gates said. "People have excused various [foreign aid]cutbacks because of it … Having children not die is not creating a dependency, having children not be so sick they can't go to school, not having enough nutrition so their brains don't develop. That is not a dependency. That's an evil thing and books like that – they're promoting evil."
It turns out that Moyo is not happy with what Gates has to say about her book. Moyo issued a pithy response to what she described as a personal attack by Gates.
"To say that my book 'promotes evil' or to allude to my corrupt value system is both inappropriate and disrespectful," writes Moyo in a blog post this morning.
The second point made by Moyo addresses Gates' claim that she does not know much about aid. Moyo is quick to point out her experience in the classroom, a PhD, and out, World Bank Consultant. She concludes that her experience being raised in Zambia provides her with a unique first-hand insight into poverty in Africa and the impacts of aid. It is the very same selling point that Moyo used in promoting her book.
"To cast aside the arguments I raised in Dead Aid at a time when we have witnessed the transformative economic success of countries like China, Brazil and India, belittles my experiences, and those of hundreds of millions of Africans, and others around the world who suffer the consequences of the aid system every day," says Moyo.
Source - www.humanosphere.org
