From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sun Jun 13 2010 - 06:07:41 EDT
Why the World Bank supports tyrants: the Gerund Defense
By <http://aidwatchers.com/author/easterly_and_freschi/> William Easterly
and Laura Freschi |
June 10, 2010
World Bank Ethiopia country director Ken Ohashi has a
<http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/jun/24/cruel-ethiopia/>
letter in the New York Review of Books responding to
<http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/may/13/cruel-ethiopia/> Helen
Epstein's charge that the Bank is supporting tyranny (which we also
<http://aidwatchers.com/2010/04/wax-and-gold-meles-zenawi%E2%80%99s-double-d
ealings-with-aid-donors/> blogged). Ken's letter defends World Bank aid to
Ethiopia:
There are concerns about the overall governance of the country, efficiency
and fairness of resource use, the risk of dependence on aid, and protection
of basic human rights, as Ms. Epstein points out. We recognize these
concerns, and development partners in Ethiopia take them seriously.
We start, however, with a belief that in every country people want to be
self-reliant and prosperous, and to develop a transparent, accountable,
effective, and efficient governance system. Ethiopia is no exception. Our
task, as an external development partner, is to support that innate
tendency.
However, building institutions, public and private, that assure every
citizen's right to and effective delivery of public services takes a long
time; indeed, it never ends, as we can see even in the most industrialized
countries. Changes are incremental, and at times they may suffer serious
setbacks. It is, therefore, crucial that development partners work with the
long-term process of change, always in support of it, not in control of it
(which is impossible in any case).
Fascinating defense, Ken! You are saying the World Bank sees all countries
with an "innate tendency" towards better governance (nicely conflating
citizens' aspirations and the frequently opposite tendencies of those in
power). You can then use an all-powerful Gerund like "building institutions"
to suggest that you and the autocrat of Ethiopia are benevolently working
together on that "innate tendency." The Gerund Defense implies that any
horrible tyrant can be supported under the assumption that this tyrant is
merely a temporary stage in a country "in transition to democracy," part of
an "innate tendency" towards "building institutions."
The alternative to the disingenuous Gerund Defense is to take a look at the
current regime's political, economic and human rights track record. Two
weeks ago, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's party and its allies
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/26/ethiopia-election-result-meles-
zenawi> swept the elections, winning over 99 percent of parliamentary seats.
Election observers from the EU found that the electoral process "fell short
of certain international commitments, notably regarding the transparency of
the process and the lack of a level playing field for all contesting
parties."
A <http://www.hrw.org/node/89128> report from Human Rights Watch criticized
the ruling party's "total control of local and district administration"
which they have used to "monitor and intimidate individuals at a household
level, punish and undermine the livelihoods of citizens who do not abide by
the ruling party, and create a climate of fear that suppresses freedom of
expression and opinion."
The government's <http://www.economist.com/node/16168394> centralized
control of land ownership, banks, the internet and even the mobile telecom
industry has stymied enterprise and depressed economic growth, while the
regime <http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=89382> is accused of
using the food aid upon which 1/6th of the population depend as a political
tool to reward supporters and punish those who dare to join opposition
parties.
The US State Department went even further, citing reports of "unlawful
killings, torture, beating, abuse and mistreatment of detainees and
opposition supporters by security forces, often acting with evident
impunity," in their
<http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/af/119001.htm> Human Rights
report published last year.
At least you are being consistent. After Meles and his security forces
perpetrated election fraud, jailed opposition leaders, and killed over 200
student demonstrators in 2005, the World Bank continued to provide aid. We
have it from a reliable source that your predecessor as Ethiopia Country
Director won an award for keeping the lending going despite all the hardship
Bank staff inconveniently had to endure.
Sorry, Ken, it's hard to drown out these realities even with your clever use
of the classic Gerund Defense.
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