The Dependence Disease

[Because Chris is in vacation - we're 'reprinting' this article.]

For the last few issues, I have been taking an indepth look at some of the liberal policies and ideals that exists on the continent of Africa. While we have just barely scratched the surface of what could be dealt with, we none-the-less have dealt with some very intriguing subjects in the countries of Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

As a conclusion to our series, our focus shifts southward to the nation of South Africa. Without a doubt, in the economic realm, South Africa has stood head-and-shoulders above the rest of its African neighbors. It is one of the most westernized and advanced nations on the continent with a fairly stable economy and government. Most of this is due to the British colonists who settled there in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

That being said, South Africa was not and is not without its problems. In the early 90’s, the country was finally able to shake the inequality and racism that made up their apartheid government. While this was a step forward socially, it wound up being a step backward economically. To this day, South Africa struggles with it unemployment (30%) and poverty (over half of the population lives in poverty according to the CIA).

After being there for almost a month myself, the general feeling of most people is that they miss the economic conditions and economic growth of apartheid. A general consensus seemed to be that life was better under apartheid. I can hear the collective gasps already, “Are you saying that they should go back to the racist, apartheid system?” No, that is not what I’m saying, and it is definitely not on the table of solutions in my mind. But the question still exists. “What changed?” How did a fairly strong and stable economy become shaky and unsteady? Why can’t so many blacks get the jobs that they need? I believe there are some very solid and definite answers.

While getting rid of apartheid wound up being a step backwards economically, it did not have to be that way at all. But when the government changed hands, the ideology changed as well. During apartheid, blacks could not do certain things or hold certain government positions and high-level jobs. They were relegated to a position of separation and poverty. Now that apartheid was gone, some felt that it was the government’s job to help the poor blacks. So the government stepped in and did exactly that, creating welfare, social programs, and hundreds of government agencies to provide for the people.

The government built hundreds of huge housing settlements on the outskirts of many of its large cities. They provided running water and electricity to each house much like our government housing system does in the US, but on a larger scale. The government believed that in providing all of the major needs of the people they could eliminate poverty. While this sounds kind, generous, and noble of the government, it has wound up being a millstone around the neck of the economy of this African nation.

It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and that is the case in South Africa. Among the black community, the government in trying to fight poverty has created proverty; they have created a welfare state. They provide just enough for the people to live, creating a captivating dependence that has formed a rut of poverty that is difficult and sometimes impossible to break out of.

At the same time, government rules and regulations have stifled the creation of private businesses and jobs. I know one man personally, who wanted to start a general store in his village, but before he could, he had to fill out reams of paperwork and government forms. The government wanted to know everything right down to his business plan for future business growth. All the guy wanted to do was sell bread and make some extra money. Thankfully, though, he had the moral determination to wade through the legal red tape in order to do so, but I fear for many others, the hassle is not worth it. It just is much easier to live off the government. It is even profitable for a woman to have children (most times out of wedlock) because the government will pay them more for each child they have.

So what you have in South Africa is people who are not encouraged to work hard and better themselves and their living situations, but to live in dependence on the government to meet all their needs. I’m sure you have heard the old proverb, “You can give a hungry man a fish and feed him for a day, or you can teach a man to fish and feed him for the rest of his life.” While this truth seems to be so simple to most people, it seems to be lost on the logic of our own democrats and liberals in this country.

The resistance in the mid ‘90s to reform welfare was bitter and fierce until it proved to be widely successful in reducing the welfare roles. We continue to face that resistance today whether it be in the refusal to reform Social Security or the President Bush’s cutting programs in his 2006 budget. There seems to be a concerted effort to maintain or even create dependence. (Like the prescription drug entitlement that has ballooned into a massive expense) It doesn’t matter how much it has failed; we keep running into the same traps over and over again.

When will we learn that dependence on government and government programs will only result in failure and waste? When are we going to put the pieces together?