AID or Market? Ask a Namibian Politician and Watch Them Sweat
Let’s cut the crap. If you walk up to a Namibian politician, doesn’t matter if they’re from SWAPO, IPC, PDM, LPM, or an independent who just discovered they love microphones, and ask them: "AID or Market? Which one actually develops a nation?" you know what you’ll get? A forehead wipe. A glance at their advisor. Then a beautiful, empty answer wrapped in development jargon like "win win," "blended finance," and "partnership based diversification." We don’t want to offend the people giving us free money. But we also don’t want to admit that free money has turned us into professional hand wringers. So let me answer for them. Clearly. Sarcastically. And truthfully. My answer, no bush, no bullshit: AID is political. Period. Markets are neutral. Read that again. Let it settle. Let it offend you if you’ve spent ten years in a donor funded boardroom eating stale sandwiches and calling it "capacity building." Why AID is Political and Why That...