African bloggers ponder the Franco Gap

Carnets d'un étudiant Africain asks (FR) why francophone Africans are less dynamic than their anglophone neighbors. His answer: the difference between catholic and protestant work ethics as well as a tendency in French culture to shun those who succed via hard work.

Anglophone blogger Subsaharska echoes the protestant work ethic theme while reminding us that

when countries in Africa were nonchalantly carved between various European powers, they not only took on the common language of the Colonist, but also a great deal of their religious and cultural ideology.

He adds:

currently countries like Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and yes, Nigeria are either up and coming or in general, doing quite well. Then on the other hand, countries such as all the Guineas, both Congos, CAR, Cote d'Ivoire, and others still have a ways to go in a great number of issues. There are exceptions to this gross generalization of course in that Senegal and Benin are doing rather well and Zimbabwe is not.

Konngol Afirik, another anglophone blogger adds important nuances to the debate:

• The excessive centralization of power and administration in the French way of doing things;

• "France has introduced in its colonies the system of direct rule while the British, out of pragmatism, preferred indirect rule. That system has erased all the traditional structures and hierarchies and thus facilitated the emergence of despotic and predatory power";

• "The umbilical cord between the former motherland and its colonies was not cut: generally, France exerts a too great political, economic and cultural influence which paralyzes her former colonies. The Heads of State of these formally independent countries are linked to France by defense agreements that keep French troops on their territories, they place willingly their stash in France, accumulating there villas and luxury coaches and so on and French companies control large sectors of the economy."

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Des blogueurs Africains s'interrogent sur le Franco Gap

Carnets d'un étudiant Africain se demande pourquoi les africains francophones sont moins dynamiques que leurs voisins anglophones. En guise de réponse, il blâme en gros les différences entre le catholicisme et le protestantisme, ainsi qu'une certaine tendance dans la culture française à dévaloriser ceux qui travaillent dur pour réussir.

Subsaharska, un blogueur anglophone, reprend le thème de l'éthique protestante du travail (EN) en rappelant que

when countries in Africa were nonchalantly carved between various European powers, they not only took on the common language of the Colonist, but also a great deal of their religious and cultural ideology.

quand les pays d'Afrique furent nonchalamment partagés entre des puissances Européennes diverses, ils prirent non seulement la langue de leurs colons mais aussi une grande partie de leurs idéologies religieuses et culturelles.

Il remarque que le Ghana, le Kenya, la Tanzanie, l'Afrique du Sud et le Nigéria, tous anglophones, se portent plutôt bien tandis que les Guinées, les Congos, La République Centrafrique, la Côte d'Ivoire et autres pays francophones ont beaucoup à faire sur certains plans. (Il souligne cependant des exceptions à cette vue d'ensemble: le Sénégal et le Bénin qui se portent mieux que le Zimbabwe.)

Konngol Afirik, autre blogueur anglophone ajoute des précisions importantes: (EN)

• La centralization excessive du pouvoir et de l'administration dans le système Français;

• Les Francais ont gouverné directement, contrairement au style indirect des Anglais, effaçant toutes les structures et hierarchies traditionelles et facilitant l'émergence de despotes;

• La France a eu plus de mal a couper le cordon ombilical après la colonisation point de vue présence militaire et maintient des liens incestueux avec les nouveaux chefs d'Etat.

English

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