Right at Last: Obama on Africa

Barack Obama, speaking about why Africa largely remains backward:

QUESTION: Is that a failure of U.S. policy or is that a failure of governance in Africa?

OBAMA: I would say that the international community has not always been as strategic as it should have been, but ultimately I'm a big believer that Africans are responsible for Africa.

I think part of what's hampered advancement in Africa is that for many years we've made excuses about corruption or poor governance; that this was somehow the consequence of neo-colonialism, or the West has been oppressive, or racism -- I'm not a big -- I'm not a believer in excuses.

I'd say I'm probably as knowledgeable about African history as anybody who's occupied my office. And I can give you chapter and verse on why the colonial maps that were drawn helped to spur on conflict, and the terms of trade that were uneven emerging out of colonialism. And yet the fact is we're in 2009. The West and the United States has not been responsible for what's happened to Zimbabwe's economy over the last 15 or 20 years. It hasn't been responsible for some of the disastrous policies that we've seen elsewhere in Africa. And I think that it's very important for African leadership to take responsibility and be held accountable.

And I think the people of Africa understand that. The problem is, is that they just haven't always had the opportunities to organize and voice their opinions in ways that create better results.

As Power Line notes, it would be nice for Obama to mention that one area where George W. Bush had unquestioned and considerable success--and very enlightened initiatives--in the foreign policy sphere was in Africa. But, as they note, "giving credit to others is not the Obama way."

Regardless, these are thoughtful and sensible comments, to say nothing of welcome ones and ones that--by virtue of who Obama is--will hopefully be widely reported in Africa.