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wise valid, and urgently needed, calls for reform. At the same time,
African diplomats became skilled in playing upon liberal guilt while
pointing the finger of blame at a melange of external forces . Re–
peated often enough, these fabrications took on the aura of scriptural
truth. In fact, they were political inventions, glamorized within a
Third World mythology, the fundamental oracles of which went as
follows:
Myth
#
1:
We are poor because you are rich. Send us capital, and we will be
rich, too,
This myth, widely known as the "transfer of wealth" concept,
has dominated the international diplomatic arena since it was first
articulated in the 1960s. The champion of the concept was Raul
Prebisch, an Argentinian diplomat who for two decades was the
scourge of the industrial nations and was the architect of the U.
N,
's
"new international economic order," a systematic model for imple–
menting the transfer of wealth approach. (As Peter Berger has
pointed out, the basis of this myth seems to lie in Proudhon's dictum
that wealth is theft. Like all uncritical leftist theory, it focuses ex–
clusively on redistributing capital while ignoring the more fundamen–
tal problem of capital production.) Recently, however, Mr. Prebisch
himself has debunked this myth. In sharp attacks on the developing
nations, he now argues that there is enough capital in most of these
countries, but bloated governments, wasteful spending, overvalued
currencies, irresponsible policies, and rampant corruption are stifling
genuine development. Mr. Prebisch's recent criticisms have not at–
tracted the media spotlight, as did his former views, probably because
they offer no easy solutions. Besides, the idea that we are to blame for
the degrading conditions in the developing world - or that capital
transfusions alone could remedy them - is more palatable than the
recognition that, without internal reforms, external aid measures will
only have a short-lived, superficial impact.
Myth #2:
Neocolonialism is robbing us of our wealth,
If
we could eliminate
foreign capitalists, we would prosper
Significantly, this myth did not arise
within the developing nations themselves, but was articulated by left–
wing academic theorists, many of whom never set foot inside a devel–
oping nation. Ask the poor within these countries what they think
about this notion, and you will get the same response that South
Africa's Zulu tribe chief gave to recent U.S. Congressional calls for
the pull-out of American corporations from that country, namely that
the presence of foreign investment and commercial enterprises is
beneficial, not harmful.
The premise behind this myth is elusive. It arises, in part, from
literalist interpretations of the Judeo-Christian tradition, which imply
