Spread across the African continent there are tyrants, military dictators, and kleptomaniac authoritarians. Every odious and repulsive trait that can be imagined in the pantheon of incompetent and venal leadership has been exhibited in the post-colonial heads of state that represent the nations of the continent. Given human nature, (ie. tribalism, corruption, greed, sloth, and short-term thinking) I don't suspect there to be any change for the better soon or for that matter ever. As an example, consider Libya's Col. Qaddafi's first and maybe last visit to the United Nations in New York, where the Guardian UK described him as, "fully [living] up to his reputation for eccentricity, bloody-mindedness and extreme verbiage."
Then he gave praise to that magnanimous and generous Kenyan President, Barack Obama:He tore up a copy of the UN charter in front of startled delegates, accused the security council of being an al-Qaida like terrorist body, called for George Bush and Tony Blair to be put on trial for the Iraq war, demanded $7.7tn in compensation for the ravages of colonialism on Africa, and wondered whether swine flu was a biological weapon created in a military laboratory. At one point, he even demanded to know who was behind the killing of JFK. All in all, a pretty ordinary 100 minutes in the life of the colonel.
Having thus abused and alienated 99.99% of the world's top diplomats, he suddenly changed tack, heaping praise and devotion on the one man he appears to respect. "Now the black man doesn't have to sit in the back of the bus, the American people made him president and we are proud of that. We would be happy if Obama stayed president of America forever."I'm sure Hugo Chavez, another miltary man in populace garbs, was taking points on how to make friends and alienate gringos.
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