Washington Could Learn a Few Things From Rwanda

Letters to the Editor
The Wall Street Journal
April 30, 2010

By Nancy Fowler
Noblesville, Ind.

Anne Jolis's "The Weekend Interview with Paul Kagame: A Supply-Sider in East Africa" (April 24), is a breath of fresh air in the pervading atmosphere that without government aid, the poor are lost. Just think, an East African country self-sufficient in food and actually exporting some crops! I think it is remarkable that Rwanda's President Paul Kagame's focus is not on begging for charity but on creating wealth through free markets and recognizing what prolonged aid has done to create dependency in his country. In a stunning recognition of personal responsibility, rare these days, he claims, "We can only have ourselves to blame for our failures."

The liberal left in this country apparently doesn't want to see that we've done the same thing to those who have made welfare a way of life for themselves and their descendents, and have created a dependency on government aid. If they were to admit that, they wouldn't have a loyal group to depend on to support whatever and whomever they propose, and so of course they are forever on the lookout to enlist more dependents for more votes.
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By Linda Whetstone
Chairman
International Policy Network
Hartfield, Sussex, U.K.

Economic reforms taken by President Kagame rightfully have attracted positive attention from the media and an array of outside supporters. These economic policies—unlike those of most other African governments—are the best way to enable Rwanda's people to lift themselves from poverty.

Yet his supporters seem far too willing to overlook or forgive his views on free speech and the freedom of the press. From first-hand experience, I know that President Kagame goes far further than "Europe's laws against Holocaust denial," practicing a policy of zero tolerance toward any journalist who criticizes him. If Gordon Brown emulated this policy, few journalists would remain in the U.K. right now.

Mr. Kagame's record on political freedom also looks increasingly weak at the moment. Who of us would feel our democratic system to be in good working order if our political leader was facing no opposition in an upcoming election after being in power for seven years, because he had momentarily imprisoned the only potential opposition, in order to stop them from registering their party in the approaching elections?

President Kagame works very hard at his PR, but surely freedom is not divisible. Those of us who believe in its creative power should give credit where credit is due, but also express constructive criticism or condemnation where freedom is seriously threatened or indeed extinguished.
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By Clay G. Wescott
Director
Asia Pacific Governance Institute
Washington

The interview with President Kagame correctly highlights his leadership skills. However, his statistics need to be interpreted with care. He points out that Rwanda has cut its dependence on aid by half in the last 15 years. That is true as measured by aid per capita. However, the large percentage cut was possible because Rwandan aid in 1995 was so high. Current Rwandan aid levels are still high compared to its neighbors.

Aid per capita in Rwanda is $79, compared with $68 in Tanzania, $56 in Uganda and $34 in Kenya, based on the most recent available data for 2007.