The fact that China has about seven percent arable land, means that she’s always going to be looking for places that have more arable lands to finance or to provide food stuffs. Dambisa Moyo More Quotes by Dambisa Moyo More Quotes From Dambisa Moyo I wish we questioned the aid model as much as we are questioning the capitalism model. Sometimes the most generous thing you can do is just say no. Dambisa Moyo saying-no wish sometimes The notion that aid can alleviate systemic poverty, and has done so, is a myth. Millions in Africa are poorer today because of aid; misery and poverty have not ended but increased. Aid has been, and continues to be, an unmitigated political, economic, and humanitarian disaster for most parts of the developing world. Dambisa Moyo political done world In a perfect world what poor countries at the lowest rungs of economic development need is not a multi-party democracy, but in fact a decisive benevolent dictator to push through the reforms required to get the economy moving Dambisa Moyo party country moving If you think about the last 50 years, Africa's proximity and historical context has absolutely been with Europe and the United States, but their approach in dealing with the economic challenges that Africa faces in particular has been one of handing out aid, not developing economies, not building a long term relationship around agriculture and so on. Dambisa Moyo europe years thinking Ask most people who live in a home and have a mortgage on it whether they own their own home and the answer is almost guaranteed to be a resounding 'yes'. Yet it's the wrong answer. Technically speaking, until they have paid the mortgage off, they don't own it. Herein lies the difference between reality and illusion, between ownership and control. This confusion lies not only at the individual level, but also at the heart of government thinking. Dambisa Moyo home heart lying The fact that Brazil and Chile now has China as their largest trading partner means the Monroe Doctrine is certainly something of the past. Dambisa Moyo doctrine mean past A constant stream of 'free' money is a perfect way to keep an inefficient or simply bad government in power. As aid flows in, there is nothing more for the government to do - it doesn't need to raise taxes, and as long as it pays the army, it doesn't have to take account of its disgruntled citizens. Dambisa Moyo government money power long I went into the sciences very early on, but to me, economics pervades so much more of our lives and our existence. Dambisa Moyo more me economics existence I'm not a politician - it's not my cup of tea. Dambisa Moyo cup politician tea Too many African countries have already hit rock-bottom - ungoverned, poverty-stricken, and lagging further and further behind the rest of the world each day; there is nowhere further to go down. Dambisa Moyo rest down day world I have dedicated many years to economic study, up to the Ph.D. level, to analyze and understand the inherent weaknesses of aid and why aid policies have consistently failed to deliver on economic growth and poverty alleviation. Dambisa Moyo understand poverty growth study Under the all-encompassing aid system, too many places in Africa continue to flounder under inept, corrupt and despotic regimes who spend their time courting and catering to the demands of the army of aid organizations. Dambisa Moyo corrupt africa army time Thanks to aid, a distressing number of African leaders care little about what their citizens want or need - after all it's the reverse of the Boston tea-party - no representation without taxation. Dambisa Moyo need thanks care want The fact of the matter is that instead of going around the world and haranguing countries for engaging with China, the West should be encouraging its own businesses to trade and invest in these regions. Dambisa Moyo own china matter world At its very best, the Western model speaks for itself. It's the model that put food on the table. It's the refrigerators. It put a man on the moon. Dambisa Moyo best man moon food I was born and raised in Zambia in 1969. At the time of my birth, blacks were not issued birth certificates, and that law only changed in 1973. Dambisa Moyo i-was-born born law time China is attempting the death-defying feat, which no one has attempted in the history of the world, which is to move a billion people out of poverty. When I speak to Chinese policy-makers, the thing that annoys them the most about Western policy-makers is that they're not given any credit for anything. Dambisa Moyo poverty history people world I would say issues around human rights - either you're going to take a hard stance, or you're not. You can't borrow money from China the way the U.S. has done and then turn around and say, 'But you've got a human-rights problem.' You can't be half pregnant. Dambisa Moyo you money problem way If I go to Singapore, I have friends there. If they came to Zambia, they'd feel the same way. I've made connections, and I have friends in many, many countries. Dambisa Moyo feel go friends way I had the good fortune to spend hours with my parents around the dinner table having debates on politics and economics. Dambisa Moyo parents good dinner politics