Are you prepared to send South Africa $8 billion to close down their coal-fired power plants?

Don’t worry. Your level of preparation is irrelevant. President Biden is prepared to do so, and that is all that matters. Your opinion counts as much as a wart on a gnats ass in such matters.

Biden held a U.S./Africa summit, and he decided that this was a fine time to shower the continent with some good ol’ American dollars. Because the history of foreign aid investments in Africa has been one of unlimited success, it apparently it’s time to pour more good money after bad.

Biden’s speech to the delegates at this summit must have been riveting for the attendees. Not that Biden is an unusually good speaker–he mumbles his way through every teleprompted speech he has ever given–but because the attendees were using the calculator functions on their smartphones to figure out how much graft they can divide up amongst themselves.

Africa is a mess, and everybody knows it. There are things that the US and other countries can do to help the citizens in all these countries, such as the AIDS relief that was among George W Bush’s few achievements. But sending foreign aid to these countries is a giant waste of money. Worse, it only helps prop up some seriously corrupt governments.

A White House official said the U.S. is to commit $55 billion to Africa, ahead of U.S.-Africa summit hosted by President Joe Biden, where he is expected to announce support to African Union to join G20 and for a permanent member from the continent on UNSC https://t.co/3QrEmiMIBf pic.twitter.com/iAbNlO0m7d

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 13, 2022

Perhaps, though, there is a silver lining. Hunter may have made a few secret deals and the Big Guy might somehow get a cut. Although frankly at Biden’s age and his belief that he will be President for another 6 years, Biden should be immune from any additional lust for money. What could he possibly do with it?

Politically there is no upside as far as I can see. African Americans, save for a few, care as little about African countries as any other American. And why should they? My own ethnic background is a melange of Welsh, Swiss, Swedish, and Hungarian. Throw in some Sephardic Jewish and you have a mix that leaves me loyal to the US and not much else. I don’t pine for a home country, and neither do most Americans.

This is, I suspect, more about relations with European countries and pushing back against Chinese influence on the continent. There is some BS climate change stuff, of course. But the only strategic interest we have in Africa is fighting for resources against China.

SUPERCUT!

Biden gives Africa all the money! pic.twitter.com/6J1KiOvM0H

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) December 14, 2022

That is the most charitable interpretation I can think of; I have to hope that there is some strategic thinking behind this. Probably not though; Biden just likes to throw around money.

The graft explanation is still the best. Assume that those dollars will flow to the various countries, the leaders take a cut, and then the money will flow into the pockets of contractors owned by Biden friends. Throw in a few big corporations and call it a win. It’s also a bone to the climate crowd.

It’s a win for everybody but the American people, who are just getting screwed once again. If anybody imagines that closing down South African coal plants will save Mother Earth they are utterly deluded. This is just showering money on grifters.

It will be an eternal mystery to me why Americans put up with this. Perhaps we see it as a form of protection money–we throw a bunch of money at politicians to spend as they like in exchange for being left alone most of the time.

If so, it isn’t working.