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George Ayittey

George Ayittey Quotes

Economist

George Ayittey is a renowned economist, born in 1945. He has made significant contributions to the field of economics, particularly in the areas of African economics and politics. His research covers issues such as economic growth, political reform, and democratization.

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All Dictator People Aids Problem Debt Firsts Government Looks Lying Poor

Famous George Ayittey Quotes

“To be sure, dictators are crafty, evil geniuses with awesome firepower at their disposal. They are also brutally efficient at intimidation, terrorism, and mass slaughter. However, a force is able to dominate because the counterforce is either nonexistent or weak.”

Able Evil Force Genius Mass Weak Terrorism Efficient Dictator Slaughter Intimidation Crafty Evil Genius

Book:Defeating Dictators: Fighting Tyranny in Africa and Around the World

Source: Defeating Dictators: Fighting Tyranny in Africa and Around the World

“Dictators are allergic to reform, and they are cunning survivors. They will do whatever it takes to preserve their power and wealth, no matter how much blood ends up on their hands. They are master deceivers and talented manipulators who cannot be trusted to change.”

Ends Matter Hands Wealth Blood Masters Reform Preserves Survivor Trusted Dictator Cunning Whatever It Takes Allergic Deceiver Manipulator

Author:George Ayittey

“Across Africa there is what I call a colonialist mentality or orthodoxy. Orthodoxy in the sense that a lot of things have gone wrong in Africa in the post-colonial period. And time and time again, any time something went wrong, the leadership claims that it was never their fault.”

Gone Periods Claims Faults Posts Mentality Orthodoxy

Author:George Ayittey

“The 'Cheetah Generation' refers to the new and angry generation of young African graduates and professionals, who look at African issues and problems from a totally different and unique perspective.”

Looks Different Problem Young Issues Generations Perspective Unique Angry Graduates Cheetahs Unique Perspective

Book:Defeating Dictators: Fighting Tyranny in Africa and Around the World

Source: Defeating Dictators: Fighting Tyranny in Africa and Around the World

“Socialism is always wrong.”

Socialism Always Wrong

Author:George Ayittey

“There's a belief that since Africa got a raw deal from the colonial West, then the Chinese must be Africa's best friend. But the evidence doesn't show that, and the main criticism is that they are building infrastructure in exchange for Africa's resources in deals that are structured to favor China.”

Shows Belief Deals Building Evidence Resources Criticism West China Favors Chinese Infrastructure

Author:George Ayittey

“If NATO goes in and solves the crisis in Darfur, when the next one comes along Africa's leaders will just sit back.”

Ifs Next Leader Crisis Solve Nato The Next One Darfur

Author:George Ayittey

“Africa is poor because she is not free.”

Poor Libertarian

Author:George Ayittey

“The only good dictator is a dead one.”

Book:Defeating Dictators: Fighting Tyranny in Africa and Around the World

Source: Defeating Dictators: Fighting Tyranny in Africa and Around the World

“Radio is the death and life of Africa.”

Radio Life And Death

Author:George Ayittey

“The election of Senator Barack Obama brought jubilation across Africa, where millions celebrated him as 'one of their own.'”

Millions Election Barack Senators Jubilation

Author:George Ayittey

“The solutions to Africa's problems lie in Africa, not in Live Aid concerts.”

Problem Lying Solutions Aids Concerts

Author:George Ayittey

“There was free trade in Africa. There was free enterprise in Africa before the colonialists came.”

Trade Enterprise Free Trade Free Enterprise

Author:George Ayittey

“Traditionally, Africans hate governments. They hate tyranny.”

Government Hate Tyranny

Author:George Ayittey

“What Africa needs to do is to grow, to grow out of debt.”

Needs Grows Debt

Author:George Ayittey

“Western-style multi-party democracy is possible but not suitable for Africa.”

Party Democracy Style Western Suitable

Author:George Ayittey

“Virtually all of Africa's civil wars were started by politically marginalized or excluded groups.”

War Groups Civil War Excluded Marginalized

Author:George Ayittey

“When Uganda got debt relief in 1999, the first item President Museveni bought was a presidential jacket for himself.”

Firsts President Debt Presidential Relief Items Jackets Uganda

Author:George Ayittey

“Dictators cause the world’s worst problems: all the collapsed states, and all the devastated economies. All the vapid cases of corruption, grand theft, and naked plunder of the treasury are caused by dictators, leaving in their wake trails of wanton destruction, horrendous carnage and human debris.”

World Humans States Problem Causes Cases Economy Worst Destruction Leaving Corruption Naked Dictator Trails Theft Treasury Devastated Plunder Wanton Debris Carnage Vapid Us Treasury

Author:George Ayittey

“Personally, I regard myself as an intellectual 'rebel,' kicking against the 'old colonialism-imperialism paradigm' which has landed Africa in a conundrum.”

Intellectual Regard Rebel Colonialism Imperialism Paradigm Kicking Conundrums

Author:George Ayittey

“The richest persons in Africa are heads of state, governors and ministers. So every 'educated' African who wants to be rich - and there is nothing wrong with wanting to be rich - heads straight into government or politics.”

Want Persons States Government Rich Educated Ministers Governors Head Of State

Author:George Ayittey

“African history is filled with experiences of people shooting their way to power and then splintering into factions, like in Somalia and Liberia.”

People Way Filled Shooting Factions Somalia

Author:George Ayittey

“Africa has more dictators per capita than any other continent.”

Continents Dictator

Author:George Ayittey

“Africa's salvation doesn't lie in begging and begging for more aid, and as an African, I find it very, very humiliating.”

Lying Salvation Aids Begging Humiliating

Author:George Ayittey

“Getting rid of the dictator is only a first step in establishing a free society. The dictatorship must also be disassembled.”

Firsts Steps First Steps Dictatorship Dictator Free Society

Author:George Ayittey

“Hippos kill more people in Africa annually than any other wild animal.”

People Animal Wild Animal Hippo

Author:George Ayittey

“Look at the history of peace accords in Africa. They have a terrible record. They are shredded even before the ink on them is dry.”

Looks Records Terrible Dry Ink Accord

Author:George Ayittey

“In the West, the basic economic and social unit is the individual; in Africa, it is the extended family or the collective.”

Individual Social Economic West Collectives Units Extended Family

Author:George Ayittey

“In a banana republic, one might slip on a banana peel but things do work - now and then for the people, albeit inefficiently and unreliably.”

People Might Republic Slips Now And Then Bananas

Author:George Ayittey

“You have to separate the humanitarian impulse from the record of aid itself. We all want to help. Many people would say that it's the moral impulse of the rich to help the poor, but the record of aid has been terrible.”

People Want Has Beens Helping Poor Moral Rich Records Terrible Humanitarian Aids Impulse Help The Poor

Author:George Ayittey

“Back in the 1960s Africa not only fed itself, it also exported food. Not anymore.”

Inspiration Motivation Feds 1960s

Author:George Ayittey

About the Author

Born: 1945
Known for: Economist
Quotes: 31

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Dictator People Aids Problem Debt Firsts Government Looks Lying Poor

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People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

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Defeating Dictators: Fighting Tyranny in Africa and Around the WorldRelated source material

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