How the West Under-Develops the Third World (Term Paper Sample)

How the West Under-develops the Third World
There is plenty of literature glorifying the actions of western countries in trying to uplift the lives of people in the third world. However, a critical look at the actions of these western countries reveals serious weaknesses that lead to the complete opposite of the intended outcomes. Allowing corrupt third world leaders to stash stolen resources in western countries, providing a safe haven for third world dictators, extending loans to corrupt regimes and supporting a consumer culture are some of the ways in which the west has continually suppressed the growth and development of Africa and the rest of the third world.

To start with, western countries are favorites when it comes to stashing of looted money by corrupt third world leaders. Corrupt third world presidents such as the late Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya have investments in western countries with Uhuru Kenyatta’s family investments being the subject of the Pandora Papers by the International Consortium of Journalists. Another president, Denis Sassous-Nguesso, who heads one of Africa’s poorest countries, Congo-Brazzaville, has been the subject of investigations over suspect investments in France.

With so much money looted from poor third world countries by leaders of these countries and invested or hidden in western capitals such as London, Paris, and Bern, these third world countries are denied the much needed capital for growth. If the west wants to truly support the third world, there should be a policy that actively bars corrupt third world leaders from investing looted money in the west.