Biofuels are just an excuse for petro companies to still force folks to go to a gas station and fill up instead of charging batteries at home. Watch WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? and you will know what I mean...
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Question of the Day: What is your non-negotiable item, device, or app for international travel?
Botswana the answer to our power needs?
- Thread starter DigitalSoldier
- Start date
Very slim. Their economy is localized in a tiny portion of the population and a tiny geographical area.
I agree with you on the slim chance bit. I did my masters thesis on the Botswana economy "An african miracle". What is exceptional about Botswana is that they undertook macroeconomic planning way before anybody else in Africa was technical about planning.
Their first macro planning model was called membot and was developed in the early 70's with some canadian assistance. The country still ahead as it undertakes 6 year planning when most countries like SA undertake 3 year macro planning. They also dealt with corruption by infusing the new middle-class with a mix of african culture (Ubuntu or Botho in tswana) and western elements. Remember that the president that time, Sir Seretse Khama, was married to a white british lady, Ruth Kgama, and relations with Britain were very good after an initially being sour over his marrying a white woman (a very different topic.
Botswana cannot exceed South Africa in terms of economic dominance as the economy is a small fraction of SA's. The country is highly dependent on SA for imports. The main problem is that the economy is highly reliant on diamonds, and is as such very susceptable to the vagaries of international politics. The recent blood diamonds saga is a case in point.
Furthermore, the South African economy is also very bouyant and has increased from growing at an average of 3% in the 90's to an average of 5% in the past four years. The economy might reach the 6% mark ear-marked by the present government.
The only proble pertinent to the two economies is how do you translate economic growth to improved livelihood for the people. Botswana has taken a route of almost becoming an African welfare state, with subsidised health care, education (free university education, even sending students to US and UK universities). Whilst South Africa has a more complex approach, which tends to believe that you deal with growth and wealth effects will cascade downwards (remember Gear, and now Asgisa). I am not a communist, but I reeally doubt the validity of this approach.