A Look in a Book

I've started reading The Shackled Continent, a book that seeks an answer to why African nations are crippled by war, disease, and corrupt governments. I am not a political person. I recognize that nearly everywhere I turn, I am faced by politics...but, in all honesty, I despise politics. I hardly have an understanding of American politics, let alone any idea about the world political forum! But, I've found this book to be quite interesting so far and I thought I'd share quotes with you as I read!

"Since independence, Africa's governments have failed their people. Few allow ordinary citizens the freedom to seek their own fortunes without official harassment. Few uphold the rule of law, enforce contracts or safeguard property rights. Many are blatantly predatory, serving as the means by which a small elite extracts rents from everyone else. Predatory governments usually make their countries poorer, as in Nigeria and the central African Republic. Worse, when power confers riches, people sometimes fight for it, as in Congo and Liberia."

*The Shackled Continent: Africa's Past, Present and Future, by Robert Guest, p. 12

I may not agree with many of our government's decisions but I can be thankful that I rest in a higher power, a Power that will never fail me and has proven to be faithful for many generations before me! It has been a stark reminder to me to be thankful for all that the Lord has blessed me with...the many things that I so often take for granted...especially many of the freedoms we have the liberty to enjoy in our country!!