Save Africa! Stop the aid!

The other day I was berated by a friend of mine, who works at the European Parliament, for being cruel and heartless. I had said that more aid money and the Live Aid concert (which absurdly wasn't even raising any money) were not going to help Africans if corruption was not tackled - on the contrary, considering most of the money goes into the pockets of despots who cause many of the problems, I think indiscriminate aid donations (or debt forgiveness, which amount to the same thing) entrench the African crisis.

The German weekly, Der Spiegel, with whom I often disagree, seems to have a surprisingly reasonable and pragmatic stance with respect to African aid. This article (via Junk Science, under July 5th) and this excellent interview (via Vodkapundit) illustrate perfectly why it is actually out of deep concern for Africa that I am skeptical of aid.