DP #6: Blind Eye on Poverty

Clearly many arguments can be made as to why there is extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa but one which holds much truth is that of government corruption. The lack of leadership and fundamental responsibility in all deficient countries is an issue but is especially in Africa: it propelled conflict in the Niger Delta because officials turned their backs when the leaders of the Delta armed their criminal gangs and thus were able to sway the 2003 elections a great deal and is the cause of daily rapes and murders in the Congo. The United States' not-so-wonderful leadership is also becoming an enabler by being co-dependant to corrupt African governments and not rightfully participating in global efforts to change the current statistics. It might not be presumptuous to say that with new leadership, less than 1.5 billion people would be living on $1 a day; however the Levite and Priest never stopped so who is to say the crooked leaders ever will?