The author views Africa's underdevelopment as a systemic disease rather than caused by external factors such as colonialism. The central issue is morality and the lack of a path to legitimate ownership. Disagreements about ownership lead to wars and inefficiency.
Claims to resources often rely on force rather than on the exercise of legitimate ownership.
Weak governments only increase anarchy, prompting entrepreneurs to seek ways to protect their investments using markets.
The potential for ownership through illicit means using force and corrupt agencies, creates numerous claimants, increasing the potential for conflict over valuable resources.
A cultural expectation that surplus goods will be shared or ought to be shared, inhibits personal investment and ownership, as individuals feel ownership is always conditional and never safe from outside claims based on tribal affiliations or family ties.
Establishing a basis where people can claim a moral right to what they have is essential for progress; without it, individuals cannot claim the fruits of their labor.
Africa needs to develop a spiritual community, or church that is able to emphasize trust based on the moral right to own what we create. Africa needs to abandon the natural rights model that necessitates resorting to armed interventions and cumbersome court proceedings.
