Private Opulence & Public squalor
From Gustav Mahler by Bruno Walter (New York: The Greystone press, 1973), pp. 107:
I should like to interrupt here the process of reflection to point out that not only may a composer’s moods, ideas, and emotions be changed into music but that conversely, music also calls forth ideas.
A friend shared a tweet with me where someone joked that if you’re born in Nigeria, you automatically know you can’t be a Formula 1 driver. It made me laugh, but it struck a chord.
I wanted to be an astronaut when I was younger — a dream many kids share, I suppose. But I soon realized that certain dreams aren’t accessible in every part of the world. As you read this, you probably thought of a country where becoming an astronaut seems almost routine.
This illustrates how every society has its own set of affordances. Basically, this means that the dreams, lifestyles, opportunities, or ideas of what one thinks is possible depend on the society you live in.
And I bet there's someone out there who would say something like, "Why not go to a society that can give you more opportunities or affordances?" I personally think this viewpoint is naive or simplistic because it fails to consider the broader implications.
If everyone followed this advice and moved to wealthier states, what would be the outcome? Haven’t we already seen how that’s playing out across the world?
There’s so much disrespect, violence, and hatred toward outsiders because some countries feel overwhelmed by the influx, leading to increased xenophobia and social tension.
I suspect this situation will only worsen over time. Countries around the world will elect more leaders who may sanction violence against outsiders, or citizens of these countries will take the law into their own hands because they feel there is a strain on their resources.
In the end, they are only looking out for their own interests and people. I like to believe that humans are civilized and whatnot, but when push comes to shove, violence is our default setting.
The question then is: how does a country create conditions where people don’t feel compelled to migrate in search of better opportunities? And this ties into a question that has been plaguing me for years: what promotes human flourishing, and what impedes it?
Let’s think about it in terms of business. The primary goal of a business is customer satisfaction. If customers are satisfied and clearly see the value of the service, it would take an extraordinary effort to convince them to switch to another company.
Shouldn’t the same principle apply to a country’s leadership? Shouldn’t their aim also be to achieve citizen satisfaction by constantly improving the quality of life for their people?
Individualism works for some countries but not in others. In wealthier nations, you are free to do whatever you like with your wealth because the societal structure already supports individual flourishing. At least some of their billionaires are already in a subtle competition over who can give the most to society.
In contrast, in some African countries, what I have seen repeatedly is the equivalent of ‘private opulence and public squalor.’ Despite significant personal wealth, public spaces and infrastructure look so ugly. It seems like wealth and public beauty (infrastructure and services) are at odds in some parts of Africa.
It’s this same flawed mindset that has led many — both leaders and citizens — to divert public wealth for personal use, if they use it at all and don't just hoard it until it becomes unspendable due to mold.
I am not for anyone, including governments, compelling people to do particular things with their money. For me, do whatever you like as long as it doesn’t harm others. But if you fund anything that does, then we have a problem.
I’ve said this before: I believe that people of wealth and status, especially in Africa, should recognize their responsibility. Change should not depend solely on international figures. Africa has sons and daughters who are capable of leading transformative efforts if they choose to act.
Enough with the excuses. It’s time for African countries to start taking responsibility and ask critical questions like: Where are we headed? Do we like that destination? If not, how do we course-correct? This way, we can take control of our future rather than remain trapped by the past.
To top it off, I think there should be a school that teaches nation-building to the next generation of African leaders. Because it feels like we are currently minting nation destroyers every blessed day. ☀️
Thanks for reading. If there's anything you'd like to chat about, or if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you. :) 🍿