Dave Smith wrote:

Blinky the Shark wrote:

On the whole, note how much more functional the African states are as a
result of the big push for independence starting about 50 years ago.
Right.

They are? Some of them had law and order and growing economies before
independence. Most of them seem to have regressed. Countries like
Zimbabwe used to export food but now they can't even feed themselves.
Billions of dollars in aid is sent in to help the people but it never seems
to get past those in a position to to demand a bribe.

I believe he was being sarcastic.