Reply to Mary Lancer:
Like you I would hope that democracy and socialism might reinforce
one another, but the point in my commentary on Ayittey's book is
that he does not see things that way. He strenuously objects to
those who find a basis for socialism in African tradition, feeling
that socialism in Africa became a cover for authoritarian elitism
and economic mismanagement. He finds in the African past a basis for
pluralist democracy and free enterprise.
The pedagogical point here is that we all "construct" history to
support our current agendas and the Ayittey book represents an
opportunity to watch this process in operation.