No Liberian Civil war

So WI Liberia in the 1980s doesnt go through the terrible civil war. Could Liberia be a second world nation. OTL the civil war destroyed many healthcare facilities, industries, and population. Without Civil war could Liberia become a second world or first world country in Africa.
 
I think it would be better. Say what you will, the Americo-African elite that established Liberia and became its ruling caste provided stability and a sort of "special relationship" between Liberia and the US. IN the US, the polite fiction even existed that Liberia prior to 1980 was a US-style democracy. True the majority of the non-American descended people in Liberia were second-class class citizens and, but I'm not sure the initial revolution and following civil wars are any better.
 
So WI Liberia in the 1980s doesnt go through the terrible civil war. Could Liberia be a second world nation. OTL the civil war destroyed many healthcare facilities, industries, and population. Without Civil war could Liberia become a second world or first world country in Africa.

"Second World" does not mean an economic development between the First and Third World. In fact, none of them are technically definitions of economics development.

First World - The anti-Communist West.
Second World - The Communist Bloc.
Third World - The unaligned countries.

The terms are a relic of the Cold War. Because the First World typically represented the developed democracies of Europe, North America, and Japan, it became shorthand for "economically developed." Because the Third World was typically the decolonized countries, it became shorthand for "poor, undeveloped countries."

Nevertheless, I think everyone understands what you mean. I wanted to bring this up because it is a common error.

Even without the civil war, Liberia faces a lot of challenges. It does not have any of the signs typical of the Asian Tigers/Newly Industrializing Economies (NIEs). It does not have mass education and high levels of literacy, a technocratic elite, low levels of corruption, or a real vision to develop. The existing elite was extraordinarily selfish. It would take a lot of changes in Liberia's politics to build the necessary infrastructure for real, widespread economic growth.

I think we would see a country with very unequal development, although if we keep preventing any civil war, then we must be seeing some kind of improvement in the condition of the "native" Liberians as opposed to the descendents of former slaves. We might see an economy that is far better than most Africans, but probably no better than most Latin American countries, and far behind the NIEs.
 
You would need an earlier and/or different POD. Perhaps for example American companies begin investing in Liberia and set up their African headquaters there? You'd have to combine this with a leader who tries to bring prosperity to ALL Liberians not just the American-Liberians.
 

Cook

Banned
I read this as ‘No Librarian Civil War’ and was picturing snipers between the book shelves.
:D
 
You would need an earlier and/or different POD. Perhaps for example American companies begin investing in Liberia and set up their African headquaters there? You'd have to combine this with a leader who tries to bring prosperity to ALL Liberians not just the American-Liberians.

The former itself requires the end of the massive, massive corruption in Liberia... hell someone needs to make it a place you would actually want to invest in for something aside from diamonds.

That last part too would be helpful.
 
The former itself requires the end of the massive, massive corruption in Liberia... hell someone needs to make it a place you would actually want to invest in for something aside from diamonds.

Well you wouldn't have to completely remove corruption-there was and is rampant corruption in many of the Asian Tigers for example.
 
Well you wouldn't have to completely remove corruption-there was and is rampant corruption in many of the Asian Tigers for example.

There's a difference between "corruption is a serious problem" and "corruption makes it almost impossible to do anything more simple than selling lemonade", Liberia, along with a lot of other places in Africa, is the latter.
 
There's a difference between "corruption is a serious problem" and "corruption makes it almost impossible to do anything more simple than selling lemonade", Liberia, along with a lot of other places in Africa, is the latter.
Yes. The Asian Tigers have either consistent corruption or corruption at high levels. Frex, if someone takes a 10% cut at something, then one knows that that stereo costing $50 is really $55 dollars and can plan accordingly. Inconsistent corruption at lower levels is the worst.
 
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