During this week’s Rose Café on development in Africa, Professor Nicolas van de Walle made an interesting statement. He said that he “wouldn’t force Ethiopia to democratize because that could counter its economic advancement.” What really struck me about this declaration is how clearly it illustrates the tension in international relations between acting for economic or pragmatic purposes and acting to uphold moral standards. Professor van de Walle suggested that there are many types of governments he does not believe merit aid from the US or other developed countries. For example, if a government has been in place for over ten years, if a government was instated via military coup, or if a government is not sharing the cost of the development and promoting local ownership, then he does not believe western countries should support it.

Saying that Ethiopia should be exempted from these standards suggests that sometimes, the international community finds it easier to accept “good enough,” especially when economics come into play. Still, I think it is important to truly question any tradeoffs that favor pragmatics over morality since upholding moral values is in general extremely difficult. I also wonder whether the people of Ethiopia would prefer that the international community prioritizes the economy (which may have more benefits in the short-term) or instituting ethical institutions and practices (which may be more beneficial for the nation in the long-run).