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I think part of the reason nobody wants to care about Africa is because the problem is so complex and so varied depending on which country/region you're talking about. "The Problem" is not monolithic. And it's going to take lots of time - maybe generations. Any outside-imposed changes are going to be temporary at best, resented at worst. Looking at Maslow's hierarchy of needs, these countries need a lot of basics met before they can worry about government, including safe homes, clean water, nutritious food, universal education, birth control for women who want it, and sustainable resources. One thing, besides the IMF accountability I mentioned, that would help immensely is an end to Western countries' agricultural subsidies for their own farmers. We provide subsidies that allow our farmers to sell products at a price so low that it pushes developing countries out of the market as producers. And yes, that's going to hurt.
Part of me thinks we'll never see an end to this problem, but I also think there has to be some way to sort things out. We're witnessing the aftermath of a number of transitions from colonial power, and it may take a while before things simply stabilize on their own. But I don't think it'll happen without Western intervention, and without sacrifice on the part of the 25% of the people in industrialized nations who have the highest standards of living and the highest rates of consumption.
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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."
- Anatole France
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