Nigeria, Jan. 5 -- "Truth is, few Africans are democrats. We love hierarchy and authority ranking too much for it to be otherwise." I posted this on my social media handles a couple of days ago. The most poignant feedback invited me to speak for myself. Apparently, "democrats" on the continent are too plenteous to fit under the "few" rubric.

How true is this? A simple thought experiment would help delineate (if not clarify) matters. Imagine yourself a non-participant observer looking in on a sandbox - a newly arrived Martian, perhaps, looking in on any part of our blue world. In the sandbox are a hundred active entities; ninety-six of which have been involved over the course of the period of observation in remarkably similar conduct. Fou...