The Anti-Politics Machine

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Development is often viewed as beneficial and essential, leading the West to intervene in impoverished regions worldwide. However, when these initiatives fail, they generate unrecognized consequences, such as the growth of bureaucratic state power and the transformation of poverty and powerlessness into "technical" challenges for development agencies. This book aims to shed light on the political implications of these effects through a case study of the development industry in Lesotho, focusing on a specific project. Employing an anthropological lens influenced by Foucault, the author, James Ferguson, examines the institutional structures behind these projects and the nature of "development discourse." He reveals that despite the expertise involved in crafting development initiatives, they often overlook the historical and political contexts of the areas they aim to assist. Through a detailed analysis of the Thaba-Tseka project in Lesotho, Ferguson illustrates how this flawed approach manifests, portraying the development apparatus as an "anti-politics machine." This mechanism obscures political realities while simultaneously reinforcing state authority in the region. James Ferguson is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of California at Irvine.