ABSTRACT
This chapter describes that there are contexts in which this line of reasoning, now more or less orthodox in postcolonial studies, has limits. Those contexts discussed here are teaching, the academy, and international relations of trade. In lieu of analysis, students are asked to memorize the gospel of trade: in a subheading of their International Economics, Husted and Melvin set out the chant, 'The Gains from Free Trade: One More Time'. For the student of international economics, the trip to the bookshop will be a fairly expensive one: their textbook might retail for as much as US$200. The chapter focuses on textbooks of International Economics, and their representation of 'Africa', focusing on the subtopic of trade. The cold-hearted high-mindedness underpins repeated claims that institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund work hard to alleviate poverty by making loans, and insisting on responsible economic management.
