Africa, what to do?

[jkellmd]

As an offshoot of the raging debate on Racoon's thread regarding slavery, I would like to ask the members what they think the future holds for the majority of african nations.

 

Rampant HIV, widespread political instability, outdated and destructive farming practices and environmental deterioration seem to spell unavoidable disaster in the not-too-distant future, it seems. I hear over and over again that farming practices have to change first; however, political stability seems to trump the issue. Food aid isn't a viable answer in the medium or long term (even if it could get to those who need it), and farming education is progressing at too glacial a rate to match erosion and overpopulation.

 

We have seen nationbuilding fail on a large stage in Iraq and Afganistan - it seems that democracy is not for everyone. If people cannot appoint, and keep in power, leaders with at least a few of their best interests in mind, there is no hope in ever improving their standard of living, educational system or agriculture.

 

On the bright side, africans are not the ones creating a new hybrid influenza every year by living, working, eating, sleeping and defacating alongside their pigs, chickens, goats, ducks, geese, dogs, cats and monkeys. Perhaps a topic for another thread...

[Racoon]

Thats a Heavy thread topic JKellMD...

But I prefer IT a spiraling downward racial BS mess.

 

*Solutions to Problems* seems to me to be much more constructive than the *Blame the Problems* on someone variety...

 

JKell made a great point about Political Stability.

I seems to recall that Much of the Aid we send to Africa does not even Go to those who it is sent to and need it the most! :hihi:

Rather the Militias and Warlords and their Chronies...:hihi: :)

 

That would really help out the situation!!!

But those in power will be/ARE Ruthless to maintain it. :) :hihi:

 

Most of the World has its own Big Problems too, and it is enough just to try and deal with their own...

But When Yugoslavia got into some of these same types of Bloodsheds, the UN and US stepped in...

Not in Rwanda :) Or other African countries.

 

HIV?AIDS is another terrible scourage.

The only solution is Education, condoms, and affordable medicine.

 

Theres so much more to say. Boerseun made a great point somewhere earlier about developing and implementing better farming techniques.

 

Tourism could Bring in more $$$ and Euros, if Stability issues were improved. That would really give people some Motivation.

 

I heard China is Investing BIG TIME in Africa now, because the rest of the world tends to stay away???

[jkellmd]

Tourism could Bring in more $$$ and Euros, if Stability issues were improved. That would really give people some Motivation.

 

Agreed. The bright spots are nations like Kenya, with ecotourism industries bringing in foriegn money (not aid), and protecting ecological resources at the same time. Economics improving the world - makes me go ahhhhhhhhh.

[Racoon]

Agreed. The bright spots are nations like Kenya, with ecotourism industries bringing in foriegn money (not aid), and protecting ecological resources at the same time. Economics improving the world - makes me go ahhhhhhhhh.

 

Yes

There are some success stories, about poachers who quit and switched from Killing animals, to Protecting them because they were now worth more in Ecotourism Money.

 

I think more Solar Energy implementation would also really improve standard of livings for Africans...while being clean and renewable and cheap after initial investments.

[J.B]

Why not leave them alone in their own primitive habit as nature has wanted and provided for them?

 

Why is the only way people like yourselves can except blacks as your equals is to try to bring them to the standard of (white) civilization?

 

Blacks naturaly want to revert back to their primitive ways, why do humans try to change that?

 

Why do so many whites treat blacks like animals? When a dog misbehaves, we don't blame the dog -- we blame the owner for improper training.

 

In Africa, when blacks behave badly, colonialism, imperialism, apartheid, globalization or multi-nationalism is blamed for not bringing up blacks properly. Liberals saw South Africa's apartheid and other human-rights abuses as unjust because blacks were suffering at the hands of whites. They hold whites accountable to civilized standards of behavior. Blacks are not held to civilized standards of behavior. From the liberal's point of view, it might even be racist to expect blacks to adhere to civilized standards of behavior.

 

Here is a BLACK MAN'S opinion on the problems of Africa:

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams010902.asp

[Racoon]

Why is the only way people like yourselves can except blacks as your equals is to try to bring them to the standard of (white) civilization?

 

Because I have some very Intelligent, cool, and nice friends that are Black, and they have taught me alot! :secret: And some of them are Richer than I am.

 

I had stereotypical feelings before. I grew up in White Suburbia.

I don't love ALL Blacks, and there are neighborhoods I avoid. I have also had some enemies that were Black.

 

But as I have gotten a little older and wiser, I realized why Blacks have such a hard-*** time in this country and others.

 

Black people ARE human. Just like me, and just like you. With feelings, intellectual capacity, and goals and ambition.

 

I am ashamed of the Slavery and its practices in U.S. history. (although I didn't perpetrate any of them)

 

When I lived in Venezuela, my Best friend was another Exchange student from Jamaica. My best friend from my old job at UPS is Black.

There ARE some Black people I don't like!

and there are some I would NOT trust!

But you don't throw out the Baby with the Bath water!!

 

Make some Black friends, and see if your attitude changes a bit...

[TheFaithfulStone]

Here is a BLACK MAN'S opinion on the problems of Africa:

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/col...iams010902.asp

 

You KEEP freakin' posting that. STOP.

 

Although I'm glad to see you've changed your trolling tactics from "racist forum troll" to "relativist anti-progress forum troll." You're white sheet is still showing though, what with the dog analogy and the "primitive" dropping.

 

Africa is not the US. But it's not that different either. It's not like Africans are these weird aliens who you have nothing in common with. They're people, and as such they ask the same question all people ask. "Who is like me and who isn't? Who deserves life, freedom, etc, and who doesn't?"

 

Historically speaking, cities are a bad idea in Africa. Disease like Malaria, which was not a serious problem until the modern age, are only exacerbated by urban living. Small groups are the way to go in any tropical climate.

 

Fixing Africa will take a commitment to humanity that the United States simply does not have, or at least, not that I've ever seen. We're too spoiled, too rich, and too disaffected.

 

Readings:

 

The Poisonwood Bible By Barbara Kingsolver

 

Watchings:

 

Guns, Germs, and Steel By Jared Diamond

 

TFS

[TheFaithfulStone]

dupe

[InfiniteNow]

Blacks naturaly want to revert back to their primitive ways, why do humans try to change that?

J.B.

Can you clarify a point for me? What is the difference between a black person and a human?

[J.B]

J.B.

Can you clarify a point for me? What is the difference between a black person and a human?

Black persons are part of the human family.

[Tormod]

Blacks naturaly want to revert back to their primitive ways, why do humans try to change that?

 

Please provide some evidence for this claim.

[IrishEyes]

Please provide some evidence for this claim.

I SOOOOO knew that something like this was coming when I read the first 10 posts in this thread.

Some things happen like clockwork.

This is one of them!!

 

I LOVE you, Tormod!!:(

[infamous]

 

I LOVE you, Tormod!!:hihi:

Speaking for myself, even though I'm sure Tormod feels the same way, we all LOVE you too Irish..............Infy

[J.B]

Please provide some evidence for this claim.

Gladly,

since the era of Civil Rights some five decades back, African-American men have suffered a serious decline in labor force attachment and participation.

 

Against the celebratory backdrop of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown versus Board of Education, a new labor market study finds that many of the nation’s African-American men face growing joblessness and year-round idleness problems.

 

The new report, titled “Trends in Black Male Joblessness and Year-Round Idleness: An Employment Crisis Ignored” and prepared for the Alternative Schools Network in Chicago, Ill., Northeastern University’s Center for Labor Market Studies and economist Andrew Sum analyzed both long-term and recent employment developments among the nation’s black males, finding that, since the era of Civil Rights some five decades back, African-American men have suffered a serious decline in labor force attachment and participation.

 

http://www.nupr.neu.edu/7-04/unemployment.shtml

 

So as you see the more "freedom" (civil rights) blacks have the less work they want to do, cleary reverting back to their African nature.

[Boerseun]

J.B: You are an idiot. Those stats could be attributable to a million and one different variables, yet you had to pick the one that went with your white cape. Nice.

 

Coming back to the topic:

 

I believe that Africa is systematically ignored by the World. Africa was raped for resources during the Colonial era, and then puppet governments were pushed onto populations not trained to run them through the Cold War with the accompanying greed and plunder by local strongmen, and the World just shook its head and said "Africa is a lost cause." No investments or aid of any kind will help in the least unless a strong and vibrant consumer class comes to the fore to create an internal market for any goods or services rendered.

 

China is eyeballing Africa for the same reason European countries went to war over her. Resources, and I suppose the Chinese version of economic Lebensraum. Short-sighted (and cash-strapped) African governments are turning belly-up in droves in appeasing the Chinese and in offering them lucrative mineral rights, 99-year leases on vast tracts of land, etc. Eventually the West will realise that a new "Scramble for Africa" is underway, and the whole sordid cycle of colonialism and economic "empire building" will repeat itself. But by then China will be the new World Power, and well-entrenched.

 

J.B, does your VCR flash 12:00 permanently?

[J.B]

Please provide some evidence for this claim.

 

Interestingly, the severity of social problems within black communities has intensified since the civil rights victories of the 1960s. In 1960, when black America was considered relatively worse off, only 23 percent of black kids were born out-of-wedlock. In 1970, just 33 percent of black women aged 20-29 were unmarried. By 1992, the number of unmarried twenty-something black women catapulted to 70 percent. A gross misconception about the out-of-wedlock birth crisis in black communities is that it is a consequence of teenage pregnancy. In fact, out-of-wedlock birth rates are the highest among women between the ages of 18 and 29. Moreover, since 1969, the largest increase in out-of-wedlock births has been among black women between the age of 20 and 24. Therefore, adult black women are purposefully choosing to have children outside of the context of marriage.

 

http://www.acton.org/ppolicy/comment/print.php?id=169

 

So as you see the more "freedom" (civil rights) blacks have the less they want to take care of their off spring. This has been a very common African male trate in African history, and proof that African's still have a tribal mentality today.

[J.B]

Please provide some evidence for this claim.

 

This to me is the best evidence for my claim:

 

There's no longer apartheid and there's black rule in South Africa, but what's the story there now?

 

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams010902.asp