Why is Africa a Failure?

[Eh!]

I recall reading somewhere last year that nations of the world contributed around 700billion to the African continent since the 1960s. I'll post the link later if i can find it.

This reminds me of a story told to me by an aid worker in Africa. Here goes. During the 60s, an asian and an african was sent by their respective countries to study in europe to bring back skills and technological know how. The two 2 guys were roomates and became best of friends.

On completion of their studies they part ways, each returned to their respective country to contribute. Fast forward 10 years which they met again at their reunion where the asian extended an invitation to the african to his home country in asia.

When the african arrived at the asian guy's home, he was amazed at the asians big house, 2 luxery cars and a huge swimming pool. Impressed, the african asked "how did you do it?" The asian points to a nearby contruction site, rubs his hand and winks at the african and says "20%"

A couple of years later, the african reciprocated the invitation to the asian and invited him to africa. When the asian arrived at the african's home, he was stumped at his friend's 20 room mansion, a fleet of cars and a troup of servants. Impressed by the sight, he asked his african friend how he did it, the african points his finger in the bushes, rubs his hand and winks at the asisn and says "100%"

 

[Piepalook]

Sorry butt there is nothing 'borderline' about my racism I will have you know.

My racism is also not borderline.

The government's racism is also not borderline.

Sorry to be the one to inform you of this.

 

[Robin Hood]

My racism is also not borderline.

The government's racism is also not borderline.

Sorry to be the one to inform you of this.

How do you guys think you're racist? are you maby not "Moralists"?..or is that the same thing

 

[Piepalook]

How do you guys think you're racist? are you maby not "Moralists"?..or is that the same thing

I am also a moralist.
I do not like other races.
I do not social with them.
I do not like to see forced racial integration.
Therefore i must be a racist.

 

[Robin Hood]

I do not like other races.
I do not social with them.

Basicly what youre saying here is you stick to your kind which is normal. I have a black girl working for me and even SHE says that in their culture ( Zulu ) they stick by themselves although you get the occational one that wanders off...seems normal to me
Its like my one friend...He say he'll sit nexto an African, but he wont lie on top

 

[Piepalook]

You are right and you are wrong IMO. Generalizations are reality. The exceptions to the general rule prove this, simply by being exceptions, Do you get this? So to be realistic you can and must generalize to be factual.
You are right though to question the logic in democracy, for it does suggest that (in fact insists upon) the ignorant masses being in control. How sensible is that?

Not very sensible i am afraid.
If all had the same IQ a democracy as a method of governance would be ideal.

The way that democracy is practiced worldwide,prevents intelligent people from participating in policy making.

 

[Piepalook]

S.Koreans have larger brains, more stable birth rates and thus better family planning, it is worth the west to fund, invest and develop them, in turn they will be able to help themselves, and further help develop the world.
the African picture is much different. if not impossible, it may take millennia to help Africa make itself self sustainable. I say western countries should rather use their funding to build and further develop their own countries so that we can send robots to help africans one day, also the OLPC project could help alot, and lots of education programs, but sending food, and helping diseased people in africa will not work and will only worsen the problem, more unplanned families, it's like feeding the disease, harsh for me to say, but think of it, the west should stop ignoring this. no food programs, lots of education programs, and family planning should be taught or enforced.

Diseases and famine is nature's way of getting rid of undesirables.
The fitest shall survive.
It is natural selection at work.

 

[Piepalook]

That's a horrific way to put it, no that's not exactly what i meant. i think that if we ignore natures laws, while not finding smart ways around them, nature could come back for revenge and the problem would get much worse, and much harder to solve. we should not be naive

Nature is busy taking it's revenge.
Humanity destroys nature.
Nature destroys humanity.
At least some plants will survive.

 

[PostmanPot]

I thought that might be what it means but I don't know what to do to get through the door. Which is probably just as well.

You don't have to do anything - it's open.

Unless you don't know how to send a PM?

Click my nick, click Send PM.

 

[Rozier]

My racism is also not borderline.

The government's racism is also not borderline.

Sorry to be the one to inform you of this.

Why be sorry to inform me? Unless you misunderstood. I AM a full-on racist.
(is what I was trying to say) I am also a realist.

 

[Rozier]

You don't have to do anything - it's open.

Unless you don't know how to send a PM?

Click my nick, click Send PM.

Didn't realize one could do that.!! Will keep it in mind for future as right now I can't recall what it was we were talking about in the first place.
But Thanks.

 

[CyraxHB]

IMHO i think that it is a culture clash.
The Western and the African cultures do not gel.
Rightly or wrongly, we do not think the same.
The western culture worries and plans for tomorrow,the African culture lives only for today.Tomorrow does not exist.

The western culture does not harp on the past in the same way as the african culture does.

As an example we can use the Escom fiasco as a case in point:
The former "Advantaged" Escom employees knew that in order to be able to generate enough electricity you have to build new powerstations and keep a reasonable capacity in reserve.

When affirmative action was implemented at Escom,and the ANC government took over,some employees (to their credit) told decisionmakers that we will run out of generating capacity in future.

As the lights were burning at that stage,this was not seen as a problem or as a potential problem.
The new government then continued taxing the electricity grid, by adding more and more consumers,until the lights did go out.

Now for the first time (to the African mind) do we have a problem.

As a former homebuilder i used to often see this.
My empolyees (formerly disadvantaged) would tell me only when the cement is finished.
While there is one bag remaining in the storeroom they keep quiet.
They would only inform you when there is nothing left.

Planning for the future does not take prioroty in the African mind,simply because the future does not exist.
What does exist, is the present and the past.

That my friend, is the reason that Africa will not prosper and attain it's rightfull place in the world.

Well put.

 

[PostmanPot]

Didn't realize one could do that.!! Will keep it in mind for future as right now I can't recall what it was we were talking about in the first place.
But Thanks.

No problem.

Remember, you can also go back to previous pages in a thread.

 

[noxibox]

I recall reading somewhere last year that nations of the world contributed around 700billion to the African continent since the 1960s. I'll post the link later if i can find it.

Loans. And they came with enforced economic policies. The same economic policies that caused massive damage to South Korea some years ago when they ran into trouble. These economic policies were wrong, they'd failed over and over, but they continued to be pushed on countries.

Whatever the other factors those loans are crippling, they were intended to be crippling and they're maintained as a means to keep those countries hobbled. Maybe the people in Africa were gullible, maybe they should not have been taking loans and maybe they should have been telling the creditors where to shove their cereal box economic policies, but they were taken in by these crooked creditors. Corrupt leaders also get full support from the wealthy countries as long as that leader serves their interests.

 

[Gooku]

Africa has yet to build its own success

look at other continents .............


Nations rise from the ashes of warfare because of - behind the curtain - tireless hard works ,vast efforts ,quality leadership ,forward-looking attitude,acute visions ,out come demanding public ,management commitment,determination,resilience,sacrifices.........

Success or failure ? it is entirely up to the people (collective )

 

[PostmanPot]

And vast amounts of money.

There are successful African countries at the moment. There were also successful countries before colonialists arrived.

 

[lsuacner]

Loans. And they came with enforced economic policies. The same economic policies that caused massive damage to South Korea some years ago when they ran into trouble. These economic policies were wrong, they'd failed over and over, but they continued to be pushed on countries.

Whatever the other factors those loans are crippling, they were intended to be crippling and they're maintained as a means to keep those countries hobbled. Maybe the people in Africa were gullible, maybe they should not have been taking loans and maybe they should have been telling the creditors where to shove their cereal box economic policies, but they were taken in by these crooked creditors. Corrupt leaders also get full support from the wealthy countries as long as that leader serves their interests.

Most of the loans were not settled. Furthermore I don't see how an injection of money does not help the country unless the money is spent on non-capital consumables. If a country takes a $25m million loan and spends it on education, it would be easy to pay it back and reap many times the benefit. Hong Kong defies the African logic that Europe is to blame for its problems. Asian countries are doing well, Africans are blaming Europe. Africa is a burden on the rest of the world, there is no need to oppress it.

 

[Robin Hood]

Sometimes i wonder, is it worth while to debate on this? Who would really

listen anyway. People want "facts" here...."facts" there, but just by doing

your normal shopping, reading the news, talking to your neighbor, looking at

crime rates, looking at the rate things are being done,

ie standing in a que at a bank for about 1 hour just to find out the person

serving you is currently in a "training" process, so please be patient, vehicle license dept that also had no clue

as to what happened a while ago when all their "systems" went haywire, etc etc

Is that not enough proof that this Govt is incompetent? Also,

was this country not "taken over" with everything already in place, meaning

all that was "basicly" needed was maintenance and govt just needed

to "add on " to the then/still current infrastructures? How come a country

with an Army rated as one of THE best in the world is not even an army's

backside anymore? Also what i cant figure out is why do people have to search

for so called "clues" on the Internet when all the "clues" are around them?

I mean is it not common sense?...but still people want "proof"
.
.
.
Maby what we need is to enforce strict laws, so that we can become human towards our neighbor again.

The MAIN thing that i have noticed is that people don't care anymore...and that's a concern. We've lost our morality

If you haven't got a leader, you haven't got a country...

 

[air]

And vast amounts of money.

There are successful African countries at the moment. There were also successful countries before colonialists arrived.

Hey PP

please forgive my ignorance please name these successful African countries. One other thing, these successful countries b4 colonialist sarrived, are they in Africa or not?

thanks in advance.

cheers
air

 

[DJ...]

Hey PP

please forgive my ignorance please name these successful African countries. One other thing, these successful countries b4 colonialist sarrived, are they in Africa or not?

thanks in advance.

cheers
air

It might be worth your while reading the earlier posts as this has been discussed and Postman Pot has already named what he believes to be successful African countries, and this has been debated. Please dont join a debate based on what you read on the last page.