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What is wrong with Africa? Why is it lagging so much behind? The continent is dam rich? Most of it, except for south africa, has been free from colonialism for quite sometime now. There are many other countries that have only recently found liberation. This not meant to hurt anyones feelings, this a simple, straight forwad reality, which I find hard to make sense of and justify. Africa has failed its self. Why is it allowing it? What is wrong with africa?
You need to read Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. It can answer most of your questions in great detail. Basically, the reasons Africa has lagged behind are complicated. Some of the factors include:
-- Lack of native domesticated animals. Horses, cows, chickens, etc. all come from outside Africa. Zebras and other native African animals are either untameable, or not worth the time and investment required to raise them (elephants).
-- Disease. AIDS is notorious today, but malaria is a major threat, and has been forever. Don't forget Ebola, sleeping sickness, River Blindness...
-- Climate. Hot, humid climate makes it difficult to cure and store food, keep paper and wood from rotting, etc.
-- Colonialism. Africa could probably have caught up, despite it all, but the continent had the massive misfortune to be a target for the more advanced and extremely aggressive European forces, who had not the slightest interest in peaceful coexistence and sharing of knowledge.
-- Corrupt goverments. They've ransacked their countries and squandered their precious resources. They are an absolute plague. The Sudan could feed the entire continent if it's farmlands were used to their fullest extent. Instead, we have Arab militias slaughtering and raping their way through the countryside.
-- Ethnic violence. Africa is the most diverse place on Earth. They are hundreds, if not thousands, of ethnic groups, speaking dozens of languages. Squeeze them into a small area, make them compete for resources, through a little meddling from their European colonists, and you have a recipe for utter disaster. Look at the turmoil in the Middle East with only a handful of races competing!
All this stuff ties into the others. You can't chose just one and say, "Oh, this is why Africa is the way it is." It's complicated, and it doesn't make a good soundbite on CNN.
What is wrong with Africa? Why is it lagging so much behind? The continent is dam rich? Most of it, except for south africa, has been free from colonialism for quite sometime now. There are many other countries that have only recently found liberation. This not meant to hurt anyones feelings, this a simple, straight forwad reality, which I find hard to make sense of and justify. Africa has failed its self. Why is it allowing it? What is wrong with africa?
From a Afro-American from the San Francisco San Jose Oakland Bay Area Of California..lower technology in a very hostile enviornment now that's what wrong with Africa. Now if I am right and you are a Caucasian ,and are asking yourself if this is right or wrong or good or bad , let me tell you this. People the world over are living out their's life's in their's own little private "Hell's" ,
people with a low degree of technology get done in by nature , and people with a High Degree Of Technology Will Do In Mother Nature , then have the table turned on them and get done in by MOTHER NATURE in the end. Global Warming 'The Ozone Layer Completely Disappearing' Oh let's not forget the ever rising "Oceans and Sea's' , and in the end High Technology People Aren't Any Better Than Low Technology People , get my driff.
-- Colonialism. Africa could probably have caught up, despite it all, but the continent had the massive misfortune to be a target for the more advanced and extremely aggressive European forces, who had not the slightest interest in peaceful coexistence and sharing of knowledge.
.
Hmmm.... I don't know about this. When I turn on the TV and see Africa, it looks like they have vehicles, structures that aren't mud huts, firearms, access to some medical technology, airports, cell phones, electricity, paved roads, textiles and many other things. Looks like we must've shared some knowledge with them.
Oh, I'm not saying these things are in any sort of abundance, I'm just saying that it's not like we kept Africa in the dark when it came to our technology and knowledge.
Hmmm.... I don't know about this. When I turn on the TV and see Africa, it looks like they have vehicles, structures that aren't mud huts, firearms, access to some medical technology, airports, cell phones, electricity, paved roads, textiles and many other things. Looks like we must've shared some knowledge with them.
Oh, I'm not saying these things are in any sort of abundance, I'm just saying that it's not like we kept Africa in the dark when it came to our technology and knowledge.
It doesn't do any good to dump some buildings and roads and then take off and leave them to disintegrate. Let me give you an example. This man I know went to Acra, Ghana, back in the early 90s to help build a school. He told me about seeing all these huge old buildings left by the British, literally falling in on themselves. No one could repair them properly, not without tools or skills. There were huge open sewers running through the city, no doubt spreading disease and filth. Everything was outdated. African airlines and airports are known for being dangerous. Railroads, paved roads, buildings, pipelines, all that stuff needs to be repaired and maintained. You can't do that without money. You also can't do that without tools and trained people. You ALSO can't do that in the middle of a warzone, or when people are dropping dead like flies from disease and famine. So the problems heap on top of problems and soon fixing anything means fixing everything, and that's a HUGE task.
But why can't they just all go to school and learn to take care of this stuff? Let's examine that question. Children going to school demands a number of prearranged factors.
-- They have a school to go to in the first place.
-- They have teachers to instruct them.
-- It's safe for them to go to school.
-- Their parents allow them.
Now, AIDS orphans without parents are going to be too busy trying to survive to worry about school. In other areas, the schools have been torn down from war and their teachers shot. In others, they can't walk to school for fear of guerillas catching them on the roadside. Some parents don't send their daughters to school (girls aren't worth educating). Others need their children to stay home and work on the farm.
It doesn't do any good to dump some buildings and roads and then take off and leave them to disintegrate..... You can't do that without money. You also can't do that without tools and trained people. .
Of course, but is it really our responsibility to maintain/fund the infastructure of Africa? The answer is no, but it does seem like we (the Western world) throw a lot of money, time and expertise into Africa. I guess I don't see it quite like you do. To me it seems like we really go out of our way to try to help Africa. Hell, we even let them come study in our universities.
Of course, but is it really our responsibility to maintain/fund the infastructure of Africa? The answer is no, but it does seem like we (the Western world) throw a lot of money, time and expertise into Africa. I guess I don't see it quite like you do. To me it seems like we really go out of our way to try to help Africa. Hell, we even let them come study in our universities.
1) For centuries, this continent has been excessively shunned by every outside country because it is viewed as a continent of dark-skinned, hated peoples, people that the world would rather see perish than thrive.
2) Internal, self-destructive tendencies of its people, partially the result of being treated for centuries like dark-skinned undersirables by the outside world. Such treatment has no doubt wrecked havoc on how these people feel about themselves, how they feel about their self-worth, and what their place is in the world. It doesn't do much with how they view each other either, tending to place little worth on the lives of their own people. Tragic.
Funny how during Bush's two terms, last week was the first time that he paid any attention to Africa, vowing to commit billions there, billions that the next president will have to make a decision on. Pathetic.
1) For centuries, this continent has been excessively shunned by every outside country because it is viewed as a continent of dark-skinned, hated peoples, people that the world would rather see perish than thrive.
2) Internal, self-destructive tendencies of its people, partially the result of being treated for centuries like dark-skinned undersirables by the outside world. Such treatment has no doubt wrecked havoc on how these people feel about themselves, how they feel about their self-worth, and what their place is in the world. It doesn't do much with how they view each other either, tending to place little worth on the lives of their own people. Tragic.
Funny how during Bush's two terms, last week was the first time that he paid any attention to Africa, vowing to commit billions there, billions that the next president will have to make a decision on. Pathetic.
You've got to be kidding, right ?
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From a Afro-American from the San Francisco San Jose Oakland Bay Area Of California..lower technology in a very hostile enviornment now that's what wrong with Africa. Now if I am right and you are a Caucasian ,and are asking yourself if this is right or wrong or good or bad , let me tell you this. People the world over are living out their's life's in their's own little private "Hell's" ,