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Much of the natural resources needed for producing those inventions come from Africa. No cell phone would work without African minerals.
Not all Africans were living in the "stone age" before Eurpeans came. Many pre-colonial African societies were very well developed politically and artisticlly before the coming of Europeans.
Check the:
Ghana,Mali and Songhay empires
The Benin Empire
The Kongo Empire
The Luba Empire
the Yoruba Kingdom and the Akan confederations etc.
Especially with regards to technology I would also mention the Nok civilization (in what is now central Nigeria), which had developed its own iron smelting processes.
In that case, I have a question for you. This question in particular will address the bold paragraphs you mentioned about dual citizenship. Everything else might tie into that. What would be helpful for people in Africa and the African diaspora abroad? If what you said is true, and I don't know it all to be true, what would be a better solution then? What would you propose? I ask this because I am aware that some African-Americans feel that they aren't really wanted in the USA.
What I am saying is that despite the color of their skin, they are more culturally similar to white Americans than Africans. They might not exactly be welcomed with open arms.
I have no "better solution". My point is that many blacks from America and other nations might find themselves less at home in Africa than the nations of their birth.
Just because my ancestors came from the Austro-Hungrian Empire, Italy, and Ireland does not mean I'd feel at home there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tfs985
In all honesty, every African that enjoys the luxuries that a modern lifestyle allows can thank Europeans and Americans of European descent (as well as Asians)for electricity, cell phones, computers, automobiles, etc. etc. etc. Without European and Asian inventions, Africans would probably still be in the Stone Age. This isn't racist, this is reality.
Well, if you have ever been treated for asthma, arthritis, an allergy, heart disease, or countless other aliments, you can thank a black scientist for finding out how to synthesizing sex hormones. Something that caused a revolution medicine.
If you ever had a relative that worked on a train yard who didn't have his arms crushed while connecting train cars, you can thank a black inventor for creating the latch that connects train cars when slightly bumped.
If you have received a blood transfusion, used a dustpan with a long handle, had a beer from a tapped keg, used a turn signal, had a relative who's life was saved during World War One or a firefighter because the gas mask was invented, or countless other ways the world is a better place, you can thank a black inventor.
You are right . There is no dual citizenship, just a right to live in Ghana for any black diasporan. They don't have to have visas or special work permits as long as they meet some basic criteria.
In all honesty, every African that enjoys the luxuries that a modern lifestyle allows can thank Europeans and Americans of European descent (as well as Asians)for electricity, cell phones, computers, automobiles, etc. etc. etc. Without European and Asian inventions, Africans would probably still be in the Stone Age. This isn't racist, this is reality.
Your opinions are not racist at all. A small percentage of European men (and that point must be emphasized so that the descendants of the average European who played no direct role in creating any of these technological innovations do not take credit for marvels they played no role in creating) went a far way in establishing the foundations for the contemporary world. Without the Aristotle's, Galileo's, Copernicus's, the founders of the Royal Society of London, etc, the world would undoubtedly be completely different than it is today. I have no problem giving credit to white men who have made monumental discoveries which have advanced life for the rest of the world. BUT to thank random white people who have not made any accomplishments on their own for theories they did not write, for creations they did not make, and for scientific breakthroughs which they did not discover is illogical. And the bittersweet irony of it all is that for those who brag about such things, being white is the only thing that they have going for them.
Ghana provides dual citizenship and has welcomed a thriving community of black expats with no tensions that I know of though I have no idea whether there is resentment because I honestly haven't asked. Please don't speak on behalf of the wants of nearly a billion people...unless you happen to have spoken to all of them.
I know Ghana is one of the best sub-Saharan countries to live, it has the fewest internal issues, there are no problems with Islam (compare that with Nigeria, which is almost like paralyzed by the constantly looming conflict between Christians and animists in the south and Muslims in the north, lots of envy there, similar to some parts of India). But even in Ghana African-Americans are met with suspicion and rejection, and that would increase with more African-Americans moving there. Interesting article: Ghana's New Money - TIME
Seems the deliberations were based largely on economic reasons, not on some lost connection.
Also, most African-Americans would simply not be happy in Africa, they have a similar standard of living as white Americans, they would miss all the things they take for granted in the US.
I am German and I am of African ancestry, too, according to anthropology I even used to speak some Bamanankan, which I studied for a while. Maybe I should move to Mali
I know some African-Americans feel like they are missing something in the US, but I don't think any kind of return to Africa is the solution. The future of AA's is in America only, except for a few individual emigrants to Africa, but also to Europe and Asia.
You are right . There is no dual citizenship, just a right to live in Ghana for any black diasporan. They don't have to have visas or special work permits as long as they meet some basic criteria.
Just wait and see what will happen as numbers of legal residents from abroad rise and with them food and real estate prices
Much of the natural resources needed for producing those inventions come from Africa. No cell phone would work without African minerals.
Not all Africans were living in the "stone age" before Eurpeans came. Many pre-colonial African societies were very well developed politically and artisticlly before the coming of Europeans.
Check the:
Ghana,Mali and Songhay empires
The Benin Empire
The Kongo Empire
The Luba Empire
the Yoruba Kingdom and the Akan confederations etc.
Our histories are not taught in Western schools and sadly not emphasized in many African schools so tfs985 has a good excuse as to why he's ignorant of any African contributions to "modernity." I hope these 3 things have not been said before:
1. Westerns routinely confuse the word "modern" with "western" implying that the rest of us are on some evolutionary road to become what they are and should always be playing catchup. It's an interesting form of ethnocentrism but not much more than that. It is mind-boggling for some westerners to find out that not everyone actually wants to be like them. No folks, you are not the reflection we all want to see in the mirror.
2. There are a great number of Afrocentrists who assert that Europe would be nothing without Egypt and then go on to say that Egypt would be nothing without Nubia, etc. Everyone influences everyone. Always has and always will...physical proximity made it easier in the past but now there are few barriers to cultural borrowing.
3. There are plenty of Africans who've grown used to having their beggars' bowls filled. It is absolutely true that they need to be weened because they have no incentive to not beg. However it's just as true that European nations have yet to respect the sovereignty of their former colonies (especially France) and Westerners recklessly jump into African affairs whenever it suits them. Neither side is innocent here but I appreciate China's relative honesty in all of this. I know China doesn't give a damn about Africa and I can only hope that other Africans do as well.
I know Ghana is one of the best sub-Saharan countries to live, it has the fewest internal issues, there are no problems with Islam (compare that with Nigeria, which is almost like paralyzed by the constantly looming conflict between Christians and animists in the south and Muslims in the north, lots of envy there, similar to some parts of India). But even in Ghana African-Americans are met with suspicion and rejection, and that would increase with more African-Americans moving there. Interesting article: Ghana's New Money - TIME
Seems the deliberations were based largely on economic reasons, not on some lost connection.
Also, most African-Americans would simply not be happy in Africa, they have a similar standard of living as white Americans, they would miss all the things they take for granted in the US.
I am German and I am of African ancestry, too, according to anthropology I even used to speak some Bamanankan, which I studied for a while. Maybe I should move to Mali
I know some African-Americans feel like they are missing something in the US, but I don't think any kind of return to Africa is the solution. The future of AA's is in America only, except for a few individual emigrants to Africa, but also to Europe and Asia.
Yes you're right...culturally black diasporans and Africans have little in common but there are some individuals who have made it a point to seek out what they've lost. In my personal experience these people have been rare. The average diasporan will never return to Africa to live or even visit. If people named Mike Jones or Celia Sosa felt African I assume they'd at least change their names before they change their address. It's probably only those who really feel that their cultural heritage is worth regaining by any means necessary. According to my spirituality those people must be welcomed back. But most Ghanaians are (at least nominally) Christian or Muslim so I don't know what there automatic reaction would be.
Much of the natural resources needed for producing those inventions come from Africa. No cell phone would work without African minerals.
Not all Africans were living in the "stone age" before Eurpeans came. Many pre-colonial African societies were very well developed politically and artisticlly before the coming of Europeans.
Check the:
Ghana,Mali and Songhay empires
The Benin Empire
The Kongo Empire
The Luba Empire
the Yoruba Kingdom and the Akan confederations etc.
Did African's invent cell phones? If not, they are utilizing a technological device that was created by non-African's. Europeans constructed ships (unlike Africans) and was able to explore lands foreign to them, thus enabling access to African resources.
I am also aware that Africa had numerous civilizations thousands of years ago. The fact is, when Europeans sailed to Africa in the 1400's, the native populations had failed to even invent the wheel. They never constructed sailing vessels. Muslim influence probably has a lot to do with this.
I am also aware that many Africans have made significant contributions to modern society. When I mentioned "luxuries", I was thinking cell phones, computers, cars, planes, etc. I know a black man was the first to perform open heart surgery. I'm not completely ignorant to African history, but I was thinking more along the lines of technology, not health care. Interesting stuff though, I just wiki'd Percy Lavon Julian and he surely was a great man.
Our histories are not taught in Western schools and sadly not emphasized in many African schools
I've heard it argued that post colonial Africa would have had fewer problems with civil wars and corruption after independence if more of it's new leaders had built on and modernized their indigenous styles of governing and used that as an influence on their new nations. Botswana was one of the few new African countries that did this where they use their kgotla debating tradition to debate and solve problems.
I mentioned the Luba empire of current day D.R Congo. That Luba empire from what I've read had a very sophisticated way of organizing and managing themselves politically that could be used today as an influence for that area.
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. There is no dual citizenship, just a right to live in Ghana for any black diasporan. They don't have to have visas or special work permits as long as they meet some basic criteria.
I even used to speak some Bamanankan, which I studied for a while. Maybe I should move to Mali 
