Interesting Article

[Kashluk]

Found this, 10 years old, article from the World History Archives:

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/30/011.html

It's not a long read, but the short version is a bit like this: contrary against the common belief, that Europe & America are supporting Africa and it's people, the whole deal is the other way around. More money flows from Africa to Western nations than from the rich industrial countries (through charities, compensations etc.) to Africa. The article explains the reasons why things are like that and solutions how to end poverty and misery in the third world in general.

( of course, the article is far from objective, because the writer originates from South-Africa himself )

Any thoughts?

[Trakocian]

Sounds like another cynical, hypocritical, blowhard who rants about a narrow point of view. This person apparently dosen't understand the concepts of business and global economies.
Business MAKE things. Africa has cheap labor and few interfering laws. Business likes Africa. Business makes things that are not demanded in Africa, therefore it goes somewhere else. If Africa wants to become rich, prosperous, and peaceful, so people like that idiot can't rant, encourage more business and free markets.
Right now, Africa has much greed in itself. A few people dominate over many. It is no different than any other place in the world. Only the laws are different. If people demand guns and munitions, someone will sell them those things. If people demand luxury, someone will sell them luxury; if they don't, the people will go somewhere else.
So take a cue from America. We used to be a colony of Europe, too. Look what we've done in two centuries.

[Grey Fil]

Could not read the article to the end, it is very biased. It is true that europeans and americans have exploited african natural resources abusing the needs and weakness of african countries, so have all other countries who could do it. It is how business is done in a grand scale. OTOH african countries in general have done nothing to improve the bad situation they are in. War, corruption and mismanegment have been the rule in most african countries. The aid is often bulshit because it comes with strings attached but it is also used for the enrichment of small elites rather then to development.
Since the obligation of helping and developing a nation is foremost obligation of the people living in it I would say that the main fault of African misery is Africa itself.

[Killzig]

I would say that the main fault of African misery is Africa itself.

Money.

[Grey Fil]

Money comes and money goes, it is what you do with it that counts.

[Jimmyjay86]

Most of what he says is assumed tripe, but he does have a grasp on the major point. The rich will always exploit the poor. It is a vicious cycle that is difficult to escape, but many African nations are asserting their power and reversing this hold. Mugabe pushed the balance in Zimbabwe but did he push it to the black's advantage or did he just succeed in pushing the country out of control?

There is a lot of Africa ruled by the black majority and most is peppered by corruption and civil war. Probably quite a bit of that has to do with political meddling by western countries and some has to do with wanton destruction of colonial infrastructure. Somalia, Liberia, Angola, Rwanda, Burundi; the list goes on of the countries ripped apart and devastated by power grabs and ethnic violence. The more these countries unravel, the more difficult it is to repair the problems. But there are still a lot of stable countries in Africa, and many that are independently successful. It is a big continent and to make any assumptions about the whole like Femi does is stupid.

African countries obviously must help themselves out of the problems generated by colonial rule. Groups like the CEEAC are pushing towards that goal and with both economic and infrastructure aid provided from outside they can stabilize the worst regions. Truthfully I don't see a lack of aid provided by many organizations and governments but there is an enormous need.

[Canis Lupus]

More money flows from Africa to Western nations than from the rich industrial countries (through charities, compensations etc.) to Africa.

(Assuming that this is true)

Good. We Westerners need to 'sacrifice' countries such as Africa - we're capitalists, we don't want Africans to get money, because that'd be our money, and our whole system would be brought down.

We need poverty-stricken countries to balance out our gargantuan amount of money. We need countries like Africa to be this way because there will always be a division between the rich and the poor, and we rich Westerners don't want to be poor, same as the poverty-stricken people, but we actually have the power to do something about it.

[Jimmyjay86]

Good. We Westerners need to 'sacrifice' countries such as Africa - we're capitalists, we don't want Africans to get money, because that'd be our money, and our whole system would be brought down.

Africa is a continent composed of many countries. Some of them like Egypt, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, etc are very well off and you would be hard pressed to call them poor. Some others which are war torn do not contribute to the western free market economy.

[atoga]

Since when are you unbanned, Kashluk?