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Is Africa the most underrated continent or is it rightly chastised?
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Is Africa the most underrated continent or is it rightly chastised?
Africa is unfairly criticised:12%
Africa is fairly a scapegoat IMO:1%
Mostly rightly it is criticised:19%
Mostly unfairly it is criticised:4%
Africa is a hidden diamond in the rough...33%
Africa is a bane on the human race and deserves to be removed from the planet ASAP16%
Patience is a virtue...4%
I could go either way, it's too close to call.4%
Other: please post3%
I don't know but bling is cool ini?1%
Total votes: 67
Simple question. Do we have any right to judge Africa for being the only continent that still has a high proportion of third world countries in it?
I know Asia has some third world countries, as does S. American and the Carribbean. But I think we can all agree Africa is bottom of the crap pile by a wide margin. Do you think it's their fault or is there some blame from the West?
Posting a poll because it's shiny and coin, and we all love shiny coins.
I know Asia has some third world countries, as does S. American and the Carribbean. But I think we can all agree Africa is bottom of the crap pile by a wide margin. Do you think it's their fault or is there some blame from the West?
Posting a poll because it's shiny and coin, and we all love shiny coins.
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Africa's alright.
I think sticking them all under 1 banner of 3rd world as we often do isnt right as some African governments have been quietly improving their country for years largly unreported and they should be praised for it and even maybe help taking it to the next level if they so wish from the richer nations.
However, alot of them also have so much corruption and aweful governments they should rightly be chastised for it. The more developed nations have been trying to help them for years and to be honest its been mainly wasted in alot of cases. Until the attitude of their governments and the masses change, theres not alot we can do for them.
We should help the ones doing the right things and hope that bad ones follow suit rather than throwing money and resources down the pan at the ones that simply dont want to change.
However, alot of them also have so much corruption and aweful governments they should rightly be chastised for it. The more developed nations have been trying to help them for years and to be honest its been mainly wasted in alot of cases. Until the attitude of their governments and the masses change, theres not alot we can do for them.
We should help the ones doing the right things and hope that bad ones follow suit rather than throwing money and resources down the pan at the ones that simply dont want to change.
Martyn*
Isn't Africa the "cradle of Civilisation"?
No it's the cradle of man.
The cradle of civilisation is the fertile crescent and The Arabian peninsula as a whole mostly.
Large image warning:
Spoiler
Africa had the first "modern" University though in Morroco IIRC, but that was more Arab than African really Although Mali had one as well Sankhore: African Arab.
Martyn*
Perhaps Africa is contemptible because it shows us our origins; the ape. Isn't from the ape to how we are today a marvellous transition? How false would it be to assume that we detest our origins and therefore detest the cradle - Africa.
Too simplistic.
Historically we haven't been kind to Africa exploiting it ruthlessly for its rich Gold and oil and diamond resources, I think personally it's a mixture of both. Africa would probably be in the **** with or without us, but we definitely haven't helped.
Ima vote what I thought and that is Africa is a scapegoat for the world, basically.
Howard
If anything I think it's overrated.
Howard that's hit and run. I always thought being as you were banged up you had plenty of time to make arguments, at least ones better than that.
Vokes
I think sticking them all under 1 banner of 3rd world as we often do isnt right as some African governments have been quietly improving their country for years largly unreported and they should be praised for it and even maybe help taking it to the next level if they so wish from the richer nations.
Actually I think it's about 40/40 third second and 20 pseudo or actually 1st, like Egypt and S.Africa.
However, alot of them also have so much corruption and aweful governments they should rightly be chastised for it. The more developed nations have been trying to help them for years and to be honest its been mainly wasted in alot of cases. Until the attitude of their governments and the masses change, theres not alot we can do for them.
I don't think that's entirely their fault in most cases we got the hell out of there when the profits dried up. Who did we expect as a replacement Gandhi?
We should help the ones doing the right things and hope that bad ones follow suit rather than throwing money and resources down the pan at the ones that simply dont want to change.
Are you God? 400 years ago these people were living in either the dark ages (arabs, Mali, Zulu) and so on or something close to the iron age. Do you expect cultural change in 10 minutes perhaps?
What is there of worth in Africa? Most of it is just infertile desert, which as far as I can see is the reason it is still developing, the conditions are so bad there it is difficult for people to make enough food to survive. If they didn't have to struggle to grow food to live then they would have time to work at developing. It is easier for countries to become developed where they don't need to put so much effort into agriculture.
Xenopus
What is there of worth in Africa? Most of it is just infertile desert, which as far as I can see is the reason it is still developing, the conditions are so bad there it is difficult for people to make enough food to survive. If they didn't have to struggle to grow food to live then they would have time to work at developing. It is easier for countries to become developed where they don't need to put so much effort into agriculture.
Did you know that the dust bowls that cause the Sahara to grow were mostly caused by white or other settlers who advised the natives to chop down trees that had been there for thousands of years, for very good reasons. The natives forced to de-forrest for white man's profits soon lost many of their farms to the dessert. Definitely think its both ways.
Some countries have utterly vast resources, the problem is all the money is in the hands of either business, or the government. Because in most case the next government in power has been by its nature of other throwing previous order a dictatorship, power stays in the hands of the corrupt few.
People seem to think that tribes or races or civilisations will go to democracy as naturally as they would take to water given the chance, but it took us 2000 years to get it vaguely right. Altering behavioural systems is not a quick process. I think that is the problem people seem to have, that they assume things happen over night: or people wake up with these cultural values and mentalities as if awaking from a dream and having an epiphany.
Don_Scott
It's not really the fault of the West apart from protectionist measures.
There's too much corruption, too little accountability and so on.
There's too much corruption, too little accountability and so on.
But then it's a bit more complicated than looking at the 20th/21st century isn't it. I mean there's blame on both sides for the slave trade, but much of it goes to Europe.
The spice/incense routes made Abyssinia one of the richest most powerful nations on Earth at one point. It didn't lose that by chance.
Simple, Americans and extreme enviromentalists have denied the African dream, which is to develop. They have denied Electricty, fuel, tap water and thier excuse is "global warming". That Africa can not develop due to the impact it will have on the environment. But the funny thing is, America wants Africa to use solar panels etc for electricty. Now, look at the irony, one of the worlds poorest country using the most expensive technology for basic needs.
Ahh its all too complicated.
Ahh its all too complicated.
Don_Scott
It is complicated, yes, but it has been 40 years since most african countries gained independence.
Some of them have done well most of them haven't.
Some of them have done well most of them haven't.
Look at other countries in the same developmental stage in history that have gained independence before you judge. I'm not disagreeing I just think it's a bit more than just trivial generalisations.
Myth717
Simple, Americans and extreme enviromentalists have denied the African dream, which is to develop. They have denied Electricty, fuel, tap water and thier excuse is "global warming". That Africa can not develop due to the impact it will have on the environment. But the funny thing is, America wants Africa to use solar panels etc for electricty. Now, look at the irony, one of the worlds poorest country using the most expensive technology for basic needs.
Ahh its all too complicated.
Ahh its all too complicated.
I agree.
We can't go throwing DDT around over there, but with Europe's modern farming techniques with the combination of environmentally anal laws, we could give them something better than they have.
It's a minefield. And sadly I think a lot of people make up their mind without really knowing the continent. Me I don't know the 1% of it, but I at least am willing to look at it through realistic eyes. Let's not deny its their fault but the blame isn't all theirs either.
Africa is generally resource or luxury rich, it always has been, what ***** it is the heat and the diseases, like most countries in the Equatorial belt it's got more problems than we can count. Put governmental problems with that and the **** hits the fan. The hard part is getting the resources into the hands of everyone the world over fairly or at least ammicably, but first the indigenous people as a whole. If I could solve Africa then Nobel prize me up.
Don_Scott
It is complicated, yes, but it has been 40 years since most african countries gained independence.
Some of them have done well most of them haven't.
Some of them have done well most of them haven't.
Change will take much longer than that. I say be patient, but don't be stupid.
This is a really interesting video, called an archaeological moment in time. I recommend everyone to watch, it's only 10 minutes long. It puts Africa in a very good light. It basically explains the state of humanity worldwide around 10,000 years ago.
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