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"The state of Africa is a scar on the conscience of the world. But if the world as a community focused on it, we could heal it. And if we don't, it will become deeper and angrier" - Tony Blair, 2 October 2001.
Of course Our Tone lost interest in Africa in favour of making money but 13 years on the problem of Africa
is even worse. What is the solution? How do you change a culture of tribalism rather than democratic government?
Do we just keep sending aid as we have been doing for over 50 years?
Of course Our Tone lost interest in Africa in favour of making money but 13 years on the problem of Africa
is even worse. What is the solution? How do you change a culture of tribalism rather than democratic government?
Do we just keep sending aid as we have been doing for over 50 years?
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Simplify it, like a busy menu it has too many countries. If it was just one big country then it could focus on what it's really good at, which is generally everyone killing each other and dying of Victorian diseases.
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The best way to deal with Africa would be to appoint a committee, and get call me a taxi to act as its chairman.
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If sub-Saharan Africa was a racehorse, you'd shoot it.
Geldof and co. tried to cure hunger in 1986. Almost 30 years later there are more starving and dying of disease now than there were back then. Plenty said at the time that it wasn't going to work in the long run. Poverty is obviously not the same in England, but on the BBC this morning it was stated that 10 of the worst 20 areas for children in poverty in this fine country, are in London. A good advert for England that is, poverty in our capital city. If UK citizens want to send their own cash to Africa, by all means let them do it so they can feel wonderful about themselves, but the govt should stop sending it, and spend it on something worthwhile here instead. |
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jed.davison 15 Oct 14 12:09
The best way to deal with Africa would be to appoint a committee, and get call me a taxi to act as its chairman. I was typing when you posted that. Sorted it already.  |
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I was expecting a more radical, and perhaps even final, solution.
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The biggest problem with Africa is the money is receives in foreign aid is not distributed fairly by their respective 'dodgy' governments, it should not be given directly to them, if we want to support Africans we should send over food and resources, anything but money. The same can't be said for India however, they sent back our foreign aid and called it peanuts
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I've got my ideas for Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
On the phone to NASA now. |
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Does Africa need the white man to sort it out? Or can the black man deal with it?
For example, can the black man deal with ebola? I've been to Africa 6 times. My experience of their agriculture is that in places it's about 1000 years behind Britain's. I would include Ghana and Malawi in that. In Ethiopia there was little or no provision (that I saw ) for collecting rainfall. To say I was shocked would be an understatement.. Huge tribal issues of jealousy, hatred suspicion and of course ancestral worship which suffocates any ambition or new ideas. 'If the ancestors didn't do it, then I won't' is a common view. So if the ancestors farmed in a way that led to starvation, the people of today will do likewise for fear of upsetting their dead relatives.. Incredibly sad but solvable. |
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They need major birth control standards to be imposed. One child per family...no more. It is not going to be achieved with kid gloves. It may require more positive techniques...
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Africa has 3 big problems,
The Catholic Church and it's refusal to encourage contraception. The World Health Organisation and it's continual supply of drugs and advice which have the total opposite effect to what it says on the tin. The United Nations and it's dodgy links to world banks which are owed billions by African countries, thus, any money donated by well wishers, goes straight to the banks via the countries, to settle their debts. Thus, keeping the population in poverty. As long as Africa stays rich in natural resources from oil to gas to diamonds, the longer the western world keeps stealing from them and remains a presence in the area. After live aid, Ethiopia was given millions of pounds in donations. Most of which was squandered on a new consulate in Switzerland and a fleet of limousines. The rest ultimately found its way into the very secretive Swiss banking system. Ultimately, live aid was a failure. People still starved, and as long as countries like Ethiopia have corrupt mps propped up by the west, the longer the majority starve and stay poor. Of course, there is a simple solution. Sort out the sanitation and clean water supply and within a generation, the sickening scenes we've been seeing over the last 30 years, will be a thing of the past. |
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Close down all African airports for a start.
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I agree with that Naydam..yes their own population is their biggest enemy
But only communism could enforce that, and we don't like communism in the west Africa has been exploited by the West, we created their countries ignoring tribal differences. Law and order is more important that democracy. I think we should send them aid, it is humane, but unless they can get their population under control I see little change. Africa is Africa, |
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Or let Nature take it's course. There are too many mouths to feed and they are compounding the problem by breeding even more!
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We should NOT try to impose our values on them
That is the mistake we have made in the M.East The World needs to learn to accept it's differences. |
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It would be hard not to send them aid
I remember we did that in Ireland at the time of the Potato Famine Not one of this countries finest moments But yes in the end, Africa must find it's own solution |
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Aye. And when it realises those differences it needs to be prevented from running away to Britain! Go back and SORT OUT your problems!
If there's someone back there who's gonna kill you...it's probably because YOU tried to kill HIM! |
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Ireland was trapped by it's own poverty, far too many people living in appalling conditions
They solved the problem by emigrating. The problem with Africa, where do they go?, well here Population control is Africa's biggest problem, they will never escape poverty without it |
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We can't judge these countries by our values Naydam,
But in this country, we live in peace. Africa may always be as it is now, that is it. |
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That is precisely why we CANNOT allow them to come here. This is going to be the most important political issue very soon if we don't act to prevent it. The more that are here means the more that can buy tickets for relatives which makes even more people to buy tickets for other relatives. That's where their money goes...straight back home.
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test
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Population density is not the issue in Africa.
I'm surprised so many people think that it's a problem. It's not. Halve the population in Africa and the starvation would remain. Corruption at the top, an inability to adapt at the bottom. |
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Population density is not the issue in Africa.
Of course not Injera but population control should still be part of the solution. |
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Correct Injera.
Famine is generally a symptom of war, it is the will of politicians to starve the enemy. |
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You can't starve somebody who isn't born.
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Dismas brought me my morning tea. He was a nice old guy. I asked him about the country (late 1970s) and had it got better or worse since independence. Much worse was his opinion. It pains me to say it but he said it was much better when the British were in charge. They were tough but there was less robbing.
My experience was everyone wants a top job, but nobody wants to work. |
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Corruption at the top, an inability to adapt at the bottom.
I am sure that is so injera But how much does Western business interest create this corruption? I still think population control is important on the grounds it is not easy to deal with other two problems you have highlighted injera In some ways I agree with kincsem, Africans seem like children to me at times, albeit very violent children Of course the main reason we were in Africa was for ourselves, but a lot of people went out there with good intentions and did try, one wonders if they are really better off now we have left? yes I know terribly racist and Colonial oh well  |
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Nobody in Western Govts can say anything lest they be accused
of Imperialism or even worse Racism. Thus nothing can be done other than to send more aid. I am old enough to remember being asked to donate 'a penny for the black babies' nowadays its £3 a month. |
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Tia
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call me a taxi 15 Oct 14 12:10
If sub-Saharan Africa was a racehorse, you'd shoot it. Geldof and co. tried to cure hunger in 1986. Almost 30 years later there are more starving and dying of disease now than there were back then. Plenty said at the time that it wasn't going to work in the long run. Poverty is obviously not the same in England, but on the BBC this morning it was stated that 10 of the worst 20 areas for children in poverty in this fine country, are in London. A good advert for England that is, poverty in our capital city. If UK citizens want to send their own cash to Africa, by all means let them do it so they can feel wonderful about themselves, but the govt should stop sending it, and spend it on something worthwhile here instead. Either my eyes are bad, or the BBC have changed it during the night, London now has 14 of the worst 20 areas for children in poverty. As for Africa, consider it as a huge body, and cut off the badly infected parts before it spreads further. The government turn round in Ebola checks (first it was 'no' - then in under 24 hours it was changed to 'yes') will cost £9 million for 6 months, and according to one 'expert' on the BBC, will serve no purpose at all. Those with a temperature can be treated, isolated or sent back, it will make no difference. The virus needs time to incubate itself in the human body, and thousands could be let in to the UK while showing no signs of illness at all. Two weeks later and we could be facing an epidemic. |
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So what can be done about Africa?
The amount of money we here in Britain, and the rest of the developed world spend on allowing large numbers of Africans to live here in the west, most run in to tens of billions per year. Now instead of so called helping Africans this way, it would be better to spend that money turning Africa from the third world to the modern world. |
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We have no money in Britain, and Europe is creating suicide. Every country must
seperate itself from every other country. It is wrong to think globalisation brings progress, it can only bring disaster because there is no sanctuary from the majority. |
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Having spent some years in Northern Nigeria before independence in 1960, I should say the only salvation for sub-Saharan Africa is re-colonisation. But we all know that is not going to happen.
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It is a difficult problem Africa
But we have to help them in their own countries, allowing them to come here is not the answer I don't think British Colonialism was all bad for Africa(excluding the slave trade) But I understand them wanting to govern their own countries But I am against us forcing our values on them....we should just aid them where we can I still think population increase is their worst enemy, even though others have pointed out the corruption there We must get aid to the point of need better |
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We could, but there's no 'must' about it.
Withdraw all foreign aid and see if their rich and corrupt heads of state want to dish up some pf their own money for the welfare of their own country. If they don't, why should anybody else? Ban the heads of state from visiting other countries and let them get on with it. |
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There are no pensions in Africa thus people have lots of
children who they trust will look after them in old age. The same was probably true here back in the 18th/19 th centuri |
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They have lots of children because they don't use condoms and many are raped without access to abortion clinics.
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The answer is to educate the people as long as the education is not done by the Catholic Church.
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There can be no doubt that every country is entitled to its freedom and rule itself in which ever way it chooses. What in fact was a series of revolutions overtook African countries when independence from their masters was granted. The idea being that those countries could determine their own future for themselves.
Being strangers to the idea of democracy the inevitable dictatorships soon emerged. The former masters have poured countless millions of various currencies into these countries, knowing that the cash will not trickle down; it is merely a greasing of the palms of those who have influence and can act in ways that are beneficial to the donors; eg oil, metals and agricultural products contracts are created for the mutual benefit of both parties. The likes of Bob Geldof have exacerbated the situation by supplying enough extra food and thus assisting the birth rate to the extent that starvation is now endemic. There is nothing that can be done. Just let them get on with it their self determination. Slavery? It is still alive and flourishing in many countries. |
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Every country is not entitled to rule itself in which ever way it wants.
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