Want to feel sick?

[JBR]

Here's a few stabs:

- general lack of education, so lack of anything above subsistence employment for most;
- corrupt governments / dictators, who siphon off (usually, natural resource wealth). Often helped by greedier "Western" organisations or governments;
(it's generally a quicker fix to dig / drill for something, than to invest in the factories, roads, offices etc that create better employment prospects; not to mention the schools and universities, and healthcare, to look after the prospective employees;
- due to corrupt governance, lack of investment in infrastructure and productive capital, meaning poor general standard of living;
- due to corrupt governance, lack of stable and "just" society, which disincentivises honest entrepreneurial spirit; this means that black market and criminal gangs are the easiest ways to drag oneself out of subsistence existence;
- subjugation of women, rendering half of the potential earning capacity off-limits;
- poor general conditions, corruption, lack of education etc, disincentivises both home-grown and foreign investment.

You missed one out:
- the Africans' predilection for having enormous families and relying on the Saint Bobs of this world to throw food at them.

 

[Newboy]

Installing a "democratic" and benevolent government might seem like a good solution, but this would take generations of investment and fortitude (as the current population wouldn't know any better, and you'd "upset" a whole tier of the corrupt and the criminal).

Couldn't agree more - so why do "we" keep trying this ridiculous solution?

Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq ...... the list goes on

You missed one out:
- the Africans' predilection for having enormous families and relying on the Saint Bobs of this world to throw food at them.

But isn't that what you do (and what most of Europe used to do) when you have unbelievable rates of infant mortality and the only thing that might support you when you can't work is your children?

 

[Brigadier]

Installing a "democratic" and benevolent government might seem like a good solution, but this would take generations of investment and fortitude (as the current population wouldn't know any better, and you'd "upset" a whole tier of the corrupt and the criminal).

Couldn't agree more - so why do "we" keep trying this ridiculous solution?

Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq ...... the list goes on

Guilt, at our imperialist past?

Humanity (not wanting to leave whole swathes of the population under a tyrannical bunch of murderers)?

Plunder?

I reckon you'd have to nigh-on slaughter the ruling despots, then install a proper infrastructure, then not allow the corrupt back into cushy "government" positions, then stick it out for three generations (so that those coming through only knew "democracy"). Not a quick solution......

 

[Newboy]

No guilt - I think in some places we left quite a decent legacy. I get a bit tired of the apologists who seem for some inexplicable reason to be ashamed of this country.

I mean the current 'regime change' that our leaders and allies seem to think is going to work out - then seem surprised when the plans blows up in our faces

edit - sorry misunderstood the point you were making!

 

[JBR]

Installing a "democratic" and benevolent government might seem like a good solution, but this would take generations of investment and fortitude (as the current population wouldn't know any better, and you'd "upset" a whole tier of the corrupt and the criminal).

Couldn't agree more - so why do "we" keep trying this ridiculous solution?

Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq ...... the list goes on

Because our politicians tell us to.

You missed one out:
- the Africans' predilection for having enormous families and relying on the Saint Bobs of this world to throw food at them.

But isn't that what you do (and what most of Europe used to do) when you have unbelievable rates of infant mortality and the only thing that might support you when you can't work is your children?

No. I don't have any children.

Seriously, though. How many (surviving) children do you think they should have in order that they could look after the parents in their old age? I suspect one might do, or perhaps two. Population explosion solved.

 

[Newboy]

Well let's hope that you never need medical help then

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[Brigadier]

Not brain surgery, anyway

 

[Norcon]

 

[Newboy]

or which one of these do you trust with the nuclear codes?

a, b or (reasonable answer) neither

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[Whitespirit66]

Africa doesn't work without the firm control of the white man... As the white man is driven out of food production, so starvation takes over. Then guess who has to swoop in with famine relief?

There is a certain attitude and mindset in Africans that is less to do with education and more to go with genetics. You see it evident in immigrant African populations in The UK and other countries as well. But of course, it's still all the fault of the nasty white man.

My father-in-law was a sergeant-major stationed in West Africa for some years, and so had some first-hand experience of the Africans. He used to say pretty much what you have just said, and that the average African is basically lazy and needs direction from the Europeans (oops, I nearly said 'the white man'!).

All perfectly true, I'm sure, but I'm surprised that the thought police haven't descended upon this thread en masse.

I know a few Afrikaaners, who certainly aren't anti-African, but they will readily admit that most Africans work on 'African time' - ie. slow-motion.

 

[Whitespirit66]

or which one of these do you trust with the nuclear codes?

a, b or (reasonable answer) neither

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None of the above. But if Mr Reagan had been an option, I would have picked him.

 

[Brigadier]

or which one of these do you trust with the nuclear codes?

a, b or (reasonable answer) neither

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Bush - taken at face value, "home soil" was attacked (9/11), thousands of innocents killed, and he didn't nuke anyone.

Obama never had that decision to take, so is unproven under such dire circumstances.