Africa is giving nothing to anyone -- apart from AIDS

[nigel99 619]

This is an interesting article on Africa from the Irish Independant.


Thursday July 10 2008
No. It will not do. Even as we see African states refusing to take action to
restore something resembling civilisation in Zimbabwe, the begging bowl for
Ethiopia is being passed around to us, yet again. It is nearly 25 years
since Ethiopia's (and Bob Geldof's) famous Feed The World campaign, and in
that time Ethiopia's population has grown from 33.5 million to 78 million
today.

So why on earth should I do anything to encourage further catastrophic
demographic growth in that country? Where is the logic? There is none. To be
sure, there are two things saying that logic doesn't count.

One is my conscience, and the other is the picture, yet again, of another
wide-eyed child, yet again, gazing, yet again, at the camera, which yet
again, captures the tragedy of . . .

Sorry. My conscience has toured this territory on foot and financially.
Unlike most of you, I have been to Ethiopia; like most of you, I have
stumped up the loot to charities to stop starvation there. The wide-eyed
boy-child we saved, 20 years or so ago, is now a priapic,
Kalashnikov-bearing hearty, siring children whenever the whim takes him.

There is, no doubt a good argument why we should prolong this predatory and
dysfunctional economic, social and sexual system; but I do not know what it
is. There is, on the other hand, every reason not to write a column like
this.

It will win no friends, and will provoke the self-righteous wrath of, well,
the self-righteous, letter-writing wrathful, a species which never fails to
contaminate almost every debate in Irish life with its sneers and its moral
superiority. It will also probably enrage some of the finest men in Irish
life, like John O'Shea, of Goal; and the Finucane brothers, men whom I
admire enormously. So be it.

But, please, please, you self-righteously wrathful, spare me mention of our
own Famine, with this or that lazy analogy. There is no comparison. Within
20 years of the Famine, the Irish population was down by 30pc. Over the
equivalent period, thanks to western food, the Mercedes 10-wheel truck and
the Lockheed Hercules, Ethiopia's has more than doubled.

Alas, that wretched country is not alone in its madness. Somewhere, over the
rainbow, lies Somalia, another fine land of violent, Kalashnikov-toting,
khat-chewing, girl-circumcising, permanently tumescent layabouts.

Indeed, we now have almost an entire continent of sexually

hyperactive indigents, with tens of millions of people who only survive
because of help from the outside world.

This dependency has not stimulated political prudence or commonsense.
Indeed, voodoo idiocy seems to be in the ascendant, with the next president
of South Africa being a firm believer in the efficacy of a little tap water
on the post-coital p****s as a sure preventative against infection. Needless
to say, poverty, hunger and societal meltdown have not prevented idiotic
wars involving Tigre, Uganda, Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea etcetera.

Broad brush-strokes, to be sure. But broad brush-strokes are often the way
that history paints its gaudier, if more decisive, chapters. Japan, China,
Russia, Korea, Poland, Germany, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the 20th
century have endured worse broad brush-strokes than almost any part of
Africa.

They are now -- one way or another -- virtually all giving aid to or
investing in Africa, whereas Africa, with its vast savannahs and its lush
pastures, is giving almost nothing to anyone, apart from AIDS.

Meanwhile, Africa's peoples are outstripping their resources, and causing
catastrophic ecological degradation. By 2050, the population of Ethiopia
will be 177 million: The equivalent of France, Germany and Benelux today,
but located on the parched and increasingly protein-free wastelands of the
Great Rift Valley.

So, how much sense does it make for us actively to increase the adult
population of what is already a vastly over-populated, environmentally
devastated and economically dependent country?

How much morality is there in saving an Ethiopian child from starvation
today, for it to survive to a life of brutal circumcision, poverty, hunger,
violence and sexual abuse, resulting in another half-dozen such wide-eyed
children, with comparably jolly little lives ahead of them? Of course, it
might make you feel better, which is a prime reason for so much charity. But
that is not good enough.

For self-serving generosity has been one of the curses of Africa. It has
sustained political systems which would otherwise have collapsed.

It prolonged the Eritrean-Ethiopian war by nearly a decade. It is inspiring
Bill Gates' programme to rid the continent of malaria, when, in the almost
complete absence of personal self-discipline, that disease is one of the
most efficacious forms of population-control now operating.

If his programme is successful, tens of millions of children who would
otherwise have died in infancy will survive to adulthood, he boasts. Oh
good: then what?I know. Let them all come here. Yes, that's an idea.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[vortexring 0]

Blimey. I missed his solutions to the problem. Other than we no longer provide aid, let millions die, so as to prevent them from 'coming here', amongst other reasons.

Have to say I disagree old bean! Still, interesting nonetheless. What do you think of this:

"Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life and forms of government." Aristotle

'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'

[Nightingale 0]

Birth control?

[Unstable 9]

The author spares no vivid imagery to try to stirr up his readers against him. Whatever.

Agree or disagree with his methods, he does have a few good points. Not necessarily tactfully put, but good points indeed.

1. AIDS. Okay, so a good portion of African men infected with AIDS believes that the only cure for it is to have sex (i.e. rape..) a virgin. In some countries, where the infection rate amoung the adult population is touching 35%, it's going to take a miracle to solve the problem.

What does Africa have to offer us? Okay, before you blast me for asking such a selfish and heartless question, understand I'm asking it for their own good. Adam Smith figured out a long time ago that countries become rich by specialization and trade. Suprise suprise. The Korean People pulled themselves out of the depts of hell and in 50 years turned themselves into one of the richest, most prosperous countries in the world by working 20 hour days and sacrificing all they had to put their kids through school. What does Africa have that they can use to put their people to work and trade with the world? So far Diamounds seem to be a big hit, except for the hundreds and thousands of arms and hands that are lopped off as they 'trade' them.

=========Shaun ==========

[Unstable 9]

Quote

Birth control?

Rape and Sexual crimes have shown no signs on slowing down in 30+ Years. (See "African Crime, Wikipedia). Just be sure to tell the rapists to wear a condom.

Education seems to be a big key here...

=========Shaun ==========

[Nightingale 0]

Start distributing depo and the pill. Won't stop AIDS, but will stop unplanned pregnancies, rape or not.

[SpeedRacer 1]

I think there are appropriate situations in which to donate aid. For example, immediately after a devastating disaster, such as a hurricane/tsunami/earthquake, or something else which suddenly disrupts normal supply channels.

But continually dumping aid into countries that are economic basket cases all the time, will only subsidize an ingrained problem.

You have to be careful about these things.

In giving aid, either to an individual or to a nation, it is a mistake to believe that you don't need your brain if your heart is in the right place.

Speed Racer
--------------------------------------------------

[ErricoMalatesta 0]

Africa in places has some very disturbing social and cultural things it needs to over come but the author of the article sounds a little 'Africans can't look after themselves' when he uses two or three example countries/regions on a continent so large and attributes it all over.

And who censored the word penis? was that really the most offensive aspect?

[riddler 0]

Quote

Birth control?

Sterilize the world? I wonder who would sing that song? Personally, I think it's a good plan. I can imagine what the Roman Catholic mega-corporation thinks about it, though ...

Population is by far the greatest environmental problem humans have. Only one country's government has the courage to make laws about it (China), and they are internationally condemned for it.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[Nightingale 0]

I'm not saying sterilize the world. I'm saying make birth control available to women who want it.

[SpeedRacer 1]

what's so "courageous" about government coercion for something that should be a personal choice?

Many countries have reduced their birthrates without government coercion.

Speed Racer
--------------------------------------------------

[rhys 0]

While the western world continues to pay off corrupt african leaders to rape them of thier diamonds, oil, metals and other valuable commodities. The west is really to blame here.

If some real action was taken to stop the corruption, and Africa's recources were used to develop education, health and infrastructure, then african nations would be amoung the most wealthy in the world.

Many of these countries are supposed to be socialist countries but the people get nothing.

There is a strange belief in southern africa that having sexual intercourse with a virgin will cure an AIDS patient.

You can see how education might have a positive effect on the place but education is not happening?

WHY?

$$$$$

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[warpedskydiver 0]

Distribute bullets to all rapists.

One right between the eyes, or at the base of the skull if they will not turn around.

No a total solution, but a start.

It's only the fault of the rest of the world in that we postponed, or tampered with what nature was trying to do.

[ErricoMalatesta 0]

Quote

The Korean People pulled themselves out of the depts of hell and in 50 years turned themselves into one of the richest, most prosperous countries in the world by working 20 hour days and sacrificing all they had to put their kids through school.

Nothing like US aggression and being turned into a beacon of neo-lib policies to show you Africans what hard work can do! Just ignore all the big workers protests and stuff!

[ErricoMalatesta 0]

Quote

Distribute bullets to all rapists.

One right between the eyes, or at the base of the skull if they will not turn around.

No a total solution, but a start.

It's only the fault of the rest of the world in that we postponed, or tampered with what nature was trying to do.

Nature was going to economically enslave a vast majority of regular people and create devastated societies? Amazing.

[Andy9o8 2]

Let's translate the bottom-line of this guy's article into what he's really (really) trying to say:

"The niggers are all worthless, hyper-sexed, disease ridden animals, so let's let them die young before they have the chance to breed."

Oh, gosh - was that indelicate of me?

Ah, well - at least it's a little variety away from the daily diet of Muslim-bashing.

I'm willing to bet the author, Kevin Myers, was baptized and raised as a Christian. Ironic, isn't it?

(Oh, and - in advance - to those who will summarily dismiss my point with some giggling conjugant of the word "liberal": Bite me.)

[mnealtx 0]

Gee, one of the 'usual suspects' coming into the thread to say "Oh, it *MUST* be because they're BLACK"... quelle surprise...

*I didn't say "liberal" so bite yourself*

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

Let's translate the bottom-line of this guy's article into what he's really (really) trying to say:

"The niggers are all worthless, hyper-sexed, disease ridden animals, so let's let them die young before they have the chance to breed."

Oh, gosh - was that indelicate of me?

so do you have an actual solution to offer?

I suspect that HIV is going to make the population correction, but it won't be a pleasant process either.

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

While the western world continues to pay off corrupt african leaders to rape them of thier diamonds, oil, metals and other valuable commodities. The west is really to blame here.

Why are you giving the African leaders a pass? They're more than happy with the status quo. And you can go back 3 centuries where they were happily providing people to the slave traders to the new world.

Sorry, there is blame to pass all around.

[nerdgirl 0]

Quote

I'm saying make birth control available to women who want it.

+1.

Also increase female literacy.
Positive correlations have been observed between increase in female literacy and decrease in birth rates, and between increase in female literacy and *increase* in GDP (the latter is not just applicable to the developing world, e.g., late 19th/early 20th C Germany).

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[riddler 0]

Quote

I'm not saying sterilize the world. I'm saying make birth control available to women who want it.

And I agree - both men and women. When I say "sterilize", I'm not implying something permanent - that was just a play on the words "feed the world". Both women and men should be allowed to choose birth control, even when they can't afford it. You'll never see a US government program that sponsors foreign birth control because of the church, however.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[kelpdiver 2]

short of the injectables like Depo, birth control isn't a very good solution in a region where distribution of basic food and medicine is poor. Condoms only get used if the person chooses, and there's enough is this thread to indicate how that will go. Daily BC pills are also unlikely to be effective - it takes a full cycle to start working, and only a couple missed days to blow it.

Education on a systemic level would improve matters greatly, but how do you succeed in this given the constant civil wars, the near killing of teachers for calling a bear Mohammed, and the existing poverty that prevents kids from being in class?

The real point of the angry editorial is that Africa is really fucked up and there doesn't seem to be much we can do about it, what we've done has hardly helped.

I don't give change to the dozens of panhandlers I see daily in SF - some of those people I've seen for years. In Berkeley, there were a couple I had observed for close to a decade. Providing them a substinence living on the street is doing them no favors.

So ... those who are mad at the writer - WTF do you suggest? If we all stopped buying diamonds that might reduce some killing, but then they'd lose the money.

[millertime24 8]

Can someone explain to me why WE (foreign nations) are obligated to do anything at all for these people? Its not like we dont have problems of our own that could use some attention. Besides, dumping millions of dollars into the aid of a country that gives virtually nothing in return seems sort of senseless to me. Just my opinion.

Muff #5048

[billvon 3,120]

> Can someone explain to me why WE (foreign nations) are obligated
> to do anything at all for these people?

We're not obligated. But we have a habit of wanting to do both good things and bad things for the world, and thus we contribute money and invade foreign countries. I'd actually be OK with stopping both, and letting people contribute privately if they so choose.

[ianmdrennan 2]

Quote

Quote

I'm saying make birth control available to women who want it.

+1.

Also increase female literacy.
Positive correlations have been observed between increase in female literacy and decrease in birth rates, and between increase in female literacy and *increase* in GDP (the latter is not just applicable to the developing world, e.g., late 19th/early 20th C Germany).

VR/Marg

It's not quite that simple. It's a foreign concept to grasp (for those who haven't lived there) but the cultural and tribal aspects are to blame here. There's also, or at least was, a belief amongst the populace that birth control was the 'white mans' way of controlling them (special thanks to apartheid for that mindset)

Anyway, my point is that I agree with you both BUT I don't believe it will work for generations to come - there's a LOT of history to overcome.

Blues,
Ian

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