Africa

Having just heard another Ad on the box for starving kids in Africa. I just wondered about what people think is the answer to this problem that has been with Africa for decade after decade, and seems unsolvable.

When I was younger there were stories coming out of India and China about millions starving.There are still many people in these and other states that are still on the breadline...But in general the majority of the populations of these countries are now doing very well. With thousands of new industries and exports worldwide.

Their standard of living is in general improving in leaps and bounds.Is it due to their governments?....India,the largest democracy in the world,and China the largest communist state.

So what is it with Africa?...Unlike India and China many different countries on one continent....some continually at war or in turmoil.
But is this the reason for their constant poverty or are there other factors?
Is it the attitude of the Africans themselves...their work ethic...or something else? Why after all this time and Billions of dollars of aid are they still in the same boat?

My own feelings?....At the time of Bob Geldof and Band Aid in '84 the population of Ethiopia was 33.5 million....this year...84.32 million.

At that birthrate our own population in the UK would now be around 130 million.

What are your opinions?

Re: Africa

Its basically natures way of culling those not strong enough to live and survive. Now that may sound hard and unfeeling, but its only since the advent of Television and the rolling news medias need for "stories" has this, in the main come about.

In South Afreica , not so long ago, you had "Apartheid", where the "white man" prospered because he was intent on improving his lot, and the indigenous " black man" who's sole interest was hunting for food when he had to, in order that they had support when they were old they would spawn as many offspring as they could in order that they be "looked after"

This went on all over Africa, but in those days there weren't hungry news reporters serching for a sensational story, so when pestilence / drought /whatever happened, it was a natural thing -----UNTIL ---- someone realised money could be made from those pitying the plight of the suffering, so with good intentions they set up charities to help, but in setting up a charity one has to be paid, has to have a decent office, has to have "jollies" paid for, just to make sure the 10p in the pound that actually reaches the sharp end is well spent, the indigenous peoples now EXPECT charity, they sit at the roadside, with babies in their arms, flies wandering all over them, being photographed in order to co-erse you into sending two pounds a month to feed the child.

When there are stable governments in African countries that spend all the aid they recieve actually helping their peoples instead of themselves or servicing armies to supress their peoples, when those governments try and bring an infrastructure in that will support the country and servicing the needs of their peoples, then perhaps I would weaken and donate, but in the meantime let those that "THINK" they are helping continue to do so because then more children can be born to support, and more starving fly infested photo's will appear on TV. those that "THINK" they are helping are indeed exacerbating the situation.

Re: Africa

I wonder what, if anything, can be done to curb the birth rate?

Re: Africa

I just turn the sound off when the adverts come on, there are too many asking for £2 a month now for water, dogs and donkeys, I knew one man who paid £2 a month to sponser a dog, but they kept asking him to give more, so he stopped alltogether.

Re: Africa

Got to admit Jonsey, that you've hit the nail smack on its head. Good reply.

Re: Africa

A block of wood an axe and kneel over here please.

Re: Africa

Instead of "food aid" why not a mass steralisation , but then some "tree hugger" would declare we were reverting to Nazism, and those that either proposed the idea,or even carried it out would be pilloried by the Blue Rinse Brigade, and seeing as how the "White World" waste more food than the African continemt eat, I don't think a mass sterilisation would go down too well.

Re: Africa

I find it strange indeed, that you choose to brand people with an opposing view to your own, as tree huggers and the blue rinse brigade.
If you wish to brand me as either or both then so be it.

Of course mass sterilisation is Nazism but you know that.

There are a lot of uneducated people in Africa and that is only one of numerous problems that it faces. Lack of political will, corruption and warring factions are others.
Until these problems are solved then little will change.

It is within the human psyche to help the less fortunate.

I think most of us are aware, that some people who are involved with these charities are making a good living from the decency of the public. But they will continue to give.

There has been world wide horror at the poor, chinese lady, who was forcibly held down and injected with labour inducing drugs because she was pregnant with a second child and her family didn't pay the required fine. The authorities aborted her baby, she was seven months pregnant.
It is that kind of horror you are advocating by suggesting forced sterilisation. They may be uneducated but they are humans and deserve the same respect as any other human being.

Re: Africa

I think a lot of this is due to the previous carving up of Africa by conquering invaders who failed to take into consideration tribal homelands.

Re population, it is part of the culture in many African countries that children will care/provide for aged parents. Because of the high mortality rate in babies and young children having a number of children in each family helps to ensure there will be providers for the elderly.

Vaccination and modern medicine has reduced the mortality rate among babies but a culture of having large families still remains. I think education is the key to reducing population.

Perhaps if some of the African countries hadn't had their natural assets plundered by invaders from the West they would have been better able to provide for themselves.

Re: Africa

The tree hugger /blue rinse brigade types, in my opinion are those that will stand up for an illegal immigrants rights to stay in the country of chosen refuge, and when discovered and about to be sent back, come up with the stupidity of declaring that their cat will suffer traumas at his /repatriation.

I am sorry but in my humble opinion, the laws of the lands are there to protect and defend those that legally reside in that country.

At least you agree with the fact that only 10p in every pound reaches the sharp end, which is a disgusting pittance from a giving public.

Your reasons for Africa's backwardness are true , they must be, they are trotted out every time someone such as I challenges the reasons for charity.

It's funny though the South Africa --- Rhodesia( as was) --- Kenya ----and many other "white ruled" African countries were well organisd, well run and most importantly, fiscally sound, but since becoming independant it has been a downhill slide, Why ?????? -------- could it be the greed of those in power ?--- could it be, And I am generalising ------- the Africans general lack of interest in TRYING to help themselves,, the list is endless.

China, is none of our concern , nor is Syria, nor is Africa or Afghanistan, we are too ready to stick our noses in where they don't belong.

The western worlds desire to democratise "EVERY" country is the biggest hype of all, people are not used to what we call feedom, they accept their lot, or do something about it, as with civil unrest /genocide / so why not with deprevation ??, is it because the infrastructure of said countries are so abysmally lacking??, is it because the "elected" governments can't draw blood from a stone ?? i.e. no work --no taxes -- no fiscal income , if that is the case then we are doing far more harm than good in supporting regimes that allow us to assist in helping them keep their peoples downtrodden.