Thomas Sowell has a couple of new columns on "The Tragedy of Africa".
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/ts20050712.shtml
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/ts20050713.shtml
"The official declarations coming out of the G8 meetings in Scotland, as well as the raucous demonstrations surrounding those meetings, talk about saving Africa. But, looking back over the decades and generations, Africa has been "saved" so many times that you have to wonder why it still needs saving.
Desperate and tragic conditions afflict millions in Africa today and any humane person would like to help. But the repeated failures of previous help ought to make us at least question the particular manner in which Africa can be helped."
column II:
"Many people expected great things from Africa when new independent African nations began to emerge from colonial rule in the 1960s, often headed by leaders who had been educated in Europe and America.
Unfortunately, what these new leaders brought back to Africa from the West were not the things that had made the West prosperous and powerful but the untested theories of Western intellectuals and ideologues who had taught them. Such African leaders by and large lacked both the common sense of the African masses and the technological and economic experience of the West."
continuing column II:
"The net result was that African leaders, full of confidence because of their Western education and the adulation of the Western intelligentsia, made their people guinea pigs for half-baked theories that had contributed nothing to the rise of the West and had contributed much to its social degeneration."
The murder of Patrice Lumumba was a genuine African tragedy. This popularly elected leader was replaced by the sinister and murderous General Mobuto Sese Seko whose bloody misrule still reverberates in the Congo today. Guess who backed Mobutu? I won't spoil your fun, find out yourself...
Here's a link to get you started.
www.africawithin.com/lumumba/murder_of_lumumba.htm
Wikipedia has articles on Lumumba and Mobutu.
Originally posted by STANGBut of course its all Bush's fault, right? Bloodthirsty dictators,
What has been referred to as "calculated genocide" in Dalfur - Africa is one of the worst human disasters in the world and leaves 2000000 refugees.
Yet people say that 9/11 changed the world.
ruinous corruption, muslim extremists killing by the hundreds of
thousands(Oh, you didn't hear about that one, eh?) Those are all
secondary to the main problem which is Bush, I suppose you would
say. Hey, I don't like bush any more than you do but he didn't start
ALL the troubles in the world.
Originally posted by STANGSo what are you doing for Dalfur, Stang? Are you posting world changing bits of wisdom in Dalfur forums to help alleviate the suffering?
What has been referred to as "calculated genocide" in Dalfur - Africa is one of the worst human disasters in the world and leaves 2000000 refugees.
Yet people say that 9/11 changed the world.
Originally posted by CrowleyDon't you just love our new Deputy President? An improvement on the old one, don't you think.
The problem with Africa is that it's full of corrupt politicians.
That's it. Bottom line.
No other explanations or theories needed.
If we can get honest(ish) people in power in all the African states, all Africa's problems will be solved quickly.
We've got corrupt politicians on the inside, corrupt politicians on the outside...businessmen willing to shake hands with the corrupt politicians...I think I'm going to join Rhema, life will be simpler.
Originally posted by sonhouseMany of you have missed my point.
But of course its all Bush's fault, right? Bloodthirsty dictators,
ruinous corruption, muslim extremists killing by the hundreds of
thousands(Oh, you didn't hear about that one, eh?) Those are all
secondary to the main problem which is Bush, I suppose you would
say. Hey, I don't like bush any more than you do but he didn't start
ALL the troubles in the world.
There is more going on in the world than what affects America.
America responded to 9/11 with an unjust attack on Iraq.
America wanted the world to focus on 9/11 without seeking real solutions.
People have said that 9/11 changed the world.
In fact, the 2000000 refugees wouldn't have known a thing.
Imagine if the focus was on helping them.