spirit_of_town_hall Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 No not my title! An interesting article from the Independent.. http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/africa-is-giving-nothing-to-anyone--apart-from-aids-1430428.html STH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogueyam Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 That is a fantastic essay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soongmak Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Africa is also giving oil, copper, uranium, gold, diamonds and gas to the western world. I guess that just didn't fit well with the 'point' the writer was trying to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit_of_town_hall Posted July 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Thats one of the points he was making. The continent is so rich in minerals, farmland and other natural resources. Yet is dependent on aid and help which doesnt look like it will change. The author of the article is a dyed in the wool liberal, you couldnt get a more liberal paper, thats what makes the article so poignant. STH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Thats one of the points he was making. The continent is so rich in minerals, farmland and other natural resources. He doesn't mention it. A great read, though, and I'm glad they published such a contrary and politically incorrect view - I don't think any major paper in my country would. I mean, fuck! He's advocating letting them die off by starvation! Seems ironic that it would come out of Ireland, one of the last countries to embrace some forms of contraception. One of his points that might be argued is the population reduction in Ireland as a result of the famine. Much of it was due to emigration, which he also fails to mention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamui Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 And to compare the German atrocities during the Nazi regime with Africa is one of the most stupids things I have read for a long time. And don't forget that Germany received millions of US dollars afterwards (Marshall Plan). The author doesn't even know the basics of history. Also to describe "Africa" as a continent of famine and corruption is utterly stupid as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogueyam Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Also to describe "Africa" as a continent of famine and corruption is utterly stupid as well. Is there some other continent where starvation and corruption are more endemic? And why the quotes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Also to describe "Africa" as a continent of famine and corruption is utterly stupid as well. Is there some other continent where starvation and corruption are more endemic? And why the quotes? Maybe for those more accustomed to "Afrika." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soongmak Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Thats one of the points he was making. The continent is so rich in minerals, farmland and other natural resources. STH, I couldn't find it anywhere in the article. Anyway, I thought it was pretty one sided instead of poignant. I agree though that the help we gave didn't change things for the better. On the other hand, european, american and chinese business interests are all too willing to drain the natural resources keeping all the profits for themselves. I recently saw a docu where european fisher boats bought fishing quotas from corrupt african officials, leaving the waters empty for the local fishermen. I also remember Amsterdam city officials sending a ship to the Ivory Coast to dump its chemical waiste. Seems to me we that the 'help' we give them is something they could do without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USVirgin Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Seems to me we that the 'help' we give them is something they could do without. That was his whole point, just for opposite reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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