Article

2005-02-22 International-UN-NGOs

Many Africans See U.S. As Distant Savior

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-02-22 11:36:42 AM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Somebody better tell these folks not to hold their breath. Or to start building nukes.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2005-02-22 11:59:57 AM|| 2005-02-22 11:59:57 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 "...the former French colony of Togo..."
"Are you French? If you are, we will kill you."

Ahhh, the legacy of the superior French culture.

Posted by Tom 2005-02-22 12:05:46 PM|| 2005-02-22 12:05:46 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 No.

The whole freakin' continent, not to mention a good share of the adjoining ones, are damned shizoid: One moment ya want us to come ridin' in and rescue you, the next you want us out, the next after that, if we're not out the previous moment, you wanna kill us, and the next after THAT, you're screaming that we left too soon and are to blame for the ensuing bloodshed. No F*ck*n' thank you!

We love our troops because they're willing to die for their country, and their country is OUR country. And we're is democratic enough to know, without a doubt, that our country is US, which means that they're willing to die FOR US.

We will NOT throw them away to save idiots, bigots, racists, the bi-polar, liberals, or whales.

I'd tell ya to go to Hell, but you've already got the French.

Posted by Ptah 2005-02-22 12:43:48 PM|| [http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2005-02-22 12:43:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Ptah, I honestly don't know what the f**k to say ... (re: them, not you. You, I'm cool with.)

Posted by Edward Yee 2005-02-22 1:27:04 PM|| 2005-02-22 1:27:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Ptah: Don't write off Africa so easily. There are one heck of a lot of Africans who are the very models of enlightened western civilization. And they are not such just as individuals, but as a class in their native countries. In all fairness, if you saw Americans as only inner-city gangsters, Indians living in abject poverty on some reservation, and the Amish, you could easily believe that America is a very primitive place. So what Africa needs, more than anything else, are the institutions that inexorably lead to democracy. Institutions that are taken for granted in the US. To be given the same "nation building" support that has been given to Iraq. But here's the irony: when an African nation makes even the least movement towards such a situation, towards these institutions, it immediately becomes the destination for everyone else on the continent! Because there are vast numbers of Africans who want it, however they can get it, even in what to them is a foreign country. And they are willing to relocate. Enlightened democracy often fails there because it is too popular.

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-02-22 1:31:46 PM|| 2005-02-22 1:31:46 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Interesting perspective moose. I'm one those who has given up on Africa. Nothing seems to work. I think it was Blair who recently appealed for a 50Billion fund to fix Africa. If I thought it would make enough of a difference I would support it, but more aid hasn't worked to date and I see no reason it will work in the future. I have no idea what to do about Africa and I don't see anyone else who does. The latest depressing news was a huge jump, nearly 60%, in South African mortality rates over the last 6 years.

Posted by phil_b 2005-02-22 2:11:05 PM|| 2005-02-22 2:11:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Sorry, people. I'm in a foul mood...

Posted by Ptah 2005-02-22 3:24:02 PM|| [http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2005-02-22 3:24:02 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Problem is Africa had been built along the lines of colonization districts, ie the colonial power subdivided its empire according to conveniency: if such tribe was easier to reach from town A than from town B then it went into A even if B was populated with friendly tribed and B with mortal ennemies. Not a problem since the colonial army would go after anyone causing trouble. But independence meant the minority tribe had to deal with an army formed by its ennemies, with politicians who did their utmost to prevent their economic success and unfair judges.

So the first step would be to break the artificial states norn from colonization whose mere artificialness voids any attempt to implement democracy and rule of law. This precludes economic progress: people will not do business if they fear the other guy will not fill his part of the contract hoping an unfair judge will rule for him.

Posted by JFM 2005-02-22 3:40:39 PM|| 2005-02-22 3:40:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 You know, I wish the beautiful people of Africa all of the peace and happiness in the world - but that place is such a mess that it's hard to even know where to begin.

Posted by 2b 2005-02-22 3:43:52 PM|| 2005-02-22 3:43:52 PM|| Front Page Top

14:55 Robert Crawford
14:55 Robert Crawford
23:28 Sobiesky
23:27 Asedwich
23:18 Dcreeper
23:17 2b
23:13 Sobiesky
23:11 Seafarious
23:08 Dcreeper
23:05 phil_b
23:02 crazyhorse
22:55 gromky
22:45 Dcreeper
22:27 trailing wife
22:12 Bomb-a-rama
22:07 Sock Puppet of Doom
21:55 ITolYouSoLucy
21:52 Jonathan
21:52 ITolYouSoLucy
21:50 gromky
21:46 AzCat
21:45 Poison Reverse
21:44 gromky
21:43 gromky