[bill1952]

Well, well.

At least one person admits the real problem.
Although it goes on for the need for more aid, it does at least address the problem of endless welfare aid.

It's a good article - worth a read.

[IronJack]

``They forget about getting their own people working to solve these very basic problems. In Africa, we look to outsiders to solve our problems, making the victim not take responsibility to change.''

Sounds like liberal "solutions" to problems we have right here at home.

[Vaquero]

You cant throw money at Africa....you throw good money after bad when you do.

[marblehead17]

ping

[boomop1]

No yellow cake here folks, just move on.

[EGPWS]

``When aid money keeps coming, all our policy-makers do is strategize on how to get more,'' said the Kenya-based director of the Inter Region Economic Network, an African think tank.

Welfare.....

Who was it who said "Helping one to learn to help themselves" (paraphrase) is true compassion?

[Republican Red]

I was watching Bill O'Reilly last night and one of his guests was some guy that was a "charity analyst". He follows charity funds from donation to use. He claimed that the 1985 Live Aid funds actually prolonged the famine and poverty of Ethiopia by 7 years. The billions raised by the rock stars and participating governments was used to further prop up the tyrannical regimes which kept the people famished.

It was quite pathetic really. All these pompous rock stars patting themselves on the back and they accomplished the opposite of what they set out to do.

We Are The World - NOT

[RightWhale]

It was a similar debate over aid to India. India made good and is looking ahead. Africa, though has some of the most corrupt states on earth. It's tough to get progress under corrupt states.

[OldFriend]

Niger has abundant natural resources, despite being one of the hottest if not the hottest spot on earth.

Uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold,molybdenum, gypsum, salt, and petroleum.

If I am not mistaken, France controlled the mining for most of the time.

Not sure what France's involvement is at the moment.

[Prodigal Son]

Forty percent of children are underfed

My brain has been screwing around with me all day. I read 'underfed' to be the past tense of the verb 'underf' (like un-earthed) and then paused for several seconds to consider what underfing something might be and for that matter what 'derfing' would be as well. I derf, you derf, she derfs, we derf...

At any rate, those Nigerian children have been underfed and I just bet it's not a pleasant thing...

[BwanaNdege]

During the 1980-81 famine in East Africa, I flew relief supplies into many different feeding centers in Kenya & Uganda. These were in very remote, dry regions that experience rain & crop failure once every 5 to 10 years.

Three times I was told a similar story by the expat staff of the centers. The staff members had overheard tribal people eating in the center say, "If we get a good harvest next year, let's don't save any. Let's make it all into beer!. If we run out of food, these folks (missionaries, relief workers) will come back and feed us again!"

In 1979, Kenya had a bumper maize (corn) crop, but nowhere to store the surplus. They sold it overseas to earn foreign exchange (real money). These sales continued even after Kenya finally admitted that there was famine. The surplus was sold, as was the 2 million bag (90 kg) "strategic reserve".

Plenty of blame to pass around.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thank you! Excellent article.

I won't even go into my usual tirade of "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats every day." ;)

[umgud]

Throw in a plague of locusts, and a familiar spectacle emerges: skeletal babies, distended bellies, people too famished to brush the flies from their faces, but still having enough energy to produce more babies.

[Flightdeck]

Just think. If Atlas Shrugged was required reading in public schools of the world, none of these problems would exist.

[watchin]

" In Africa, we look to outsiders to solve our problems, making the victim not take responsibility to change."

In Kenya, a white man will be approached by anyone - waiters, bellboys, and "friends" - and asked for financial assistance.

Most claim they need ongoing help to get through the university. It doesn't take long before you come to the conclusion that everyone simply wants a free ride.

[BenLurkin]

Why Africa goes hungry: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050731/why_africa_goes_hungry.html?.v=3