Callous rich to blame for poverty: S. Africa's Mbeki

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 9/19/06 | David Ljunggren

[NormsRevenge]

South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki waits to address the 61st General Assembly of the United Nations at U.N. headquarters in New York, September 19, 2006. (Ray Stubblebine/Reuters)

[NormsRevenge]

Mbeki himself has been accused by foreign and domestic critics of embracing market-friendly policies at home which have enabled a few blacks to accumulate vast wealth and some to enter the middle class while millions remain stuck in squalor.

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Africa is a continent rich in resources that has been squandered and the benefits thereof stolen by a few , not all of them white or foreign, coincidentally.

[Argus]

You might try inquiring how the rich and powerful got that way, Thabo.

(Hint - not by passing more UN resolutions)

[rocksblues]

Just wondering how come every time a prosperous nation is overthrown by so called reformers, within a couple of years the winners come on the world stage pleading for money?

[brivette]

Well, I've sent thousands of dollars to Nigeria and have nothing to show for it. I'm still waiting..

[Semi Civil Servant]

90+ percent of current world poverty can be laid at the feet of corrupt, incompetent governments and communist theory.

Period.

[rickmichaels]

Left-wing wackos always say that the rich got rich by "oppressing" the poor. When you ask a wacko specifically how the rich oppress the poor, they'll usually break a sweat, get red in the face, pop a vein on their forehead, stutter and stammer for a few seconds, then call you a racist or a sexist or a homophobe or an Islamophobe or a...

[Youngman442002]

South Africa used to be a rich country.....remember

[My2Cents]

Callous rich to blame for poverty

"Oh nonsense."

[LasVegasMac]

90+ percent of current world poverty can be laid at the feet of corrupt, incompetent governments and communist theory.

That will be enough of that type of talk!

Lemme guess, you are one of those 'radical' types, right? The type that just has to throw facts, solid logic and reasoning into the mix.

BTW, what's your "Pi$$ on Parade" count up to?

:-)

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

This is why foreign aid should be abolished.

How much did the U.S. and "the rich" nations contribute to Africa and other 3rd world hell-holes?

Maybe if these nations adopted capitalism, instead of failed socialism, they wouldn't be poor.

[OldArmy52]

Yes, the UN should do something to eradicate poverty.

It should go in and kick out govts that oppress their people and replace them with free enterprise oriented govts that govern in the interests of the populations prosperity and economic freedom, etc.

Of course to do that, the UN would have to oust the govts of most of it's members.

Going to happen anytime soon?

But think about it? The NKorea govt ousted and the SKorea govt run NKorea. Not that the SKorea govt doesn't have room to improve, but seriously, think of the economic turnaround that would happen.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

"These billions of poor people are increasingly becoming impatient because every year they hear us adopt declaration after declaration and yet nothing practical is done to assuage the hunger pains that keep them awake at night," he told the United Nations General Assembly.

Billions of Chinese and Indians also became impatient and decided to fix the problem themselves with education and capitalism. It's a proven solution that the nations of Africa would do well to use, instead of hoping for handouts from the West.

[gafusa]

No, corrupt "leaders" like you, and the aversion to productive work is possible for poverty.

[BunnySlippers]

[JustaDumbBlonde]

My family is just about UP TO HERE with being told that we are responsible for what anybody else lacks. We don't rob, steal, pilfer or pillage. If this country wasn't taking care of so many able-bodied adults that could be earning a living on their own, our taxes could be cut again and government could be a helluva lot smaller.

Now Thabo wants to saddle me with African poverty, even World poverty ... enough already!

[dasboot]

Private

property

Rule

of law

no domestic

taxation

Courts to enforce

obligation of contract

The little things...

[navyguy]

Dead. On. Correct.

[navyguy]

I heard a report recently on National Peoples Radio that since WW2 the US has contributed over 400 BILLION in aid to Africa.

We have exactly NOTHING to show for it. Nor do the Africans. Someone should have pointed this out today at the UN.

[BIGZ]

These billions of poor people are increasingly becoming impatient because every year they hear us adopt declaration after declaration and yet nothing practical is done to assuage the hunger pains that keep them awake at night," he told the United Nations General Assembly. South Africa wanted an end to apartheid and then voted in a Communist government.

Were we better off before of after apartheid. South Africa is another African communist country that wants the world to bail them out.

Welfare is welfare it don't work.