[Paradox]

Although some of my freeper brethren are making veiled (thinly) allusions that might be considered RACIST, I would beg to differ with them. It seems that once out of Africa, many of these same people become prosperous. The problem with Africa is a huge Cultural one. Basically, they need to adopt non-African culture(s). Be it White, European, Asian, Indian, whatever, but the indigenous cultures of Africa are NOT conducive to anything but abject poverty in this day and age.

That said, things are never going to change there, because telling Africans that they have to behave like non-Africans is considered Racist. The Africans themselves resist this kind of change, yet they still clamor for foreign aid. This will not change, not in the foreseeable future.

[fightinJAG]

The answer seems to be recognizing that if a society wants a certain level of prosperity and security it has to follow certain models. It is what it is.

And if it doesn’t want that, then it is free to take another course and (from the Western point of view) suffer the consequences. Of course, a tribe, for example, may not view its state of affairs as “suffering” at all, but as just how life is and part of the way their community is.

IOW, maybe we need to start asking why are we, the West, even worrying about whether Africans “change”? Might we instead be “imposing” our image of success upon them without warrant?

If, having been offered over and over again the opportunity to find ways out of the bush and the tribal ways, people choose their tribe and their way of life, regardless that it looks horrible to outsiders, who are we to sit around asking why?

Is this not valid, too?