The long and ugly tradition of treating Africa as a dirty, diseased place (Triple Bagger)

Washington Post ^ | 25 Aug 14 | By Laura Seay and Kim Yi Dionne

[SkyPilot]

Vivian Koshefobamu, a 45-year-old vendor, speaks in front of dried meat, at the Ajegunle-Ikorodu market in Lagos on August 13, 2014.

[SkyPilot]

I never have seen such person-to-person cruelty, thuggery and corruptness as in West Africa. There were violent street fights outside my office gate almost daily. The locals behaved more like unruly children. They played, they laughed, they stole, they squabbled, they lied and the fought each other violently. But they were not children. They were dangerous grown people who would be innocent and jovial one moment and turn on you in an instant.

All true. Reading your post was like turning on a light switch in my brain.

The corruption was also widespread and rampant. We could not get anything done without someone demanding a bribe. Even getting the aircraft fueling complete (after we paid for it) was impossible without bribes being demanded.

I was in a van, driving from one section of the city to another. I was horrified at the things I saw outside of my window. When we had to slow down, and people could notice we were western, they would crowd the van and pound on the glass.

It was a like a scene from The Walking Dead.

[MrB]

I overheard a discussion the other day.
The leftist was obviously hostile to “religious” people, ie, Christians,

but he admitted something -

cultural dilution is actually the goal.
They see it as a good thing to diminish the influence of the dominant American culture.

[Norm Lenhart]

Communist Goals 1936. Same candy, different wrapper.

I admire your ability to remain out of jail though ;)

[RJS1950]

This problem with Africa goes back a long way.

100,000 years ago modern man walked out of Africa and left the stupid behind.

Most of the African continent has always been a dirty, diseased, corrupt, and irredeemable tribal craphole.

Won’t accept help or change bad habits based on their tribal, religious, cultural beliefs and most civilization and that has never changed so the real answer is leave them to their bad habits and let them die.

[Sequoyah101]

Yup. All true. I’ve experienced it all. I lived in Lagos, Luanda, Port Harcourt and Douala off and on for four years.

You learn to live with your head on a swivel.

Stupidity has consequences and some survive them.

[Pollster1]

Moreover, the current Ebola outbreak likely had nothing to do with bushmeat consumption.

Actually, no. The current Ebola outbreak is traced to a specific family, in which the youngest child died after eating undercooked fruit bat. The entire family eventually died, ending with the grandmother, and the infection is believed to have spread to a large number of people after the grandmother's funeral. WHO blames the outbreak of eating fruit bats.

I have been to Africa, and I hated more than words can describe. It is a dirty, diseased place. It has some redeeming virtues, but health and cleanliness are not among those virtues. After being sore for a week from the shots to go there, I got to experience more than one of their exotic diseases for a very extended period.

[IronJack]

That tradition began because Africa was a dirty, diseased place.

It continues because Africa is a dirty, diseased place.

[Carry_Okie]

They live like they have for thousands of years and would have continued to live that way if not for the influence of Western civilization intervening.

This is not at all true. Were they living the way they did thousands of years ago, the disease would not be nearly so prevalent.

[a fool in paradise]

When the Western world colonized Africa, we were told how horrible it was. The void was filled by Communist and Islamic imperialism.

No point to giving money to a culture you are not permitted to influence.

[a fool in paradise]

We also aren’t supposed to discuss that President Obama ate dog while growing up.

[Impy]

Well you know, if the shoe fits....

[Kenny Bunk]

In Kenya, we had fairly well regulated trade in various tasty antelopes (some big species like the eland commercially ranched) and quite decent beef. Buffalo was also occasionally available. Very good fruit and vegetables, too.

However, one didn't shop much in the "native" markets. Obama's friend and protegé, (or vice-versa) Raila Odinga, caused an agricultural crisis and famine in the country, so perhaps those days of safe and plentiful food are over.

[Sir Napsalot]

FYI, the article I was talking about @ comment #66

Why West Africans keep hunting and eating bush meat despite Ebola concerns (Abby Phillip, Aug 5, 2014)

[Black Agnes]

My mom was particularly squeamish. If it didn’t come, canned, from a ‘trusted’ source it wasn’t consumed LOL.

[Califreak]

That looks nasty as hell

No wonder all the really exotic diseases sprang from there

Yuck

[morphing libertarian]

someday the hero of benghazi will treat them that way and stop travel from their

[sarge83]

It may not be PC but I contend had WWI not occurred the practice of Imperialism would have eventually brought civilization to the continent.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

No one but Constance Brennan could possibly guess!

[tcrlaf]

My travels have taken me to a few African Countries, over the years.

Most of Africa IS a dirty, diseased place, where people take there morning dump in the middle of the street.

Northern Africa, and South Africa is the closest to “Clean”, and that only applies in certain places.

[matt1234]

“Mistuh Kurtz. He dead.”