African nations still waste aid, so the West must intervene

The Daily Telegraph, London | April 5, 2002 | R W Johnson

[bourbon]

If we define culture broadly enough to include traditions of government, stable money, trade etc. The counterfactual of the African embrace of Christianity could be dealt with easily. Even if we didn't define culture so broadly, it would seem, fairly easy to explain away thusly. Many Sub-Saharan Africans while embracing Christianity have still remained true to their tribal traditions and when they have embraced Western political ideas they have been precisely the wrong ones (Marxism, etc.). The net effect of tribalisms influence, combined with a paucity of trade, science, infastructure and the adoption of foolish political ideologies would demonstrate only the most tenuous of dedications to what made Western culture worth having in the first place.

Thanks for your kind comments re: wardaddy, myself and our schools. Our high school in particular is truly a special place, and I for one was very lucky that my parents chose to send me there. I'll be forever thankful for that. It has a reputation of producing extremely fine students and moral people. To give you one example (among many) of the school's high level of achievement, one year recently a 1/4 of the school's graduating class were National Merit Semi-Finalists. I believe that same year the number of NMSF's at Prep comprised a majority of the number of NMSFs awarded statewide. Not bad for a school where graduating classes average around 110 people in a state of 2.5 million people.

[nopardons]

You have deduced correctly, the several prongs of what the cultural spectrum, in Africa , holds so many back. Whether Western religion and thought has been taught for centuries, or less than a century, ancient tribalism has never been all that removed from many minds and lives. That Communism, which was never a part of that culture, has been embraced by some, is shocking , impausible, but has indeed happened ; to the detriment to many countries and peoples.

Very impressive stats, about your prep alma mater . You and wardaddy certainly got a great education there and it's apparent in your posts . : - )

[nopardons]

Giving people " tribal homelands " is , in itself, a HUGE problem. How far back do we go ? Many blacks, in Sout Africa today, were NEVER originally in what is now South Africa . If we were to go back 150 years, lets say, then ALL blacks, in WHITE HOMELANDS , would have to be removed. That's not a bad idea. LOL It also means, that those of British decent would have to get out of many places as well. Then, what do you do with the colored , the Asians, and those whites who emigrated in the 20th century ?

There were / still are a few " homelands " , and the West decided that they don't like them. The ANC hates them ! It would mean that the Zulus woud once again be the dominant " nation " , and that is NOT going to work .

Getting rid of Communism and black racism would work. There's no way that can be done , as things stand now.

Methodism went to hell in a handbasket, starting in the late '60's . John and Charles are whirling in their respective graves . I could gear John doing so, in England, when I went to pay him a visit there.

[Ronin]

Agreed.

On my way to work today I read a story in the Daily Yomiuri about the current craze in South Africa. It seems they want to change all the names of places and "Africanize" them.

Go figure. Debt out of control, a famine on the doorstop, AIDS running rampant, goats sleeping in the lobbies of what used to be some of the most wealthy banks in the world, and they are spending time and energy changing names to "eliminate the remnants of their colonial past."

Let em rot!