IMF writes off poor countries’ debt

[PornoDoggy]

Oh, kee-rist in a sidecar. Save the fucking white people?

Yes, all of the problems that exist in Africa are purely African in nature. None of them could possibly have some of their roots in centuries of exploitation by white, anglo-saxon protestants - first through colonialism, then through neocolonialism and the cold war.

"Oh, by the way, blokes. Sorry to tell you the rules have changed - all that corruption that we encouraged for so many years is no longer socially acceptable. The distrust between ethinic groups that we found so useful when we needed to play one against the other so we could keep our control - fergitaboutit. Sure, it's a shame your entire continent is awash in weapons even though the struggle between the commies and the capitalists are over - not our problem. And while we're at it - don't ask the west to take steps against the multinational corporations that pay ten times more in graft monthly than they do in wages to your citizens annually - that's your problem to deal with."

BTW - I don't believe the above is all of the problem. It's merely the half that JR left off.

[JR]

Originally Posted by PornoDoggy

Oh, kee-rist in a sidecar. Save the fucking white people?

Yes, all of the problems that exist in Africa are purely African in nature. None of them could possibly have some of their roots in centuries of exploitation by white, anglo-saxon protestants - first through colonialism, then through neocolonialism and the cold war.

"Oh, by the way, blokes. Sorry to tell you the rules have changed - all that corruption that we encouraged for so many years is no longer socially acceptable. The distrust between ethinic groups that we found so useful when we needed to play one against the other so we could keep our control - fergitaboutit. Sure, it's a shame your entire continent is awash in weapons even though the struggle between the commies and the capitalists are over - not our problem. And while we're at it - don't ask the west to take steps against the multinational corporations that pay ten times more in graft monthly than they do in wages to your citizens annually - that's your problem to deal with."

BTW - I don't believe the above is all of the problem. It's merely the half that JR left off.

when does the past, whatever it might have been cease being an excuse for everything? every ethnic group on the planet can claim a similar grievence. when does a country finally have to make its own future and accept responsibility and stand on its own two feet economically? when do people become accountable?

when does it all stop being someone elses "fault"?

[Dravyk]

Originally Posted by JR

when does the past, whatever it might have been cease being an excuse for everything? every ethnic group on the planet can claim a similar grievence. when does a country finally have to make its own future and accept responsibility and stand on its own two feet economically? when do people become accountable?

when does it all stop being someone elses "fault"?

Both of you have points.

I agree with PD, it doesn't happen overnight. Here's a list of when African nations declared independence. http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/ch...ependence2.htm Notice the bulk are in the 60s and 70s. One or two in the late 50s. None before. Zimbabwe was 1980.

India is just starting to get parts of its country on its feet and that was mid 40s. Japan, with a similiar time, got on it's feet comparitively quickly. But factor in that the countries didn't get that kind of money Japan got (war reconstruction versus colonial empire leaving) and of course the greatly smaller land area and population of Japan vs. India.

So we do have with the above some sort of "time line". Yes, there comes a point where it has to stop. But judging from experience (above) of other countries and how long it takes, we're not there, JR, to close the door and say, fine, now it's your problem. (In fact, you can thank the colonial powers who left them with nothing behind FOR the problem to begin with.)

[Dravyk]

Oh yeah. One more thing. If and when we get to the stage where enough time has actually passed ... and we say you're now on your own ... and at that point they have no cleaned up their act ...

I'm sure some future "Bushian" will happily declare all the countries in Africa as having WMDs, go in, pick a side, kill everyone they can off on that side, and then help the other side create a democratic country with their own constitution, declare victory, and then invade the neighboring state and start the entire process down the line until all countires are hit.