, Robert Calderisi recounts the sad story of two African teenagers who stowed away in the cargo hold of a Brussels-bound Airbus. They died on the journey from asphyxiation and cold. One of them was still clutching a crumpled note that lamented their misery while petitioning Europe:
Therefore, we African children and youth are asking you to set up an efficient organisation to help with the development of Africa. Thus, if we are sacrificing ourselves and putting our lives in jeopardy it is because we are suffering too much in Africa and we need your help to fight against poverty and bring war to an end in Africa.
The left-of-center British monthly Prospect has also ventured out of comfortable territory with an intriguing article by Paul Romer on “charter cities.” He makes a strong case for the construction of metropolitan areas under a charter granted to a foreign entity. Using Hong Kong as an example, he argues in favor of importing experts to Africa who know how to create the conditions needed for economic prosperity. He argues that hundreds of billions in foreign aid have already been squandered and proposes that future financial flows to Africa should be channeled into schemes which will provide engines for economic growth.
“The answer to Africa’s gloom is obvious: Reinstate the rule of law through intervention that leads to effective governance.”
Both The Trouble With Africa and Paul Romer’s article appear to call for a form of neo-colonialism. A relentless flow of empirical evidence from Harare to Haiti and from Dakar to Detroit shows that “black”-dominated administrations follow a familiar path. They destroy established structures, leading to degradation, ruin, and chaos.
In South Africa the Western Cape Province (which includes Cape Town) is one of precious few highly developed, heavily populated areas on the continent where there is a semblance of order, where services are provided and the rule of law is enforced. It is also the continent’s last white-led political entity of any significance. The Provincial Administration is led by the formidable Helen Zille of the Democratic Alliance, who is setting an embarrassing example of good governance for the ANC, which rules all the other eight provinces with varying degrees of incompetence and dishonesty. Mrs. Zille recently attracted furious fire from the media and the ANC leadership for referring to people streaming west from the atrociously governed Eastern Cape as “refugees.” She was right, but she struck a raw nerve.
Sadly, success is a double-edged sword because good news travels fast. Thousands from all over Africa are stampeding to the Western Cape fleeing ruin in their homelands to seek the shelter that functional governance allows. At the same time many more of their compatriots are fleeing northward in an attempt to find refuge in Europe. With that uncontrollable influx comes trouble, because service-demand inevitably exceeds supply and unemployment increases, leading to violence and crime. Already Somalis are fighting gun battles in Cape Town and Nigerians are wresting control of the drug trade from the older gangs while local blacks are burning foreign blacks out of the tented camps. Desperation drives them into more prosperous areas. Sooner or later the structures will be overwhelmed, the system will collapse, and Cape Town will lose its luster.
In a sense Africa is simply reverting to type. Prior to the colonial era most Africans lived in rural fiefdoms commanded by chiefs who ruled on a whim with absolute and savage power. There were no courts to speak of, no elections, few property rights, and little protection of the individual. Freedom was a foreign concept. European colonials in some cases halted and in others merely constrained this process, but they at least introduced variable degrees of order. This has dissipated.
The answer to Africa’s gloom is obvious: Reinstate the rule of law through intervention that leads to effective governance. We now know that African leaders, no matter how much financial assistance is provided, are seldom capable of this endeavor, so it has to come from outside.
Europe now needs to take this problem by the scruff of the neck and not only through altruism. Europe faces the same sort of problem as the Western Cape does in containing an immigrant onslaught which is already causing civil unrest, straining structures, and draining resources. This has led to economic collapse in some countries. The only possibility of reversing this trend is if they intervene in the African homelands and engage in making these countries orderly and prosperous.
This could provide a platform for economic growth in Africa which will provide work for thousands of poor Africans. These Africans will then have reason to stay at home rather than run. Who knows? Brazzaville may become more appealing than Brixton, Malabo better than Milan, and Bangui more comfortable than the banlieues of Paris. Unpalatable as it may be, without the intervention of “white” governance skills, there is little hope for Africa.
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Why is it not surprising that the mass media are silent on the sucess of Mrs Zille's administration in the Western Cape Province ?
This article hits many nails fair and square on their heads. It is of course precisely as stated by the poster : An inconvenient truth. That of course means that for stating the truth, anyone who subscribes to this eminently and demonstrably true line of thinking is 'racist'.
Quote:
Thousands ........ are stampeding to the Western Cape .......to seek the shelter that functional governance allows. .......... With that uncontrollable influx comes trouble, because service-demand inevitably exceeds supply and unemployment increases, leading to violence and crime. Already Somalis are fighting gun battles in Cape Town and Nigerians are wresting control of the drug trade from the older gangs while local blacks are burning foreign blacks out of the tented camps. Desperation drives them into more prosperous areas. Sooner or later the structures will be overwhelmed, the system will collapse, and Cape Town will lose its luster.
As anyone who visits the city frequently and has observed the changes over the last few years knows, that is already happening. Some areas that used to be safe and peaceful residential areas are now no-go areas, although in fairness the reverse is true of some, but fewer, other areas. There is an outflux of those whose lifestyle and budgets allow it, from the Cape Town metropolis into other parts of the Western Cape. It would be a tragedy if South Africa reverts to being a one party state, it is already dangerously close to that, and Helen Zille's DA loses its ability to govern.
Sadly an economic and prosperous Africa remains a dream. Both Rhodesia and Kenya were in good shape when the UK lefties gave them independence ... but once the whites left or were thrown out the rot began. To reinstate white neo colonial rule would be inconceivably non PC, and no modern UK government would even think of trying it. Perhaps the only solution is to provide more condoms and less money in our aid for Africa.
I would imagine that quite a few people of the politically correct persuasion would burst a goodly number of blood vessels during the apoplectic fit that just reading this article would bring upon them.
I would imagine that quite a few people of the politically correct persuasion would burst a goodly number of blood vessels during the apoplectic fit that just reading this article would bring upon them.
For sure neither left or right is prepared to address the population growth paradox. People in parts of Africa & Afghanistan are dying of disease & starvation. Food and medicine is given in aid, and many children live who would otherwise have died. All is well for a while until those children grow up and have children. .... Then the population will probably double, and the number of diseased and starving becomes much greater than before aid was given. Surely it is better to let nature take its course and not intervene? ... For eventually the surviving population will reduce to that which the land can support. The inconvenient truth is that the more that aid is given, the more people survive who require even more aid, and onwards in an ever increasing upwards spiral.
[quote] vee-tail-1 Surely it is better to let nature take its course and not intervene? ... For eventually the surviving population will reduce to that which the land can support. The inconvenient truth is that the more that aid is given, the more people survive who require even more aid, and onwards in an ever increasing upwards spiral
Chinks will totally have it off in Africa. Pay off the Big Man - bring in your own workers (of whom they have plenty) - if the locals complain the well paid Man will sort it out. Except that - the Chinese demand for raw materials may be reducing just a touch
Location: A civilised little County..with a bit of eccentricity to boot
Posts: 674
Is it raining where you chaps are as well ?
Some spiffing ideas I have to say....while you're at it, why not invite France to have a little excursion into Indo-China..Italy could have another pop at Ethiopia...The Portugese may be interested I suppose....but you have to admit..this is all terribly boering stuff really...although I suppose Eugene ( deceased) would have approved....one final thought however.....check today's date.....and the year....2012.
Krystal n chips Do you perhaps have anything constructive to add to the discussion, instead of denigration of the points raised by others? I mean, any ideas of your own?
" Krystal n chips Do you perhaps have anything constructive to add to the discussion, instead of denigration of the points raised by others? I mean, any ideas of your own? "
K & C , our resident petulant child, as usual, crying out for attention.
AND FFS stop blaming the "Lefties" for what has been the total failure of Feckin Right Wing politics. Might is Right, and F**k you Mate I'm OK!!!
if anything, the PC lefties / huggy fluffs have done as much damage to Africa in their well meant intentions, bunging aid left right and centre under the auspices of they're all black, they're brothers, give them some money and they'll get along. It is in fact a form of 'racism' by categorising all africans as one and the same but ignoring the issue of tribal / cultural / religious / national boundaries and differences. With aid, they've bought weapons from the cheap egyptian and chinese AK's to bigger and better toys to kill each other and opress other ethnic groups with. and if they dont have guns, a machete will suffice.
but the likes of peter hain and his followers sleep better at night.
What you also have to remember is that the end of slavery has also put a strain on African resources. The capture of slaves meant that there was a continual effective culling from the breeding population of a percentage of the population, especially children and women (if you think of the Arab trade), helping to keep population in balance with food resources. The end of slavery meant those women and children remained to expand the breeding numbers - overburdening the feeding capacity of the land
Location: Dublin, Ireland. (No, I just live here.)
Posts: 654
When the USA embarked on their international "ventures", I had a vision a bit like that: instead of trying to "clean up" a whole country at a time, they would pick a spot near the coast, existing city or not, and they would set up a fully functioning city from the ground up. Literally, starting with water, plumbing, roads, good buildings, and so on.
One "problem" would be dealing with the numbers of locals who would want in. Another would be cultural: for it to work for all factions in the country, the whole thing would need to be completely transparent and above board. No backhanders, no baksheesh, no favours for "friends", and so on.
It would also require a massive permanent importation of people - engineers, managers, and so on. If the city is a success, it would spread and the work of building and managing it would never end. No handing off of jobs to locals who are less qualified, just because they are locals. So, it would really be a "new colonialism", with a permanent foreign ruling class. If recent "ventures" have shown anything, it's that the locals rarely meet the level of competence necessary to keep such an ambitious venture going over the long term.
MM, Interesting simplification (that is not an adverse criticism btw). Certainly cut the profit from being a dominant West African tribe.
Needless to say, I cannot stand the views of white apologists for what happened years ago. We owe Africans nothing. If they were weak enough to be defeated, captured and enslaved by other Africans that's their problem. Don't forget that, at one time, Barbary Coast Africans were raiding OUR coasts for slaves just as we were raided by Vikings. Difficult to believe when you look at titchy Toksvig
Whitey - GET OVER IT - IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT - that's how it was done and, if things go bad, will be done again.
