South Africa - Going Down The Pan?

[Arginald Valleywater]

Are you surprised? Since the end of The Empire and Apartheid the majority of Africa has gone back to tribal violence and total corruption. Black people simply do not comprehend free elections, accepting defeat graciously, working in harmony etc. Lose an election and wahey get out the AK47s, machetes and lets rape and murder a few innocents. These people see fighting and machismo as the real way to settle arguments. Diplomacy is a non-starter.

Mandela is the prime exampe, a true man of the people who spends most of his time abroad, hob nobbing with rock stars and actors, wearing ?5000 Brioni suits, living it up to the fucking hilt and letting his beloved nation bcome the aids and rape capital of the planet. Politician no, celebrity yes.

[mrmcfister]

You cant blame imperialists for the crap that is now Africa...its always been a shit hole and always will be.BTW ever seen some of that crap African acting on sattelite!!

[c.j.jaxxon]

As usual some of you don't realize what Africa was then but we all know what it is now but you fail to realize...how did Africa get the way it is now? WZR made a comment on how he didn't see any fighting or whathaveyou and that's not to say it ain't going on but MAYBE it ain't as wide spread as the news say it is. People I either know or heard from that's been to Africa (including WZR) have said that it was beautiful especially in the cities. There are some things that are true like the rapeing of girls and women and things but even the Africans who are here in the states love their homeland and visit when they can. Some of you need to study the history of Africa and Africans and you'll see the contributions that they made to humanity (or more like what everybody else took credit for) like math, phonics, resources to make metals, and the diamond trade.

[stripeysydney]

I wouldn't even rise to the bait, c.j. I lived in South Africa and I f*****g loved it. All the Africans (well about 95% of them) are fine people.
The Europeans certainly didn't help matters when they carved it up in the 19th century, having absolutely no respect for the people that already lived there, putting one half of one tribe in one 'country' and dumping the other half in another country as they saw fit.
As Europeans we have probably killed more people than anyone else.
Let's see, not counting the minor matters of the first and second world war, since then in Europe alone, we've had conflicts in Ireland, Spain, Greece, Yugoslavia, Cyprus, you get the drift.
I happen to think that despite South Africa's bloody history it will be a success story in the future.

[c.j.jaxxon]

Thanx. Thought I'd add my 2 cents and jump in the conversation. You're just one more person who can verify my claim putting those other Africa haters to shame.

[Flat_Eric]

warren zevon rip wrote:

>>>


So presumably you'd be more than happy to go live in some Sierra Leone tin-shack backwater then, wazza.

Or even just go for an extended stay off the beaten track and among the natives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (or Burkina Faso, or the Sudan ........ ).

After all - the bad press is surely just racist, Daily Mail scaremongering isn't it?!

Or maybe you WERE "just insulated, being a tourist".

- Eric

[Flat_Eric]

c.j.jaxxon wrote:

>>


I don't think it's a matter of "hating" Africa / Africans, cj.

But the fact remains that many African countries have had the chance to become - if not rich - then certainly reasonably prosperous and stable, thanks to their vast mineral wealth, fertile land (in some parts), tourist potential etc. etc. And yet they've consistently just pissed away their opportunities in spectacular fashion.

The 'politically correct' argument of course is to blame the 19th century white European colonialists for all of Africa's ills - but most of Africa has been independent for a couple of generations now at least, which should have been plenty of time for them to at least start putting their house in order.

But what have they had instead? A constant series of civil wars, cross-border wars, rebellions, tribes massacring other tribes, coups, counter-coups, corrupt dictators, economic mismanagement ... the list goes on. And for that they only have themsleves to blame.

- Eric