BBC: Why is Africa doing so well but Africans aren't?

TandaleOne · 2010-09-24T23:44:30+00:00

In the past 10 years African economies have grown by 6% on average and foreign investment and exports have increased four-fold. Growing external demand for its goods and Africa's growth as a market for goods from elsewhere could see Africa becoming the next major emerging market. But despite this, the vast majority of Africans have yet to benefit from the economic success. Africa still accounts for only 3.3 per cent of global trade and there's been no improvement in higher-education funding, so there's still not enough doctors, teachers and other professionals. In its new report, The Commission for Africa is urging international donors to give billions more dollars in aid to the continent: The G20 should commit to increasing aid to Africa from 2010 onwards to a further 16 billion pounds per annum by 2015 Here's what these people have to say, commenting in Canada's Globe and Mail: Alastair James Berry: Africa is a disaster..... I have given up owning any shares in Africa... The political elite become megalomaniacs if they attain power and consider it their right to pauper everyone else! My advice, trade by all means but do NOT invest! Diane Marie: The Chinese are making hay in Africa because they don't lecture the locals. They provide the things demanded by the local leadership (infrastructure, sports stadiums, etc.), which serve to keep the populace thinking that social and democratic progress is being made. The Caring Jailer: How many more of our billions of $$$ should we throw at Africa before we should start seeing some results? People in the wealthy countries are tired of their hard earned money being wasted overseas. Daystrom: Sounds like this report was recycled from the 70s. More aid, more money blah blah blah. Stop enabling the continental kleptocracy. Bookmark with: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit - What's this? Comments Sign in or register to comment. 1. At 12:59pm on 13 Sep 2010, 70667 wrote: Okay Africa is booming biz-wise! But where are the profits heading??? Europe, India and lately China; whatever little scrapes are left (apart from physical infrastructure) is shoveled down by the CORRUPT government officials. So what trickles down to the everyday African is just a nice essay of project this, or project that! Succinctly, what am trying to say is that Western and Asian business is complicit in the story of corruption in Africa. Because it is very easy to rubber stamp corrupt dealings on official government documents down here! Another silently underlying issue is Africa's hypnotic attitude that solutions to it's plight lie outside it's borders. For this one I have no solution because it a case of the state of the psyche. complain about this comment 2. At 2:25pm on 13 Sep 2010, Peter Bassey wrote: We are living in an age when doctored statistics influence perceptions far more than the brazen truth.Take it from me, Africa (or at least my corner of it) is NOT doing better one wit.I speak from Ground Zero! Where I stay the lords of the land believe the fanciful trussing up of the capital city and total abandonment of the rest will fool everyone about how well we are doing.Where I am( and in spite of our much acclaimed learning)no one has really worked out how the provision of constant electricity changes anything.Right down the rung, pockets of tyrants stand by to exploit the wonky system to the hilt, even the Police, everyone preying on the weak and defenseless. The mighty rich (a small clan of self-centered imbeciles who have all those small pockets of tyrants in their pockets)hog all the gains of "democracy" to themselves, building and securing themselves behind high walls in their small private empires and domains from where they look down with scorn at the poor.Plenty of politicians manipulate the uneducated and keep them perennially under heel while gulping up resources that would've changed many lives a million times over.The educational system still allows students to pay their way through to graduation. And you want me to believe Africa is doing well.Well, we are not. In my country the resources are there to change the very face of Africa if need be; but the real men in charge couldn't lead a Boys Scouts troop even if they were shown how to. So steeped are they all in philosophies that favor only their pocket or families or tribes that no matter the best of anyones' efforts it all continues to fall short.Tribalism reigns supreme and the utter disregard of the minorities remains an unwritten policy thrust.Usually, the token minorities are kept in the team and chance-events (like Goodluck Jonathan's rise to power can make the impossible possible)but the rest of us are never completely fooled.No, sirree, we are not! Endelea:BBC - World Service - World Have Your Say: Why is Africa doing so well but Africans aren't?

Thread starter TandaleOne
Start date Sep 25, 2010

TandaleOne

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BBC: Why is Africa doing so well but Africans aren't?

TandaleOne

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