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Why is Africa Poor?

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liege posted on Mon, Mar 15 2010 3:35 AM | Locked

By poor I mean the general standard of living.

I have heard before that Africa is 'the most mineral rich continent in the world'. While I find proving this seems to be exceedingly difficult (if even possible), I would at least concede that, in terms of mineral wealth, the African continent is probably no worse off than any of the others ...

So what gives? Why do I see TV personalities selling the plight of these starving people? Are Africans really unable to develop any sort of infrastructure to provide basic necessities like food, clothing, shelter, and medicine?

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Caley McKibbin replied on Sat, Mar 20 2010 11:45 PM | Locked

"Burundi is emerging from twelve years of civil war, during which little to no investment, foreign or domestic, was made."

Btw, the "capita" making $110,000 in Luxembourg don't necessarily live there.

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Southern replied on Sat, Mar 20 2010 11:47 PM | Locked

If we are boiling this down to African people, then we need to look at african population outside of africa.  There are large population in the US, Caribbean, and South America.  It seems that the African populations suffer from some sort of problem that does not allow them to rise to the top of the economic ladder.  The traditional answer is racism.  They cant get ahead because those who control the capital wont let them.  But that is a very socialist answer.  Is it right or no?

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Caley McKibbin replied on Sat, Mar 20 2010 11:51 PM | Locked

Racism here is not a disadvantage to Africans in Africa.  That is about the least useful thing to consider.

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Southern replied on Sat, Mar 20 2010 11:52 PM | Locked

Caley McKibbin:

"Russia and the soviet block is emering from 70 year of socialism with decades of malinvestment". there is no doubt that war makes a difference, but all peoples have experienced war.  Hell Europe had almost its entire infastructure bombed out in two of the largest wars the world has ever seen.  Yet they are not poor today.

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Stranger replied on Sat, Mar 20 2010 11:54 PM | Locked

Southern:

"Russia and the soviet block is emering from 70 year of socialism with decades of malinvestment". there is no doubt that war makes a difference, but all peoples have experienced war.  Hell Europe had almost its entire infastructure bombed out in two of the largest wars the world has ever seen.  Yet they are not poor today.

Depends on what part of Europe you visit.

There are also areas of Africa that are not poor, even richer than some areas of Europe.

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Southern replied on Sat, Mar 20 2010 11:59 PM | Locked

Caley McKibbin:

Racism here is not a disadvantage to Africans in Africa.  That is about the least useful thing to consider.

 

agreed. But being from the american south, this is what I have been taught my whole life.  I do believe that the system here has been a major problem for the blacks, but the blacks in the US are the most successful population of Blacks in th world.  They are wealthier and more influential than their cousins in africa.  Yet they have been, argueably, the most oppressed. 

The problems that we are talking about are not unique to the continient of Africa.  They exist in almost every population of Africans.  Whether they be European, American, Caribbean, or African. 

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Southern replied on Sun, Mar 21 2010 12:00 AM | Locked

Stranger:

Southern:

"Russia and the soviet block is emering from 70 year of socialism with decades of malinvestment". there is no doubt that war makes a difference, but all peoples have experienced war.  Hell Europe had almost its entire infastructure bombed out in two of the largest wars the world has ever seen.  Yet they are not poor today.

Depends on what part of Europe you visit.

There are also areas of Africa that are not poor, even richer than some areas of Europe.

Where?

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Stranger replied on Sun, Mar 21 2010 12:01 AM | Locked

Southern:

Where?

Compare Cape Town region to Poland, or even just East Germany.

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Southern replied on Sun, Mar 21 2010 12:02 AM | Locked

Are these populations of Africans or of Euroeans?

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Southern replied on Sun, Mar 21 2010 12:04 AM | Locked

Stranger:

Southern:

Where?

Compare Cape Town region to Poland, or even just East Germany.

 

Disregard the last post.  These are the areas of the highest concentration of European population.  They were never under communist rule.  Let us be honest here.

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Stranger replied on Sun, Mar 21 2010 12:11 AM | Locked

Southern:

Are these populations of Africans or of Euroeans?

Majority Africans, ruled by Europeans.

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Stranger replied on Sun, Mar 21 2010 12:12 AM | Locked

Southern:

Disregard the last post.  These are the areas of the highest concentration of European population.  They were never under communist rule.  Let us be honest here.

If Europeans can destroy their countries with communism, why could Africans not do the same thing? Or did the Europeans simply lose their IQ points all of a sudden and decided to adopt communism as a result?

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Southern replied on Sun, Mar 21 2010 12:44 AM | Locked

Stranger:

Southern:

Disregard the last post.  These are the areas of the highest concentration of European population.  They were never under communist rule.  Let us be honest here.

If Europeans can destroy their countries with communism, why could Africans not do the same thing? Or did the Europeans simply lose their IQ points all of a sudden and decided to adopt communism as a result?

 

So did africans destroy thier nations with communism?  Was there something to destroy?  If anything the only thing destroyed was what little was build during colonialism.  The mercantilsit system which is capitalisms wayward cousin.

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Southern replied on Sun, Mar 21 2010 12:45 AM | Locked

Stranger:

Southern:

Are these populations of Africans or of Euroeans?

Majority Africans, ruled by Europeans.

I believe the cape town region is the highest concentration of european in africa.

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Bostwick replied on Sun, Mar 21 2010 1:29 AM | Locked

Stephen:

JonBostwick:

Stephen:
I never said that institutional factors were not necessary. In fact, the Chinese would have far surpassed Europeans if institutional factors had been equal.

But that is my point, those factors weren't equal despite IQ. IQ is then limited to being only a minor factor.

Pre-colonial Africa was highly decentralized. Why didn't it also undergo an industrial revolution?

Medieval Europe was politically decentralized but culturally unified, by an international religion.

Peace

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