Africa - poor by choice

[calfoxwc]

Africa: Poor by Choice

 

 

 

Africa finds itself enmeshed in the dilemma that befell Jericho’s residents in the time of Elijah, the Prophet. They came to the prophet and lamented: “The location of this city, as you can see, is good: but the water is bitter!” The city had immense advantages over the other cities but the condition of its water almost rendered it inhabitable.

 

 

 

Africa is endowed with a good climate, vast expanses of natural resources, scenic grandeur and big population. Africans are a hardworking and creative people. Their resilience has made them withstand oppressive regimes; dangerous diseases and international development experiments. Africans are landing top jobs in international fora and global agencies. In spite of all this, the continent remains chronically poor.

 

 

 

“When it comes to human development, the rising tide of global prosperity has lifted some boats faster than others, and some boats are sinking faster,” says the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI) for 2006. The report lists Africa as among the sinking boats.

 

 

 

“People in Norway are more than 40 times wealthier than people in Niger and they live almost twice as long,” says the report. The average life expectancy in South Africa, the continent’s most advanced economy is only 47, compared to 82 years in Japan.

 

 

 

What makes Africa poor and other regions with similar political apparatus in place, similar liberal ideologies and beliefs at work and, most significantly, an identical rich resource of talented and hardworking people rich?

 

 

 

Many Ugandans live abroad and earn huge sums of money. “These are not peasants,” says President Museveni. “They are engineers and doctors. They prefer to stay there because they are paid better. What then, happens to us here? How will our economy develop? Some of our people are working in NASA, helping Americans to go to the moon, while we, here in Uganda, cannot even get to another town, forget about going to the moon! This is madness!”

 

 

 

What is it about America that makes Africans perform better than at home and, indeed, better than their American counterparts in many cases? Is it, as the HDI 2006 report puts it: “being born on the wrong street in the global village?” Why is Africa sinking while China that was far much behind not long ago braving the tide?

 

 

 

Africa is poor by choice and works very hard to stay poor. While developed countries work very hard to create and maintain wealth, Africa works hard to subsidize the poor, provide jobs for them and preserve unproductive jobs. While developed nations pursue the politics of wealth creation, Africa pursues the politics of wealth redistribution. In the absence of national wealth, Africa redistributes poverty and sinks more into poverty.

 

 

 

 

Africa’s labor laws provide protection to the organized labor sector at the expense of the informal sector. There is a huge disincentive for businesses to hire people. Street vendors out to eke a living are purged from the street like venom. Commerce is an essential human activity. Trade makes us human. Where there is need, base or noble, depraved or innocent, it will be filled. Complicated licensing and immigration procedures slow the pace of business. Guaranteed jobs, just like guaranteed markets take away any incentive to enhance one's skills and move up the social ladder through hard work; work hard or productively to keep a job and lock people into unproductive situations. Continued emphasis on job preservation through anti-mechanization legislations instead of creation of new jobs is counter-productive. Development entails giving up less productive jobs and embracing new, more productive ones. This makes workers to invest in themselves in order to move up the income ladder.

 

 

 

Over 70 percent of the African population is engaged in agrarian activities. In spite of this, an African’s disposable income is no more than the food budget of half a person. Despite the fact that less than two percent of the population in the US is engaged in agriculture or related activities, an American farmer produces enough food for 50 people including himself, with even more left over for export.

 

 

 

Subsistence economies, where most people are employed producing food are by definition poverty stricken. Food and essential goods should be produced by as few people as possible. This frees up resources to do newer things. What are these newer things? Providing services like education, healthcare, sanitation, entertainment, travel, insurance, banking and sports. As a society becomes more productive it starts to become more service oriented. Services provide quality of life. One may not need to eat more than three meals a day but one can consume an unlimited amount of services!

 

 

 

It is time attention was given to an entrepreneurial agenda, where the state's role is minimal with respect to industry and commerce. The productive and competitive energies of Africa’s people ought to be freed. Bureaucrats have been empowered while entrepreneurs have been suppressed. Human productivity increases through skills enhancement and increased capital deployment per person. Productivity of capital is improved by putting the capital to the most productive uses.

 

 

 

The main engine that drives improved productivity is free and unfettered competition. This forces people to enhance their skills to stay competitive and dispatches capital where it has the highest returns rather than where politicians and bureaucrats direct it. In a competitive market, suppliers are forced to provide better goods and services at lower prices to stay in business. A guaranteed market ensures shoddy products and services. Africa should let market forces prevail, rather than tie down the economy with regulations and laws.

 

 

 

Foreign investment that produces jobs in Africa and improves the quality of products and services for the African consumer should be approved. Only through a total commitment to economic liberalization and open door policy can we hope to accelerate growth in Africa. Africa’s economy should be integrated to facilitate benefits from economies of scale. Regional infrastructures such as railways linking the Horn of Africa with East Africa; linking Congo, Sudan, Zambia (through Lake Tanganyika) with East Africa should be developed. Africa should become a base to manufacture for the world markets, for it is much better to have Africans employed than subsidized.

 

 

 

The best of governments cannot create productive jobs or create wealth. There are no examples where this has happened on a sustained basis. The government's job is to provide a stable and fair environment and shed regulations that stifle wealth creation, so the citizenry can thrive on its own. Anything that can be done at profit by entrepreneurs should be left to them.

 

 

 

The international community has a role to play too. “If people from the West are really our friends, they should open markets and let Africans process their products by having something ready to be put on the shelf of the super market in Europe, in Japan, in the United States. If not, we would know that they are not our friends. We would [still] survive. But they should not engage us in small things like little aid money. Aid is nothing; it cannot develop a country!” says President Museveni.

 

 

 

By Josephat Juma

Mr. Juma is an African Executive Writer

[Guest mz.]

That was a very heartwarming piece, cal.

 

I'm guessing you believe Africa is black by choice, as well?

[Mr. T]

That was a very heartwarming piece, cal.

 

I'm guessing you believe Africa is black by choice, as well?

 

 

I personaly am friends with a couple of africans.... and they are white.

 

do you think the africa population is all black?

 

Most afriacans move to other countries to get away from socialistic governments.

[calfoxwc]

I don't know the ratio of races in Africa. Race has nothing to do with the post.

 

Poor is poor. Socialist is socialist failure every time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PB&J]

Yes, Africa chooses to be poor. There is no way it could possibly be the colonization and exploitation by European nations for hundreds of years. It also couldn't be the fact that once they gained independence, they were left on their own and MNCs came in and incited a race to the bottom. It also is not due to the ~18 wars currently going on, fueled by corruption from governments that are owned by the IMF and World bank that are forced to cut healthcare, education and infrastructure development, only to try to meet minimum payments to try to climb out of their HIPC status.

 

Obviously, African countries are choosing to be poor.

 

 

edit: I almost forgot about how the US has farm subsidies that completely screws over African farmers and makes it impossible for them to make any money from it.

 

Get real, Socialism doesn't work. Capitalism doesn't work. They are both perfect systems, and this is an imperfect world.

[calfoxwc]

The government subsidizes poverty, which is why Obama should take notice and disavow his socialist roots...

 

complaining that historical colonization is to blame to current lack of economy to procure large scale equipment

for bigtime production in farming production by African farmers is like blaming poor grades in inner city schools

on chocolate frosted sugar bombs and playing baseball in school yards.

 

Always blaming, always excuses, always wanting a giant government magic twanger to make any problem ok

because there's a "reason", instead of having a legitmate solution that doesn't cause a problem elsewhere.

[PB&J]

The government subsidizes poverty, which is why Obama should take notice and disavow his socialist roots...

 

complaining that historical colonization is to blame to current lack of economy to procure large scale equipment

for bigtime production in farming production by African farmers is like blaming poor grades in inner city schools

on chocolate frosted sugar bombs and playing baseball in school yards.

 

Always blaming, always excuses, always wanting a giant government magic twanger to make any problem ok

because there's a "reason", instead of having a legitmate solution that doesn't cause a problem elsewhere.

 

 

I didn't say it was only historical colonization that caused it, but I guess it is easier for you to avoid the other points.

 

The reason they cannot procure larger farming equipment is because now they are owned by the world bank and IMF. When the Europeans left, they had not developed any manufacturing in the countries. So even though they were independent they depend on the west to buy their products. The US subsidizes their own farmers, so it is impossible for African farmers to compete and make a profit. That means the countries need to get loans from the World bank and IMF to try and develop. But, the only realistic choice for them is to attract a MNC to their country to set up manufacturing to raise the countries GDP, making them look like there is growth even though there is not. This "growth" allows them to get more loans and so on and so on.

 

These countries need these loans to just stay afloat, because they are mostly agrarian and the US rapes them in the ass with subsidies, and they cannot afford to develop their own manufacturing yet. The west still owns Africa, there is no way around it.

[calfoxwc]

well, I'm not an experte' on these matters, but why can't Africa just get

the loans from whatever orgs, and develop their own manufacturing of farm equipment?

 

I'm not against them developing their agriculture, I just think it's goofy to blame the US

for that, too.

 

We farm, we didn't get subsidies to build a new barn, and many thousands of $$$$ for equipment and land..,

 

but we're the bad guys because some of our soybeans might be sold to Africa to feed Africans?

 

I don't get liberals. Always blaming... us in our U.S.

[PB&J]

They didn't just spend it on farm equipment or everything because that would cost a shitload of money, and most of the countries have horrible corruption. They need to get more loans to pay for the first loans, and the way to qualify for those is by showing a growth in the GDP... make it enticing for MNCs to come in. This way their GDP goes up, but their economy really doesn't grow. A lot of the corruption problems come from democracy happening too soon, without the infrastructure there to support it.

 

And it is not goofy to blame the US for farm subsidies. They make it impossible to compete for Africa. I am surprised you aren't against the government taking your money, and paying a price for things you don't want to buy at a price higher than you would pay for it.

 

 

"but we're the bad guys because some of our soybeans might be sold to Africa to feed Africans?"

Why don't we teach them to fish, instead of giving them fish everyday. It will work out better in the end.

 

 

I am not a liberal by the way. I am more along the lines of a libertarian than anything. I just don't believe a free market is really free, a centrist economic policy would work best.

[Guest mz.]

I personaly am friends with a couple of africans.... and they are white.

 

No shit.

 

do you think the africa population is all black?

 

It isn't????? No way.

 

Most afriacans move to other countries to get away from socialistic governments.

 

Yes, the majority of Africans have the financial and logistical ability to pick up their family and move them to, say, the U.S.

 

Come on, T.

 

[Guest mz.]

well, I'm not an experte' on these matters, but why can't Africa just get

the loans from whatever orgs, and develop their own manufacturing of farm equipment?

 

This would be the government equivalent of all of those sub-prime mortgage loans.

 

[Legacy Fan]

because they are mostly agrarian and the US rapes them in the ass with subsidies, and they cannot afford to develop their own manufacturing yet. The west still owns Africa, there is no way around it.

 

Nothing about the $5-8 billion in humanitarian & development aid that the continent gets from the US alone every year?

 

It's not rape if you keep asking us to cuddle when we finish.

[PB&J]

And it is so obvious that after all of the years on this plan, it is working.

[Legacy Fan]

And it is so obvious that after all of the years on this plan, it is working.

But that wouldn't have anything to do with warlords who have been running things well before we shit-bag westerners floated over & stole people to initiate the slave trade (apparently the only cause for Africa's current state of poverty), would it?

[osusev]

pb and j let cal rant on about things that he obviously has not done much to any research on. 50+ countries thousands of natives tribes all speaking different languages within the same continent that dont recognize any government... Europeans and other countries who have had a foothold on Oil and mineral rights that are stolen from the native populations and money sent here and abroad...

 

You can always tell someones complete ignorance about the CONTINENT of Africa when someone uses the name of continent to define any specific socio-economic problem or any other problem about any of the many nations and people of that continent.

 

Legacy you really put up that aid package... to what specific country or region was that supposed to be allocted to? How much money does U.S. medical and oil industries not to mention chemical and mineral corps make from stripping that continents rescources without any epa or any other real oversight poisoning the land and people on a yearly basis? WELL over that aid package that rarely ever actually reach the people from corrupt governments and dictators we help prop up.

 

I am sure Cal that Obama who has actually been to the continent and probably has read more in a day about the many different cultures and countries that inhabit that continent does not need that article posted by you to learn something..

[Legacy Fan]

Legacy you really put up that aid package... to what specific country or region was that supposed to be allocted to?

 

Since I am well aware of the overwhelming burden of clicking a hyperlink and actually reading the text on said link, here:

And four African nations -- Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt and Uganda -- rank among the world's top 10 recipients in aid from the United States.

Although some activists criticize Bush for not doing more to end the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, others credit him for playing a role in ending deadly conflicts in Liberia, the Congo and other parts of Sudan. Meanwhile, Bush has overseen a steady rise in U.S. trade with Africa, which has doubled since 2001.

Where are Clooney & the Gang's Liberia/Congo bumper stickers & rally's? Also, take note of the doubling of trade.

 

""He [bush 2] should be known for increasing -- doubling development assistance and tripling it to Africa after a period in which U.S. development assistance was essentially flat for decades," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a recent interview with the Associated Press. "He should be known for the largest single investment in AIDS and malaria, the biggest health investment of any government program ever."

[PB&J]

Last time I checked, the Congolese conflict hasn't ended. The LRA is coming in from Uganda and laying waste to every village in the Northwest of the country. The government and the rebels are still at odds. Uganda is still rife with corruption. The military that is supposed to be fighting the LRA is just sitting in their bases, sending back to the government bills for twice as many soldiers as there actually are. This facilitates the atrocities in Congo.

 

Or how about in the Central African Republic, where there are roving militias randomly murdering people on charges that they are "witches?"

 

Liberia has calmed down, but I think that is really more a case of the conflict just finally burning out. They went at it for decades.

 

Everybody knows we are doing nothing in Sudan because there are 4,000 Chinese soldiers there. China is growing, and needs there oil bad. We don't want to screw with China's shit, and China will veto UN action there.

 

You listed 4 places where there is US aid going. That is good and all, but there are 34 HIPC countries in sub-saharan Africa. Quit subsidizing every single thing that comes out of the ground if you want to help, our farmers will be fine. I wouldn't really count Egypt with that though, it has more to do with the Israel thing.

 

[calfoxwc]

""He [bush 2] should be known for increasing -- doubling development assistance and tripling it to Africa after a period in which U.S. development assistance was essentially flat for decades," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a recent interview with the Associated Press. "He should be known for the largest single investment in AIDS and malaria, the biggest health investment of any government program ever."

 

So, Sev, where's the beef? This is a great thing, yes?

 

Or not, since it isn't a DEM president?

 

Research it, oh one with a lot of time. I don't have the time, myself.

 

Versatility and genius has it's limits, and I'm wd40ing our new 10' JD disc,

deciding where to put the greenhouse, studying our 3" thick hay book,

ordering seed,

 

sorry if my differing opinions shatter your peaceful psyche. Obama DOES need to read the article.

[PB&J]

The AIDs initiative in Africa was one of the only redeeming features for Bush's presidency. It is a great thing. (The initiative, not the fact that it was the only good thing about his presidency)

[osusev]

Cal my peaceful psyche? yea I have been to a couple of coutries on that continent and the middle east as well as come from a country that has a cease fire from a war over 50 years ago. You talk of farming and then decide to post some information about topics you obviously know very little on. Keep talking about a Continental name as a definition for general problems from a continent that we help strip any natural rescources and leave the local populace with virtually nothing but poisoned air, water and land.

 

You guys talk about "aid" to a continent as if the rescources we take are not equivelent to well over 100 times the value and leave massive eco damage for the "africans" to deal with. Cal I dont post about farming techniques and the industry because I know very little on that subject maybe you should stick to what you actually know.

[Westside Steve]

I dont post about farming techniques and the industry because I know very little on that subject maybe you should stick to what you actually know.

 

 

Which surprises me, Sev.

It seems you claim to be the expert on every other subject.

WSS

[osusev]

I have a real estate and finance operation, I own interest in a startup web software development company. I did graduate college and lived overseas and in other countries. I spent my youth studying more subjects because my Family had very high educational standards along with exposing me to the world. So I feel I have been lucky and disciplined enough to read and study for most of my life. Maybe that sometimes comes off as being a know it all pompous type. I am not, I know where my limitations are and choose to push into those areas eventually so I can understand and experience more.

 

That is something I push on my children to experience and learn about anything and everything everyday. If that bothers you than maybe instead of trying to deliver some sarcastic insult pick up a book or attend a class on a subject you dont know... Hell I hear tell of some information superhighway new fangled thing that lets you have access to more knowledge than any library ever in existance had... something called the in ter net.

 

or you could just throw another insult my way, whatever makes you happy.

 

on a "farming" note my family and I have decided to raise chickens (brown eggs) and a small garden to start learning about some basic rudimentary farming techniques this year.

[Legacy Fan]

You guys talk about "aid" to a continent as if the rescources we take are not equivelent to well over 100 times the value and

 

So we don't pay for any of it? Dude, can I get in on that?

[osusev]

come on Legacy you are being coy..... revenue generated from domestic corps that pay more taxes to our government system yearly than our sporadic aid programs.. when they actually do fund. Like I said between oil/chemical/mineral rights our companies own ahem robbed and process destroying their ecology because they obviously dont have a robust epa or any sort of legitimate oversight and sold to our economy and europe's... Not to mention people and employers who put money into mutual funds that profit from those investments.

 

so yes technically you nor I pay ANY money toward these aid packages because the gross revenue in taxes and earnings from the market well exceed any sort of organized disbursement to that continent.

 

Africa is not poor by choice, more exploited by first imperialistic europe and than now by advanced capitalism that can deploy technology and money to corrupt.. I mean support governments who grant us anything we want in exchange for living better than the indeginous peoples. Its like what the Catholics did in order to market I mean spread their business... I mean religion to less advanced cultures. Come in with superior arms and funds to build schools that only taught from the Bible to brainwash I mean teach reading and support only leaders who granted them sole rights to exploit.... I mean help their people. That is why Catholicism still has tons of money coming from the Third world where education has much lower standards.

 

Not poor by choice but by exploitation and manipulation.

[calfoxwc]

Maybe that sometimes comes off as being a know it all pompous type SEV

***************************************

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMNvYhI4AzM

[osusev]

to refute intelligently with factual information to people who spout biased and unsubstantiated opinion is not pompous. It only comes across that way to the person who is exposed for their lack of knowledge on a subject.

 

I am sure since you are a programmer if a person came in and posted some code that they made up without any knowledge of what they were doing and passing it off as a working product you could and should expose them. Other people who dont have the benefit of your experience/education and knowledge in that field would benefit and not be taken in or duped into a flawed and false product.

 

[Legacy Fan]

come on Legacy you are being coy..... revenue generated from domestic corps that pay more taxes to our government system yearly than our sporadic aid programs.. when they actually do fund. Like I said between oil/chemical/mineral rights our companies own ahem robbed and process destroying their ecology because they obviously dont have a robust epa or any sort of legitimate oversight and sold to our economy and europe's... Not to mention people and employers who put money into mutual funds that profit from those investments.

 

so yes technically you nor I pay ANY money toward these aid packages because the gross revenue in taxes and earnings from the market well exceed any sort of organized disbursement to that continent.

 

Africa is not poor by choice, more exploited by first imperialistic europe and than now by advanced capitalism that can deploy technology and money to corrupt.. I mean support governments who grant us anything we want in exchange for living better than the indeginous peoples. Its like what the Catholics did in order to market I mean spread their business... I mean religion to less advanced cultures. Come in with superior arms and funds to build schools that only taught from the Bible to brainwash I mean teach reading and support only leaders who granted them sole rights to exploit.... I mean help their people. That is why Catholicism still has tons of money coming from the Third world where education has much lower standards.

 

Not poor by choice but by exploitation and manipulation.

 

 

No, I'm talking about paying for the resources we are apparently raping. Nothing is free & somebody is collecting a check for our alleged rape (lions & tigers & catholics, Oh my!) .

 

Are you (and PB&J, since he apparently agrees), calling for a PROHIBITION on purchasing goods from 3rd world nations? Because, I mean now we are at least collecting taxes on it, and some folks are getting paid for those goods/resources.

[calfoxwc]

Your analogy is invalid. Self-serving in a huge way, but invalid.

 

A computer program can be written in fine ways, in different languages.

 

You simply diss any language you don't program in, as "not the right language"..

 

elitism. Self - centered, extremely bigoted to anything not buoying one's ego, based on uniqueness as

an end all boon to the same "self".

[osusev]

legacy you said apparantly..... there are probably thousands of investigative journalistic pieces written over the last 100 years along with historians writing from multiple countries on the subject of exploitation of the natural wealth of that continent.

 

the somebody collecting the check would be anyone that benefits from the returns in mutual funds invested in those projects along with the corps that are based in europe and the U.S.

 

some of you were talking about Aid packages like we the general tax payers were paying for it when really thay is false. We benefit from the raw materials and products immensly and give little to nothing in return. So this topic was flawed and intellectually dishonest.

 

Cal..... was that a response toward the pompous charge? that was an odd post and not even a response to your ability to bust a fraud who does not know how to code in any of the myriad languages availabe but tries to pass of information like he does.

[Legacy Fan]

"Apparently" was sarcasm.

 

My point, is that the US (& imperial Europe) is/was only taking advantage of the corruption & greed already present in the countries. Capitalism didn't invent greed, as many of you like to believe.

 

To start a slave trade, a chief/ruler/whatever has to be willing to trade his own people for guns & booze. We didn't steal people.

 

To continue the blood diamond trade, those in charge are willing to allow the bloodshed & tyranny continue in exchange for a case of 7.63 x 39mm rounds & a pack of smokes every day. Those who "employ" their own villages to mine for the things. We aren't stealing them.

 

Just because you wouldn't dig through dirt for $.20/day with your uncle standing over top of you with a machete & a rusty Kalashnikova rifle doesn't mean that continent isn't being reimbursed.