Bono’s Africa vs the Real Thing

We’re often hearing how dire it is in Africa, and how we should send money, money, money. Even though many Africans have been asking the west to stop sending aid to the continent. Now there’s an LA Times column telling us why the picture painted of Africa by people like Bono bears little resemblance to reality.

Africa has a lot oif problems, but it’s a huge continent, not a country. There are plenty of places you don’t hear about there that are doing OK.

1. As you so correctly point out, Afica is a continent, not a country. And it’s a huge continent on top of that. But while there are a great deal of highly developed parts of Africa (like the south aso), there are also places where it’s like stepping 2000+ years back in time - and those places are suffering from famine, poverty, diseases and even wars that are killing thousands every day.
   Simply looking at the parts where “everything” is going fine does not make all the bad things go away ... we really can’t allow ourselves, as humans, the luxury of turning a blind eye to that. And I don’t for a second belive that simply stopping all aid to Afica is going to make this great continent wake up and start “taking care of itself” ... the problem is the corruption, and that is where the first strike should be blown.
   Hey, heres an idea ... when Bush is finished with Iraq, he should invade all of Afica - that seems to be a good solution to all problems… And if he can’t think of any reason to it, just remind him of all the oil, gold and dimonds!

   And yeah, Bono is a jackass ...

   Posted by  on  07/09  at  10:49 AM

2. I agree that corruption is the problem. As many have pointed out elsewhere, feeding aid money to these places only enriches the corrupt “leaders” who steal the aid.

   Obviously, a lot of people need help there. Money can make a big difference. What’s needed is a way to prevent the bad guys from stealing it,.

   Posted by James Hudnall  on  07/09  at  12:35 PM
Page 1 of 1 pages

<< Back to main