All those dead/dying dark skinned folk in Africa

[opus10no2]

Who's fault is it they are dying?

If their economy is poor, it is because their land is poorly suited to agriculture and other useful exports...is it not?

How long has there been this epidemic?

Even without money and doctors, the biggest cause of death seems to be starvation.

Why do they reproduce so much if there is so little food to go around?

Without infering that africans are inferior people, would it simply be correct to assume that africa itself, largely, is a poor environment for human population?

Forgive my naivety, I'm just curious about this, because money shouldn't have to be the solution to everything. All wild animals, including early humans, survived without the whole trade system.

[jakev2.0]

In short:

Grossly corrupt and kleptocratic governments provide for themselves at the expense of their people.

Incompetent economic policy.

An illiterate and generally uneducated populace.

A lack of natural resources as an explanation for Africa's poverty (expounded by Jared Diamond et al) doesn't stand up to scrutiny when one considers the prosperity of Hong Kong, Singapore, Israel etc.

[opus10no2]

Posts: 666
 

I believe you.

[opus10no2]

Jake, I just have to ask, is it because they're black? 

[thalbergmad]

Grossly corrupt and kleptocratic governments provide for themselves at the expense of their people.
 

You got there before me on that one. Just look at Zimbabwe for example. What is the point in chucking the white farmers off their land, and handing it over to military men who have no knowledge on how to manage it?

Opus has a valid point as well. If i knew that any potential offspring of mine was likely to live a short painful life and most probably die in agony, i would not have children.

I understand the UK sends millions every year to Africa and various charities probably raise even more, but i doubt if that ever reaches the people in need.

Instead of sending money, we should send a few million condoms.

Thal

[jakev2.0]

Foreign aid is a waste when it finances thugs instead of the intended recipients.

The situation in Zimbabwe is a perfect example of the kind of disgusting corruption that is commonplace in Africa.  Mugabe is a tyrannical thug of the worst kind -  what incentive do ordinary people have to trade, invest, innovate, when the government ends up stealing it from them anyway? It creates a vicious cycle of poverty, resentment, and violence.

[prometheus]

Who's fault is it they are dying?

If their economy is poor, it is because their land is poorly suited to agriculture and other useful exports...is it not?

I often buy cheap vegetables that come all the way for Kenya. And what about coffee, cacao, etc? And when you look into it you will realise that there's tons of food coming from Africa. And we in the western world trash about 1/3rd of our food.

How long has there been this epidemic?

I assume you mean HIV. Since 1981+

Even without money and doctors, the biggest cause of death seems to be starvation.

I think it is probably malaria. Which can be cured for a few dollars.

Why do they reproduce so much if there is so little food to go around?

You should ask around some old relatives what is the oldest family they know.

What is the reason we reproduce so little? Anti-conception.

Without infering that africans are inferior people, would it simply be correct to assume that africa itself, largely, is a poor environment for human population?

No. Africa is a huge continent. It has all types of ecology.

[instromp]

Why do they reproduce so much if there is so little food to go around?

I watched a documentary a few months ago about the rising population in the poverish African areas.

It was either the women were raped, or that couples want to have sex badly but cant afford to buy condoms or thier isnt a clinic near by to get any.

All I see on T.V. are the poor parts of Africa, never any of the beautiful cities there. There is much food to go around but only if you do not live in a money grubbing country, that only exports crops instead of providing anything for their starving people.

[richard black]

In poor countries there's often a feeling that having more children will just mean having more people to provide for you when you're too old to provide for yourself. It may seem like a dumb assumption to us in the comfortable countries but actually it's a fundamental driver of human population.

The land in Africa is more than capable of providing food for the population. The continent is currently a net exporter of food!