The root cause of Africa's problems?

[Humes fork]

From here:

Whenever I try to apply logic, critical reasoning and scientific temper to issues during public debates, I am often accused of not thinking like an African. I am always told that I think like a white man or that I have a western mentality. As if critical thinking or the scientific outlook is for westerners alone or that critical thinking can only be exercised by people from a particular race or region. No, this is not the case.

...

While holding on to beliefs and outlooks informed by superstition and primordial thinking is often glorified as African. Even in this 21st century, reason and science are still perceived as western, and not African values. I have yet to understand how we came about this mistaken idea. Hence, it is often portrayed as if the African does not reason and dare not reason or that the African does not think or cannot think critically. It seems thinking like an African means suspension of thought, logic or common sense. Thinking like an African means not thinking at all- thoughtlessness or thinking in spiritual, occult or magical ways.

For instance, whenever I try to challenge or question the irrational and absurd claims of witchcraft, juju and charms, and other ritualistic and religious nonsense that dominate the mental space of Africans, I am often reminded that my mentality is western. And you know what, whenever in the course of a public debate, somebody allges that a position is western, it means that it is unacceptable though it may be reasonable or may have a superior argument. Is that not unfortunate?

 

[Polaris]

There are more than one root cause.

 

[Virus]

Bad culture.

 

[MaGZ]

Ever notice there is a difference between Africa and Europe?

 

[geni]

There are more than one root cause.

^This.

 

[geni]

Ever notice there is a difference between Africa and Europe?

Well yes. Europe has a better food parcel and an unmatched selection of domesticatable large mammals.

 

[Moss]

Well yes. Europe has a better food parcel and an unmatched selection of domesticatable large mammals.

Europe also had fewer parasites and resulting diseases.

 

[Virus]

Well yes. Europe has a better food parcel and an unmatched selection of domesticatable large mammals.

Which has little to do with Africa's problems. Japan is mostly mountains and Hong Kong is not blessed with grazing land and animals.

 

[Darth Rotor]

What part of Africa are you talking about? It is over three times the size of the US, has over fifty countries of varying sizes and populations, is divided into at least four major geographical zones, and ... well, FFS, how do you think you can come up with a "root cause" in such a chaotic and diverse geopolitical region?

Oversimplification can lead to self confusion rather than enlightenment. It's a risk.

 

[BStrong]

Tribalism, superstition, exploitation, indifference.

And a million other issues.

 

[geni]

Which has little to do with Africa's problems. Japan is mostly mountains and Hong Kong is not blessed with grazing land and animals.

Japan had rice which while not a ideal core of a food parcel is pretty good. They also had access a range of large tame mammals. Hong Kong draws from china and Britain who in turn filled the most advanced civilisation on the planet slot.

By comparison sub Saharan Africa suffers from a limited pool of large mammals a a pretty poor food parcel.

 

[geni]

Europe also had fewer parasites and resulting diseases.

Yes and no. While African diseases were enough to keep Europeans out for quite a while European diseases (smallpox, TB, measles) still have a slight edge in terms of diseases you absolutely do not want to run into.

 

[Virus]

They've got other resources. More minerals, oil and natural gas than Europe. But they remain backwards and undeveloped. I think culture is the better explanation rather than domestic animals. Domestic animals have nothing to do with bad government, corruption, cronyism, superstition, tribal warfare, Communism, Islamic supremacism, piracy ect.

 

[MG1962]

Well yes. Europe has a better food parcel and an unmatched selection of domesticatable large mammals.

Europe was not divided up by the British either

 

[Virus]

Being divided up has little to do with corruption, bad governance, cronyism and so on. India was invented by the British and it's doing ok. Not perfect but not terrible. Pakistan is doing a lot worse. Reason? Culture matters.

 

[tyr_13]

What part of Africa are you talking about? It is over three times the size of the US, has over fifty countries of varying sizes and populations, is divided into at least four major geographical zones, and ... well, FFS, how do you think you can come up with a "root cause" in such a chaotic and diverse geopolitical region?

Oversimplification can lead to self confusion rather than enlightenment. It's a risk.

I agree.

Now the point of the article linked to in the OP is an important one. In fact an extremely important one. But there are a lot of root causes to a lot of problems all over Africa.

 

[Polaris]

They've got other resources. More minerals, oil and natural gas than Europe. But they remain backwards and undeveloped. I think culture is the better explanation rather than domestic animals. Domestic animals have nothing to do with bad government, corruption, cronyism, superstition, tribal warfare, Communism, Islamic supremacism, piracy ect.

You just described Europe over the last 500 years, if you leave out the Islamic supremacy movements.

...snip...India was invented by the British and it's doing ok...snip...

India was around a liiiiittle bit longer than that.

 

[geni]

They've got other resources. More minerals, oil and natural gas than Europe. But they remain backwards and undeveloped. I think culture is the better explanation rather than domestic animals. Domestic animals have nothing to do with bad government, corruption, cronyism, superstition, tribal warfare, Communism, Islamic supremacism, piracy ect.

They have a lot to do with it. Supporting a worthwhile goverment without a solid food parcel is difficult to put it mildly. Large domestic animals are slightly less critical but even the south americans had the alpaca and the lama.

 

[Virus]

Rhodesia was the breadbasket of Africa under the British. Under Mugabe, Zimbabwe is wracked with malnutrition and famine. Western culture gets around limitations of resources and environment.

Look at Israel. Sand and rocks with no oil but an economy more vibrant and energetic than anything the Arabs came up with.

Culture matters. Ideas matter.

 

[Ryokan]

Look at Israel. Sand and rocks with no oil but an economy more vibrant and energetic than anything the Arabs came up with.

Yes, it's almost as if some superpower or something has been pumping money into their system.

Culture matters. Ideas matter.

You do know that quite a few Islamic countries, that are governed in morally reprehensible ways, are also quite prosperous?