Terra Incognita: Stop ‘saving’ Africa!

[Norwegian]

It is now hypothesized by researchers that blond hair evolved more than once. Published in May 2012 in Science, a study of people from the Solomon Islands in Melanesia found that an amino acid change in TYRP1 produced blonde hair

Yes, blond hair evolved at different parts of the world, but not white skin and blue-eyes. Its confined to Central Asia and Europe.

In all seriousness then how many famous scientists from Northern Sweden and Finalnd can you mention my friend? That are blond moreover.

I never said blondes are the smartest or most intelligent of all humans. Only they are more recently evolved as same region you mentioned also has the highest concentration of blue-eyed humans.

 

[XenoEnsi-14]

Yes, blond hair evolved at different parts of the world, but not white skin and blue-eyes. Its confined to Central Asia and Europe.

That can happen again too.

 

[VCheng]

I completely agree with the points here. As a rationalist and pragmatist, I try to analyse the other side of the coin.
China, USA, Europe and other countries that are "wealthy" have their own priorities as well.
while I understand that the "treatment" given to African people should not be different than people from our own places,
it is almost impossible to implement - given that there is poverty, there is competition, there is the desire to work for ourselves.
The world does not owe Africa or anyone anything. some of the technologies you mentioned here have their roots in being 'sustainable, inexpensive, replenish-able and non perishable' which are major requirements for any tech going into grass roots of Africa. You cannot expect to run a reverse osmosis plant in interior of Sierra Leone when there is no power or security to take care of the installation.
Also, there are a lot more avenues to help Africa than the ones you just pointed out. the USA gives special treatment and gives educational avenues for many African nationals - who can then go back and help develop their own regions.
I can go on about this. But as a final point:
the onus of development lies on the people of their respective countries.
China, Bangladesh are some countries here that have made huge strides in development during our life times. their journeys are remarkable - because the development came from within - hence it can be sustained in the long run.

Well said. Modern technology, specially Western technology, costs money to develop, implement and use. Anybody who can pay for it can use it. Can Africa? Like you said, they can either pay for it or work hard to develop comparable ones themselves. The onus is on them, not on anyone else.

 

[Norwegian]

Well said. Modern technology, specially Western technology, costs money to develop, implement and use. Anybody who can pay for it can use it. Can Africa? Like you said, they can either pay for it or work hard to develop comparable ones themselves. The onus is on them, not on anyone else.

But how will Africa get rich if it cannot be developed in the first place through use of modern Western technology?

 

[VCheng]

Africa can develop just like how everyone did: by sustained hard work. Lots of it.

 

[Norwegian]

Africa can develop just like how everyone did: by sustained hard work. Lots of it.

Sure, but hard work alone is not enough. Hard Work of communist or socialist states never bore any fruit in the long run.

 

[VCheng]

China is a communist state. Hard work is the key.

 

[Norwegian]

China is a communist state. Hard work is the key.

Not communist. Its socialist with chinese characteristics:
Socialist market economy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[VCheng]

It is ruled by the CPC as a communist country.

Communist Party of China - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Norwegian]

It is ruled by the CPC as a communist country.

Communist Party of China - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

True, but central planning cannot be the key to Chinese model's success. Soviet tried that as well as Cuba, North Korea and Vietnam. All failed but China.

 

[VCheng]

Not every capitalist or democratic country is successful either.

 

[DarkElf]

But how will Africa get rich if it cannot be developed in the first place through use of modern Western technology?

Maybe i'm heartless but i found that article is kind of ungrateful.....

What's wrong with using cheap readily available technology? Should Africa ignore the bicycle/motorcycle and only use the latest BMW/Aston Martin? Million of people in Asia still use technology that's not up to western standard for their daily life. For example this kind of technology still uses widely and built in lack of water and remote village, why it's not good enough for Africa but it can work for Asian? Should they use only the top desalination plant or air drop Evian water bottle? It's easy for someone in Jerusalem writing opinion in Jerusalem Post, but if someone need water, it doesn't matter if it from rain water or from air drop Evian, the more important thing if he/she can get the water or not.............

Another article discusses “watering the grassroots: Training African women to solve water problems.” Supposedly a “rainwater harvesting system” was launched and “prior to their efforts, these schools were not equipped with water or sanitation facilities – a problem that is all too typical across much of Africa.” Oddly, that wasn’t the solution to China’s drinking- water issues. Just Africa. In China the Ministry of Water Resources estimated that as of 2005 three-hundred million people were unable to access safe drinking water.

Seriously is the writer expect the donor country to cough up that much, expecting other country to give the same care to other nation citizen with their own citizen? And since when solar panel is bad technology? Is only nuclear power plant good enough for African.........

To combat these problems the government was investing in a massive “11th five year plan” which envisioned plowing $5 billion into safe drinking water. By contrast 334 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa were estimated in 2010 to not have access to clean drinking water. That’s roughly the same as in China, yet in China they are digging up rivers, laying pipe and building massive infrastructure projects worth twice the GDP of Malawi to combat this scourge; they are not handing out straws, solar panels and baskets.

 

[Sliver]

But how will Africa get rich if it cannot be developed in the first place through use of modern Western technology?

The same way the western countries got modern technologies - by encouraging, promoting and rewarding advances in useful technology and by demonizing, shunning and getting rid of corruption, political turmoil and wars.

The western countries (i hate using that word, its a lot of eastern countries and a good lot of African nations as well) have worked and are continuing to work towards bettering their own quality of life. No one prevents People from any country - including africa - to do it as well