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Begging bowls out again


tegwini

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The climate change conference in Copenhagen seems to be an new opportunity for the Third world, especially Africa, to get out the begging bowls.

I wonder how much of the billions being pledged will end up in Swiss bank accounts or wasted on weapons or fleets of Mercs ?

The entire business is so much of a 'con' that  even desertification is now being blamed on climate change when it was a problem as far back as the 60s when ecologists advised against over-grazing, especially with goats,  and of course over-population.

Sadly the world's greatest problem is the numbers game,  and  an end to 'populution' is the only way we can solve this problem.

Tegwini

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Agreed!  Who's volunteering themselves and their family for early termination first?   You know it's in a good cause![:D][;-)]

You might be interested to know Teggers that my Grandfather was a biologist based in East Africa for almost his entire life.  He wrote a paper (which I think is still around somewhere) on this subject (desertification resulting from tree loss) in the 1930's.  Of course, everyone laughed uproariously at such a ludicrous suggestion.  He did point out to me regularly though, that the planet and the ecosystems on it, are affected by many, many things.  It may be correct to conclude that goats or firewood collectors are responsible for deforestation.  But it is dangerously simplistic to take from that that they are responsible for all deforestation![:D]

And finally...this makes for some interesting reading [url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8057316.stm[/url]. If you do read right to the end and the "readers' comments bit", there is a thought from someone about the exploitation of  lakes like Nakuru by companies growing cheap flowers for the European market.  Next time you're in M&S, maybe those £1.99 bunches of roses won't be quite so tempting eh?

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I read a really interesting book about this from the old library a few years back.

It blamed africa probs on vitorian Brits who carved up the place to suit themselves and set country boundaries with their oppos from france germany and all the others using simple things like rivers.

But apparently the old african was used to wandering about for ten thousand odd years once the bit of land he grew his food on was worked out.

Nomandic or something?

So its all our fault! cos we've made em stay in the same place instead of wandering all over the place as they used to.

And also this book reckoned all the aid we give them makes it worse. They've had famines and all that for thousands of years and this kept the popualtion down.

Now all these charities are on the old arm for us for dosh it simply makes it worse.

Back to work for muggins; weve just had a new job in. Which is neat right before christmas; but as I said to the lads means youve all got a job to come back to when youve finished stuffing your faces with turkey!

 

 

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That sounds incredible Mickie.  A real work of fiction!  What was the title and who wrote it?

Talking about "the old african" is like talking about "the old human" - there's really no such thing.  Africans are individuals, just like humans everywhere. 

Possibly, the author of your book was confusing the fact that the continent was divided by the imperial powers without regard for the existing cultures, kingdoms and tribes.  Take a look at a map of Africa and you will see a surprising number of borders between the modern countries that resemble lines drawn with a ruler.  Those greedy old buggahs divided up the land to suit themselves and without considering how the people in those new countries could live together. 

In Kenya alone (my home country), there are about 40 tribes with different cultures and religious ideas.  All well and good until you try to elect a government democratically (or otherwise).  Obviously the tribe in the majority will choose the government, often with dreadful repercussions for the minority tribes.  Remember Sierra Leone and Rwanda.  And, if you think this is just an African problem, take a look at what went on in Ireland, Yugoslavia, the partition of India etc.

The people who made these decisions are dead and gone but the problems they created are still there.  Whilst I do not see that any living soul is still to blame for all the trouble, I cannot shrug and blame it on the victims either - even if it would be more comfortable that way.

I could write more about the habits of different tribes, some are nomadic, some farmers, fishers, some very primitive, some highly cultured.  And about the mind-boggling impracticality of enforcing border contols - the impossibility (even if one wanted to) of preventing nomadic behaviour -  in countries as large as many of these are.  I suspect it would be a waste of pixels though.[:D]

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When I said old african mate it was like in old bill, or old boiler (meaning the wife) im a londoner from South of the river and thats how we speak.

Anyway werent it David Livingstone he said his african had to come from the stone age to the 20th century in less than 100 years?

Thats what i meant.

also that the borders dreamt up by the victorians stopped the tribes being nomads? So they stayed in one spot and worked the land un til it was exhausted?

so whats this fiction stuff mate?

dont get it; you seem to be resaying what i did only with long words.

 

 

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