[centralparker]

With recent events in Kenya bringing hell-on-earth to yet another African nation, is it time for the Western world to take the bull by the horns and re-colonise the Dark Continent? Kenya's collapse into bloody anarchy is particularly worrying as it was long regarded as a model of African independence, albeit one where corruption still existed. The continent has been torn apart by war over the last few decades, most states are in the iron-grip of a dictator who will do whatever is necessary to cling on to power while siphoning off much of the country's budget into his personal bank account. It's not unusual for these guys to spend more on ministerial limousines than fighting the diseases which kill and cripple the population.

In short, the place is a shambles and there are very few places where it would be considered safe to travel, particularly in the sub-Sahran regions. While it's not ideal to have a poor country subjugated to a wealthier one, at least life for the ordinary citizen would be better in a modern colony where law and order was restored and access to health services and education was granted. Aid could be spent on useful projects such as supplying clean water and sanitation facilities, rather than lining the pockets of a tyrant.

Something has to done. Countless billions of pounds worth of aid has poured into Africa since the nations were granted independence from their former masters yet the continent has slid backwards rather than progressed. Alternatively, we could just leave the place to rot.

[doulikefish]

leave them to rot as they dont want our help!!!

[Thundermonkey]

What a fanny!

[qos_75]

Good grief.

[xbl]

No.

[Swampy]

Be all the above as it may (and much of it's debatable), the fact is that a colony in the strict sense of the word often provides a worse standard of living. Under the white man's burden, for example, quality of life in India is inferior to what it is now, mostly due to the lack of economic freedoms and checks on centralised power.

So... no, it's not, basically.

[Monster]

SHOOT THE BLACKS!

SHOOT THE BLACKS!

RAPE THEIR WOMEN!

Sponsored by The Daily Mail.

[centralparker]

So the rest of the world should stand back and do nothing?

[Clachan Blue]

Personally, I'd leave them well alone. Same goes for the middle east. We can't be the world's police force, no matter how much we want to be. Most people in these countries don't really want us there anyway. If they want to go about shooting each other, then charge on amigo, why should I care? We have enough problems in our own country to worry about. Crumbling dirty hospitals, ned culture, immigration out of control, Billions of pounds missing from pensions fund, stealth taxes, bowing down to Europe, etc. Sort our own mess out first before bothering with anyone else.

[Monster]

centralparker, on Feb 6 2008, 10:40, said:

So the rest of the world should stand back and do nothing?

No, it will probably do exactly what it has been doing, which is get rich from inflated loans to the 3rd world through the IMF.

Corruption and chaos in Africa suits the developed West just fine.

[Mrs M]

centralparker, on Feb 6 2008, 10:40, said:

So the rest of the world should stand back and do nothing?

I love how you are such a racist/xenophobe, yet try and make it look like it's all for their own good.

[xbl]

Lets be fair here, we caused so many of these problems round the world. By we, I mainly mean Europe. We had our empires, leaving massive problems behind (see Iraq, Israel, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe etc. etc.), we went on to totally exploit the Africans (cash crops, third world debt), and pick and choose their leaders for them.

Right now, we are engaged in a process where we suggest they invest in education and healthcare, and then take their brightest and best away from them to come and work here.

I suspect that colonisation would not be well recieved!

[centralparker]

Mrs Wee, on Feb 6 2008, 10:43, said:

I love how you are such a racist/xenophobe

Eh, I'm suggesting that it would be better to try and improve living conditions for the people instead of propping up violent regimes and lining the pockets of an evil dictator.

How does that make me a racist/xenophobe?

This post has been edited by centralparker: 06 February 2008 - 10:50

[dogma]

Most of the problems in Africa are related to previous colonisation and the fact that the West exploited those nations resources & governments when they gained independance. Whilst most of Europe was still running about with spears and living in caves, Africa ha fledgling civilisations which lastest for centuries....until we developed better weapons ( eg Carthage ).

Who the hell are we to impose our views of liberty and justice on them when we are bombing the crap out of Iraqi civilians just to keep American gas guzzlers running ??

[Mrs M]

centralparker, on Feb 6 2008, 10:49, said:

Eh, I'm suggesting that it would be better to try and improve living conditions for the people instead of propping up violent regimes and lining the pockets of an evil dictator.

How does that make me a racist/xenophobe?

Ah, you just are.

[qos_75]

Monster, on Feb 6 2008, 10:43, said:

No, it will probably do exactly what it has been doing, which is get rich from inflated loans to the 3rd world through the IMF.

Corruption and chaos in Africa suits the developed West just fine.

Hear, hear.

Not just Africa, but in most other regions of the world as well,Indonesia being a prime example of this. Although, it was not just the World Bank that profited from this but the brutal, Suharto who fucked off with billions from the World Bank, but leaving the country to pay for his theft and murderous regime.

He died last month, sadly without ever facing a court regadring the murders of over 2 million Indonesian people or the theft of the country's wealth. No surprise there, as despite his record he was big friends with the US & Britain.

It seems only tyrants that fall foul of the West are ever brought to 'justice'. So the lesson for all tyrants in waiting is clear. If you want to commit genocide, pilfer your countries wealth and just be a right bad bastard in general, just give the White House or Downing Street a call and say 'listen how about selling us some Hawk jets or I love McDonald's', and Bob is your uncle, you will be massacaring your population in no time and with a big juicy cheque from the World Bank to fund it. Don't worry about repayments either, as your friends in the World Bank, like Paul Wolfowitz will help you out or the British taxpayer in the form of Export Credit Agreements.

[Michael W]

centralparker, on Feb 6 2008, 10:40, said:

So the rest of the world should stand back and do nothing?

Perhaps they don't want our help. Look at the mess that is Iraq since the US and ourselfs went in uninvited.

[Garrowhillclyde]

I feel a sudden need to go and buy a pith Helmet. Okay, maybe not.

[centralparker]

I think part of the problem was that the European nations divvied up Africa by drawing lines on maps, taking no account of local tribal boundaries. Thus we have ended up with artificial borders which do not truly reflect the ethnic distribution of the various peoples. And folks always like to be in with their own crowd.

[badger_whacker]

You can't just recolonise places.

For me though, there isn't an African nation which is well run apart from South Africa and even that has it's problems. It also happens to be the country where westerners had the biggest hand, all be it a racist and forceful one.

African's seem unable to accept electoral decisions, even if there's no evidence to suggest they were corrupt.

It's not the attitude of black man but more the mentality of the continent which is the issue.

[centralparker]

badger_whacker, on Feb 6 2008, 11:54, said:

It's not the attitude of black man but more the mentality of the continent which is the issue.

Good point. There are many historically poor Asian nations who have embraced the "tiger economy" concept and have made serious progress as a result.

Africa on the other hand......