Africa really is a bad place...

[Al B. Sure!]

contrary to popular opinion...

i don't know how this idea of the continent of africa (or afrika) being a paradise has been sustained for so long. everything from barber shops to halal meat stores got signs with the shape of Africa on them... and i noticed that while hearing/reading words like "Europe" or "Asia" gives me no emotional feelings, Africa (as well as America) oddly makes me feel good if that makes sense...

but the point is, africa has been Edenized or something despite the fact that it is almost entirely a continent of poverty, dictators, feudal warlords, and roving bands of teenage mercenaries. am i wrong in this summary?

and are people blind or something? mis-educated? why does everyone seem to think africa is a paradise? i understand the black nationalists back in the day hyped it up but look at the news people!

(and am i right in assuming, it is just an urban/black opinion that africa is great... yall don't got people in the suburbs dreaming of africa?)

thanks

[GePap]

Ahem, it past is edenized: I don't see too much edenization of its present form. At best you get those "hoping for the simpler life" notions which make an eden out of all rural pre-industrial agricultural or herding life whereever they are.

You also have more attentioned paid on western TV to the dramatic landscapes and fauna, than to the human misery rpesent in many (but not all) parts of the continent.

[Imran Siddiqui]

What are you nuts?! Since when is Africa shown as anything but nice jungles or, when there are people around, as an utter ****hole?

The only countries that escape the '****hole' look at North African countries and South Africa.

[GePap]

Actually East Africa does rather well, places like Kenya and tanzania (when not reporting on Al qaeda). Botswana also does well on TV (when not talking about AIDS).

Now West Africa, Central Africa and the Horn of Africa do egt bad press.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Actually East Africa does rather well, places like Kenya and tanzania (when not reporting on Al qaeda). Botswana also does well on TV (when not talking about AIDS).

How often is 'good Africa' shown compared to 'bad Africa' though?

[CorpusScorpius]

Re: Africa really is a bad place...

Originally posted by Albert Speer


(and am i right in assuming, it is just an urban/black opinion that africa is great... yall don't got people in the suburbs dreaming of africa?)

thanks

It depends on your cultural background.
I personally would like to go to 3 places that are culturally linked to me......Mexico (the Ruins of the Pre Columbus Era), Spain, & Western Europe(UK & Germany)

[GePap]

Well, if you subtract shows about Lions and such, maybe 2 to one..you forget how much we ignore Africa to begin with, so there aren't that many stories period.

[CorpusScorpius]

U need to remember that Africa is the Continent. There many different Cultural Identities As well as a boat load of countrys.

[Al B. Sure!]

GePap:

yeah the past is all edenized what with the Egyptians, Ethiopians, Mali, and all that... but even now, people seem to have this idea that africa is some kind of glorious land... i'm not talking about the safari ****... i'm talking about the populated areas... it was probably marcus garvey who started it back in the 20's but there's still plenty of back to afrika people who think it's a paradise... and how many community organized trips i see advertised and **** talking about going to Ghana and Benin and all that...

[Ted Striker]

what about shaft ?

[Drake Tungsten]

How come the "back to Afrika" people never actually go back to Africa? You figure they would be making more progress towards their stated goal.

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
What are you nuts?! Since when is Africa shown as anything but nice jungles or, when there are people around, as an utter ****hole?

The only countries that escape the '****hole' look at North African countries and South Africa.

Actually South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world and one of the largest AIDs infected population percentage wise in Africa.

The continent has gone to hell I am sorry to say.

The only places where there is any progress in Africa is Tunisia and Mozambique. The North of Africa isn´t much better.... Egypt and Algeria have problems with extremism and Libya is runned by a power hungry dictator that wants to control the entire continent.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Albert Speer
GePap:

yeah the past is all edenized what with the Egyptians, Ethiopians, Mali, and all that... but even now, people seem to have this idea that africa is some kind of glorious land... i'm not talking about the safari ****... i'm talking about the populated areas... it was probably marcus garvey who started it back in the 20's but there's still plenty of back to afrika people who think it's a paradise... and how many community organized trips i see advertised and **** talking about going to Ghana and Benin and all that...

Well, Ghana and Benin are relatively peacefull and calm societies with plenty of archeological sights to see (plus most African American's ancestors hail form such areas). Now, if you find one telling people to go to Nigeria, or Sierra Leone, or DRC, or Burundi or such, do tell us, cause that would be a great surprise.

[Al B. Sure!]

i'll take a closer look at the next flyer i see then, GePap... maybe some of those countries were mentioned...

[GePap]

The worst they say Nigeria, specially since the new "democratic" gov. Some places, like Niger and Mauritanius are not dangeous, just dirt poor, though Timbuktu is in Niger, IIRC.
Ethiopia always gets press as one of the oldest Christian kingdoms in the world, but so does famine.

Congo (not DRC, but the other one) is not too bad either, in terms of safety.