General Discussion

Jesus Malverde

(10,274 posts) Mon May 19, 2014, 11:52 PM May 2014

Why is the African continent poor? [View all]

I was asked to investigate why it is that the vast majority of African countries are clustered at or near the bottom of the United Nations Human Development Index - in other words they have a pretty appalling standard of living.

Snip

And the headline question is in fact misleading; Africans as a people may be poor, but Africa as a place is fantastically rich - in minerals, land, labour and sunshine.

That is why outsiders have been coming here for hundreds of years - to invade, occupy, convert, plunder and trade.

68 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Why is the African continent poor? [View all] Jesus Malverde May 2014 OP

Galeano brilliantly described this phenomenon in his "Open Veins of Latin America," struggle4progress May 2014 #1

THE RAPE OF AFRICA CAUSED THE POVERTY. Europeans came,stole, slaved, killed, abused,and bravenak May 2014 #2

And they drew borders that had no basis in cultural reality, Warpy May 2014 #6

You should read the book "Leopold's Ghost" about the Belgium Congo. Javaman May 2014 #52

I have that book and had to put it down. tenderfoot May 2014 #56

It will do that. nt Javaman May 2014 #60

That is the truth in a nut shell. And now they are unwilling to help the victims of their greed. And jwirr May 2014 #46

. JI7 May 2014 #3

Sums it up quite clearly. n/t 2naSalit May 2014 #4

Interesting graph thanks... Jesus Malverde May 2014 #14

What JI7 said. Octafish May 2014 #50

Every stride Latin America has made has been from ridding the influence of outsiders. DemocraticWing May 2014 #5

And there was a post on DU last week that showed us how many of our CIA agents etc. are now jwirr May 2014 #47

Africa: �the battlefield of tomorrow, today.� Maedhros May 2014 #54

Thank you for posting it to my post as this old lady has trouble doing it. jwirr May 2014 #58

Why, you're welcome! Maedhros May 2014 #62

Thank you for this post. nt woo me with science May 2014 #61

Didn't the book "Guns, Germs and Steel" have... grasswire May 2014 #7

As anthropologists go, Jared Diamond makes an excellent ornithologist. LeftyMom May 2014 #9

I think you should read the books in question Scootaloo May 2014 #20

I read them. That's why I think he's awful. LeftyMom May 2014 #39

Because the infrastructure that does exist is built for resource extraction and not local needs, LeftyMom May 2014 #8

Because Africa is at the bottom of the Trickle Down benefits list of neo-liberalism and colonialism. Tierra_y_Libertad May 2014 #10

^ this. nt TBF May 2014 #29

Africa has many problems Art_from_Ark May 2014 #11

Colonialism facilitates micraphone May 2014 #12

Oh yes, the "They sold their own people" claims Scootaloo May 2014 #21

Benin had slaves before the Europeans came Art_from_Ark May 2014 #67

Poor infrastructure, trade barriers, poor leadership, poor opportunity. Sen. Walter Sobchak May 2014 #13

And don't forget that they looted the continent of millions of malaise May 2014 #15

My father would have agreed JustAnotherGen May 2014 #31

Mine too malaise May 2014 #33

Not just poverty, why so much mayhem, murder, rape and torture? seveneyes May 2014 #16

Scarcity leads to the violence and especially between competing tribes. And as to the rape a virgin, jwirr May 2014 #48

If you consider Africa is the starting point Shankapotomus May 2014 #17

I saw someone ask the same question about brazil. Jesus Malverde May 2014 #18

Exactly Shankapotomus May 2014 #19

Yeaaaah, the "Northern Theory" is a favorite of "racialists." Scootaloo May 2014 #24

You see the same phenomena in asia Jesus Malverde May 2014 #26

You don't, actually Scootaloo May 2014 #28

India is not all tropical... Jesus Malverde May 2014 #30

Another problem with that theory is that North America gets pretty cold, Nye Bevan May 2014 #34

Interesting counterpoint...nt Jesus Malverde May 2014 #35

They did, it just doesn't get recognized or didn't survive. politicat May 2014 #59

Yes. General speaking adapting to cold weather bred innovation and technology. DCBob May 2014 #23

It would have to, right? Shankapotomus May 2014 #25

Anyone know the word "colonialism" or maybe "exploitation"? (Why are there homeless Americans?) WinkyDink May 2014 #22

Culture, institutions and peoples AngryAmish May 2014 #27

World Bank smacked Africa good with loans Whisp May 2014 #32

Asia was in a similar situation a few decades ago. pampango May 2014 #36

China is putting $2 billion into fighting its neocolonialist image in Africa Jesus Malverde May 2014 #37

"...there are signs that China�s role in Africa is changing." We can hope. Thanks for the article. pampango May 2014 #38

One might argue that china's involvement in africa has been more productive Jesus Malverde May 2014 #40

I have not seen anyone make that case but it may be possible. pampango May 2014 #42

I'm under the impression they have built Jesus Malverde May 2014 #43

As your article indicated, their investments have largely been related to resource-extraction. pampango May 2014 #44

Billions from Beijing: Africans Divided over Chinese Presence Jesus Malverde May 2014 #45

Thanks. Interesting and balanced articles. n/t pampango May 2014 #51

The North-South orientation of the continent, coupled with a desert in the North ... dawg May 2014 #41

Eurpoe mostly. The North America didn't help. nt rrneck May 2014 #49

the gold and diamond trade is not taxed or regulated ? larkrake May 2014 #53

Because European invaders stripped the assets and took them back to europe... truebrit71 May 2014 #55

Europe, sure. And North America War Horse May 2014 #57

maybe they learned from history , plus there is the whole need to have some acceptance JI7 May 2014 #63

The same reason why places like Detroit and Haiti are poverty stricken and crime filled. 951-Riverside May 2014 #64

This thread is amazing Capt. Obvious May 2014 #65

Because they've been exploited for their natural resources? alarimer May 2014 #66

they are kind of connected aren't they ? JI7 May 2014 #68