"Developing countries"???

[Libsmasher]

"Developing countries" is a PC term to keep from calling lots of third-world hell holes what they are. Zimbabwe, eg, is a "developing country" - developing into the stone age.

 

[Federal Farmer]

Actually I find "developing countries" to be an apt description. One can develop a good government, infrastructure, and business climate, and one can develop TERMINAL CANCER. Poland is a good example of the former, and Haiti is a good example of the latter. Both are "developing", the only question is "into WHAT"?

 

[The Scotsman]

"Developing countries" is a PC term to keep from calling lots of third-world hell holes what they are. Zimbabwe, eg, is a "developing country" - developing into the stone age.

regressing into the stone age......c'mon dear boy get it right!

We british brought Zimbabwe and other TPLACs out of the stone age when we civilised it and other african countries during our Empire days....cream teas, Christianity and Cricket......we leave them alone for a few minutes to look after themselves and look what happens....they try and recreate the shiite we pulled them out from in the first place

Name one African country that has improved since the Brits or indeed the Germans, Belgians etc. left ah...hummmmm that's not very PC is it!!?? oooops



(TPLAC = Tin Pot Little African Countries)

 

[Libsmasher]

What I don't get is how the UK seems to be getting in a dither over Zimbabwe. Just one thug of MANY in africa, and all over the world, is wrecking his country. That's NEWS??

 

[The Scotsman]

What I don't get is how the UK seems to be getting in a dither over Zimbabwe.

Coz it was a rather nice place before Mugabe bolloxed it up.....and the Sports Bar in Bulawayo had some reeeeaaaal cute babes in it......bet they've all buggered off....ah happy days with bottles of green!

 

[Bunz]

"Developing countries" is a PC term to keep from calling lots of third-world hell holes what they are. Zimbabwe, eg, is a "developing country" - developing into the stone age.

Maybe you would like to take a shot at a better name. Kinda like the whole Native American exercise we have been through already. Should the all the third world countries of the world get together and among the probably few thousands languages come up with a name that aply describes your view of a particular place or group of people?

As a personal side note, I have been trying to follow the Zim situation a bit despite being quite busy these days. Either way, Anglo American plc, one of the major companies hoping to develop Pebble Mine, which would turn into the biggest open pit mine in the world except the 1 or 2 in Chile. Much to my dismay and disappointment it is being pushed forward at this point. It is located at the very headwaters of the two most productive salmon rivers left in the world.
Anyways, AA is pushing forward with a large investment in developing a new platinum mine there and is coming under fairly heavy criticism for this and rightfully so.

 

[Bunz]

We british brought Zimbabwe and other TPLACs out of the stone age when we civilised it and other african countries during our Empire days....cream teas, Christianity and Cricket......we leave them alone for a few minutes to look after themselves and look what happens....they try and recreate the shiite we pulled them out from in the first place

I understand where you are coming from and generally agree, but this raises a few questions. Was colonial rule in Africa an overall positive thing? How much of the modern problems there are the result of the various historic and current colonial influence?

Name one African country that has improved since the Brits or indeed the Germans, Belgians etc. left ah...hummmmm that's not very PC is it!!?? oooops

I guess that would really depend on what ones definition of improvement is.
Certainly Botswana has done well for themselves all things considered. South Africa is another that has a modern economy. I havent been to Africa, it is on my list to go at some point. I would really like to see first hand. It would be fascinating to compare and contrast its bush life to Alaskan bush life.

 

[Bunz]

What I don't get is how the UK seems to be getting in a dither over Zimbabwe. Just one thug of MANY in africa, and all over the world, is wrecking his country. That's NEWS??

I would consider it more news than half the garbage that runs in America normally. Instead of which spoiled celebrity is getting divorced, got arrested, or whatever, American society would be much better off having more coverage of more world issues instead of gossip or media hyped scandal.

 

[9sublime]

People in the UK are getting especially angry about Mugabe because of his increasingly genocidal approach to not just his own people, but white farmers of British descent.

 

[The Scotsman]

South Africa is another that has a modern economy. I havent been to Africa, it is on my list to go at some point.

Hi Bunz - I bet you here and now that within ten years it will be going down hill big time!

I would really like to see first hand.

Go to Malawi.....its' a gem! Poor as buggery...nothing works...everythings derelict... full of hair-brained church do'gooders...but the people are great!

 

[Libsmasher]

People in the UK are getting especially angry about Mugabe because of his increasingly genocidal approach to not just his own people, but white farmers of British descent.

Any white person still in zimbabwe is probably usefully removed from the gene pool.

 

[Bunz]

Hi Bunz - I bet you here and now that within ten years it will be going down hill big time!

Whats the bet?
In all seriousness, I am not unconvinced a lot of other places outside of Africa, and in otherwise modern societies that wont have gone downhill "big time" With such resource wealth that the RSA has, with the proper political influences South Africa has vast potential. But ultimately, this brings up my original two questions:

Was colonial rule in Africa an overall positive thing?
How much of the modern problems there are the result of the various historic and current colonial influence?

Go to Malawi.....its' a gem! Poor as buggery...nothing works...everythings derelict... full of hair-brained church do'gooders...but the people are great!

I have a friend who was a nurse there taking care of terminal AIDS patients. Certainly the epidemic has had a horrible impact there. Her sentiments are similar to yours, the people are nice, the country is run down and otherwise poor. Malawi is a bit different from its neighbors though in terms of economy.
Whilst nearly everywhere else has considerable mineral wealth, Malawi is largely agricultural, and its cash crop is tobacco heading towards Europe. Of course the Euros are smoking less from what I hear.

 

[Bunz]

Any white person still in zimbabwe is probably usefully removed from the gene pool.

Bunches of white miners make a small mint by working there. Although I am sure working at a mine is much different from the long term white residents who are in the farming industry.

 

[The Scotsman]

I have a friend who was a nurse there taking care of terminal AIDS patients. Certainly the epidemic has had a horrible impact there. Her sentiments are similar to yours, the people are nice, the country is run down and otherwise poor.

... that is the main deal for most countries in Africa but especially someplace like Malawi where AIDS is killing educated people and those in middle management through whom wealth and creativity is created. I'm pretty sure that most of the guys I worked with will probably all be dead now. It was common to go out get tanked up and then off they'd go in search of women.....

Whilst nearly everywhere else has considerable mineral wealth, Malawi is largely agricultural, and its cash crop is tobacco heading towards Europe.

....they had their own brand "Ascot" (if memory serves) which was a reasonable smoke (another avenue of pleasure closed off) they also have the tea plantations around Zomba as well as a bit of Sugar, but you're right there is no mineral wealth there at all.


Where is your friend based? I was down in Blantyre which was not a bad place to get shipwrecked in all honesty - they had some great Indian restraunts and I knew the manager of the Carslberg plant!!!!!!

 

[Libsmasher]

Bunches of white miners make a small mint by working there. Although I am sure working at a mine is much different from the long term white residents who are in the farming industry.

I find that VERY difficult to believe. As for the white farmers, I've read cases like where Mugabe's wife showed up at a farm created and lived on by about five generations of a white family, and told the elderly couple who owned it to be gone in 24 hours, because she liked it and was just taking it. Why should they treat whites in any sector any differently?