The reason I can quite confidently lump Africa together with a lot of criticism is because actually it isn't that diverse. Many of its countries share the same common problems, just to differing degrees.

We only have seven continents, of which only five have significant populations. (I'm going to discount Australia and Antarctica due to the relative small populations given land size)

Europe
North America
South America
Asia
Africa

In terms of those continents I seriously have to question your suggestion that Africa is more 'diverse' than any of those.....Certainly racially.

You appear to not understand that extremely poor countries can have high growth rates yet remain deeply poverty ridden.

Even small investments in these countries is going to result in significant growth when previous investment is so low.

Africa is by far the poorest population dense continent on this earth. That's what happens when the number of people with reasonable IQs is too low to maintain stable and rule based non tribal institutions.

Africa literally had to have them set up by frigging foreigners....and when they left they fell by the wayside.

Ethiopia did indeed have parts of it colonized......what are these previous failed 'attempts' you are talking about?

Both the Italians and British colonized parts of what is now known as Ethiopia. The eastern region of Ethiopia, at that time, was colonized by the British for example.

Interestingly while Italy were there in 36-41 they abolished slavery in Ethiopia freeing over 400,000 slaves....Showing that even a fascist state could run Ethiopia in a more civilized fashion than they could themselves.

As for the Ethiopians kicking Italy out, In 1941, the British defeated the Italian forces and occupied Italian East Africa. Britain returned Haile Selassie to power and pressured him to mirror’s Italy’s abrogation of slavery if he wanted to maintain Britain’s support.

As for the growth rate, again, this is due to incredibly low economic bases and in reality most of the growth is coming because of external investment.

Africa is a continent that relies on food aid and foreign investment.

The fact that Africa contains incredibly poorly run countries isn't the fault of the IMF nor any other 'bank'.

The fact that countries full of corrupt elite fools get exploited by arsehole banks is a bit like complaining about the fact that sharks attack the defenceless. I will agree that this is unethical yet this is nature and Africa itself contains few examples of ethical history itself.

'The Strong Do What They Can, And The Weak Suffer What They Must.' (Thucydides)

Africa does have potential because its so open to exploitation and has so many elites who care little for their underclass and far more about feathering their nests......I've already made the point about incredibly low economic bases and growth rates and also about the fact that is growth isn't Africa's work but via external investment....which isn't being done for charity I might add and as you no doubt appreicate.

Africa is a disaster, not only to itself but for wider humanity as we only have to turn to it to observe how poorly the relatively dim 'kid' get treated in the classroom of the real world.

Personally I would be very very careful with any investment in Africa. These are not countries with stable institutions......Your suggestion that Africa can point to an educated workforce is laughable in comparison to any other major continent.

Edited by Stirlingsays (31 Aug 2018 2.20am)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Delusion.

This country and the European continent progressed far faster than Africa from as far back as Rome.

We sky rocketed away during and after the enlightenment and its subsequent scientific investments and culture.....just as we continue to now....What is Africa producing in intellectual capital for the world?

Look at South East Asia.....societies with higher average IQs that follow rules whilst allowing for innovation succeed....with or without past western colonialism.

The exploitation of Africa happened but it was a footnote in the development of this country and Europe.

Edited by Stirlingsays (31 Aug 2018 3.51am)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

This country? So it's all Britain's fault?

How surprising that you would have that opinion.

Total nonsense of course.

Africa has been exploited by just about everyone because it has not progressed in part or as a whole for thousands of years. Exploitation is a direct result of the lack of development, not the other way around.

I think it needs to be understood that if all the world's third world countries became developed it would use up Earth's resources in a blink.

It is a dream that can never happen.

Isn't one of the boosts to a peoples progressing cross pollination of ideas? Rome has been mentioned but they had a lot of ideas from Greece and other countries around the Med.

Likewise a lot of information that was lost during the Dark Ages was saved within the Arab world and then re-introduced when the Moors invaded Spain.

Likewise, in the Far East, China was a leader in ideas and passed them on through contact with other civilisations.

We have been fortunate to have received new ideas, skills etc from being invaded and have taken these and added to them.

To say Southern Africa had not progressed as rapidly as other areas is probably true (the same with the North American Indians and Aboriginal tribes in Australia) but I think that is mainly due to the fact there was little (if any) contact with the world outside of that area, although they did create some amazing structures such as Great Zimbabwe, Naletale etc.

There are also some beautiful artefacts which have been found that are easily on a par with that found in the UK up to the early Middle Ages. Gold working, statues, carvings etc. Perhaps they just found their level and could live contentedly at that point?

'Lies to the masses as are like fly's to mollasses...they want more and more and more'

Mrs May does not find South Africa marxist or racist (unlike her 'hostile environment') she is re-discovering Africa after the UK left it behind.

Nothing doing there, and the Kenyan PM expresses what Africa thinks, that she is only visiting because she is desperate.

The old colonial masters return with the begging bowl.

Under the EU foul regime I have continued to enjoy South African wines as they are good quality and value thanks to the single market.

To suggest South Africa is 'marxist' is utter nonsense.