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Zimbabwe against the world : Comments
By Andrew Elder, published 10/1/2008Troublesome Africa - it woulda/coulda/shoulda been cheap 'n' easy to wipe out Mugabe.
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The history of Africa in the period since European colonization and the observation that whilst much of the rest of the world, ex European colonies included, have “advanced” materially, democratically and in terms of life expectation, Africa has recessed.
As to “the solution would surely be for them to explorer alternative forms of civilisation, perhaps more tribally/collectively-based.”
Far from being some form of “solution” the truth is the “tribalism” you suggest is what they has caused the regression.
The attrition seen in the central African republics (example Rwanda) is “tribal”.
Mugabe was elected to power when the Mashona voted along “tribal” lines for him.
As for “Either way, Africans single-handedly kept our species alive for over 100,000 years.”
So how many years ago did that 100,000 years occur?
I doubt the world population was anywhere near what it is now.
Same earth, fewer folk, less competitive demand for food, easier for the hunter gatherer.
Much social development has been in response to population growth, that might explain why aborigines had developed so little by the time Britain colonized Australia.
I would suggest regardless when what might have happened, the issues of today have to be faced by the people of today.
Just like the bleating of Australian aborigines, what might have been or happened 40,000 years ago in Australia or for a period of 100,000 years in Africa counts less than what happened yesterday and a hell of a lot less than what might happen tomorrow.
My observation, living in in southern USA, visiting Zimbabwe-Rhodesia in 1980 (as it was at the time), a week after Mugabe came to power -
“African Negros” are entirely different people to “North American Negros”.
It is simple, the social values and environment in which many generations have developed on the two continents, separated by an ocean, have “nurtured” them into different “races”.
Much the same as “Australians” will have evolved from Britains (in comparative terms in another 100 years or so).