Clean water in Africa

Isn't Chicago turning into a third world country? ^_^

TDD

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
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But you still have to ask the legitimate question of why so much of Africa is like that. The potential for corruption exists around the world. Yet most countries have figured out how to deal with it, eliminate it, control it, or at least co-exist with it. Yet after hundreds of years and a lot of aid from the rest of the world, most of Africa is a big mess.

Reply to
trader4

Speaking of ignorance, here we have the village idiot blaming the USA for "intentionally disrupting" Africa. What exactly have we done to disrupt Africa? Send them billions in aid? Food for the starving? What exactly would the purpose be to "disrupting Africa"? If they had even half way successful economies, we wouldn't have to send them aid and they would be another large continent that could buy products from the USA, benefitting both them and us. And as far as actual involvement in African countries, perhaps you should look closer to home at the UK and France.

And then you top it off with the above. Good grief, you're an imbecile.

Reply to
trader4

Well you have sent arms and bombed them. You have destablised any regime that interfered with UScommercial purposes.

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Reply to
harry

frica...- Hide quoted text -

I can see that you're very easily led astray. Rational people would take one look at that link you supplied and laugh. It's titled "US military intervention in Africa". Yet it's all about the number of US military installations WORLDWIDE, US defense spending, China, Russia, etc. Not one example of the US intervening, sending arms, bombing Africa to take their resources, which is their principal claim.

Even for a commie pinko bedwetter, I would think they could come up with a better BS piece of work. But you fell for it hook, line and sinker. You think that just because they say it in the title, it's proven. It shows not only how stupid you are, but how stupid those who write this crap know you and those like you are.

Reply to
trader4

Overpopulation over there is a major problem, driven by well intentioned but ultimately destructive foreign aid. Foreign aid also drives the corruption that further maintains the festering dung heap that is most of Africa.

Reply to
Pete C.

Bang for the buck? I'd like to see examples of the "very long-running impact" from any previous presidential visits to Africa. Sure some segment of the population knows what's going on, knows the president was there, etc. But as far as it having some long-running impact in these peoples lives or their countries? With the current budget situation, maybe it's time to ask the African leaders to come here. We could feed them lobster and caviar, put them up in the best hotels, and it would be a tiny fraction of the cost of Obama going there.

As for the scale of what's required for such a visit and the cost, one of the cable channels, probably Discovery, was in Africa when Bush visited. They showed what went on before and during the visit. It was amazing. Some examples:

Any fuel sources for AF1 have to be tested and then sealed and secured. In one country, they could not do that to their satisfaction. So, the AF brought in 7 large fuel tanker trucks, with fuel, aboard C17s from Europe to refuel AF1.

They take both 747's that serve as AF1. During the visit there was a volcano erupting and there was concern that the ash could be a problem. So, they had one 747 fly ahead of the other, checking the conditions. Seems to me if you want to check for ash, it might be better to send a cheap plane, but then, that's me. Apparently it's std practice to send one ahead to check for best flight levels, weather, etc, since they both have to go anyhow.

It really was an interesting show, to see all the complexity involved.

Reply to
trader4

I wonder how far $100 million would go helping rural African medical clinics keeping "The Children" alive and preventing them from going blind by providing proper nutrition for the little tykes? Gosh, I imagine there are a lot of things $100 million could help fix like the storm damage done to the various communities around the U.S. o_O

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

You could feed a million Africans for a few months, but that would spoil the First Family Vacation.

OTOH, I've read that food aid is spoiling in warehouses in some countries where the corrupt government is not allowing distribution or is selling it on the black market.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Much of the water being carried is coming from a stream or water-hole

- not a well The plastic containers are either re-purposed (cooking oil containers, pails that other products are shipped in, containers that are imported (from China or wherever) or containers made in the country (often as part of a recycling program) All of the above were used when I was in Zambia and Burkina Faso.

Boreholes, or wells, are being dug by many aid agencies, and pumps are being installed - but the water is still in most cases hand carried (or head carried) from the well to the house. In some cases barrels are used on carts. The pumps are manually operated, and usually of simple enough construction that they can be maintained by the villagers themselves.

Reply to
clare

Hand pumps are the normal way of doing it - simple, robust hand pumps that can be maintained, and even made, in the villages. Several people in each village are usually trained to some extent in the maintenance of the pump.

Anything complex is worse than nothing, because it breaks down - and when it breaks down it cannot be readilly repaired - so there is no water again..

Reply to
clare

Sounds like a British Colonialist.

Ever lived and worked in Africa, Harry??? Didn't think so. And if you did you had your head so far up your backside you didn't see anything going on around you.

Yes, corruption is a large problem Political unrest sprouts from that

- and with it, violence. Poverty is a bigger problem - some caused by corruption - but much by circumstances - unreliable rains, famine, etc.

Ignorance can be cured. It's called education. Education can help alleviate poverty - and also cut down on corruption and unrest.

Occupying and running them has not worked.

Educating them is definitely helping.

I've worked in 2 african countries - my daughter has been actively working in 3, and is leaving on Wednesday to check on projects in 2 more, where the agency she is working with is actively involved. She will be in Mali and Mauritania for the next month.

Reply to
clare

Because the British (and the French and Portugese) just took over and ran things, instead of teaching the locals how to do things for themselves.

Yes, development in Africa is a vairy difficult subject - if it wasn't, not everybody who has tried in the past would have failed as dismally as they have - but progress is being made - one step at a time.

Reply to
clare

And britain did what??????? And France, And Portugal?

Took what they wanted, and when the poing got tough they just buggered off, leaving their mess behind them.

Reply to
clare

Washington

I wonder how far $100 million would go helping rural African medical clinics keeping "The Children" alive and preventing them from going blind by providing proper nutrition for the little tykes? Gosh, I imagine there are a lot of things $100 million could help fix like the storm damage done to the various communities around the U.S. o_O

TDD

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

You could feed a million Africans for a few months, but that would spoil the First Family Vacation.

OTOH, I've read that food aid is spoiling in warehouses in some countries where the corrupt government is not allowing distribution or is selling it on the black market.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

It's a real shame when folks try to help the unfortunate but the despots and warlords who have seized control of those impoverished countries take all the relief supplies for themselves. It's one of those situations where your political beliefs may tell you not to interfere with the government of other countries but your conscience tells you to kick somebody's ass for what they're doing to helpless people, especially children. o_O

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

Friend of mine from church has done a lot of Africa relief, and some other folks have gone along. I should know more, perhaps some day.

Ever lived and worked in Africa, Harry??? Didn't think so. And if you did you had your head so far up your backside you didn't see anything going on around you.

Yes, corruption is a large problem Political unrest sprouts from that

- and with it, violence. Poverty is a bigger problem - some caused by corruption - but much by circumstances - unreliable rains, famine, etc.

Ignorance can be cured. It's called education. Education can help alleviate poverty - and also cut down on corruption and unrest.

Occupying and running them has not worked.

Educating them is definitely helping.

I've worked in 2 african countries - my daughter has been actively working in 3, and is leaving on Wednesday to check on projects in 2 more, where the agency she is working with is actively involved. She will be in Mali and Mauritania for the next month.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

-africa...Hide quoted text -

Showing your usual level of ignorance I see. Libya was one well known example where the US bombed in Africa. But you have a very short attention span. A lot of it is done "covertly" through third parties.

Reply to
harry

I have travelled extensively in Africa and other third world countries. Africa is a shit hole and getting worse, I have watched it deteriorate over the years. As someone else mentioned,the continent is overpopulated. And your daughter is wasting her time. The "work" of these do-gooders is entirely counter productive and destructive to the local economy of these places. Most of the problems in rural places are actually caused by these foreign (often religious) nuts.

The aid organisations exist primarily to support themselves, many make a good living out of money donated by well meaning idiots. Most of the money is spent on administration, posh hotels for administrators and bribes. Much is syphoned away through corruption. So next time you are asked for money for one of these organisations, DON'T give. A well known example here.

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Reply to
harry

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