quote:

ORIGINAL: seeksfemslave

MC up to his old tricks again. lol
Simply cannot accept that Afica is a mess, mostly now of its own making .

Many of those who grasp for credit or mortgages they cannot afford author there own misfortune IMO.
If house prices collapse expect a major financial crisis to follow.

Happened in Japan over land prices in the 80s/90s may well happen here.

quote:

ORIGINAL: RealityLicks

"Shortly after Joaquim Chissano became president of Mozambique, (many) suggested that he faced "a combination of problems to tax the ingenuity of the most brilliant of leaders". That was true and though Mr Chissano may now be more feted abroad than at home, where some remember whispers of corruption and his initial eight years as the leader of a one-party Marxist state, his record unquestionably stands as a rebuke to those who assume that the story of African states is always one of decline.
In 1986, when he stepped into the shoes of Samora Machel, after Mozambique's first leader was killed in a mysterious plane crash, his country was in economic collapse, its people tormented by a violent South African-backed insurgency. When he left office, voluntarily, 19 years later, after winning two free elections and deciding not to stand in a third, Mozambique was stable, a democracy slowly climbing out of poverty.
That in itself justifies yesterday's decision to award Mr Chissano a $5m prize for good governance. There is something quixotic about the whole competition, established and funded by the Sudanese businessman Mo Ibrahim in order to offer Africa's best leaders a comfortable retirement, in the hope that it will lure them away from sustained rule and corruption."
Media report, Oct 22nd 2007






LE, I don't know you and it maybe unintentional on your part but there is a sad and nasty undercurrent to your post. You seem to assume that the report from Kenya is true and accurate, when really it could well be another media scare story or exaggeration. Worse than that, you argue that it applies across the whole of a continent of hundreds of millions of people exactly like you and me, without any apparent awareness of the error you are making. Italy is often slated as a highly corrupt country, does that justify viewing the any and all European countries; the Dutch, the Irish or  whoever in the same way? If not, please give me the reasons you do so with all African countries. Was there a documentary on each of them last night? I really don't have the time or inclination to counter all the spurious and ephemeric claims in your post, they really are the kind of thing even the tabloids can't get away with any more. However, since you echo an admiration for Bob Geldof (which I'd qualify severely by the way) why do you think that with his numerous visits to the region and long involvement with same that he is so blind to factors you can deduce from 50 minutes of TV? I do not claim to be an expert on international development but before making sweeping genearalisations which write off the integrity of a whole continent, I'd expect to do a little bit more research than watching one TV programme. And having read some of your previous posts, I'm disappointed you show such little endaevour to uncover the truth in this instance. I thought this board aspired for higher than the level of pub talk. Please prove me right.

quote:

Worse than that, you argue that it applies across the whole of a continent of hundreds of millions of people exactly like you and me, without any apparent awareness of the error you are making.
 
Italy is often slated as a highly corrupt country, does that justify viewing the any and all European countries; the Dutch, the Irish or  whoever in the same way? If not, please give me the reasons you do so with all African countries. Was there a documentary on each of them last night?
 
I really don't have the time or inclination to counter all the spurious and ephemeric claims in your post, they really are the kind of thing even the tabloids can't get away with any more. However, since you echo an admiration for Bob Geldof (which I'd qualify severely by the way) why do you think that with his numerous visits to the region and long involvement with same that he is so blind to factors you can deduce from 50 minutes of TV?
 
I do not claim to be an expert on international development but before making sweeping genearalisations which write off the integrity of a whole continent, I'd expect to do a little bit more research than watching one TV programme.

quote:

ORIGINAL: meatcleaver

And you think there isn't any corruption here?

Just by chance, there was a Panarama programme about the sub-prime mortgage market in the US where many poor people were missold mortgages they couldn't pay for in the first place and had no reddress and a Newsnight (I think) piece on the misselling of mortgages in Britain where people were sold mortgages they couldn't afford and had no reddress. I noticed in both cases the law backed the moral criminals (I would just say criminals), no doubt because they had the bucks. There is more than enough corruption in western societies, the only difference is that it is fully functioning here, the criminals are smart enough not to take too much but keep the flow going but in the end it is the poor and uneducated that get shafted.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Alumbrado

quote:

Worse than that, you argue that it applies across the whole of a continent of hundreds of millions of people exactly like you and me, without any apparent awareness of the error you are making.
 
Italy is often slated as a highly corrupt country, does that justify viewing the any and all European countries; the Dutch, the Irish or  whoever in the same way? If not, please give me the reasons you do so with all African countries. Was there a documentary on each of them last night?
 
I really don't have the time or inclination to counter all the spurious and ephemeric claims in your post, they really are the kind of thing even the tabloids can't get away with any more. However, since you echo an admiration for Bob Geldof (which I'd qualify severely by the way) why do you think that with his numerous visits to the region and long involvement with same that he is so blind to factors you can deduce from 50 minutes of TV?
 
I do not claim to be an expert on international development but before making sweeping genearalisations which write off the integrity of a whole continent, I'd expect to do a little bit more research than watching one TV programme.

Nothing even vaguely resembling what you describe appears in the OP. Those prejudices appear to be owned by you and not LE.

quote:

ORIGINAL: pinkme2

Um.  So forget about the mass corruption in Africa and the disruption it causes in every facet of their lives because people with bad credit get charged higher rates?  They get charged because they are a higher risk to loan to.  As for getting a mortgage they couldn't afford, the people getting the mortgages should take some responsibility in not biting off more than they could chew.   Unless you want to post a link of some sort, I'm going to have to call you on defining corruption this way. 

quote:

ORIGINAL: joanus
They sound like the next America to me.

quote:

ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

Aid isnt really aid. loans that cant actually be repaid- indebt others to ---pay and pay and pay.  the banks arent interested in solving the problem- more like sucking the blood to exasberate the matter.