tensor777:

You can't just generalise like that. Truly Nigeria is a great country but somehow too many Nigerians have this idea that government would make life better for them.
For example too many of them seek to become rent-seekers as opposed to doing something that truly adds value to society. Thats why there are so many fraudsters harlots, touts ,emergency contractors and parasitic agents.
On the contrary the Chinese, Lebanese and the Indians believe in self reliance, value creation and hard work.

Your post was kind of congruent with mine. I just didn't quite get the generalisation part. Can you explain pls?

^

AjanleKoko:

. The native Nigerians work hard and strive to ensure that the blessing is totally reversed, and the nation is turned into a hell on earth.

Well I didn't quite get what you meant by that sentence. Why should they be reaping hell from their hard work?

tensor777:

^Well I didn't quite get what you meant by that sentence. Why should they be reaping hell from their hard work?

What I mean is that native Nigerians are working hard to destroy the nation. With their words and actions, they make the place as uninhabitable and ungovernable as possible.

AjanleKoko:

What I mean is that native Nigerians are working hard to destroy the nation. With their words and actions, they make the place as uninhabitable and ungovernable as possible.

Yes Nigeria is actually a very beautiful and great country. The only problem is that there are too many rent-seekers and disgruntled elements who, for some reason, think that the society and even the "white man" owes them a living.

The white elite in america ie the rockefellers(standard oil)  mellons, jp morgans, fords, du ponts,  warburgs  we are talking the billionaires, not millionaires but billionaires ie the people who constitute  1% of the population but own approximately 60% of all corporate stock and business assets and close to 90% of all tax free bonds (net assets) ie the plutocrats are the real owners of america much of their wealth is inherited, their ancestors were merchants, slave owners and even armed robbers - THEY are the ones who beleive (quite rightly) that america is blessed because they are living the kind of life that many of us can only dream about.  

These people have been running america since the 1700's and that is the way it will remain until the ordinary americans wake up and realise that they are nothing more than wage slaves working to keep the abovementioned people in the lifestyle that they have become accustomed to.

Many nigerians do not understand that america is a staunch capitalist system whose foundation is based on the generation of profit at any cost, there are checks and balances that have been built in to the american capitalist system that PREVENT certain people from ever climbing up the socio economic ladder.  

Consider this conundrum - in order for the wealthy in america to continue to remain rich they NEED to ensure that there are people within society that REMAIN POOR.  

The poor in american society serve as a never ending pool of cheap easily available labour, there is a limit to how far you can go in america and indeed the west in terms of wealth creation - the system has been rigged to prevent certain people from ever moving above the class they were born into.

There is nothing you can do to change that - sit back and  enjoy the life of a western wage slave beholden to the 1% who own the bulk of america's wealth.

cap28:

Many nigerians do not understand that america is a staunch capitalist system whose foundation is based on the generation of profit at any cost, there are checks and balances that have been built in to the american capitalist system that PREVENT certain people from ever climbing up the socio economic ladder.

Good point. Its a bit surprising that a lot of first generation Nigerian immigrants do not realise that America was built by capitalism and the free-market economy.
It is even the tremendous wealth generated by such a system that has enabled them to have a functioning social security system.
However there are opportunities for those with marketable skills to make it big even if it is in the sports and entertainment industry.

cap28:

The white elite in america ie the rockefellers(standard oil) mellons, jp morgans, fords, du ponts, warburgs we are talking the billionaires, not millionaires but billionaires ie the people who constitute 1% of the population but own approximately 60% of all corporate stock and business assets and close to 90% of all tax free bonds (net assets) ie the plutocrats are the real owners of america much of their wealth is inherited, their ancestors were merchants, slave owners and even armed robbers - THEY are the ones who beleive (quite rightly) that america is blessed because they are living the kind of life that many of us can only dream about.

These people have been running america since the 1700's and that is the way it will remain until the ordinary americans wake up and realise that they are nothing more than wage slaves working to keep the abovementioned people in the lifestyle that they have become accustomed to.

Many nigerians do not understand that america is a staunch capitalist system whose foundation is based on the generation of profit at any cost, there are checks and balances that have been built in to the american capitalist system that PREVENT certain people from ever climbing up the socio economic ladder.

Consider this conundrum - in order for the wealthy in america to continue to remain rich they NEED to ensure that there are people within society that REMAIN POOR.

The poor in american society serve as a never ending pool of cheap easily available labour, there is a limit to how far you can go in america and indeed the west in terms of wealth creation - the system has been rigged to prevent certain people from ever moving above the class they were born into.

There is nothing you can do to change that - sit back and enjoy the life of a western wage slave beholden to the 1% who own the bulk of america's wealth.

And your point is what?is it any different in the UK??

tensor777:

Good point. Its a bit surprising that a lot of first generation Nigerian immigrants do not realise that America was built by capitalism and the free-market economy.
It is even the tremendous wealth generated by such a system that has enabled them to have a functioning social security system.
However there are opportunities for those with marketable skills to make it big even if it is in the sports and entertainment industry.

Listen birdbrain,a lot of first generation nigerians have figured out how the "capitalism" and "free market economy" practised in the US,can work for them, which is why they build businesses in the US rather than in Nigeria.

MandingoII:

There are 4 distinct groups of blacks in america. African children will find themselves in these groups in the future. Keep in Mind, America will ALWAYS conspire against you,


(1) the mainstream middle-class and majority with a full ownership stake in American society,
(2) a large, abandoned minority with less hope of escaping poverty and dysfunction than at any time since Reconstruction's crushing end,
(3) a small transcendent elite with such enormous wealth, power, and influence (think Oprah, the Obamas, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith), and

(4) two newly emergent groups-individuals of mixed-race heritage and communities of recent black immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa, which force us to question what being "black" in America is supposed to mean?

1) if you work hard enough you can make it into the middle class in the US.
2)That minority of poor in the US are almost never African,they are poor whites stuck in countryside villages with little education and poor black in inner city ghettos with little education/family problems with drugs/violence.
3)Jada pinkett smith was once a poor club dancer, oprah used to be a street journalist, and barack obama used to live in a tiny apartment in chicago with thw roommates, get you so called "facts" right,pal.

*Hauwa*:

interesting! is this the reason why they say it will be hard for you to find a job if your name sounds AAish? names like Tamisha, Latisha etc

i have heard that it is harder for a black person to find an upper level job (excluding health related jobs).
heard also that it is easy for an high school white to find a job than AA college graduate, not sure if this is true.

[b]i think the answer depends on which side of the fence you happen to find yourself on if you live in america - by "fence" i mean racial divide. if you are white educated and affluent - you are very likely to think america is a blessed country, however if you are black and conscious ie understand the history of black struggle against oppression in america then you may probably think otherwise.

America is a nation which was established by slave owners, merchants and pirates, the main objective of these so called founding fathers was to break away from british control so that they could control their own political and economic destiny and to ensure that they, the elite or founding fathers would continue to maximise their wealth at the expense of the majority. This is where race came into the equation - the founding fathers (white elite) in their determination to consolidate their positions of power in american society knew that the only way to stay at the top and stay rich was by dividing the people - this why they introduced the racial pyramid of power, those at the top are usually (but not always) white and those at the bottom are usually black or any other non white minority. In creating a racial pyramid of power the white elite's position in american society would never be threatened because ordinary whites would look at blacks and feel that they were superior because they had not been condemned to a lower social hierarchy in society, this in turn would weaken or even prevent any chance of both races ever uniting to overthrow a tyranical white elite power structure.

Again to go back to the question - if you are white in america -the sky is the limit, as long as you show a willingness to work. You don't necessarily have to be educated as your boss at work is likely to encourage you to further your education or recommend you for promotion, if you are black, it is a different story, despite showing a desire or even an ability to learn and work hard you will face discouragment and obstacles at every turn, why? because the american system was not established for the benefit of blacks, remember their so called constitution did not regard anyone of african ancestry as an american citizen but as property or chattel . This is why african americans have spent the better part of 200 years fighting for equality in a country that does not recognise them as full fledged citizens.

America is therefore the land of opportunity as long as you are white, every one else can just get to the back of the queue and if there are any scraps left over a non white (black) person may just get a look in.

Let me just qualify the above by saying that there is one exception and this is in the field of entertainment and sports where blacks dominate but only because blacks bring in so much money that they are regarded as cash cows by their white owners who realise that applying racial discrimination in such fields will lead to massive financial losses for themselves and their shareholders, hence the exception.

[/b]

This post is so ridiculously funny,I don't even know hwere to start tearing down your straw house of conspiracy theories, How come Africans/Asians/ do so well in the US compared to American blacks and whites?

It isnt just Yankee that's blessed, but England, France, Holland, Canada, Japan, and even Morocco. One reason is that citizens of those countries tend to be serious.

In Naija, you have military thugs (past and current) that are going to clinch tickets to major parties (for presidency, senate, state assembly), prophets who are "communicating" with God, and a general populace that would prefer to dwell in shythole premises and hope for a relative in those above countries to send them $100, etc.

kabukabu, explain that handbag abeg 

bawomolo:

kabukabu, explain that handbag abeg

Bros,the bag nah Michael Kors,pls when the other celebrities carry bag, they call it messenger bag for men.

one thing you have to admire about america is the topography sha.

very impressive especially seeing all the lakes and so on.


kind of like lagos but on a much grander scale.

the parts of lagos crisscrossed by lagoons that is- not the slum areas which in any case are a relatively more recent thing.

@topic,
It's a very complex question.
first of all, America started afresh as an offspring of British (which was already a successful country), they came upon the land and killed off the native americans.
they started off plantations and imported slaves from Africa
A lot of immigrants make up the US population (the US especially needs immigrants for its economy to run)
World Wars came that devastated european countries and as a consequence, gave the US a upper hand. US have maintained that upper hand till now and continues to strengthen it by taking advantage of it. ie getting what it wants from people.
Today, China is rising fast and the US is scared shitless about this. If you read papers like the economist, u will see what I mean.

So to me, US being great is not any spiritual blessing or anything like that. just a mixture of exploitation (slavery, native american extermination), luck (world wars that devastated the former big powers), dedication of its people (immigrants are generally hardworking and dedicated), and using its power to get what it wants (big stick policies with latin american resulting in NAFTA etc, middle east, and pretty much all its diplomatic policies) .

The US is presently having a terrible tough time carrying out the big stick diplomacy with China. This is evident in their whole currency/ trade debate. As well as the north korea issue.

So yea, US is successful for a combination of a lot of things. but that doesn't mean we should develop inferiority complex because of it since that will only give them even greater power over us. Education, i think, will help us understand complex stuff like this and with that knowledge, we can turn away from being the "a.ss licking" and "white worshipping" that africans are known for doing.

Brings me back to reading about colonialist times when Africans thought the British man was God because he came with medicine which they interpreted as magic.
so we should think of our terminologies. I would say that US is successful but I wouldn't necessarily call it blessed. I see Nigeria to be more blessed.
Nigeria IS more blessed. 

tpiah:

kind of like lagos but on a much grander scale.

Surely you must be referring to Calcutta, which certainly could be likened to Lagos on steroids.  There is NO location in the United States that even REMOTELY resembles Lagos in any way that I can discern.

Jakumo:

Surely you must be referring to Calcutta, which certainly could be likened to Lagos on steroids.  There is NO location in the United States that even REMOTELY resembles Lagos in any way that I can discern.

your opinion which you're entitled to.

i have seen lakes in the US that remind me of lagos.

it doesnt follow that you've seen the same.

you might only be familiar with lagos slums, as i pointed out before.

the portuguese, who are also oyibos, named it lagos for a reason.

Thank you Tpia.  Sadly I cannot boast of any experience with the slums of Lagos, but I hope to do a tour some day when I build up enough courage.

oyinda, like your post. Are you familiar with the opium war of time past?

I see Nigeria to be more blessed.
Nigeria IS more blessed.

Blessed with what? IBB, OBJ, Abacha, Poverty, Boko Haram etc

Jakumo:

Thank you Tpia.  Sadly I cannot boast of any experience with the slums of Lagos, but I hope to do a tour some day when I build up enough courage.

hmm, you certainly sound like you have a better than average knowledge of lagos slums, but i guess you'll prefer i take your word for it that you dont.

no need to dirty your shoes by visiting lagos btw.

stay where everything is clean and nice.

why must you give yourself hypertension when you dont have to.

and let's get back to the thread shall we.

dayokanu:

Blessed with what? IBB, OBJ, Abacha, Poverty, Boko Haram etc

Blessing means more to me than that. It has a connotation that transcends western measurements of development.
maybe you can say America is richer than Nigeria. then I wouldn't disagree with that.
but I wouldn't say a rich politician is more blessed than a poorer civil servant.

ochungal:

oyinda, like your post. Are you familiar with the opium war of time past?  

yea!! I don't know all the details but i'm definitely familiar with it.

So what is Nigeria blessed with that makes us more blessed than others

The United States of America is one of the few places on earth where an immigrant can arrive with little more than the shirt on his back, and then, by dint of hard work and perseverance, gradually establish enough financial security to own a piece of the rock. The other side of the coin, of course, is that anyone who arrives in America with hopes of a free ride will surely fall through the cracks of society, and wind up a jailed criminal or on welfare.

The Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese and Indians would be prime examples of that dogged fighting spirit to thrive and excel.  Many of them arrive in America with meager financial resources, forcing them to start off working two or three shifts in seemingly dead-end occupations, while living ten to a room on the wrong side of the tracks, BUT, in the short space of ONE generation, children of those immigrants would be launched into lucrative careers, AFTER sailing though college generally at the top of the class, while their parents will have moved from being tenants to being property owning landlords and wealthy entrepreneurs, living the American Dream.

Geographically, America is vast.  The five hour-long flight from Lagos to London is of the same duration as a coast-to-coast flight within the United States, from New York to Los Angeles.  With that much real estate, generously proportioned between industrialized city-scapes, breathtaking national parks such as Yosemite, and un-ending mechanized farmland that stretches out to the horizon in the Midwest, America was blessed with good fortune right from the first time immigrants from Europe arrived there aboard those tall-masted sailing ships of old.

Oyinda, from reading your post I suspect you would have some knowledge of it.  There's a book titled "Secret Societies of Americas Elites". Very informative and holds many of the answers to the question posed by the author of this thread.

What I mean is that native Nigerians are working hard to destroy the nation. With their words and actions, they make the place as uninhabitable and ungovernable as possible.

no doubt.

probably unknowingly part of some grand plan to empty the region so others can take over.

after all we always hear stories of how blacks used to be somewhere but now are no longer there.

Jakumo: Black migrants (many, but not majority) have too much false pride. They don't care to live 10 deep, They see and want, They aim to please rather than to achieve. Asians ban together and plan long term. Blacks live for the moment and cannot resist the "crab-inna-barrel" mentality. They abandon their culture and adopt the negative sterotypes of the US black natives.

@Jakumo,

I agree with you on all counts.

How many country would a wretched foreigner come to and in less than 10yrs he owns a mansion.

Only God knows the amount of money(As a result of legit hard work) being transferred to foreign countries from US by immigrant who came in with no more than a box of ragged clothes

Jakumo: Black migrants have too much false pride. They don't care to live 10 deep, They see and want, They aim to please rather than to achieve. Asians ban together and plan long term. Blacks live for the moment and cannot resist the "crab-inna-barrel" mentality. They abandon their culture and adopt the negative sterotypes of the US black natives.

^^jakumo is self hating.

please do not make him go on rampage here.

nothing he wants to say that no one hasnt heard before.

and if you want to talk crabs in a barrel there are plenty of that type, jakumo included.

dayokanu:

So what is Nigeria blessed with that makes us more blessed than others

I don't consider myself to be more blessed than others.
and i consider only a few people to be more blessed than me. what these people have are not tangible values.

i think you get an idea of my opinion by now. and i'm sure you have yours too that makes sense to you which i understand.

@ochungal,
haha I just read reviews of it on Amazon and I can see why you refer to the book.
Somethings from the reviews reminded me of such news as these:

Africa as waste and toxic dump: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7543489.stm
Africans as medical guinea pigs: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,517805,00.html
etc

the question is how do you define "blessed" as opposed to "success (by all means possible)"?

tpiah:

^^jakumo is self hating.

please do not make him go on rampage here.

nothing he wants to say that no one hasnt heard before.

and if you want to talk crabs in a barrel there are plenty of that type, jakumo included.

Tpia, does this mean that our planned marriage is now cancelled ?   I have made all relevant arrangements, and the 20 heads of Zebu cattle have been marched to your parents place as promised.  Don't you DARE try to back out now.