obo_man: The first reason I'm gonna give is climate.. Yes differences in climate could be the reason why africa is backward. Is it a coincidence that most of the most developed and innovative countries are temperate regions of the earth?

My reason for giving this reason is because temperate regions produce less social activtives that could hinder innovation. Eg, the long winter periods europeans experience every year makes them stay indoors, which in turn makes them innovative, because with serenity, quietness and tranquillity comes invention and creativity.

Whereas, in the tropics (of which africa is situated), there are noisy and sometimes chaotic activities,which most often have less time for ourselves to think and get creative..warmth as we all know encourage such actitivies.

My second reason for giving climate are diseases..it is a fact that there are more tropical diseases than temperate diseases. If malaria no kill u for africa,other tropical insects go kill u.. These diseases place our creativity @ disadvantage, because time spent in doing other creative things, our system, brain and selves use it to fight tropical diseases.

Finally, let's look at rate of decay in these two regions. A caveman in stone age that has jus hunt a deer is better off than an african in that same period.. The caveman need not worry about rot, nature serves as Freezer for him.. This enables him to do other productive things with his time, instead of worrying about his meal or going regularly to hunt like his african counterpart.

In summary, time you save, you use it to invent, get creative and you then pass these skills to your next generation.
Africans have never been socially backward compared to their european counterparts, the only place we lagging behind are in science, advanced medicine and technology. Socially, they not any better, remember they fought two senseless wars that almost killed 150 million people, yet there are places in africa that has been peaceful for 500 years.

obo_man: The first reason I'm gonna give is climate.. Yes differences in climate could be the reason why africa is backward. Is it a coincidence that most of the most developed and innovative countries are temperate regions of the earth?

My reason for giving this reason is because temperate regions produce less social activtives that could hinder innovation. Eg, the long winter periods europeans experience every year makes them stay indoors, which in turn makes them innovative, because with serenity, quietness and tranquillity comes invention and creativity.

Whereas, in the tropics (of which africa is situated), there are noisy and sometimes chaotic activities,which most often have less time for ourselves to think and get creative..warmth as we all know encourage such actitivies.

My second reason for giving climate are diseases..it is a fact that there are more tropical diseases than temperate diseases. If malaria no kill u for africa,other tropical insects go kill u.. These diseases place our creativity @ disadvantage, because time spent in doing other creative things, our system, brain and selves use it to fight tropical diseases.

Finally, let's look at rate of decay in these two regions. A caveman in stone age that has jus hunt a deer is better off than an african in that same period.. The caveman need not worry about rot, nature serves as Freezer for him.. This enables him to do other productive things with his time, instead of worrying about his meal or going regularly to hunt like his african counterpart.

In summary, time you save, you use it to invent, get creative and you then pass these skills to your next generation.
Africans have never been socially backward compared to their european counterparts, the only place we lagging behind are in science, advanced medicine and technology. Socially, they not any better, remember they fought two senseless wars that almost killed 150 million people, yet there are places in africa that has been peaceful for 500 years.

basher:

I'll also have to disagree with you here too. The Indian sub-continent is also very hot, and in some areas, even hotter than places in West Africa. They were however, still able to come up with a form of writing and counting, and also make some very reasonable forages into philosophy and medicine before the white man arrived there.

I strongly believe that it is the negative aspects of our culture that has held us down throughout our history and is still affecting us now.

pssword:

How about the Brazilians and Argentinians?

shymmex:

You're definitely not Jamaican - more like JAFRICAN!!

Everything wrong with Nigeria was planted by the British, and they still pull the strings - that's the "REAL HISTORY FOR DUMMIES", Jafrican.

Sianoz: ur somehow right but the british are not only to be blamed.if i may ask wat held africans from movin to other lands to find people they wil colonise? Well, am of the view dat wat held our ancestors from thriving is stil wit us & wat made their ancestors(west) to conquer the world is stil wit them.May be our ancestors were cursed.

obo_man: The first reason I'm gonna give is climate.. Yes differences in climate could be the reason why africa is backward. Is it a coincidence that most of the most developed and innovative countries are temperate regions of the earth?

My reason for giving this reason is because temperate regions produce less social activtives that could hinder innovation. Eg, the long winter periods europeans experience every year makes them stay indoors, which in turn makes them innovative, because with serenity, quietness and tranquillity comes invention and creativity.

Whereas, in the tropics (of which africa is situated), there are noisy and sometimes chaotic activities,which most often have less time for ourselves to think and get creative..warmth as we all know encourage such actitivies.

My second reason for giving climate are diseases..it is a fact that there are more tropical diseases than temperate diseases. If malaria no kill u for africa,other tropical insects go kill u.. These diseases place our creativity @ disadvantage, because time spent in doing other creative things, our system, brain and selves use it to fight tropical diseases.

Finally, let's look at rate of decay in these two regions. A caveman in stone age that has jus hunt a deer is better off than an african in that same period.. The caveman need not worry about rot, nature serves as Freezer for him.. This enables him to do other productive things with his time, instead of worrying about his meal or going regularly to hunt like his african counterpart.

In summary, time you save, you use it to invent, get creative and you then pass these skills to your next generation.
Africans have never been socially backward compared to their european counterparts, the only place we lagging behind are in science, advanced medicine and technology. Socially, they not any better, remember they fought two senseless wars that almost killed 150 million people, yet there are places in africa that has been peaceful for 500 years.

sauer:
I have never heard anything dumber! So, russia with the most temperate region is the most developed in the world?

basher:

I have to disagree disagree with u here as u are missing the point entirely. Don't u understand that is this deficient culture that kept us in such a state that, when the white man came, we were practically defenseless? Didn't we appear on this earth before them? So how come they were so ahead of us when they came that they took us so easily and cheaply? Or are u trying to say that they are naturally more intelligent than us?

MsDarkSkin: @ neuronin

Generally speaking, Africans have always been well traveled. Keep in mind our ancestors for the most part were nomadic.
Africans were very much part of the Greek, Roman, Persian, Mesopotamian, Assyrian; etc empires despite that fact being voided out of textbooks (an effort to hide our contributions to western civilization and the world at large). Not to mention our ancestors built magnificent empires and kingdoms of their own. But the issue is black people are too trusting of others but hateful to one another!

While other people may have tribal or national conflicts, when it comes to outsiders they will form alliances within their race to aid each other in fending off foreign attack (although S. Korea is an exception to that rule!). This is notable when the Celtic and Gaul peoples (western European in origin) and Greeks, all former enemies BTW, banded together against the ancient tribes of the middle east (Phoenicians) who sought to invade and control many parts Europe. Yes many of these groups incorporated African and foreign men into their armies but those men had to abide by the laws of that society. There were boundaries when it came to foreigners.

Africans will invite foreigners to help annihilate other Africans just to be victorious. In the Congo for example, when the government hired white South African mercenaries to help fight Congolese rebels, they not only paid them but gave these men the right to do as they please within Congolese borders. This included terrorizing, extorting and abusing their power on the people they claimed to be helping. That is what makes us different. That is what makes us weak. We are a docile people to others but very hard on each other....since the beginning of time.

Even those of us in the west who are descendants of slaves took that same mentality with us. This "extreme" tribalistic and "better them than us" mentality. During the 70s and early 80s, Jamaicans killed each other based on political influence just so that their white or biracial candidates could get into office and fulfill their promises of "Americanizing the nation". Lives lost for what? Better cars, clothes, and means to brag. ('Greedy chief' syndrome) Smh. Don't get me started on African American issues.

Readers pls. don't get me wrong, I am not "putting Africans/black people down". I am just saying at what point do we realize that our M.O. is failing us and accept that WE ARE THE PROBLEM?

obo_man: The first reason I'm gonna give is climate.. Yes differences in climate could be the reason why africa is backward. Is it a coincidence that most of the most developed and innovative countries are temperate regions of the earth?

My reason for giving this reason is because temperate regions produce less social activtives that could hinder innovation. Eg, the long winter periods europeans experience every year makes them stay indoors, which in turn makes them innovative, because with serenity, quietness and tranquillity comes invention and creativity.

Whereas, in the tropics (of which africa is situated), there are noisy and sometimes chaotic activities,which most often have less time for ourselves to think and get creative..warmth as we all know encourage such actitivies.

My second reason for giving climate are diseases..it is a fact that there are more tropical diseases than temperate diseases. If malaria no kill u for africa,other tropical insects go kill u.. These diseases place our creativity @ disadvantage, because time spent in doing other creative things, our system, brain and selves use it to fight tropical diseases.

Finally, let's look at rate of decay in these two regions. A caveman in stone age that has jus hunt a deer is better off than an african in that same period.. The caveman need not worry about rot, nature serves as Freezer for him.. This enables him to do other productive things with his time, instead of worrying about his meal or going regularly to hunt like his african counterpart.

In summary, time you save, you use it to invent, get creative and you then pass these skills to your next generation.
Africans have never been socially backward compared to their european counterparts, the only place we lagging behind are in science, advanced medicine and technology. Socially, they not any better, remember they fought two senseless wars that almost killed 150 million people, yet there are places in africa that has been peaceful for 500 years.

neuronin:
You suggest that particular character traits are our undoing, if that is true then it is our nature, our natural construct as fashioned out by God or random forces of nature, that is responsible for the state of the black man. Right?
That has very big implications you know

2buff:

Now you blame God?
<sigh> I can see none of what has been said on this thread penetrates the heads of those who have apparently set themselves apart for failure.

A person who says God, genetics, and other things beyond their control is the reason for their failure is a person who has already decided that he will do all that is in his power to fail!

OzReal:

This must be a joke. Anyway nice try at your rationalization.

MsDarkSkin:

sauer:
I have never heard anything dumber! So, russia with the most temperate region is the most developed in the world? If you theory holds true, then development (or innovation as it pertains to countries) should rank in terms of how temperate such country is. Apparently, that is not the case

sauer:
I have never heard anything dumber! So, russia with the most temperate region is the most developed in the world? If you theory holds true, then development (or innovation as it pertains to countries) should rank in terms of how temperate such country is. Apparently, that is not the case

neuronin:

I made reference to what a person wrote and used simple logic to point out what her statement suggests. Except you believe all the contributors on this thread "have apparently set themselves apart for failure"

Efiko: ...the must authentic, valid & foundamental theory is Genesis 9:20–27 where Noah cursed his younger son (Ham).

"And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said , Cursed be Canaan (Ham); a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said , Blessed be the LORD God of Shem (present day Israel); and Canaan/Ham (Africa, part of Asia & Arab) shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth (Europe, America), and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan/Ham shall be his servant.

..the phrase "..he (japheth) shall dwell in the tenths of shem" explains the strong colabo between Israel & America.

Ham settle in cush/ethopia and the history of all black people is traceable to Ethopia.

Note that Shem, Ham & Japheth are the ancestors of the present human race as the entire generation was destroy
by flood.

2buff:

Are you minding these primitive people?
Millenia have passed and their thinking has not changed. Preferring instead to sit in a bush and moan and complain about everything everyone but themselves has done to them.
Bullshit aside, if you truly look at the history of your continent, you will see that the slave trade thing was orchestrated by blacks.
White men didn't come to enslave you, they came as merchants. And you were all selling out yourselves as products. So enough with all the noise.

So by your complaining and blaming, you are essentially saying "It's okay that our kinsmen captured each other, put themselves in chains and put each other on public slave market. That's perfectly understandable. However, why did the white men, who needed cheap labor etc, buy these products?" . . . This is the what they are all saying. Sadly, it is unfortunate that thinking things through is not one of the strongpoints of africans.

The beginning of you all rising out of your slums is the accepting of responsibility that yes indeed, you are where you are because of YOU and not white man, red man, green man, etc.
Accepting responsibility for where you are in life is a VERY empowering thing. If it is important to you, accepting that it was the BLACKS that were responsible for the slave trade and not the whites will dawn the epiphany required to do things better.

You have to understand what BLAMING things other than yourself does to your psyche.
Sometime, you should accept the blame for a thing. You will be left stronger for it. THIS is the leadership spirit Africa needs today, not that of complainers and blamers...

Efiko: ...the must authentic, valid & foundamental theory is Genesis 9:20–27 where Noah cursed his younger son (Ham).

"And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said , Cursed be Canaan (Ham); a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said , Blessed be the LORD God of Shem (present day Israel); and Canaan/Ham (Africa, part of Asia & Arab) shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth (Europe, America), and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan/Ham shall be his servant.

..the phrase "..he (japheth) shall dwell in the tenths of shem" explains the strong colabo between Israel & America.

Ham settle in cush/ethopia and the history of all black people is traceable to Ethopia.

Note that Shem, Ham & Japheth are the ancestors of the present human race as the entire generation was destroy
by flood.

I most say u've given us d root cause of it all...evry oda posts including mine r jos d branches

Beaf: The African is the Africans worst problem.

There is [b]nothing [/b]intrinsically wrong with us, aside from the fact that we have failed miserably to deal with the twin trauma's of colonisation and the slave trade. Therefore, the average African exhibits a distinct lack of self belief, is clannish/bigoted, weak willed, quick to point fingers, loudmouthed, over-dressed etc. These factor all combine in a way that appears to give the African a lower IQ than the Global average.

We do not have a lower IQ; rather, we have a continent in emotional turmoil and a population plagued by a continent wide low self-esteem.

The reasons Africa has been unable to overcome the trauma's of the slave trade and colonisation is simple to figure out. The most powerful families who make up the upper echelons of the political classes across the continent were direct beneficiaries of the twin evils. They either took part in the slave trade or sold out to the colonial powers.
With these people continously recycled in the continents politics, there is little hope for rebirth. Traitors and the wicked cannot lead a rebirth, nor can they heal the trauma they are a part of. Congo that saw the worst violence (with 10 - 12 million massacred) will continue to be at war and to regress into the abyss.
As long as those families remain in power, they will block rebirth. And any they allow to rise to their stratospheric level will be beasts of their breed who will not rock the boat.

One example that stands out like a beacon to most of Africa is Ghana. That is one country that has successfully come to terms with its past as a slave center. It has apologised to Africans in the diaspora and offered free land and resettlement schemes; it has also undegone all sorts of traditional cleansing. All of these things impinge on the national psyche and have propelled Ghana forward on the democratic and developmental scales.
It is easy to bet that Ghana will become the first developed W. African state.

In comparison, Nigeria has places reknowned for slavery like Badagry, Brass, Arochukwu etc, but we do not give a damn. We have the same old ruling families running our lives, but its business as usual. Is it any surprise that the average Nigerian has no value for the happiness of their neighbour? No nation with such an appalling society can ever develop.

PROUD-IGBO:
One key reason (don't know about theory) is the lumping of incongruous groups/ethnicities together (with nothing in common but the colour of their skin) just for administrative convenience; following on from this is the African elite/ruling class the departing colonial masters handed over to, wanting to continue the status-quo for selfish/tribal reasons. Nationalists like Nkrumah, Zik and Kenyatta were more idealists than pragmatists and believed they could build and mould their new 'Nations' into a workable entity regardless of obvious imperfections and a faulty foundation. Though some Nations like Ghana seem to be getting away with it, others like Nigeria aren't so lucky. What needs to happen (as in the case of Rwanda) is for everyone to get their heads out of the sand and discuss their unique problems and finally reach an all-inclusive solution acceptable to all.

OzReal:

I'm not exactly sure what it is about that quote you disagree with; neither did i state or imply that the whites are naturally more intelligent than black people. In fact, there nothing that vexes me more than hearing that statement. I believe I said that there is something inherently amiss with us, which I simply cannot give a rational explanation. However, let us be very practical here and answer these questions: Why is it that there is no developed nation on the African continent? Why is there no nation on earth where there is a black majority developed?

I'll state again that it is my fervent belief that our culture impedes our development. Granted, no one is born with a particular 'culture'; yet this is what we learn in our formative years. I cannot speak for other countries, but no matter how progressive we think we may be, the average Nigerian male or female is still very conservative when it comes to traditional practices. I stated earlier that we have unquestionable respect for elders, which I believe is very admirable for we Nigerians; however, I believe that this is a particular trait that has made the so-called leaders we have take us for granted everyday. Each time we criticize our leaders, we are branded as being disrespectful; thus, suffering in silence. This has made these guys continue unchallenged. While the after-effects of colonialism are still being felt in our country(e.g implementation of IMF and World bank policies), we Nigerians(leaders and citizens alike) are still our biggest problem.