Are Africans wicked, ignorant and vindictive?

Although I asked this as a question, I know that the answer is yes.

The combination of wickedness, ignorance and vindictiveness is one that can send you to oblivion in one second. It is a potent weapon to keep you subjugated by yourself, for ever.

I love being a black man and would do anything to return as a black man, if reincarnation is to be believed. However, I regret being an African because Africans are wicked, ignorant and vindictive to themselves and to others. I prefer being a black man from the Caribbean. They are much more reasonable and measured blacks than Africans. They have been tempered from their long stay away from the African mainland.

What am I blabbing on about here? It is about Ebola and the response of Africans, Nigerians in particular, to it. Here are the scenarios making me mad:

Ebola has been with Africa for many years. It has killed hundreds of folks in Congo and Uganda in many different outbreaks. Fourty years after, these countries still have no cure for it. I admit that they have managed to contain it each time it erupts.

Then Ebola came to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, all in West Africa. How it did so bypassing countries enroute from Congo and Uganda remains a mystery.

When Ebola came to those countries, they virtually raised their hands up in submission (ignorance), allowing the virus to kill off thousands of their compatriots. Then a black man took the virus from Liberia to Nigeria, and low and behold, Nigeria became an Ebola country. Then it went to Senegal, adding them to the list. Recently, another black man took it to the United States. In both cases, that is Nigeria and United States, it was Liberians who had either lied or denied ever having been in contact with patients. It turned out they had in fact been in contact with Ebola-infected folks. So they lied (wickedly) and spread the disease to hitherto safe countries.

Speaking specifically about Nigeria, when the disease hit home, we did all we could to contain it. We did not have any vaccines or drugs, but somehow we managed. I believe it was because we took the decision, for the first time in my life time, I must add, to do something right on time. I believe we were goaded by having seing the ravage it is causing in other West African countries. If it came to Nigeria first, thousands would have died because we are simply not a prepared nation. I believe also that fate played a major part in the containment because if the late Dr. Adadevoh had not stopped the Liberian Ebola importer from flying out to Calabar from Lagos, the story would be different today. She practically sacrificed her life while potentially saving those of millions of Nigerians. For that, I give thanks to her and pray that she finds peace with her maker.

But the story is not ended with the present containment because as long as Ebola is in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea and infecting and killing people, it could return to Nigeria. It takes just one sloppy event at the boarder in Lagos or elsewhere in the western part of the country, or a slip by an airline, or a lie from an infected patient in those countries, and we are back to square one.

When Ebola came to Nigeria, we were medically and unscientifically unprepared. We did not have good labs for studying viruses and still do not, at least in the public sector. We did not have vaccines or drugs. In fact, Nigerian doctors were on strike at that time. We cried to the West for help, as usual. When ''ZIMMAP'' did not come, we cursed at Obama and America. When Ebola was contained we joyed in the fact that ''we did it without America'' but we forgot that CDC/ WHO scientists/medics were in Nigeria helping out during that time. I wonder how it would have played out if it was 100% Nigerian effort to try to contain Ebola.

When Ebola got to America, many Nigerians were gleeful that it got there. You can see several threads on that, even here on Nairaland. That behavior was the zenith of ignorance, wickedness and vindictiveness. How low can some of us Africans get? You are trying to get back at America, but do you Nigerians in Nigeria realize how many Nigerians live in America and who among them could become a victim? How about your US-based relatives who used to send you dollars every now becoming infected with Ebola and possibly dying from it?

Nigerians were angry because America did not provide drugs for them, despite all the explanations that the drug in question was not available in sufficient quantities, and had not been tested on humans at that time. The more serious question though is, why are Africans not shamed by being perpetually dependent on the West for help? Why are we incapable of solving our own problems? Now that Ebola has dissipated somewhat, what is Nigeria doing in terms of research and development towards finding a lasting medical solution to forestall/reduce future deaths? Or do we just it back and wait until the next Ebola outbreak, and then we start begging America again?

How would you Africans feel now if the US closes its boarder against West Africans? I know, you will call them racists, ignoring the fact that other Ebola-free West African countries already closed their boarders against their neighbors.

I conclude with the opinion that Africans can only grow to the extent of rubbing shoulders with the West when they eschew ignorance, wickedness and vindictiveness. These vices have entrenched themselves in Nigeria so much that ethnic groups are constantly at each others throats. The earlier we start helping ourselves and doing something towards solving practical problems, the sooner we will be able to solve our problems ourselves.

And, for those of you laughing at America, just sit back and watch how they will handle the situation. They are by far more prepared than any country in Africa in these things. I hope you do not go back to them asking for help in the likely event of another Ebola outbreak.

Inferiority complex self hate, low self esteem, negative images on media, schools religions. It is more psychological.

igbo2011: Inferiority complex self hate, low self esteem, negative images on media, schools religions. It is more psychological.

Of who? Me as the poster, or Africans?

None of the above.

Just Poverty...

...and the Despair we feel when our peer seems to be pulling out of it.

PHD - Pull him down syndrom.

Unionised: None of the above.

Just Poverty...

...and the Despair we feel when our peer seems to be pulling out of it.

PHD - Pull him down syndrom.

Who made you (I mean Africans) poor?

spectroscopic:

Of who? Me as the poster, or Africans?

Africans around the world...

It's nothing more than the after-effects of slavery and colonization.

Slavery - 400+ years.
Colonization - ~ 200 years.

Apart from Liberia and Ethiopia, no other African nation has been independent for up to 60 years.
Give us time.

Greed and wickedness is embedded in the DNA of the blackman.
Look at a country like Nigeria where the average politician earns over 100times the national average wage while the UK prime minister earns about 5 times the average wage in the UK.

Just look at any of the great countries in the world, black people are always at the bottom. Asians and Latinos also experience the same racism directed at black people but they'll always find ways to succeed in their communities. Look at the Indians living in England, they've taken over the hospitals and GP surgeries while black people are busy stabbing and shooting themselves.

AjanleKoko: It's nothing more than the after-effects of slavery and colonization.

Slavery - 400+ years.
Colonization - ~ 200 years.

Apart from Liberia and Ethiopia, no other African nation has been independent for up to 60 years.
Give us time.

But black man has been living in Africa before colonization. You are talking as if the oldest man is 60 years old. It's not about the landmass called Africa, it is the humans.

spectroscopic:

Although I asked this as a question, I know that the answer is yes.

The combination of wickedness, ignorance and vindictiveness is one that can send you to oblivion in one second. It is a potent weapon to keep you subjugated by yourself, for ever.

I love being a black man and would do anything to return as a black man, if reincarnation is to be believed. However, I regret being an African because Africans are wicked, ignorant and vindictive to themselves and to others. I prefer being a black man from the Caribbean. They are much more reasonable and measured blacks than Africans. They have been tempered from their long stay away from the African mainland.

What am I blabbing on about here? It is about Ebola and the response of Africans, Nigerians in particular, to it. Here are the scenarios making me mad:

Ebola has been with Africa for many years. It has killed hundreds of folks in Congo and Uganda in many different outbreaks. Fourty years after, these countries still have no cure for it. I admit that they have managed to contain it each time it erupts.

Then Ebola came to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, all in West Africa. How it did so bypassing countries enroute from Congo and Uganda remains a mystery.

When Ebola came to those countries, they virtually raised their hands up in submission (ignorance), allowing the virus to kill off thousands of their compatriots. Then a black man took the virus from Liberia to Nigeria, and low and behold, Nigeria became an Ebola country. Then it went to Senegal, adding them to the list. Recently, another black man took it to the United States. In both cases, that is Nigeria and United States, it was Liberians who had either lied or denied ever having been in contact with patients. It turned out they had in fact been in contact with Ebola-infected folks. So they lied (wickedly) and spread the disease to hitherto safe countries.

Speaking specifically about Nigeria, when the disease hit home, we did all we could to contain it. We did not have any vaccines or drugs, but somehow we managed. I believe it was because we took the decision, for the first time in my life time, I must add, to do something right on time. I believe we were goaded by having seeing the ravage it is causing in other West African countries. If it came to Nigeria first, thousands would have died because we are simply not a prepared nation. I believe also that fate played a major part in the containment because if the late Dr. Adadevoh had not stopped the Liberian Ebola importer from flying out to Calabar from Lagos, the story would be different today. She practically sacrificed her life while potentially saving those of millions of Nigerians. For that, I give thanks to her and pray that she finds peace with her maker.

But the story is not ended with the present containment because as long as Ebola is in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea and infecting and killing people, it could return to Nigeria. It takes just one sloppy event at the boarder in Lagos or elsewhere in the western part of the country, or a slip by an airline, or a lie from an infected patient in those countries, and we are back to square one.

When Ebola came to Nigeria, we were medically and unscientifically unprepared. We did not have good labs for studying viruses and still do not, at least in the public sector. We did not have vaccines or drugs. In fact, Nigerian doctors were on strike at that time. We cried to the West for help, as usual. When ''ZIMMAP'' did not come, we cursed at Obama and America. When Ebola was contained we joyed in the fact that ''we did it without America'' but we forgot that CDC/ WHO scientists/medics were in Nigeria helping out during that time. I wonder how it would have played out if it was 100% Nigerian effort to try to contain Ebola.

When Ebola got to America, many Nigerians were gleeful that it got there. You can see several threads on that, even here on Nairaland. That behavior was the zenith of ignorance, wickedness and vindictiveness. How low can some of us Africans get? You are trying to get back at America, but do you Nigerians in Nigeria realize how many Nigerians live in America and who among them could become a victim? How about your US-based relatives who used to send you dollars every now becoming infected with Ebola and possibly dying from it?

Nigerians were angry because America did not provide drugs for them, despite all the explanations that the drug in question was not available in sufficient quantities, and had not been tested on humans at that time. The more serious question though is, why are Africans not shamed by being perpetually dependent on the West for help? Why are we incapable of solving our own problems? Now that Ebola has dissipated somewhat, what is Nigeria doing in terms of research and development towards finding a lasting medical solution to forestall/reduce future deaths? Or do we just it back and wait until the next Ebola outbreak, and then we start begging America again?

How would you Africans feel now if the US closes its boarder against West Africans? I know, you will call them racists, ignoring the fact that other Ebola-free West African countries already closed their boarders against their neighbors.

I conclude with the opinion that Africans can only grow to the extent of rubbing shoulders with the West when they eschew ignorance, wickedness and vindictiveness. These vices have entrenched themselves in Nigeria so much that ethnic groups are constantly at each others throats. The earlier we start helping ourselves and doing something towards solving practical problems, the sooner we will be able to solve our problems ourselves.

And, for those of you laughing at America, just sit back and watch how they will handle the situation. They are by far more prepared than any country in Africa in these things. I hope you do not go back to them asking for help in the likely event of another Ebola outbreak.

May be Africa should be quarantined for 21 days?

Francis5:

But black man has been living in Africa before colonization. You are talking as if the oldest man is 60 years old. It's not about the landmass called Africa, it is the humans.

Let me put you and your generations in a pigsty for 400 years, and let's see if you won't behave like a pig, grunt like a pig, roll around in the mud, for the next 100 years.

Even if the whole world keeps telling you, guy you no be pig, you would be too scared to venture out of the pigsty.
Don't under-estimate the power of progressive dehumanization.

AjanleKoko:

Let me put you and your generations in a pigsty for 400 years, and let's see if you won't behave like a pig, grunt like a pig, roll around in the mud, for the next 100 years.

Even if the whole world keeps telling you, guy you no be pig, you would be too scared to venture out of the pigsty.
Don't under-estimate the power of progressive dehumanization

Please permit me to interject here, and I am not speaking for the person whom you quoted. I understand your drift. But keep in mind that the slave traders did not come to your household and seize your children and enslave them. It was fellow Africans who captured other Africans and sold them into slavery to the white people in the coasts. Or did you read of any white men raiding African villages and capturing slaves? So, our wickedness and vindictiveness transcends the trans Atlantic slavery and colonialism.

mickyarams: Greed and wickedness is embedded in the DNA of the blackman.
Look at a country like Nigeria where the average politician earns over 100times the national average wage while the UK prime minister earns about 5 times the average wage in the UK.

Just look at any of the great countries in the world, black people are always at the bottom. Asians and Latinos also experience the same racism directed at black people but they'll always find ways to succeed in their communities. Look at the Indians living in England, they've taken over the hospitals and GP surgeries while black people are busy stabbing and shooting themselves.

Thank you. Here in America the blacks are at the lowest rung of the ladder too. America used to be about White and Black. But the latinos, Indians and Chinese have since displaced blacks. Shame!!!

Still a surprise how Nigerians in America, including myself, have managed to stay at the top of what we do. But back home in Africa, our people wallow in poverty, ignorance, wickedness and vindictiveness.

spectroscopic:

Please permit me to interject here, and I am not speaking for the person whom you quoted. I understand your drift. But keep in mind that the slave traders did not come to your household and seize your child and enslave them. It was fellow Africans who captured other Africans and sold them into slavery to the white people in the coast. Or did you read of any white men raiding African villages and capturing slaves? So, our wickedness and vindictiveness transcends the trans Atlantic slavery and colonialism.

The fellow Africans sold other Africans to the white people not as a matter of choice. Slavery was a wholesale business, not a pastime as you seem to think. And it did not start with Africa.

Have a look at this: Genocide of Indigenous People - Wikipedia.
There's also some report that suggests 90% of indigenous people were wiped out from World History as a result of colonial contact. If I can find online, I will share. It's a hard copy I read.

It's good for us to study some history before we make sentimental assumptions. There is more than enough information available online.

AjanleKoko: It's nothing more than the after-effects of slavery and colonization.

Slavery - 400+ years.
Colonization - ~ 200 years.

Apart from Liberia and Ethiopia, no other African nation has been independent for up to 60 years.
Give us time.

Care to explain why Liberia and Ethiopia are colossal sh*tholes despite their many years of independence?

AjanleKoko:


The fellow Africans sold other Africans to the white people not as a matter of choice. Slavery was a wholesale business, not a pastime as you seem to think. And it did not start with Africa.

Have a look at this: Genocide of Indigenous People - Wikipedia.
It's good for us to study some history before we make sentimental assumptions. There is more than enough information available online.

Dude, the Mexicans (Aztecs) resisted slavery and fought colonialism even to their deaths. What stopped Africans from doing same? There was no way slavery would have been sustained in Africa if Africans were actively unwilling to toe the line. There were already natural barriers (thick jungles and forests brimming with malaria and other tropical diseases) to deter the Whites from making inroads into the hinterland. But alas, our own forefathers facilitated slavery by capturing and selling themselves. If you did not value your live, how can I value it for you? Of course seeing how willing the Africans were, the next step was colonization.

Nigeria has been independent for 54 years now, and let's be truthful to ourselves, have we had any value for all that time?

chulla12:

Care to explain why Liberia and Ethiopia are colossal sh*tholes despite their many years of independence?

It's hardly surprising.
How else would they have turned out? What access did they have to trade, and how well did they fare, surrounded by colonial powers, perpetually besiged by colonial powers?

Read the History of Liberia on Wikipedia, as well as the History of Ethiopia. Then maybe we could discuss with some clarity.

It's difficult to debate when the other side does not have enough information, beyond sentimental rants.

chulla12:

Care to explain why Liberia and Ethiopia are colossal sh*tholes despite their many years of independence?

I was coming to that. Thanks for asking him. I wonder too.

spectroscopic:

I was coming to that. Thanks for asking him. I wonder too.

I recommend Wiley's World History for Dummies.
It's a very quick read for getting yourself up to speed with what has been happening in the last 10,000 years

A question to ask is, why did the slave masters not use native Americans as slaves? Why did they not use Hispanics and other Amerindians? These people lived in the American jungles of then, and so were supposedly accessible for enslavement. Why did the colonialists have to ship slaves across the ocean all the way from Africa? It is because, unlike Africans, those folks, the true owners of North and South America, were not available for slavery.

spectroscopic:

Dude, the Mexicans (Aztecs) resisted slavery and fought colonialism even to their deaths. What stopped Africans from doing same?

So Cortes did not conquer Mexico or Spain did not colonize Mexico?

Bud, what are you arguing?

spectroscopic: A question to ask is, why did the slave masters not use native Americans as slaves? Why did they not use Hispanics and other Amerindians? Why did they have to ship slaves across the ocean from Africa? It is because, unlike Africans, those folks, the true owners of North and South America, were not available for slavery.

LOL.
Refer to my earlier link, the very first one about indigenous peoples.
Lots of information there for you about Native Americans and what the colonialists did to them. Which in fact increased the need to import African slaves on wholesale basis.

AjanleKoko:

So Cortes did not conquer Mexico or Spain did not colonize Mexico?

Bud, what are you arguing?

Cortez Hernandes conquered Mexico after a fight of course. Not so? How many African groups fought against being conquered? But the real question to ask is, why did the slave masters not use native Americans as slaves? Why did they not use Hispanics and other Amerindians? These people lived in the American jungles of then, and so were supposedly accessible for enslavement. Why did the colonialists have to ship slaves across the ocean all the way from Africa? It is because, unlike Africans, those folks, the true owners of North and South America, were not available for slavery.

AjanleKoko:

So Cortes did not conquer Mexico or Spain did not colonize Mexico?

Bud, what are you arguing?



LOL.
Refer to my earlier link, the very first one about indigenous peoples.
Lots of information there for you about Native Americans and what the colonialists did to them. Which in fact increased the need to import African slaves on wholesale basis.

Just tell me in plain terms why Africans had to be the ones that are now considered slaves (to white people), despite living 1000s of miles from America at that time. You are putting all the blames on others and none to yourself as a black person. I will not buy that, sorry.

spectroscopic:

Cortez Hernandes conquered Mexico after a fight of course. Not so? How many African groups fought against being conquered? But the real question to ask is, why did the slave masters not use native Americans as slaves? Why did they not use Hispanics and other Amerindians? These people lived in the American jungles of then, and so were supposedly accessible for enslavement. Why did the colonialists have to ship slaves across the ocean all the way from Africa? It is because, unlike Africans, those folks, the true owners of North and South America, were not available for slavery.

"They were not available for enslavement" and yet the entire Central and South America speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

Now I'm beginning to get the impression this is a sentimental rant. Bros, try to research very very well.
I'm out. Hand dey pain me

spectroscopic:

Just tell me in plain terms why Africans had to be the ones that are now considered slaves (to white people), despite living 1000s of miles from America at that time. You are putting all the blames on others and none to yourself as a black person. I will not buy that, sorry.

Okay, last shot, and hoping this will drive you to research.

Have you looked really really closely at South Americans? Notice the very European facial features?
Just how many indigenous peoples of the Americas do you think are still existing today?

Okay let me explain in plain terms. Since you no wan research.
They were not available for enslavment, because most of them were killed. Races were virtually wiped out in the conquest of the Americas.
The blacks were brought in much later.

AjanleKoko:




"They were not available for enslavement" and yet the entire Central and South America speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

Now I'm beginning to get the impression this is a sentimental rant. Bros, try to research very very well.
I'm out. Hand dey pain me

You can speak Spanish without being tagged a slave, no?. The British also colonized parts of China (yes, China of all places), India, Pakistan, and many other Arab States. But those people were not enslaved, not as Africans were. I hope we can separate slavery from colonialism.

Ajanlekoko, back to the topic of African people's wickedness and vindictiveness

The Spaniards, led by Henardez Cortes, conquered South America and Mexico. So that was something akin to war where the better equipped person should win. However, that conquest led to colonization and not slavery. In contrast, before colonization came to Africa, Africans already were capturing fellow Africans and selling them to outsiders. Do you see a difference? Did you ever hear of Mexicans, Arabs, Chinese (Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau) capturing and selling themselves to Europeans? That is the wickedness and vindictiveness in us.

deleted

The ebola should be allowed to whipe out as many Africans as possible, honestly alot of Africans are too useless to the world.

whew

where do i start from here?

Excuses, excuses. China endured invasions against aggressors from Europe and neighborly Japan for decades, in events including the sordid massacres during the Sino-Japanese war.

Added to this were inherent challenges of managing the largest population of nationals in the world, in a country which would sometimes be wrought with lack and famine. China is not perfect by far, but you can see the strides it has made economically and politically today.

How come there is no such success story in the case of say, Ethiopia...a country with as much historical antiquity as China?

Come to think of it....how come it was so easy for many Africans to give up so easily to colonization, slavery and domination from lighter-skinned races? We don't see this as much with Asian history. We succumb so quickly to outsiders but are quick to kill, dominate and be vindictive among one another!

A Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa will welcome European aggressors like a strumpet spreading her legs in sexual heat, but will be quick to tear each other apart upon the slightest suspicion of intra-racial domination. SMH.

If you watch the interview with Ahmadu Bello on Igbos for instance, you will see that he admitted to this great African folly. He mentioned that he would sooner welcome European colonialists to take over jobs in the North than fellow black people, Igbos.

I'm sure that Igbo or Yoruba leaders given a similar platform would admit such slavish and debasing thoughts.

AjanleKoko:


It's hardly surprising.
How else would they have turned out? What access did they have to trade, and how well did they fare, surrounded by colonial powers, perpetually besiged by colonial powers?

Read the History of Liberia on Wikipedia, as well as the History of Ethiopia. Then maybe we could discuss with some clarity.

It's difficult to debate when the other side does not have enough information, beyond sentimental rants.

Dear OP,

Vasco da Gama met black Africa in the mid 15th century. The conqistadors hit the Americas in the mid 15th century so why do you think it took the Europeans 200 years to begin the trans-atlantic slave trade?

I would agree that Africans (including you if you are African) are ignorant about a lot of things but wicked and vindictive?? We do not come close to the wicked Europeans (fought each other for 1000 years and physically brutalised non Europeans for 500 years) and vindictive Semitic peoples (Fighting wars since 2000 BC till date).

Rwandans killed each other in bitter ethnic violence recent history (around 20 years ago) and have largely moved on whilst we just finished another round of Arab/Israeli war. I can't think of any other examples of peoples with a lot of forgiveness in their hearts like Africans.

Social engineering can do a lot of things. A good example can be seen in this illustration: In one generation, we have seen where travelling Nigerians get lost and are housed and fed by strangers and sent on their way the next morning to people speeding past dying accident victims.

If 70s Nigerians can care for strangers and 21st century Nigerians can't, you can't say Nigerians are wicked! because the people that cared for strangers are still Nigerians There has to be a reason why the behaviour changed and that should be your focus and not the people.