Would you say that Africans were better off

Question

During colonial rule as opposed to post colonial rule up to present day? Justify you answer and please think before you answer, don’t just parrot something like an ignorant westerner.

Answer 1

THE 'WEST' IS THE REASON WHY THE THIRD WORLD IS PRIMARILY IN THE STATE IT IS IN .........and today the west consistently manoeuvres so as to maintain the Third world in its position of under development. For example the policies of the IMF and the World Bank you should investigate closer to see what I mean - You should note the aid that is given is in many instances, is but a drop in the ocean, in comparison with the LOAN repayments many of the Third world countries make back in like to the West, and the interest paid.

Despite aid doing some good on a micro / local level - The west essentially receives more benefit from the Third world - unfair trade / cheap labour etc etc. The West has also carved up many a country in colonial times and raped and pillaged resources and established governing systems that were inappropriate for the countries themselves, but rather of benefit again to the West - Today we in the West still reap a great deal from the assets stripped at these times.

Again wars are instigated and financed, which also in turn is constructed to be of phenomenal benefit to the western economies in terms of armament deals and building reconstruction.

despite many THIRD WORLD -  countries being particularly rich in resources, during colonial times much land was used to grow crops for export ... much of this 'system' still continues today rather than food being grown to feed its population a slightly higher price is gained for goods that can be exported / thus farmers tend to concentrate on these kind of crops - however the most profitable part of the process is concluded in the west ie. turning the raw product into goods on the shelf which is most profitable - in the case of cocoa e.g chocolate bars / chocolate drinks /  powder /sweeteners etc.  the markup from raw product to manufactured goods is astronomical in real terms.    

Its ironic that many Third world countries end up 'buying back' the goods in the manufactured state, in this economy of globalisation meaning its difficult for them to progress out of poverty as populations always want items that are deemed modern, as we are influenced by mass media.

The colonial period essentially  paved the way for Third World disaster and continued poverty  !!!

Answer 2

African societies were doing fine until colonial rule. If starvation and disease was rampant, how did those societies survive? You might want to start with the great kingdoms of ancient Africa:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdoms_in...

Nomadic herding and hunter-gatherer societies existed for thousands of years prior to European contact and for hundreds of years after contact with ancient Greece.

While colonial rule maintained a semblance of order (violently imposed from without), it is not as is the societies colonized could just "return" to their pre-colonial state. Corrupt African leaders shoulder their share of the blame for the continent's plight, but it's hard to argue that colonialism had a positive effect on the continent.

Answer 3

nice speedo.