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| Subject: And... | |
Author: Ed Harris (London) | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 00:26:49 01/17/05 Mon In reply to: Ian (Australia) 's message, "African potential FC partners" on 21:23:47 01/16/05 Sun ...A pretty hefty wind of change flowing through Britain and the former dominions to make them want to federate with African counties, too. Possible exceptions being USA, Rhodesia and N Rhodesia. Oh, I mean, RSA, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The media is largely responsible. If one watches the BBC, one would be forgiven for thinking that Africa is several million square miles of famine, disease, tribal warfare, and sundry desolation. In fact, it is a glorious place with as much contrast between its various constituent parts as in Asia or Europe. Botswana is a multi-cultural democracy; Liberia is, or at least was, the fullest logical conclusion of early 19th Century Clapham Methodism; Morocco was the centre of the western Islamic calphate; there are deserts and jungles, cities and villages, mountains and plains; its seas are the Med, the Atlantic, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean; there are aboriginal animists in the Congolese jungle and people in Jo'burg who sneer on the most exquisite exemplars of the European tradition as being a bit backwards. I know that I'm biased as a Rooinekke, a Hans Khaki, but Africa is not a place, but a great many places, and I am very uneasy at the western tendency to label it "Africa" in the same tone of voice and with the same finality as one would say "Hell". Some of RSA is closer to Perth than to Cairo; Zanzibar is closer to Bombay than to Casablanca. In short, I guess I'm trying to say that co-operation, integration or federation with this thing called "Africa" isn't even an issue, any more than lumping India, Japan, Iran and Krygystan "Asian" will get you anywhere. Treat African countries as different entities and you might get some progress. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 00:39:44 01/17/05 Mon If Gordon Brown cared more about Africa than becoming the leader of the parliamentary Labour party, Africa might be a happier place. I ask you... "Having a child has made me more aware of the suffering of African children." Has it bollocks. This is toe-curling ghastliness. He wants a few emotive pictures of G. Brown, Esq., crouching around a fire and sharing a cold pombe with a few swarthy-looking government officials. Let him try to wander into Luanda and say "Nataka pombe baridi sana" and see how far that gets him... An assegai in the region of the third waistcoat button, with any luck. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 13:21:41 01/17/05 Mon Ha, Yes. Gordon Brown's trip to Africa. I'm surprised Blair did not arrange a trip to the beaches of Indonesia to coincide, such as his recent displays of childish one-upmanship would have suited. "O wad some power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see us!" [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
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