The article is another penetrating analysis of one of the fundamental problems of our time. It seems that modern people actually use the goal of alleviating material poverty as an excuse to deny the reality of spiritual poverty.
28 October 2016 at 10:16
Nicholas Fulford said...
(Before Western intervention, Africans were among the most prosperous and best-fed people in the world - per capita; since high mortality from infectious diseases kept the population density low.)
Fighting disease in Africa is necessary and humane, but it is not sufficient. Africa needs to be brought through the development curb rapidly with help from the West. One of the unfortunate problems in Africa are the endemic levels of corruption, and this makes working to develop infrastructure to deliver services exceeding frustrating, difficult and often ineffective.
We need to commit to helping Africa, but the shadow of old colonialism still hangs over the stage, and corrupt local leaders often still use it as standard to wave and align their supporters with. Then there are the issues of groups like Boko Haram, failed states and horrendous killing field wars that arise every few years. Africa is a profoundly vexing problem.
@Nick "Fighting disease in Africa is necessary and humane," - It is this which needs challenging - You seem to be dirgarding consequences, and pinning everything on some future where somehow and for some reason things work out well and the bad factors cease to apply; instead of Western contact continually making matters worse.
29 October 2016 at 06:59
So I argue at Junior Ganymede.
I could have added that the deficiency of Western material poverty should not be seen as the trigger to scour the world - especially Africa - seeking material poverty; still less for Westerners to create and sustain endemic severe poverty and famine in Africa by keeping people just alive with modern medicine and 'aid'.
(Before Western intervention, Africans were among the most prosperous and best-fed people in the world - per capita; since high mortality from infectious diseases kept the population density low.)
"The Big Issue is *not* poverty (for Western Christians)"
3 Comments -
The article is another penetrating analysis of one of the fundamental problems of our time. It seems that modern people actually use the goal of alleviating material poverty as an excuse to deny the reality of spiritual poverty.
28 October 2016 at 10:16
(Before Western intervention, Africans were among the most prosperous and best-fed people in the world - per capita; since high mortality from infectious diseases kept the population density low.)
Fighting disease in Africa is necessary and humane, but it is not sufficient. Africa needs to be brought through the development curb rapidly with help from the West. One of the unfortunate problems in Africa are the endemic levels of corruption, and this makes working to develop infrastructure to deliver services exceeding frustrating, difficult and often ineffective.
We need to commit to helping Africa, but the shadow of old colonialism still hangs over the stage, and corrupt local leaders often still use it as standard to wave and align their supporters with. Then there are the issues of groups like Boko Haram, failed states and horrendous killing field wars that arise every few years. Africa is a profoundly vexing problem.
28 October 2016 at 22:25
@Nick "Fighting disease in Africa is necessary and humane," - It is this which needs challenging - You seem to be dirgarding consequences, and pinning everything on some future where somehow and for some reason things work out well and the bad factors cease to apply; instead of Western contact continually making matters worse.
29 October 2016 at 06:59