Report: Outside forces ravaging Africa

**Tominokar** · March 19, 2009, 09:36 AM

http://www.reuters.com/article/world...52I30820090319

This report by the Vatican reiterates what I have been trying to say on the subject of Africa: that the exploitation of the continent by outsiders has not ceased. Yes it is the vatican - and of course the recent statement by the Pope condoning abstinence instead of contraception does the source no credit. You might even argue they are trying to draw attention away from that issue, which is probably true. But it does not make what is said false. The following two statements are inconveniant truths indeed.

"Outside forces, in complicity with men and women on the African continent, exploit the wounded state of the human heart...," says the working document prepared by a Vatican committee for a synod of Roman Catholic bishops from Africa due to take place at the Vatican in October. "They fuel wars so as to sell arms. They back those in power, irrespective of human rights and democratic principles, so as to guarantee economic benefit (such as) the exploitation of natural resources ... they threaten to destabilize entire nations and to eliminate persons who wish to free themselves from their oppression," it said.

The document says: "Multinational organizations continue to systematically to invade the continent in search of natural resources. In complicity with African leaders, they oppress local companies, buy thousands of hectares of land and expropriate populations from their land."

**Mikelus Trento** · March 19, 2009, 02:14 PM

This is the same Vatican that just yesterday said condoms contribute to AIDS in Africa?

**Mikelus Trento** · March 19, 2009, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by Mikelus Trento

This is the same Vatican that just yesterday said condoms contribute to AIDS in Africa?

Tommy? The point I was trying to make is that on the heels of yesterday's news from the Vatican.....can anyone be surprised if their credibility today is questioned?

**Tominokar** · March 19, 2009, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Mikelus Trento

Tommy? The point I was trying to make is that on the heels of yesterday's news from the Vatican.....can anyone be surprised if their credibility today is questioned?

Are you saying this report is untrue? The credibility of the Vatican is not the topic of this thread. They are not the only ones to have noticed that there are corporations and governments benefiting from, and maintaining the instability and poverty on the continent.

**Mikelus Trento** · March 20, 2009, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by Tommyknocker

Are you saying this report is untrue? The credibility of the Vatican is not the topic of this thread. They are not the only ones to have noticed that there are corporations and governments benefiting from, and maintaining the instability and poverty on the continent.

No, I'm sure it's probably very accurate. What I am saying is that any institution - other than the one that denies the effectiveness of condums in combating aids, the veracity of the holocaust and denial of their role in it, and preaches against birth control - would make such an announcement much more credible.

**Visna** · March 20, 2009, 07:41 AM

I think it's unfair in this case to blame "the west", whatever that may be. China has been increasing their presence rapidly, and if they haven't already taken over from "the west" when it comes to influence in sub-Saharan Africa, they're certainly getting close. China has a desperate need for natural resources, and one of the places they've been looking is Africa.

**~~Scar Face~~** · March 19, 2009, 02:17 PM

Yeah, they do. So what? I don't care what happens to Africa.

and no one does.

**Barry Goldwater** · March 19, 2009, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by Scar Face

Yeah, they do. So what? I don't care what happens to Africa.

and no one does.

So sad...and, unfortunately, so true.

**Tominokar** · March 19, 2009, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Scar Face

Yeah, they do. So what? I don't care what happens to Africa.

and no one does.

What's the point in going into a topic just to state you don't give a

? Increase your post count?

Originally Posted by IrishHitman

As for their statements, outside forces are also trying to save Africa....

This is true, but you have huge global corporations and some governments versus aid groups that rely on donations. The balance is not good.

**IrishHitman** · March 19, 2009, 02:50 PM

This is true, but you have huge global corporations and some governments versus aid groups that rely on donations. The balance is not good.

True enough.

**cristophe el perno** · March 19, 2009, 02:21 PM

Maybe on of the 'outside forces' he's talking about is the catholic church?

**IrishHitman** · March 19, 2009, 02:23 PM

The Vatican is just pissed that the NGOs are against their insane no-condoms policy, where mass use of them could halt AIDS massively.

As for their statements, outside forces are also trying to save Africa....
The problem is that the West isn't using its capitalist thought to save Africa, there is massive investment opportunities there with the right military backing.

**Viking Prince** · March 20, 2009, 04:10 AM

The OP mentioned"

"Outside forces, in complicity with men and women on the African continent, exploit the wounded state of the human heart...," says the working document prepared by a Vatican committee for a synod of Roman Catholic bishops from Africa due to take place at the Vatican in October. "They fuel wars so as to sell arms. They back those in power, irrespective of human rights and democratic principles, so as to guarantee economic benefit (such as) the exploitation of natural resources ... they threaten to destabilize entire nations and to eliminate persons who wish to free themselves from their oppression," it said.

The document says: "Multinational organizations continue to systematically to invade the continent in search of natural resources. In complicity with African leaders, they oppress local companies, buy thousands of hectares of land and expropriate populations from their land."

I would agree that the history of Africa has been in many cases an exploitive role. The very point of nature resources need not be oppressive though. The business interests in the west need not be exploitive by simply being present.

The problem with the west is both a history of exploitation and also a history of monumentally poor use of resources in the form of aid. Whether the aid is nation to nation or by private chartiable groups. The needs of Africa's poor well be best met with building an economic base that both employs and educates the citizens. Some African countries have done better with this than others. South Africa and Ghana have done much better with assistance than Nigeria and Egypt, for a few examples.