Petty politics will eventually take care of itself. Violence will subside, and in its place we will see Africans shopping for Chinese products in Khartoum’s new Wal-Mart.
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All Comments (13)
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November 21, 2007 3:04 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on November 21, 2007 03:04
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May 18, 2007 4:22 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on May 18, 2007 04:22
Business, if transparent, will lift Africa out of its current poor state of affairs. Competition usually helps transparency.
The author observes correctly that old colonial masters no longer have the money. Americans have always been xenophobic and they will not make any kind of investments.
February 12, 2007 6:44 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 12, 2007 06:44
I hate bad politics.
February 10, 2007 6:34 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 10, 2007 18:34
Yes, indeed.
We need the prime material of changing Africa and that is economic activity, jobs and trade.
Your comments are precisely what is needed. A change of mentality and real trade and business.
February 10, 2007 3:48 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 10, 2007 03:48
Let there be jobs and positive engagement of human capital in Africa. They have hopes too. The rest will develop naturally. It is even more necessary to create jobs in Africa as immigration rules and problems are now a bigger problem in Europe.
We all come to Europe to better our lives and send a little money back to our family. We earn our living.
February 10, 2007 3:30 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 10, 2007 03:30
Interesting observations. I guess we are all in a more complex web of colonial cross feeding instead of the simple and one way methods of the 19th and 20th Century.
I remember that China wanted to buy Unocal, a second tier U.S. oil company that has a lot of gas production business in Asia. It was said that China was just buying reserves. The U.S. government vetoed the sale, even though most of those reserves were outside USA. No wonder China is making deals of its own in Africa and, it is said, in Iran.
February 9, 2007 1:11 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 9, 2007 13:11
I think the writer is correct. Old masters colonised to have cheap or free labour (slaves). China has enough people, poor people, and they are highly nationalistic to create better lives and jobs for Chinese.
So, it is just going upstream for more raw materials. Africans will benefit as there will be competition between Western industrial countries and China and India for raw materials.
His final point about Wal-Mart is quite realistic: only 10-15 years ago, who would have thought about a Wal-Mart in China or India?
February 9, 2007 12:36 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 9, 2007 12:36
We should not let ideology cross into business practices. After years of Cold War, we all decided to do business on basis of politics, not competition. When that went away, all new lines of business started, more value was unlocked and competition created more jobs and more business in the world. So, it is not bad to have China becoming more active in upstream of resources and materials. Who knows, may be they can produce raw materials in a cheaper way than the old colonial British and French companies. So, the author is correct. Business should go above politics. Competition may even create more transparent politics in the region.
February 9, 2007 9:43 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 9, 2007 09:43
Let there be jobs and competition for the goods that Africa offers. Why not?
February 9, 2007 9:36 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 9, 2007 09:36
Business is the only way to create jobs. It is up to Europeans and Americans to make sure corrupt politicians will not fill their banks from ill-gotten gains.
February 9, 2007 8:54 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 9, 2007 08:54
More jobs in Africa means less immigration and, less riots in France and UK amongst the poor unskilled immigrants. As the writer indicates, China is the only one with the deep pockets to make it happen. Some Indian companies are now investing here in UK....that is a change indeed!
February 9, 2007 8:53 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 9, 2007 08:53
Yes indeed, jobs and economic activity must rise above politics.
The old ghosts of colonial influence are gone as information flows much faster and the world is more transparent.
February 9, 2007 2:56 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on February 9, 2007 02:56