On African Poverty and Oil

[bryant.coleman]

Big , big difference. Prosperous country  and wealthy citizen.

Well... Gabon is prosperous... and it's citizens are wealthy. But such cases are quite rare in Africa.

And that picture you have about Angola it's found in most Africa.

I tend to disagree. Most of the other African nations (perhaps with the exception of DR COngo) doesn't have as much natural resources per capita as the Angolans are having. However, I can agree that corruption and bureaucracy is everywhere.

[niothor]

Big , big difference. Prosperous country  and wealthy citizen.

Well... Gabon is prosperous... and it's citizens are wealthy. But such cases are quite rare in Africa.

And that picture you have about Angola it's found in most Africa.

I tend to disagree. Most of the other African nations (perhaps with the exception of DR COngo) doesn't have as much natural resources per capita as the Angolans are having. However, I can agree that corruption and bureaucracy is everywhere.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/02/gabon-eurobond-idUSL5N0JH2W020131202

The country's resource wealth and small population of about 1.6 million mean it has one of the highest per capita incomes in sub-Saharan Africa, but inequality is high and large numbers of people remain mired in poverty.

[Kiki112]

Big , big difference. Prosperous country  and wealthy citizen.

Well... Gabon is prosperous... and it's citizens are wealthy. But such cases are quite rare in Africa.

And that picture you have about Angola it's found in most Africa.

I tend to disagree. Most of the other African nations (perhaps with the exception of DR COngo) doesn't have as much natural resources per capita as the Angolans are having. However, I can agree that corruption and bureaucracy is everywhere.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/02/gabon-eurobond-idUSL5N0JH2W020131202

The country's resource wealth and small population of about 1.6 million mean it has one of the highest per capita incomes in sub-Saharan Africa, but inequality is high and large numbers of people remain mired in poverty.

does anyone know how come did South Africa succed so much in the opposite of all other African countries?
I understand for Egypt and Saudi Arabia but for this 

[niothor]

Yeah , South Africa was ruled by...  people prior to being ruled by .... people.
Insert colors.

[Kiki112]

Yeah , South Africa was ruled by...  people prior to being ruled by .... people.
Insert colors.

but other african countries were also ruled by white people, am I not mistaken?
at least they were colonies for some time

[bryant.coleman]

Yeah , South Africa was ruled by...  people prior to being ruled by .... people.
Insert colors.

Well... I don't want to generalize. The problem is much beyond the skin color. The economic situation in South Africa has worsened exponentially since ANC took over power in 1994. But the same can be said about Russia. What ANC did to South Africa, the same Yeltsin did to Russia. Look at what happened to Russia after 1991. At least South Africa didn't lose 15% of its population to alcoholism and suicides.

One of the poorest nations in the world (Moldova) is almost 99.99% White.

[niothor]

Yeah , South Africa was ruled by...  people prior to being ruled by .... people.
Insert colors.

Well... I don't want to generalize. The problem is much beyond the skin color. The economic situation in South Africa has worsened exponentially since ANC took over power in 1994. But the same can be said about Russia. What ANC did to South Africa, the same Yeltsin did to Russia. Look at what happened to Russia after 1991. At least South Africa didn't lose 15% of its population to alcoholism and suicides.

One of the poorest nations in the world (Moldova) is almost 99.99% White.

Well , Russia doesn't have a 15% hiv infection rate , nor 1/4 women raped at least once. And also I don't consider the situation for russian people getting worse compared to 198* period. I actually think they are far better know , living myself in Eastern Europe and since I traveled a few times into the former URSS.
Alcoholism was a problem in all eastern countries, and that was since medieval times.
You can't even compare Moldova to the countries in Africa, common.  and it's on place 129 by gdp in the world , hardly the poorest. (China 89)

Let's face it , since South Africa shifted , it's going backways.
Also , lets see the opposite.... a  .... guy running a country with a majority of .... poeple. You know who i'm talking about
And , does Detroit ring a bell? =)))))

[Spendulus]

Yeah , South Africa was ruled by...  people prior to being ruled by .... people.
Insert colors.

Well... I don't want to generalize. The problem is much beyond the skin color. ....

They don't consider themselves blacks or whites.  Forget those distinctions.

South Africa is totally, completely tribal.  Zulus will not get on the same bus with Sammis, if that happens by accident fights or worse are quite likely.

Without understanding tribal society, one cannot understand Africa.  South Africa, the "whites", Affricaners, made a peace with the Zulu king, they been down there a long, long time.  Very different than most countries.

[bryant.coleman]

South Africa is totally, completely tribal.  Zulus will not get on the same bus with Sammis, if that happens by accident fights or worse are quite likely.

Without understanding tribal society, one cannot understand Africa.  South Africa, the "whites", Affricaners, made a peace with the Zulu king, they been down there a long, long time.  Very different than most countries.

Afrikaners should be recognized as one of the indigenous people of Southern Africa. But how can anyone forget that Afrikaners were the dominant force behind the Apartheid government (especially after the 1960s, when Anglos waned in power).

[niothor]

Yeah , South Africa was ruled by...  people prior to being ruled by .... people.
Insert colors.

Well... I don't want to generalize. The problem is much beyond the skin color. ....

They don't consider themselves blacks or whites.  Forget those distinctions.

South Africa is totally, completely tribal.  Zulus will not get on the same bus with Sammis, if that happens by accident fights or worse are quite likely.

Without understanding tribal society, one cannot understand Africa.  South Africa, the "whites", Affricaners, made a peace with the Zulu king, they been down there a long, long time.  Very different than most countries.

Fixing those quotes , as I didn't say that.
Don't frame me

[deisik]

Because America's dependence on Middle Eastern oil causes all kinds of geopolitical and socioeconomic problems. Plus, they don't need the money like these poorer countries do. Plus, most Americans are Christians and would prefer to support impoverished Christian nations rather than rich war mongering Muslim nations, or at least diversify our suppliers to prevent this monopolistic madness.

Hmm... AFAIK, America (the USA) is not depending on Middle East oil. They have their own oil reserves and just buy Mexican and Venezuelan oil. So it doesn't make much sense to sell African oil to the USA (would be too expensive)...

[bryant.coleman]

Hmm... AFAIK, America (the USA) is not depending on Middle East oil. They have their own oil reserves and just buy Mexican and Venezuelan oil. So it doesn't make much sense to sell African oil to the USA (would be too expensive)...

US is having bad relations with Venezuela, which makes it almost impossible to import oil from there.

In September 2013, US imported some 300 million barrels of crude, of which 118 million was from OPEC nations (47 mbl from Saudi Arabia).

[cfjhvxcxcwbtxx]

good

[countryfree]

Would you invest in that pipeline's building?

That's the kind of work which requires months of careful planing and a very precise long-lasting organization to make it real. I don't want to be rude, but I don't think Africans can do it. It could work if they let an European or a Chinese company dot the whole thing, but then the money won't fall into African hands. There's also the problem of some kind of a civil war going on in South Sudan.

[bryant.coleman]

Would you invest in that pipeline's building?

Are you talking about the Juba-Lamu pipeline? The one which will transport South Sudan's oil to Kenya?

[countryfree]

Would you invest in that pipeline's building?

Are you talking about the Juba-Lamu pipeline? The one which will transport South Sudan's oil to Kenya?

No. My comment was general, not related to any particular pipeline.

[practicaldreamer]

Strikes me that the US is getting squeezed - it has a way way higher demand for oil, per capita, than any other nation on Earth. And whilst the Seven Sisters have had free reign for at least half a century the increasing development of China and Russia means that the monopoly has been broken.

So the OP's idea is that the US relieves Africa of its natural wealth so as to better sustain the incomparable/"God must be shining his light on us" standard of living of the average US citizen - but somehow it wouldn't be the exploitation of the poorer nations of the Earth because you would be paying them (albeit a pittance) and so helping to save them from themselves and their self inflicted poverty ? It would almost make you proud to be American wouldn't it  

  Some people tell us that we have already passed peak oil production - to my mind that means that the oil market has now become a sellers market. Lets not piss on Africa's shoes and tell them its raining hey ?

   Anyhow - I thought the US was going to be self sufficient in oil by 2020 - so whats the problem ?

[stompix]

Hmm... AFAIK, America (the USA) is not depending on Middle East oil. They have their own oil reserves and just buy Mexican and Venezuelan oil. So it doesn't make much sense to sell African oil to the USA (would be too expensive)...

US is having bad relations with Venezuela, which makes it almost impossible to import oil from there.

In September 2013, US imported some 300 million barrels of crude, of which 118 million was from OPEC nations (47 mbl from Saudi Arabia).

Check you sources again , you don't have a clue how wrong you are.

[Kaligulax]

It's time to leave OPIC's GHG cap alone, and let them get back to the great work they're doing supporting the entrepreneurs who are out there building the future we want to see. A future where climate and development are solved with 21st century clean energy technologies - not the mindset, policy framework, and 19th century technologies that will leave hundreds of millions of Africans in the dark.

[Kiki112]

It's time to leave OPIC's GHG cap alone, and let them get back to the great work they're doing supporting the entrepreneurs who are out there building the future we want to see. A future where climate and development are solved with 21st century clean energy technologies - not the mindset, policy framework, and 19th century technologies that will leave hundreds of millions of Africans in the dark.

most of them are already in the dark 
Africa has a long way until they catch up with the modern world..
South Africa and Arab countries are there but for countries in central Africa..

they are hardly going to catch up with us in the next 100-200 years