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Where is the colonial oppression here?
Regarding recent posts, I was wondering how the world's leading industrialised nations can be described as "pilfering rich Africa"? The joint IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative lists 36 countries as of April 2015 who they are indeed helping in every way feasible to ease their debt-burden. 30 of them are African. Possibly someone can enlighten my 'ignorance'?
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It's myopic to suggest that colonialism hasn't contributed to the poverty, corruption and violence in African nations. Africa, as a continent, is rich with natural resources, the wealth of which is being enjoyed by a very, very small percentage of people, and largely, not the people with the darker skin. Between that growing divide between the rich and the poor - largely on racial lines - and the staggering differences in education, it's really absurd to suggest that colonialism is entirely a thing of the past. It's repercussions are still being felt around the world.
The natural wealth of Africa may not be shipped off to the British gentry anymore, but it is still being concentrated in the hands of a very few powerful people, to much of that power has roots in the systems set up by colonization.
It's also a gross over simplification to suggest that the IMF debt forgiveness scheme is a charitable act. It's not. It's a recognition that these countries are not, and never will, be able to pay back their debts. Visa will also eventually leave you alone when it becomes obvious you will never, ever be able to pay. It becomes a waste of their time. The HIPC is a scheme to attempt to force those countries to make some human rights advances and offer some social services in exchange for that 'debt forgiveness' - but it's a bit of a joke really. Everyone knows no matter what happens, those debts will never be paid. It's not charity to forgive them. It's reality. That money is gone.
The state of poverty in the developing world cannot be solely blamed on the first would countries and colonialism, but they can't pretend to be innocent either. Colonial efforts created the systems and laid the foundations that are still in place now, and doing harm. Unfortunately, just because the developed world caused these problems, doesn't necessarily mean they have the power now to fix them. Debt forgiveness doesn't make up for any of that. It's not reparations or charity. Debt forgiveness isn't happening out of the goodness of people's hearts (in fact, many commercial lenders keep taking the IMF to court over their debt forgiveness efforts). Debt forgiveness is happening because it would be absurd to pretend that money is still owing.
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How are they "helping" these nations ease their debt burden?
By issuing more debt.
"Oh, you owe us a billion in interest? So sad! Here's another billion to help you pay that interest, oh and by the way you'll be paying interest on that, too.
PS: we only accept US dollars"
How are these nations supposed to get US dollars? They can't print 'em the way Uncle Sam does. Only way is to sell their minerals and oil. So in *real* terms, they are giving up actual, concrete minerals and oil in exchange for nothing, for greenbacks that the US prints at will, for numbers on a ledger somewhere.
That's how the scam works.
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