not racial stereotyping
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| tuxchick2 Jul 31, 2006 11:08 AM EDT |
"The announcement that Nigeria is to buy one million laptops for the children of its country was met with an amazing amount of scorn on OSNews' comments section. "Heck, after filtering through the corrupt bureacracy, with every layer taking a cut, watch 1 000 000 turn into 100 (or less)," writes one commentator. In reply to a comment that "Not everyone in Nigeria is a scam artist," another reader wrote: "No, many are simply unexperienced scammers. To become a scam artist takes some practice, ya know." " That's no more racist than the perception that Russia is the motherlode of organized Internet crime. Whether the two perceptions are accurate or not, they have nothing to do with race, but do have some factual basis. I doubt that every citizen of Nigeria is a scammer, but the 419 frauds have been a Nigerian export for years, starting out as a fraud-by-fax. (419 area code). The Nigerian government is known for being riddled with corruption; it usually makes the Top Ten lists of groups that monitor these sorts of things. It's sensible to wonder how effective the one-million-laptop program is really going to be, and who will actually benefit. Mr. Norwood-Young makes some rather inaccurate generalizations of his own, mainly by claiming that "Africa" has an image problem. Africa is a continent populated by very diverse countries: Egypt, Kenya, Sudan, Algeria, Ethiopia, Zaire, Chad, Morocco, Angola, Libya, South Africa, and many more, and they don't have a lot in common with each other. You can't just lump it all together. |
| SFN Jul 31, 2006 11:13 AM EDT |
Quoting:That's no more racist than the perception that Russia is the motherlode of organized Internet crime. Oh no you di'int! |
| dinotrac Jul 31, 2006 11:31 AM EDT |
tc - I agree on both points, but -- and remember, my politics go decidedly to the right -- you've really got to wonder sometimes. For example, the most remarkable thing to me about George Bush's promises to Africa with regard to AIDs relief and more was that it was remarkable at all. Where else in the world could the crisis reach such proportions with so little done to help? What about the slaughters in Rwanda and the Sudan? Europe stepped up sharply to diffuse the Balkans. The Middle East, for all its intractability, doesn't lack for attention. Only in Africa does it seem, in a strange sort of way, almost ok to slaughter people on that scale. Remember when George Bush 41 sent soldiers to Somalia? It was a humanitarian act, driven by the sheer impossibility of getting relief past the warlords and their militias. A change of administration, and one very minor -- but embarrassing -- military blip (embarrassing because of the body-dragging incident, but not even a military defeat) and we're out of there faster than you can say, "Boo!!" And that's with the supposedly caring and compassionate side of the American political spectrum in control of things. Humanitarian organizations have done wonderful -- incredible, even miraculous things in Africa. Churches, ditto. Individuals, ditto. When able, ditto for Africans themselves. One should not be able to type Doctors without Borders without an applause track. How can missionaries make it home without ticker tape parades? What about all the locals who patrol the game preserves against poachers, who teach in little schools, who distribute medicine, who plant seeds, who do a million little things? Missiles flying to and from Lenanon are headline news. I can't fault that. They should be. But the accumulated crises in Africa dwarf anything going on in the Middle East. It just doesn't seem like they do. |
| jimf Jul 31, 2006 11:37 AM EDT |
> my politics go decidedly to the right Not as far as GB I bet ;-) |
| Bob_Robertson Jul 31, 2006 11:38 AM EDT |
Where else in the world could the [aids] crisis reach such proportions with so little done to help? Where else in the world could the crisis reach such proportions with so few bodies? If AIDS were the scourge those who cry out for subsidies and handouts say it is, sub-Saharan Africa would be depopulated by now. On the slaughters in Rwanda and the Sudan, now you know why I'm an anarchist. And don't forget starving millions in Zimbabwe....after the government stole all the farms away from the people who used to be growing food. |
| tuxchick2 Jul 31, 2006 11:41 AM EDT |
Dino, I agree that troubled African nations do not get the help or attention they deserve. Criminy, on public radio it's like the Middle East is the only part of the world that matters. The article just didn't make its points very well. |
| jimf Jul 31, 2006 11:49 AM EDT |
> Middle East is the only part of the world that matters Well, they yell louder... Seriously, no one wants to deal with a problem unless the absolutely have to, that means they are getting in your face. No matter how terrible, genocide in Rwanda doesn't effect the price of oil. They can be ignored. Nasty people in any of the middle east countries may affect your bottom line. |
| Sander_Marechal Jul 31, 2006 12:05 PM EDT |
Quoting:If AIDS were the scourge those who cry out for subsidies and handouts say it is, sub-Saharan Africa would be depopulated by now. And it will. Give it a decade or two. HIV/AIDS takes many, many years to take effect. When it eventually does then it tears down your immume system so that the first small infection will kill you. Quoting:The Nigerian government is known for being riddled with corruption; it usually makes the Top Ten lists of groups that monitor these sorts of things. It's sensible to wonder how effective the one-million-laptop program is really going to be, and who will actually benefit. Fraud is actually a part of west-afcrican belief. It's an opportunity given by god and one should take it if it arises. I have this from Nigerians who lived (and some still do live) in Nigeria. There are a *lot* of angles to why 419 is so big in west africa though. Western colonization is another, or plain organized crime gangs. It's not poverty though, since the 419ers are mostly the well educated ones that feel that the rest of the world owes them a living. Care should be taken when distributing OLPC laptops through west-african governments, but I think they'll do far more good than harm when they reach the intended audience. |
| devnet Jul 31, 2006 12:16 PM EDT |
What got me on this is African isn't a race anymore than American is. |
| jimf Jul 31, 2006 12:21 PM EDT |
> What got me on this is African isn't a race anymore than American is. Well, now you're into the realm of political correctness... No winning that one. |
| devnet Jul 31, 2006 12:31 PM EDT |
They're referring to African scams pertaining to a geographical location... So I'd say based on physical geographic location which is what comments and article imply, I'm 100% correct in my assumption. Of course, someone will probably string this out and tell me I'm racists as a Irish Mexican who has a Puerto Rican and Black stepson with an Italian/Indian wife...and I'll have to disagree with them... But if they successfully catch me, I'll give them three burritos. >:} |
| SFN Jul 31, 2006 12:36 PM EDT |
Quoting:What got me on this is African isn't a race anymore than American is. Even if you were to consider African a race, Jason Norwood-Young wouldn't be part of it. |
| grouch Jul 31, 2006 12:39 PM EDT |
devnet: Now you're just being a geographicist. Shame! |
| devnet Jul 31, 2006 12:47 PM EDT |
grouch: wow. I'm putting that on my Resume :P Sounds professional and l337 |
| dinotrac Jul 31, 2006 12:53 PM EDT |
>Not as far as GB I bet ;-) Considerably further. |
| jdixon Jul 31, 2006 5:18 PM EDT |
jimf: > Not as far as GB I bet ;-) I can't tell if you're serious or not. If you really consider GB to be a conservative, then you're seriously misinformed. He's a traditional Rockerfeller Republican, which can more accurately be defined as a big business friendly Democrat, but has almost nothing to do with the Goldwater/Reagan Republicans. His spending habits alone would tell you that. |
| jimf Jul 31, 2006 5:55 PM EDT |
> I can't tell if you're serious or not. Well, I'm definately not a liberal. As far as GB and his cronies, this forum isn't the place for me to say what I think of them, and, what they've done to our country. |
| jdixon Jul 31, 2006 6:35 PM EDT |
jimf: > Well, I'm definately not a liberal. As far as GB and his cronies, this forum isn't the place for me to say what I think of them, and, what they've done to our country. Agreed. Notice that I kept my comment to the minimum needed to convey my point. I think that makes you position clear, and keeping the TOS in mind we should drop the subject. :) |
| dcparris Jul 31, 2006 11:12 PM EDT |
Actually, I just thought the main point of the article - that Africans can do more for themselves was a pretty important point. I guess I just filtered out the mush. |
| SFN Aug 01, 2006 4:20 AM EDT |
Quoting:Actually, I just thought the main point of the article - that Africans can do more for themselves was a pretty important point. I guess I just filtered out the mush. That's a good tactic. It keeps you informed in ways you should be. However, most people won't do that. They look at a pile of chaff and have no interest in locating wheat. A good journalist knows that and does his best to put out pieces that don't cause people to dismiss the work because it's full of fluff. To not do so, does a disservice to the topic. |
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