But South Africa's political system is based on the supposedly superior western model and has been praised by the West. It leaders are elected the western way and are supposed to be responsible to the people. It is a model that the West tries to sell to the developing world. How come these "leaders" choose to run their country in such a shameful fashion?
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The TRUTH is that the current crop of African politicians, whatever their political colour, don't give a damn about the little people they lord over. This is NOT a situation unique to Africa. China too faced the SAME situation from the later stage of the Qing Dynasty, through the Warlord period, until Mao's revolution-- except that, unlike YOU, the Chinese did NOT blame the Africans for their plight. They made a revolution that overthrew those detested politicians and ended up with the prospering China you see today.
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China's current economic engagement with Africa is different from that of the West. While the West was only interested in grabbing and plundering, China pays for African raw materials with real goods and services. China also builds infrastructures for Africa-- Something the West has simply ignored over the past 2 centuries though they are always generous in pouring sympathy and pity on the Africans whenever there is a disaster, natural or man-made, happens in Africa. They seem to think that the Africans do not need development that will allow them to stand on their own feet one day. They believe that simply PITYING the Africans is good enough-- And YOU are the proof that they are right.
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On the other hand, despite giving Africa REAL assistance (even at a time when China ITSELF was desperately poor as in the 1960's), China only deserves to be blamed. Seeing this, China should now know what NOT to do for the Africans. I certainly KNOW!
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Recent news reports suggest that economic engagement between China and Africa is deepening-- include Chinese manufacturing companies opening factories in Africa, which really means TAKING CHINESE JOBS TO THE AFRICANS. When Western companies opening factories in China just a decade or so ago, those in the west accused China of "stealing WESTERN jobs". I have yet to hear any Chinese saying that "the Africans are stealing Chinese jobs". Nor did I hear them said "Vietnamese were stealing Chinese jobs" when some companies closed their factories in Southern China and moved to Vietnam some years ago. They simply accept that "everyone has to EARN his keep" and you lose your job when you become un-competitive.
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Those Africans, of whom YOU are a representative, have something in common with the whites-- Both seem to think that the CHINESE owe them a life in heaven. If the whites become un-competitive and lose their jobs, they blame it on the Chinese. If the blacks don't work hard enough to earn themselves a proper place in the family of nations, they also blame it on the Chinese. They (and YOU) blame the Chinese when the problems have their origins in the Africans themselves and blame the Chinese AGAIN when the problems are caused by the whites-- I have not seen you pinning any blame on the Africans themselves or on the whites although, surely, there must be plenty of blames that can justifiably go to them.
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Infrastructure Development, manufacturing jobs and education were the most important drivers of China's economic boom for the past 2 decades. If the Africans play it right, it could mean that this be their real chance of stepping onto the industrialization path. Seeing your posts, I now have my doubts. I would rather prefer China putting its effort in helping the Bangladesh, Sri Lankans and the people in South America instead. At least, they seem to be people who are genuinely grateful for what you do for them!}
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Devil's Advocate
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{ý@ýýýýHin reply to Vulgi VagusJul 4th, 05:59
[Vulgi Vagusin reply to ý@ýýýýH3 hours 42 mins ago
Bad call, dude! Really bad call indeed! ]
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Right call for me. I was unsure whether you are a white Westerner, an Indian or a South African. With that call, I now know!
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[I'm one of the 'peoples of South Africa' - a proud African with the bones of my ancestors buried in African soil. One of the many millions who resisted and succeeded in destroying the hated-and-evil-apartheid system. Big surprise, eh!]
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Big surprise indeed. I recall that Nelson Mandela was in prison all through the anti-apartheid struggle. The movement was actually run by a WHITE and a COMMUNIST, Joe Slovo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Slovo). So, UNLIKE in Zimbawe, all those "proud Africans" in South Africa was NOT liberated by some Black, but by a WHITE and a COMMUNIST! Zimbabweans have every right to be proud of BEING black!!! At least, they liberated themselves from oppression by the white racists. ;-D, ;-D, ;-D
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Did you tell that to your ancestors when you visited their graves? What did "the bones" of your ancestors have to say? ;-D, ;-D, ;-D
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[We're now also working hard to eliminate the hated-and-evil-apartheid system's policies from Chinese soil. LOL]
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The CCP had already done that by eliminating the "the hated-and-evil-apartheid system" of the landlords!!!
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[And, kindly note, sanctions were established by UN authorities under the guidance from western democracies - which is why we are today a constitutional democracy. We also received aid and support from the USSR and Cuba - never from any Chinese commies at all. ]
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The fights were led by people who were supported by the socialist countries-- Including the USSR and Cuba, of course.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Slovo
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'Joe Slovo (23 May 1926 – 6 January 1995, full name Yossel Mashel Slovo) was a South African politician, an opponent of the apartheid system. He was a long-time leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP), a leading member of the African National Congress (ANC), and a commander of the ANC's military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe.'
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[Indeed, I can't recall any meaningful post-apartheid assistance to my country from the stupid chicoms. All we ever got from the stupid chicoms are lukewarm promises and meaningless 'honorary' degrees awarded to our most corrupt politicians. LOL
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Germany built our new frigates and submarines, The Suisse built our warplanes. Russia is being touted as a potential supplier of nuclear energy. Our youth look to the USA and Europe for scholarships and guidance - much to our chief commie's disgust. LOL]
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If you bother to check, apartheid South Africa was actually building a fighter jet based on the Mirage III by itself. It was also doing research on a pebble-bed nuclear reactor first tried out in Germany, and had the very FIRST heart transplant in humans performed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiaan_Barnard). You can have a better and more advanced South Africa today simply by BRINGING BACK apartheid!!! Your elected leaders have brought South Africa BACKWARDS. The "no elected commies" certainly have reasons to be disgusted.
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[Nothing from China at all except some recent stupid advice on how to impose censorship on our population. In this, we're protected from such lawless activities by our constitution so it's a non-starter.
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All the above are the major reasons why we're able to identify and recognise the hated-and-evil-apartheid-style repressions of your commie dictatorship on your own citizens.
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We've no elected commies in our parliament and the SACP yesterday publicly suspended 10 of their own commies for instigating pre-election violence. Take a look:
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https://www.enca.com/south-africa/sacp-cleans-house-in-Tshwane]
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Clearly, your wonderful "constitution" has not prevented you from electing your "corrupt politicians", who have turned South Africa into something worse than the apartheid SA. What does THAT tell us about your demoncrazy???
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[Our own commies are a minority group who have never stood or contested elections for any public office. ]
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Then, you are merely admitting that the corruption and incompetence of today's South Africa are caused by demoncrazy rather than communism!!!
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[They're just stupid noisemakers - ostensibly allied to the corrupt and incompetent ANC leadership. Their ties go all the way back to the USSR - not to China. LOL]
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AGAIN, you are merely admitting that anything about this "corrupt and incompetent ANC leadership" was the product of the USSR-- and NOT the "chicoms"-- from which the current Russian state is the inheritor!!! Knowing that, I am sure the President Putin of Russia, which is a "potential supplier of nuclear energy" to you will give you reactors of the Chernobyl type!!! ;-D, ;-D, ;-D
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[All the above tells me you don't have a clue. Commies are, as far as we're concerned, simply a foolish excrescence, an unreliable, ignorant blot on our national landscape. ]
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You ELECTED leaders have turned the ugly apartheid South Africa into an even UGLIER blot on your national landscape. The "chicoms" have turned China into the FASTEST growing large economy in the world for 3 long decades. South Afrcia will continue to perform worse than apartheid SA-- Until you people see your own flaws and shoulder your OWN responsibilities.
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[And that goes double for all chicoms.
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Got it?]
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The "chicoms" admitted their own flaws, shouldered their OWN responsibilities, and reformed. Therefore it is now a leading economy in the world.
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You DON'T get it!!!}
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Devil's
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{[Reigal wrote: Feb 13th 2010 5:45 GMT .East Wind
Africans go to universities? News to me. Thank you for this enlightening piece of information.
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Anyway China does not only buy goods from Africa on fair market prices as you said it ensures that maleable and pliable thieves remain in power so that no interruptions occur to its mineral supplies. China also gives greenlight to its sattelites like Hong Kong to hide the loot stolen from the African populations by the thugs it supports. That is every brainless thief from Monrovia to Mombasa gets the Red Carpet treatment in Beijing. That is why Mugabe and his monsterous wife pay frequent visits to Hong Kong with the blessing of the Chinese State.
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If china continues in this path it will be eventually seen by the africans as just another greedy, colonial power.]
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Racism, whether based on skin colours or cultural differences, is not an exclusive Chinese preserve. I remember that not that many years ago, 2 tribes in Rwanda(?) started murdering each other. One tribe, in particular, tended to hack off the lower legs of the other simply because of their jealousy that the other tribe members are, in general, taller. The gruesome nature of such atrocity is only matched by Pol Pot, the Japanese Imperial Army and Hitler's SS in their "Final Solution". The ethnic (racist) genocide that occurred in Rwanda (and many others that have occurred and are occurring in Africa) simple CANNOT be a result of CHINESE racism-- Not even a product of white racism-- but a NATIVE product of the African racism itself!
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While there is certainly a RACIST component to it, the kind practised by the Chinese is more like economic BIGOTRY. This is simply because of the fact that the white West has been the richest and the most advanced society in the world for the past 2-3 centuries. There is a group of Chinese in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and some in mainland China, who, in particular, have this "honourary whites" mentality. They have the feeling that, since THEY are sucking up to the superior white Westerners, it makes them superior to the Chinese who don't and hence they look down on these other Chinese the same ways that the "racist" Chinese look down on the Africans and other black people. If Africa had been the most advanced society in the world in the past 3 centuries, these SAME Chinese would have turned themselves into "honourary blacks" instead of "honourary whites".
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Now, while the Chinese are CERTAINLY guilty of bigotry-- often very serious bigotry at that-- it is NOT the fault of China, or the Chinese, that Africa has NOT made itself into the most advanced society in the world in the past 3 centuries!!!
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The other accusation of yours is that China is popping up corrupt African politicians like Mugabe. Now, not even you cannot deny that these politicians are products of past Europeans' (the white's) RACIST rules in Africa. China simply reacted in its best own interest to situations created by others.
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While you talk about the politicians with Chinese connections, you are certainly mindfully ignoring those who have western connections. I remember watching a Western (BBC?) made program about Aids in South Africa. Despite expert advice from Western and South Africa's own medical professionals that it was an epidemic of a medical nature, politicians from Mandela (and religious leaders from the Bishop whatishisname) down simply refused to accept what it was and insisted that it was a moral problem and refused to take the correct actions. As a result, South Africa has become the worst Aids affected country in the world-- By contrast, Thailand, which took the realistic approach, saw its Aids problem reduced.
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