"I'm bound to get some politically correct individual commenting"
Good morning, how are you today?
"than throw more money at a backward continent like Africa"
http://www.usafricaonline.com/chido.petrogas.html
The asset-rich african countries are being divested of their natural resources by conglomerates. Something like 90+% of nigerian oil is taken out of Nigeria into western countries, so that we can stay warm, rather than build african economies.
Africa doesnt need aid, it just needs to keep its own natural resources for its own growth.
This would be like you breaking into someones house, steal all their valuables, beat up the owners, and then complain about the cost of buying the owners bandages for the wounds you yourself have inflicted upon them.
The same story could be said about metals-mining, and diamonds, etc.
There are clearly issues about ethnic problems and border disputes, but lets get get too high and mighty, from our cosy, warm, centrally-heated homes about the underlying causes.
EDIT: LOL, CB. that thought occured to me as well! Anyway it was the KIDS that agreed to call the teddy Mohammed, didnt they? The teacher had nothing to do with it; she merely asked the question.
Well someone somewhere has done a deal to allow the likes of BP, Shell, Exxon to come and get the oil. You see the problem is expertise, Africans can barely feed themselves so how are they expected to get the cash to get the oil out of the ground ?? Or have the people trained to do it ??
If they have negotiated deals with BP and the like that aren't to their favour, who's fault is that ?? Bp's I guess....Gee's they got the oil at a cheap price, they should offer to pay more, because that's what all businesses do. Furthermore it's AFRICANS digging up the diamonds and robbing from their own people. A couple of Illiterate African warlords sitting in a tent, swapping $$$$$ of diamonds for a couple of Kalashnikov's and two hand grenades...Great business sense....
If people want to keep contributing to African Charities go ahead. I for one don't and won't, for my "small minded" reasons explained above.