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[Akka Homestead <akkabhomestead AT yahoo.com>]

Of course, we all took geography at some point in our lives, and we all 
learned the African countries, but if you are as old as me or better, 
you probably learned the colonial names.  Since those days, when Europe 
pulled out and left a power vacuum, Africa, for the most part, has been 
in turmoil.  Arab influence in Africa predates European interests there. 
   Africa knew Islam hundreds of years before Columbus ever said Bon 
voyage.  In today's world, fundamentalism is sweeping African countries 
just as it is sweeping SE Asia.  While the civilized West looks the 
other way, fundamentalist Islam is growing, and in it's wake there is 
violence and civil unrest.  Political instability abounds.



The following is a list of major countries in Africa.  I omitted small 
island countries like the Seychelles, but I wanted to see how receptive 
African countries might be to Americans, whether or not I would be safe if I 
visited, or what kind of danger I would face.  Would it be rape, murder, 
kidnapping, terrorism, civil disobedience...what would it be like?

Those with 3 stars have travel warnings due to the fact that travel to 
that country would be dangerous to Americans(lack of embassy, etc.)One 
star in front indicates Muslim country, either by decree or by majority 
population.  The source is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_by_country
Wiki, so take it for what it is worth.

*Algeria***, warning due to terrorism potential;
Angola,the civil war is apparently over,  but there is unrest.
*Benin, crime
Botswana, ok
*Burkina Faso, crime
Burundi***, civil war over, but instability remains
*Cameroon, refugees from neighboring countries' wars, but ok
Central African Rep.***, politically unstable
*Chad***, politically unstable
Congo (Brazzaville), danger due to war in neighboring countries.
Congo (DRC, Zaire)***, politically unstable, UN peacekeeping force
Cote d'Ivoire***, political unstable-civil war
*Djibouti, politically stable, ok
*Egypt, terrorism potential, but ok
Equatorial Guinea, ok
Eritrea***, politically unstable
Ethiopia, generally stable, but border problems near Somalia and Eritrea
Gabon, terrorism potential, but generally ok
*Gambia, ok
Ghana, crime
*Guinea, some civil unrest but ok
*Guinea-Bissau, civil war, but presently stable
Kenya***, very high terrorism potential
Lesotho, some instability, but ok
Liberia, civil war over, but instability remains
*Libya, high terrorism potential but ok
Malawi, generally ok
*Mali, terrorists in Northern Mali, but ok otherwise
*Mauritania, high terrorism potential
*Morocco, high terrorism potential
*Mozambique, generally ok
Namibia, crime, but ok
*Niger, isolated unrest, but ok
*Nigeria***, political instability, high crime
Rwanda, stabilizing government, generally ok
*Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Western Sahara, politically unstable,
but stabilizing
*Senegal, some unrest, but ok
*Sierra Leone, stabilizing after civil war
*Somalia***widespread war
South Africa, generally ok
*Sudan***, civil war in Darfur region
Swaziland, generally ok
Tanzania, terrorism potential
Togo, some political unrest and crime
*Tunisia, generally ok, but has open border with Algeria
*Uganda, unstable as it borders warring countries
Zambia, unrest in northern areas near DRC
Zimbabwe, politically unstable


Much of north Africa is Muslim.  Islam is growing in Africa, and as Islam 
spreads, so does Fundamentalism. Already, the fundamentalist regimes are 
undermining stability in East Africa in countries like Somalia and Sudan.  Al 
Qaida is active and becomes stronger everyday.  If we are to survive another 
100 years, we have to stop the spread of fundamentalist Islam.  They don't 
negotiate.  They won't talk to infidels.  They are right and there is no 
discussion.  In some African countries, you can be imprisoned or possibly 
killed for proselytizing or trying to convert Muslims to another faith.  


>From Ontheissues, here is a partial list of Obama's points under Foreign
relations:
(http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm)

    * Moral obligation to intervene in Darfur  (7/2008)
    * China is a competitor but not an enemy. (Dec 2007)
    * Wrote 2006 law stabilizing Congo with $52M. (Oct 2007)
    * $50B annually to strengthen states at risk of collapse. (8/2007)
    * At college, protested for divestment from South Africa. (Aug 2007)
    * Increased aid to Republic of Congo. (Aug 2007)
    * Visited largest slum in Africa, to publicize its plight. (8/2007)
    * No-fly zone in Darfur; but pay attention more in Africa. (6/2007)
    * U.S. funds for humanitarian aid to Darfur. (Mar 2007)
    * Focus on corruption to improve African development. (10/2006)
    * Visited Africa in 2006; encouraged HIV testing. (10/2006)
    * Sponsored aid bill to avert crisis in Congo. (12/2005)
    * Sanction Mugabe until Zimbabwe transitions to democracy. (4/2008)


There are quite a lot of ambitions there, and much of it involves
sending more money to Africa.  Why should we do that in light of recent
bailouts and economic woes?  Simple. This would be diplomacy in the modern 
world.  Diplomacy equates to money.  For Africa, talk is cheap. They have so 
many problems there that they need more than talk.  President Obama WILL get 
us more involved in African issues. If our goodwill to various African 
countries and causes helps us fight fundamental Islam, then so be it.  It 
will be money well spent, at least as effective as the billions we are 
spending 'fighting terror' in Asia.  Perhaps it is not too late for us to win 
'hearts and minds' in Africa.

Have y'all given any thought to any of this?  How do you feel about the 
billions more we will spend in Africa?

Akka B





>From lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com  Thu Oct  2 15:57:16 2008
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Wow; like ADDING $100 billion to the bailout makes it more attractive to 
tax payers???!!

 From http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=5931648&page=1

"The House will be voting on a bill packed with $100 billion worth of 
extra incentives than Monday's proposal had.

Some of those additions have been assailed by spending watchdogs as 
"pork," like the $6 million for the makers of kids' wooden arrows, 
according to a summary of the bill released by the Senate Finance 
Committee.

Other goodies intended to attract the votes of individual members of 
Congress include $192 million for the rum producers of Puerto Rico and 
Virgin Islands, $128 million for car racing tracks, $33 million for 
corporations operating in American Samoa, and $10 million for small film 
and television productions. "

Lynn Wigglesworth

Akka Homestead wrote:
> You aren't really confused, you are too smart for that.
> It's called Hardball.  Attach all kinds of crap to a bill that you know 
> will get lots of play; one that others will have to pass else look bad,  
> damned if you do and damned if you don't.  I seriously doubt McCain added 
> any earmarks since he has been against them for years.  But this does sound 
> like a Democratic ploy to make McCain look bad.  I suppose that is the way 
> the game is played.  My question is, who earmarked money for Rum producers?
> 
> Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:
>>
>> Mccain did an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe this morning. The host 
>> asked specifically about all the earmarks in the bailout bill that 
>> Senate signed (have you SEEN the crap they added to that bill?...money 
>> for rum producers?). Mccain went on and on about how all the porkbarrel 
>> earmarks have "got to be stopped". He said that it's "up to the 
>> President to veto these bills". Ummm....didn't Mccain vote FOR that 
>> bill? Didn't he say it was vitally important to pass it? Did he forget 
>> which bill they were talking about? I'm confused.
> 
> 
>       
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