Subject: Re: [Homestead] Africa-originally posted on 10/2
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:53:24 -0600
Two points:
First, about stun guns for insect and snake bites. Several years
ago, I bought two for two doctor friends who practice in Northern
Ghana, as they have numerous kinds of venomous snakes and deadly
scorpions. Both doctors concluded after only a few uses that the
stun guns were useless for treating insect and snake bites - that
they caused trauma in the patient which exacerbated the problems and
made recovery from the bites more difficult. They had hoped the stun
guns would be effective treatment, simply because they have
difficulty getting and keeping anti-venom serum. This is anecdotal
and not scientific evidence, but they both concluded that stun guns
do not work and stopped using them.
Second: My wife is from Northern Ghana, and while I have never lived
in Africa, I am on the receiving end of lots of information and
strong opinion. The many conflicts in Africa are mostly (not always)
tribal conflicts. For the impact of tribal conflicts, consider
Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, just
to name the current headline conflicts. The European nations managed
to keep some semblance of control over the tribes, but that ended
when the Europeans withdrew. In addition, the European nations drew
national boundaries through the middle of tribal lands, separating
tribes across boundaries, and putting different tribes together in
the same governmental jurisdiction. Also, Muslim influence has been
moving South. For example, Northern Ghana is increasingly Muslim,
and conflicts between the traditional animist tribes and the Muslims
has been escalating. The conflict usually involves crop-burnings,
which is a pretty devastating event, with occasional injuries and deaths.
If that is not enough, most African nations are rapidly becoming
urbanized, with large numbers of people moving in from the rural
areas, and the cities aren't able to provide housing, services, or
schools. Urban gangs, often divided on traditional tribal lines, are
turning the slum areas of most large cities into high crime districts.
In the US, Africa has a large influential interest group, in the
state department, and in the growing numbers of African ex-pats, who
lobby Congress, the World Bank, the IMF, the WHO, and other
governmental and UN agencies to provide monetary, medical,
educational and technical assistance to Africa. Plus, the US
government, under both Republican and Democratic administrations has
a stated interest in increasing US involvement in Africa. Part of
this, of course, is an anti-Arab, anti-Middle East policy, but a
large part is driven by a genuine humanitarian impulse. Both Bill
Clinton and George W. Bush have been actively involved in Africa, and
we should expect to see this involvement increase with the presidency
of Barack Obama.
Jerry Shepperd
Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.
-- Confucius
He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not, but
rejoices in what he has.
-- Epictetus
Life is not a March; it is Rock and Roll.
It's never crowded along the extra mile.
-- Wayne Dyer