The country of Zimbabwe, for example (where one of my sister's best friends lives) has been experiencing war and starvation, and has the single WORST economy in the world right now, with an inflation rate of 914%. So why does the news cover the fact that someone wants Paris Hilton to play the Virgin Mary, but ignore something this serious? And why does it generally ignore the rest of Africa as well?
127525
I'm guessing because "it's all the way over there and it's not going to sell like hotcakes on the newsstands."\n\nIt's probably similar but not exactly equal to how Hitler "got away" with killing so many people.  In general, the media focuses on things that will sell.  It's kind of sad, but it is the consumer that's driven the media to do this too.
262148
As an African, I dont like the idea of getting funds from the west but since the western countries are taking all the children of the africa who have the brains to work for them leaving their home countries poor.  How can these countries develop yet we still get the so called investors who end up employing mainly their statemens in good positions yet with good pay, working conditions. And when we talk of good pay, these guys are paid in dollars, pounds, euros irrespective of the countries they are working in.. This money is sent back to their home countries... \n\nIts still these developed western countries who are designing and producing dangerous weapons which are in most cases being used by African dictators to kill innocent children, women. These very good learned western friends always have hidden agendas as you will find two different countries supporting say 1 supports the rebels with guns, medicine, education and the other supports the government.\n\nI have alot I could say but you  western countries need to visit care.org such that you can start supporting the africans,  healing the sick with AIDs, and many other problems caused by many of our brothers, sisters who have hidden agendas in conflicts in Africa and the World at large.
413456
Because most countries have become so self centered all they care about is increasing their wealth. Just look at the answers on Yahoo. If they have theirs that's all they care about. We live in a world where Bono is more concerned with mankind than the administration or the evangelical right. Where Cher has to equip our troops with gear that should have been given to them by the administration before they ever sent them into war. Where Michael J. Fox and Steve Reeves have to go out and fight for medical help for the people.
583274
I don't see the sense in preaching at all.  Instead of buying a plane ticket send them the money.  Do you have any idea how far $1000 US would go in most countries in Africa?  Africa doesn't need any more outsiders going in there and creating more division between the people.  The French did it, the Belgians, Germans, British, etc. People need to realize when to stop *trying to* help.\n\n\n*Forcing*
660108
HI,I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING.OUR SWEET LITTLE WORLD HAS ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS ,BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE ,WE HAVE NEVER HAD SUCH A FULL COVERAGE OF EVERY EVENT IN OR AROUND THE WORLD.TO GET THE BUSINESS GOING MASS MEDIA SOMETIMES EXAGGERATES.WHAT YOU SEE OR HEAR IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT HAS HAP PEND.AFTER ALL OUR  WORLD HAS EXPERIENCED FAR MORE WORST THINGS IN IT`S  LIFE.
171972
are you serious ? or you are just posting this to get a kick out of people's responses.\n\nIt is a known fact that out of all industrialized nations in the world, the US does the least to help the poor (in terms of their possibilities). There are many good things about the US, helping the poor ain't one of them !\n\nWhere exactly do you get your information ? Let me guess Fox News?
36021
There's no doubt Africa is in a bad way right now.  However, we must remember that most African countries are less than 50 years old.  Even the US was still having problems at that point.  Africa was more exploited by colonizers, and so it only makes sense there are more problems.  However, progress is being made.  Democracy is the way of rule in many countries, having progressed from dictatorships-- Ghana is a good example.  Botswana is doing well economically (comparatively).  Africa is moving forward, and that in itself is cause for hope.
253725
wow good point. the worst part about it is that these people get paid to pop them out. there are 15 year old girls all over london who did it purely for the money. they take the 5 year old kids to mcdonalds every single damn day! can you believe that? worst, though, is that the parent is too young to care, so they just don't actually give a damn if the kid hurts itself, turns to drugs, orwhatever. how do you think these people are gonna see other humans? they've never known love. not ever. all they know is making sure everyone thinks they're hard, and lust. that's it.\n\nand there are entire communities of these people.\n\nthere is a solution, but no politician would ever have the gonads to persue it: no more aid for single mums. you dont have to starve them, just dont give them total control of the money.\n\ni also believe it would sort this planet out soo much if you  wanted to have a second kid you had to prove that you could feed and love and educate it, or were at lest a decent person, and take soome kind of course.\n\nin fact in africa, the mentality is that if u have 9 kids u got a higher chance of oneof them making it big. I'd love to impose a law that says that if you want more than 2 then you have to pay extra taxes, that will go toward that kid's education. sure it soundws a little like china in the old days, but it is soo necessary in some parts of africa, especially south africa, where i'm from.
18291
I have some info. There's alot of hungry people in africa. And perhaps if they did some work to stir up some money, then they could buy some food. They should stop bumming food off of countries that feel bad for them. either die or work. It's that easy.
146971
I've heard both sides of this story from many facets. The truth is that only leaders and rulers start wars, not the people who work and raise their families. There is something wrong with this "world view" isn't there?
305298
I think so.  And it's a shame that more people haven't answered this question.  It's horrible what goes on in those regions, and people don't seem to care because Africans tend to be seen as lesser people.  Hence, the lack of action.
151153
It's not just about England, but any "commonwealth" country.\n\nQueen Lizardbreath II earns her living by dressing in outrageous clothes, walking around in public, lying on her back and fcuking to produce children.  She's an overpaid prostitute.\n\nThe only kings in the world who don't have their heads up their asses and do some good are those in Bhutan and Thailand.
335465
There are many arguements about this area. It is clear that the biggest disaster in Africa are the governments who are almost all completely corrupt and the widespread wars. \nThe best example of government impoverising a country is Zimbabwe. This country used to be an exporter of food, under the current corrupt regime of Mugabe people are dying of starvation.\nSouth East Asia 30 years ago had a similar poverty situation as countries in Africa, with little foreign aid they now have economies that work and have raised their standards of living for many of their people.\nThe worst case of foreign aid is the Palestinians, they have recieved more aid per head than any country in the world, the money has been taken by Arafat and the police to buy guns and bombs to kill. The people are now much poorer than 20 years ago when they had no foreign aid.
578669
The exchange rate is critical to a country's economic stability.  Significant fluctuations can cause a panic and the country won't be able to pay its bills.  For example, country Y owes country X one billion dollars.  If the value of the dollar goes from 1 Euro to 2 Euros, country Y would still have to pay the billion dollars, but it would actually cost country Y two billion to make the payment.  As for the IMF, if it's the lender of last resort, then duh -- yes it's important to the desperate country which may need the money to buy food for its people because it had a bad harvest due to weather, insects or war.
133343
That sort of occurred to me. But none of them apparently care about their own countries. Sure sure they wave their little flags and dress up and march...But thats it! Nigeria, Rwanda, Jamaica, Haiti...Everyone there with an education leaves. They come to France, Canada, England or the US and stay there. No-one is trying to make their countries better. They all just leave and abandon their countries to the vicious cycle of violence, destruction and corruption that has ruled there for 50 + years. What would have happened if Nelson Mandela had just decided to leave South Africa and go get rich in Canada? Would South Africa have ever ended Apartheid?? Probably, but he helped alot! What about Gandhi? What if he had just said "eehhh f*ck India, Im going to the US to become a rich doctor"? Would India would still be ruled by the British? No way of knowing for sure, but those people stood up and fought (peacefully) to make their respective countries better. It doesnt seem like anyone bothers nowadays. Just take off to the rich countries and forget your homeland...I dunno...Maybe Id do the same in their position, but still, it seems strange.\n\n\npeace
671830
its weird how people who don't have the faintest idea on what is currently going on in the world are the first to have some political or personal comment on the last headline. right now on yahoo there is a headline on "tainted heroin". who gives a shit if some junky gets a bad dose? there are more problems in africa that we could ever know, go to cnn.com and type in africa and read some of those stories. terrorism is everywhere, but we are only interested with what directly effects us. we as americans are so ignorant to the rest of the worlds SERIOUS problems but somehow we need to warn heroin users about whats going on in the street, are you kidding me? the reason people are enraged about what happened to those guys is the fact that they could be related to any single one of us, a neighbor, somebodys student, their son. i am angry because i am a 23 year old member of the u.s. armed forces and it could have been me. and you people who think about the innocent civilians have a point to a certain extent. but roadside bombs dont make themselves and the sooner you realize that we are fighting iraq as a whole you will be better off. and whatever you do, dont say retailiate against someone who is spreading factual info. those rebels are animals. from the political view this is a war for oil, but the kid on the other side praying he will make it home could care less about gas prices right now.
186188
Hi, All african countries have cars and houses so that's the wrong way to put it.  Judged by Gross Domestic Product we have unusual answers.  Yes, first South Africa is far ahead, but the other four contenders are Botswana, Namibia, Tunisia and Gabon.  All these countries have different development strategies, and I'd say that Botswana and Gabon are not developed at all, they simply have natural resources and a small population.  Botswana has diamonds, and Gabon has oil, but Botswana has a nearly 40% AIDS rate, and Gabon has most of its country as undeveloped jungle, with nearly no industries.  \n\nMy answers would be \n1) South Africa: it's industrialised and now with the end of Apartheid many blacks have risen to economic success. \n2) Tunisia: they've managed to become a prime tourist destination and use the money for industrialisation, they've done it all without oil or diamonds.\n3) Namibia: Quite similar to South Africa, was in fact part of Apartheid South Africa until 1992, so again industry created by European settlers with the usual problems of bad distribution and exclusion of the native population. \n4) Marocco: Another tourist destination in Africa, but they have done not as well as Tunisia in terms of lifting the rest of the population out of poverty.  \n5) An unlikely answer, but Ivory Coast: They were essentially doing well before the war and are likely to bounce back after it, the prosperity was starting to cause ethnic tensions and that really brought the country down in 2002.\n\nI exclude places like Algeria where despite the oil boom, most people live in fear.  Libya is still a one-man rule, I'll wait and see on that case.  I'm not impressed by oil or diamonds when they can't help an AIDS crisis or create good housing for all, so places like Gabon don't figure high in my statistics.  \n\nOh, and some the islands of Africa (Cap verde, Seychells, Mauritius are doing relatively well, partly due to offshore financial centres, and tourism).  But offshore finance also gives a veil of secrecy for capital to escape out of the resource rich countries, therefore harming the countries like Nigeria which is oil rich.  So Mauritius bankers are actually causing poverty in rest of Africa... see below the link.