Comments by "Omer عمر" (@Omer1996E.C) on "How Africa’s Geography Traps it in Endless Poverty" video.

So true
43
This is the 100th comment that says it. But geography plays the greatest role. More than corruption or colonialism
34
A lot of commenters didn't watch the whole video and started judging. The impact of geography is greater than colonialism or corruption. If the african geography was so good, colonialism or corruption wouldn't have happened. People also underestimate the importance of TRADE in development, trade of goods, services, communications, ideas and everything. If africa was much smaller continent with the same population, it's solidly argued it would've been better, since it'd have been in a condition close to europe (just crowded like Europe to ease trade of ideas, innovations, civilizations and more)
28
 @josiahmccallister3150 you're wrong, why can't we blame both? There is no silver bullet problem or solution. It's all a combination of many factors
26
As an African, I realise our corrupt regimes are more of a problem than anything else. But the matter of fact that many hate to talk about is that our dictators are a result of colonialism. You can read books like "why nations fail" to see that institutions are the most important thing, and african state institutions are nearly all made by colonial powers, not just the borders or the legacies, all those leaders rule in borders drawn by colonisers and institutions as a result. Or read the book "Looting Machine" by Tom Burgis, which talks about how foreign countries, like former colonial powers, USA and Israel, exploit these countries in exchange for protecting the regimes, thus defeating the people and democracy, since when a dictator doesn't need his people to protect his throne, they become too cruel in favor of the exploiters. Our dictators need foreigners (who buy resources and sell weapons) more than us, the peoples. Really insightful books
20
In the book "why nations fail," you can clearly understand how colonial institutions set Africa to poverty for decades to come. And in the book "Looting Machine" by Tom Burgis, you can further understand how foreign governments are a fundamental reason why corrupt regimes keep on surviving in Africa. Colonialism did us too dirty. It's hard to make any change whatsoever, and if it's possible, I'm ready to spend my life to overthrow even one of these governments, even if it won't change anything. These leaders should be reminded that no one can hold on power forever at least.
15
Yes, we only need time and for foreign nations to stop financing our corrupt regimes. Keep your money and be happy, this makes us happy.
12
You said the wrong thing. We shouldn't stop blaming. We should redistribute the blame. Blame our dictators as much as we blame colonial powers. Neo-colonialism is real
11
Please, stop underestimating geography
10
Like how many of our best youth were taken to the americas, or when the belgians decided to cut the hands of millions of Congolese, or when we were used for cotton farming by british and French colonial families, who took our farmlands to mae us work on it??? Alot of ways. But never blame birth rates please, because it'd become a senseless argument, a failed one.
9
This is an oversimplification, maybe this is a result, not a cause. I can say this as an African who saw alot of the problems first hand, from political corruption from a minister I met, to a local one by some police.
8
@mysampson284 transportation and communication has developed so much that you can't compare today by yesterday. It's ALL about transportation and communication. The reason why Europe developed was mainly navigable rivers for transportation and communication, now we don't need navigable rivers, so we should develop.
8
@vampyrsten that's why I referred you the books. And I said that I blame our governments the most at first, and then I state that foreign governments are fundamental to the survival of our corrupt regimes
8
@kadenyt6623 did I blame colonialism for everything?! Don't feel guilt, just admit and learn from history. Why do some of you have a paranoia of stating anything about colonialism?!
8
A thousand comment like this. There is no one simple reason. Geography is a significant part of it
6
Actually, it is, in terms of GDP
6
Add to it foreign relations and colonialism, that shouldn't be denied.
5
@kadenyt6623 I'm not angry about colonialism, but the fact that some of you refuse to recognise it. If colonialism should be forgotten, the Holocaust should be forgotten as well. Do you agree with that? I said our problems are mainly our governments, but colonialism should never ever be understated. You are probably the kind of people who complain about affirmative actions to minorities. As long as the effects exist, it's a matter of concern. Give me a better argument at least or accept that fact that our regimes and colonialism are just different faces of the same coin.
5
@crak-_-4U it doesn't matter, if someone is going to be so ignorant to blame population growth, that should be the least thing to say. Population is like money, it's all about how you use it. Just like how lottery winners lose everything because of the fast gain, but it's purely their fault. Don't look population growth as a burden except if you're a failure.
3
@crak-_-4U oh, ok then, I thought you were undermining the benefits of a large population and its growth rate. Thank you and sorry anyhow
3
First, israel is ALWAYS an outlier for many reasons. Second, Japan is doing better geographically than Africa, and they are politically older and US ally. Africa's geography is cursed I'd say
3
@vampyrsten I knew this reply was coming, that's why I said that our governments are of a bigger problem, and referred the books so that you can read it. How do you want me to revolt against a government that uses a US made aircraft and an MI16 backed intelligence services? These institutions are made and maintained by former colonial powers. Just let them leave us, so we can rebel, ruin our countries for few years, and re-establish ourselves organically, just like how Europeans did it without foreign interventions.
3
@hitmusicworldwide that's a golden age in hispania/iberia/andalusia. Do you want to also argue with that? Just go and see, spain has little historical things before 1200 and even less in the north, that were always under Catholic rule.
3
Like the north of Africa being its south? It'd have been much worse I guess
2
@awtqrtrkjsrs I'm sorry, I'm not reading all this now. But ik that was an extremely over simplified phrase, but I said it regarding the readers are rational history knowers at least. Sorry if that phrase made your intellect explode.
2
 @mysampson284 this is a disturbingly racist reply that just shows us your ignorance.
2
@Voluminous_jamie colonised? Where do you find arab colonies please? Asking this as an african. The fact that the slave routes existed doesn't mean they colonised us. We had warlords who raided and enslaved to sell slaves, and these weren't even alot as you might think.
2
@Voluminous_jamie so, europe was colonised by the israelites? This is not how colonialism works, your definition isn't right. The definition of colonialism is actually really flawed, but it's mainly the exploitation of a land or people in current terms, not in literal terms.
2
So true. Only trade does, which is facilitated by transportation and communication.
1
@johnhenry4844 this is very racist to say, when the brits had 9 children during the victorian era, which helped them grow. I'm an adamant believer in population growth anyway.
1
@joelspaulding5964 nobody has it as a policy, in fact, every african country has a policy of anti-natalism, but I wish we had pro-natalism as a policy, so we can address the issue
1
@ashardalondragnipurake ok, so you haven't watched the video, nor have you read some history to know how superior tech was almost always better than men. Say it, you just want me to say "we are an inferior race and we deserve being enslaved" Perhaps its you who suffer from inferior reading abilities, since you understood "...of our best youth" as "THE best youth," which are very different phrases
1
@josekentucky86 head start? It doesn't matter if you started first with less benefits and high costs. And you're saying head start as if africans and europeans are different species, Europeans took all what they know and added to it their new lands knowledge. So, according to the scientific theory, Europeans and Africans actually had the same head start
1
@yahia9481 the church was the worst thing in europe, that's why
1
@CantCriticize geography and politics that both affected history and the present. Africa is sadly not only cursed by geography once, but twice by being so close to europe, which incentivises neo-colonialism. I can't tell you how much foreign corporations feed our governments and foreign governments sustain them by selling weapons to them, weapons that they use to supress us.
1
@Cant600 ok. Cuz I can't say I'm 100% infallible, and everything I say is true. So, not convincing you means plurality of ideas, which is something good
1
@Cant600 thank you, cuz your account name says it all. I said what I said in an appreciation to your differing opinion, but while still holding on to mine, but you took it as an intolerable personal criticism and started to quote things that I didn't say at all. Grow up and quit yappin
1