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Originally Posted by zen_tom
The same geo-political drivers that helped make the Marshall plan a success in Europe are there today in Africa. It makes sense, for our own security, for our economy, and for their improved living conditions and continued development.
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Perhaps, if you only consider north Africa.
The majority of Africa is Christian, hence the belief that failure to support the development of African countries will result in the hegmony of Islamic states is false.
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Parts of Africa are poor, parts of Africa are already hotbeds for terrorism, Bin Ladin used to have training camps in Sudan.
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Sudan is about 50/50 Islamic/Christian. The Islamic north just signed a peace deal with the Christian south that will (almost certainly) see the secession of the south in 6 years.
Another crucial difference is the lack of any perceived American imperialism in Africa. American support of Israel is seen as a major "interference" in the Middle East. Not so in Africa. Again, a major contributing factor to anti-American terrorism is much reduce in Africa compared to the Middle East (or South East Asia for that matter).
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Mugabe is already becoming a provincial Saddam.
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Not so. Mugabe is an old man, once lauded as a renowned freedom fighter, a Christian who stood up to the Imperialist and colonial powers and has built a nation. He's getting more instransigent (perhaps senile) in his old age, but he certainly is not attempting to conquer surrounding nations or export terrorism.
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And there continues to be fighting in various areas of the region. It is in unstable areas that the draw of religious comforts is most strong - and where people are most easily persuadable to fight and die for an identified cause.
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As is South America. And south east Asia.
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Africa is all of these things - is it not better to spend our money now and save ourselves having to spend 100 times as much in some future conflict?
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I'm not saying this would be a bad thing. What I'm saying that sub-Saharan Africa is not perceived as a threat, and therefore shall not receive the attention and aid that the Middle East and South East Asia does. It's simply not economically beneficial.
Mr Mephisto