Who Says Africa Isn't Civilised?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25829538

[anotheoldgit]

I do

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2542662/Footage-emerged-cannibal-eating-leg-Muslim-Central-African-Republic.html

[joggerjayne]

I'm not sure that imposing rules upon the population in a totalitarian, dictatorial kind of way necessarily equates to civilised.

Unless the total smoking ban was part of the electoral manifesto of a democratically elected party.

Just saying.

:0)

[ToraToraTora]

it's smoking ban in public places in a nation where they haven't got everyone on the lecky yet!

[jake-the-peg]

Yeah AOG

Not like our proper honest British canibals that eat children

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/geoffrey-portway-british-cannibal-admits-1873834

[joggerjayne]

I think it's a subjective thing.

Around here, it feels like almost everyone smokes. They smoke in the streets, in pub gardens and courtyards, outside bars and clubs, at open air restaurants, on the beach. On a Friday evening, the collected population gathers to chat, drink, smoke, eat, and unwind. If smoking was suddenly banned in places where people meet up socially, I don't think the reaction would be ... how civilised. It would be ... when did the dictatorship come to power?

I don't smoke.

[jno]

you obviously don't need to, JJ, you get all the secondary smoking a gal could want and at no cost to you (apart from the fatal diseases).

[Peter Pedant]

oir even the cartoon from 1983 showing Ariell Sharon eating a baby
with the caption - what do you mean ?- every politician kisses children

refers to the Chatila massacre and his involvement apparently

This is not new for the C A Rep - as OAG should recall

The Emperor Bokassa I served long pork ( = human steaks) to Prsident Giscard d'estaing when he went there on a vizeet.
and that accounts for the president always now taking his own food wizz eem.
(true apparently - il sembe vrai )

[mikey4444]

In Wales, smoking accounts for only 28% of the adult population. Now I am probably going to get into trouble for saying this, but if you walk or drive through a community that is, shall we say, a bit more lower class than usual, its easy to form an opinion that everybody smokes, like joggerjayne says. But I think that it is mainly because, post smoking ban, smokers are now more visible. We see them outside pubs now, not inside. Its also worrying to see that so many teenagers, especially girls and young mothers still smoke. We still have a long way to go in the campaign to win over people's hearts. It used to be said that being poor made you smoke but it is now obvious that smoking makes and keeps people poor.

I am not terribly concerned about smoking bans in third-world countries, but it is worth remembering that the tobacco companies have targeted places like Africa, because they are on the run in the West.

[Gromit]

Q: Who Says Africa Isn't Civilised?

A: Ignorant bigots usually.

[emmie]

wonder that many could afford the fines, going on the wages or having no job at all.

[Kromovaracun]

I really don't care all that much about smokers' rights. It doesn't affect Nigeria's civilisation "ranking" in my head at all.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit
/// Q: Who Says Africa Isn't Civilised? ///

/// A: Ignorant bigots usually. ///

Oh so one has to be an ignorant bigot to think that cannibalism, lynchings, burning people alive while others gather round to watch is uncivilised do you? Then by that reasoning, I guess all civilised people must be 'ignorant bigots'?

[Kromovaracun]

AOG

Your opinion fails to make a distinction between the huge variety of African countries, in which circumstances differ quite significantly.

I can see how you might not be aware of that, though.

[hc4361]

Why do people keep referring to Africa as if it is a single country? It's a huge continent, three times bigger than Europe, made up of 54 countries.

[anotheoldgit]

hc4361

/// Why do people keep referring to Africa as if it is a single country? It's a huge continent, three times bigger than Europe, made up of
54 countries. ///

It is what most do, everyone knows it is a continent consisting of a number of countries, but it is safe to make a generalisation when referring to Africa as a whole.

What stable countries can you pick out of those 54 you mentioned?

[hc4361]

AOG, Botswana

[Zeuhl]

/stable countries/

aog

you need to provide your criteria for what signifies 'stable'

but the usual criteria are longevity of democratic government, low levels of corruption, healthcare and standards of living.

As such, Botswana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, Senegal are usually now cited as the top countries.

Of course, generalisations about 'Africa', are as meaningless and as ill informed as claiming the USA is a place of gun crime, drug addiction and poverty.

The majority of people living in the Continent of Africa; be it Tunisia, Mauritius or Malawi, are quietly getting on with their lives without ever seeing cannibalism, genocide or starvation.