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The long and ugly tradition of treating Africa as a dirty, diseased place
- Crito 12y agoA few years ago in Pennsylvania, I struck and killed a deer with my car (nearly totaling my car in the process.) Another man driving down the road stopped to ask if I needed any help. After I assured him that I was okay, he asked me what I planned on doing with the deer. I told him that I didn't know what the proper procedure was, or who should be called to clean it up. He asked if he could have it. Apparently the only restriction on eating roadkill, at least at the time, was that the antlers had to be turned over to Fish&Game (some sort of anti-poaching measure).
- stronglikedan 12y agoOne thing I learned from Alaska State Troopers is that there are charities who will come pick up Moose roadkill in Alaska and process the meat for needy families. Pretty cool.
- 7Figures2Commas 12y agoA tangentially related story about rats in New York City was published by the New York Times a few days ago[1]. An examination of 133 rats turned up hantavirus, which can cause hemorrhagic fever, as well as 18 viruses that are new to science. New York, like many major cities in the US, has a huge rat problem so one can only imagine what else is lurking right here at home. [1] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/science/rats-and-their-alarming-bugs.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/science/rats-and-their-ala...
- aaronbrethorst 12y agoGreat article, and I'm fascinated by the link to the Newsweek magazine cover in question: http://www.donotlink.com/baqi http://www.donotlink.com/baqi I suppose that, in most cases, it'd be far easier to `nofollow` the link, but I find it fascinating that there's an opportunity for added commentary beyond what you'd get by just nofollow'ing.
- ghodith 12y agoThis article is telling me that the majority of Americans are overestimating their exposure to the Ebola virus, while a few weeks ago I read an article in the same vein stating that Americans have a bad sense for how quickly viruses can spread. Is this a change based on the actual perception of Americans having changed or rather just differing opinions formed from differing source information? I am speaking in generalities of course, as I have not linked the other article and would not begin to know where to find it.
- soeinfachistdas 12y agoidentifying perceived “flaws” in the out-group’s appearance, practice or norms This article contains racist "othering" of northern europeans, who are already a declining demographic on this planet. Enough.
- llSourcell 12y agoThey are still in power. Not even close to enough till the playing field is level. Same goes for Men.
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- malcote 12y agoLower numbers don't mean less power and reverse-racism is not real. It's just not. Unless you're writing from some alternate reality where Northern Europe has been colonized for a couple hundred years?
- seanflyon 12y agoHow would you define racism?
- malcote 12y agoHostility or prejudice towards another racial group based on the idea that your race is superior. Usually sustained by taking various stereotypes about the targeted group and portraying them as intrinsic qualities.
- mieses 12y agoIs hostility or prejudice towards another racial group based on political correctness not racism?
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- millermp12 12y agointeresting to note that countries in Africa with the longest history of colonization (e.g. Ivory Coast, South Africa) have the highest standards of living while those that were not colonized (Liberia, Ethiopia) have the lowest (which is saying something, by African standards). Hong Kong, a colony for 150 years, is one of the wealthiest places on earth. I realize it's not fashionable to say, but the reality is some of us have been dealt a less favorable hand than others, genetically speaking, whether as individuals or as a group. And unfortunately, Reality doesn't have a very effective affirmative action program.
- millermp12 12y agoComparatively, how is Africa _not_ dirty and diseased? The only place on Earth where long vanquished diseases are still fairly common is Africa. By what metric (child mortality, water quality, GI diseases, environmental degradation), could you possibly undermine this statement? Africa appears dirty and diseased because it is.
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- seanflyon 12y ago> how are black people not intellectually inferior? If lower IQ test scores were the definition of intellectual inferiority then that would be the case.
- sliverstorm 12y agoThe difference is that's a causality claim. "Africa harbors exotic diseases" - fact "IQ tests have conclusively shown there are differences between races" - fact "The observed difference in IQ between races are because race X is genetically inferior" - causal speculation
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- arbuge 12y agoTreating Africa as a dirty, diseased place is obviously a disservice to Africans, but with the booming economic opportunities increasingly available to everyone through the Internet, it might also very well be a disservice to you.
- omonra 12y agoLong article about how Europeans wronged Africa in the past to preempt any talk of movement restrictions from Ebola-affected areas to the US. Because racism!
- crazy1van 12y agoHow does an article titled "The long and ugly tradition of treating Africa as a dirty, diseased place" not offer any hard evidence about the cleanliness and disease rate of Africa compared to the rest of the world...
- pXMzR2A 12y ago> bla We need hard and convincing proof that can refute our colonial stereotypes. We will debate said proof and hold on to our stereotypes nevertheless. But alas.