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Who forced the concept of nations upon Africans at first place? Who created most Africans and middle Eastern countries? Sure Africans didn't, but Hélène, France

by aikah 12y ago

Who forced the concept of nations upon Africans at first place? Who created most Africans and middle Eastern countries? Sure Africans didn't, but Hélène, France, your country sure did well by fucking up these places.Anybody can go see a map. Countries with almost perfect linear shapes , putting tribes and ethnical groups that have nothing to do with each others in the same country, or putting the tribe in 2 different states. Then writing a blog post complaining about how Africa is fucked up ? Edit: and of course, most of the comments here have nothing to do with the article, which is specifically about the situation in Africa. Nobody read it obviously.

ptaipale 12y ago
We can blame France (and others) for colonialism, and for the unnatural borders that African nations have, but remember, the actual existence of African nations is still due to the people there wanting to have nations of their own. In Africa, this process largely happened during 1950-1970. No one "forced" the concept of nations upon Africans, except by setting an example for what nation states can achieve. The time of colonialism was largely the opposite of having nations. It was the nations that overthrew colonialists.
- guard-of-terra 12y ago
  They haven't got the choice of borders. They could only use colonial borders, and those were counterproductive for a healthy nation. Sure they wanted nation states, but they got crappy ones. And it could not go much better. Their failure is rooted in past outside their political control.
  - ptaipale 12y ago
    Borders of nations can be changed by mutual agreement. Unfortunately the national leaders of African nations have been willing to keep these arbitrary borders, and much of the time only the other way is applied, i.e. war. War is also how the European national borders have been decided. In the U.S., the state borders are remarkably similar to African borders: straight lines along a particular meridian or circle of latitude. So is the Canadian border.
stevenjohns 12y ago
How did they screw up the middle east by creating countries? Almost all of the borders in the North of the Middle East are the same as they were 1000 years ago, barring the size and influence of Turkey and the break up of the Levant (which was largely a good move). South Middle East has it's issues, sure, but they're mostly political/religious than anything else and have to do with oppression rather than borders.

by aikah 12y ago

ptaipale 12y ago

We can blame France (and others) for colonialism, and for the unnatural borders that African nations have, but remember, the actual existence of African nations is still due to the people there wanting to have nations of their own. In Africa, this process largely happened during 1950-1970. No one "forced" the concept of nations upon Africans, except by setting an example for what nation states can achieve. The time of colonialism was largely the opposite of having nations. It was the nations that overthrew colonialists.

guard-of-terra 12y ago
They haven't got the choice of borders. They could only use colonial borders, and those were counterproductive for a healthy nation. Sure they wanted nation states, but they got crappy ones. And it could not go much better. Their failure is rooted in past outside their political control.
- ptaipale 12y ago
  Borders of nations can be changed by mutual agreement. Unfortunately the national leaders of African nations have been willing to keep these arbitrary borders, and much of the time only the other way is applied, i.e. war. War is also how the European national borders have been decided. In the U.S., the state borders are remarkably similar to African borders: straight lines along a particular meridian or circle of latitude. So is the Canadian border.

stevenjohns 12y ago

How did they screw up the middle east by creating countries? Almost all of the borders in the North of the Middle East are the same as they were 1000 years ago, barring the size and influence of Turkey and the break up of the Levant (which was largely a good move). South Middle East has it's issues, sure, but they're mostly political/religious than anything else and have to do with oppression rather than borders.