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[+]eagleshigh0 points3 points3 points
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Nicholas Wade on Africa's troubles.
In Africa, population numbers were higher than in Australia, agriculture was quickly adopted and settled societies developed. From these gradually emerged more complex societies, including primitive states. But because of low population density, these political states did not enter the phase of political rivalry and sustained warfare from which empires emerged in Mesopotamia, the Yellow River Valley, and, much later, in the Andean highlands. The population of Africa in 1500 was only 46 million. The soil being mostly poor, there were few agricultural surpluses and so no incentive to develop property rights. For lack of the wheel and navigable rivers, transport within Africa was difficult and trade was small scale. For lack of demographic pressure, African societies had little incentive to the skills that trade stimulates, to accumulate capital, to develop occupational specialties or develop modern societies. The phase of state and empire building had only just begun when it was cut short by European colonization. (pg. 225)
He writes on page 133 and 134
A major region of slow population growth was Africa south of the Sahara. The continent suffers from a lack of navigable rivers, and disease makes some of the regions hard to inhabit. Some of Africa's chiefdoms had grown into large kingdoms, such as the Ashanti empire in Ghana, the Ethiopian Empire and the Shona kingdom in Zimbabwe by the time Europeans arrived and thwarted their development. In 1879 a Zulu army armed with spears and oxhide shields defeated a British force armed with modern weapons at the battle of Isandlwana. But throughout much of Africa, the lack of dense populations and large scale warfare, two essential ingredients in the formation of modern states, prevented such structures from arising. Africa south of the Sahara remained largely tribal throughout the historical period, as did Australia, Polynesia and the circumpolar regions.
The evolution of human social behavior was thus different and largely or entirely independent on each continent. States developed in the Middle East, in India and in China by around 5,000 years ago, and in Central and South America by about 1,000 years ago. For lack of good souls, favorable climate, navigable riders and population pressure, Africa remained a continent of chiefdoms and incipient empires. In Australia, people reached the tribal level but without developing agriculture; their technology remained that of the Stone Age into modern times.
And
Yet 50 years ago, Africans were as poor as many East Asians . Why has it been easy enough for East Asians to make the transition from modern economies but so hard for Africans?
A major factor is that African political institutions (Wade talks about how Institutions matter more than social structure. Basically, the institutions of the society matter more than the society itself, which the institutions were preceded by swift genetic changes) were destroyed or undermined by colonial administrations that then departed, leaving few workable substitutes in its place. Another factor is tribalism. African countries have not developed the institutions to replace tribalism, an essential development for a moddern state. African populations have not gone through the same Malthusian wringer tnat shaped the behavior of European and East Asian populations. In Africa, population pressure has long been much lower than in Europe and Asia, probably because of poor soils and adverse climates that have restrained food production. State formation, as mentioned, depends on warfare between sizebale poplities that are forced to compete because of geographical contraints, such as living along a long river valley. But intense, large-scale warfare is unlikely to occur until population densities have become so high that people have fewer choices.
...
From an evolutionary perspective, African populations were just as well adapted to their environment as were those of Europe and Asia to theirs. Small. loosely organized populations were the appropriate response to the difficult conditions of the African continent. But they were not necessarily well suited to high efficiency economies to which European and East Asian populations had become adapted. From this perspective, if valid, it would be unsurprising that African countries should take longer to make the transition into modern economies. (Wade, 2015: 181-2).
sub saharan blacks are low IQ, and cant grow beyond tribalism without a smarter race to help them build institutions and ifrastructure required for modern growth.
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[–] eagleshigh 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago (edited ago)
Nicholas Wade on Africa's troubles.
He writes on page 133 and 134
And
Buy A Troublesome Inheritance. Great read.
[–] BlackGrapeDrank ago
TL;DR
sub saharan blacks are low IQ, and cant grow beyond tribalism without a smarter race to help them build institutions and ifrastructure required for modern growth.
Duh.