By D. J. Webb
I will be condemned for saying so, but why should countries around the globe be equally prosperous? If I had a magic wand and could solve absolute poverty of the sort that sees people starving or living in filth, then I would wave that wand.
But let’s get one thing straight first: very few countries in the world are actually poor by their own standards. Look at any country in the world, ignore the comparison with the West, and ask yourself, are they poorer than they were in 1500?
Let’s take Somalia for a random example (insert any developing nation here). This nation had the advantage of relative proximity to Arabia: the Arabic script was introduced in the 13th century, and was used to write Somali as well as Arabic, before at least four rival scripts were invented for the Somali language in the 20th century. This country had access to a certain amount of science and written records via the Arabic language. They were not geographically isolated and had contact with outside world.
World Bank figures show 32.7% of Somalis have access to electricity. But their ancestors didn’t invent electricity. 46% of children are immunized against measles, but they didn’t invent the vaccine. 23.5% have good access to sanitation, and 31.7% have good access to water, but this is likely to involve Western technology in the form of water pipes and so forth, only rolled out in England in the 19th century. Once again, to the extent that they have such facilities, they’re imitating our progress. There were 50.9 mobile phones per 100 people in 2014, although they didn’t invent mobile technology. Clearly, it is more of a priority to invest in mobile phone networks than sanitation. Internet use is low, at 1.6% of the population, but then again, they didn’t invent computers or the Internet. One article I read claimed there are only 3 cars per 100 head of population in Somalia, but once again they did not invent the automobile.
To the extent that they have any of this, it has just been handed to them on a plate. In 2013, they received $107m in foreign direct investment on a net basis and $992m in net official development aid. These two items account for about 20% of Somali GDP. Remittances of money from Somalis abroad are likely to be significant. The British government estimates that a minimum of $1.3bn is remitted to Somalia each year by the Somali diaspora — this figure is around 23% of GDP.
So how hard done by are they? I won’t pretend the country is prosperous. But on the other hand, the advances that it has made, while limited, have all been achieved largely by us (the European civilization), and not them, as they never invented any of the technology they now use. If we did not exist, they would be much poorer. There would be no electricity at all, no running water, no modern medical facilities, no cars, no telephones, no television and no Internet. There would be no development assistance, no remittances and no foreign investment from us. Whatever way you look at it, our existence has been a God-send to them.
The same is, of course, true of many territories around the world. You could ask when the people of Hong Kong invented the light-bulb, the car or the telephone, and receive a silent response. No prosperous non-Western country has got where it has under its own steam. True enough, some of these people have been canny enough to make the most of the advantages that flowed from us, and some, like the Somalis, have made the least of them. But whatever way you look at it, even countries like Somalia are much richer than their ancestors were in previous centuries. It’s time we let the Somalis in the West know that gestures of appreciation are expected.
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“If we did not exist, they would be much poorer.”
The solution to all their problems is no the destruction of the English people. Pity they are contributing to it. In the long run they’ll be sorry.
Well, yes, but they see the Swedes as an even softer touch, apparently!
It’s time we let the Somalis in the West know that gestures of appreciation are expected.
Good luck with that. Appreciation is not something that Communities of Colour are remarkable for.
Your article parallels my own arguments that the sentient world is better of today because of the West and Western Culture which encourages charity – another Western concept. How often do you read or hear of any non-Western countries helping out their poorer brethren? You don’t. But the leaders in those countries are not idiots and with the help of the largest organization dedicated to international welfare; the UN, they have learned how to demand the West give them more of our wealth using all the myriad excuses the welfare advocates can dream up – poverty, third worldliness, climate fraudd, etc, etc.
Now these advocates are telling us we shouldn’t have borders so they can overwhelm us and put an end to their free ride. We’re all just lemmngs on this bus.