An attorney living on an infested farm south of Houston told me: “It reminds me of the scenes in Africa, where you see flies crawling all over people. Occasionally they’ll knock one off, but for the most part they’re so accustomed to it that they finally give up.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/magazine/crazy-ants.html?pagewanted=2&smid=fb-nytimes

Where the Bleep are these guys seeing scenes in Africa with flies crawling all over people?

What the heck is he talking about?

I want to punch this guy in the face. Why do people have such bleeped up stereotypes about Africans and Africa?

His farm is infested with ants, and this reminds him of Africa

When i read things like this, i wonder where these Africa they keep painting is located. It can't be the same Africa that i'm at.

Afam4eva: When i read things like this, i wonder where these Africa they keep painting is located. It can't be the same Africa that i'm at.

You haven't been to interior North, what the writer said is even an understatement.

The other day i was in a village close to funtua in Katsina state (Where Buhari & Yar'dua come from) and i had to wonder why do Nigerians boast about the President been from their region or state when in the real sense they don't benefit anything tangible from these people.

hardywaltz:
You haven't been to interior North, what the writer said is even an understatement.

The other day i was in a village close to funtua in Katsina state (Where Buhari & Yar'dua come from) and i had to wonder why do Nigerians boast about the President been from their region or state when in the real sense they don't benefit anything tangible from these people.

Of course i know things like that exist. The point is the often generalization about Africa being dirt poor and diseased.

Afam4eva: When i read things like this, i wonder where these Africa they keep painting is located. It can't be the same Africa that i'm at.

It's because people who want you to give to an African charity, only show those types of scenes. If they showed beautiful scenery and cute, clean, well fed kids, no one would donate to them. This is how they are portrayed in magazine and television adverts for charities.

Sadly people, like the man who was quoted, never leave their little piece of the world. They don't read much, and don't care what goes on outside their area.The only Africans he has ever seen are in those adverts I described.

Agreed that what he said was in bad taste and very condescending and racist. However as an "African", I honestly don't think he told a lie about the dark continent and how majority of the people are suffering.

I don't even see flies when I see pictures and videos about Nigerians in Nigeria - I see people who are barely living. Even the "rich" ones look dirt poor, despite all their wealth. So the question is this: why is the continent so messed up? Well, it has to do with greed and the medieval mentality of the people. We need to look beyond what other people think and what they call "us" regardless of how tasteless and racist it might be and look at the bigger picture.

Till the most of the countries on that continent are restructured in a way that they can become thriving countries - and a few ones can inspire others and provide a blueprint for them to move to the next level - flies would always fly around the mouths of hungry African kids. And most Nigerians would always look like walking-dead!

I was like you a few years ago but I've moved beyond that after seeing the bigger picture. The new frontier is different. You would outgrow it with time.

Dude must have been watching too much of documentaries about Africa on TV especially programmes on poverty stricken part of Africa like war and hungry ravaged Somalia. Don't blame him sir. He told you exactly what he saw on TV.

JulianBond007: Dude must have been watching too much of documentaries about Africa on TV especially programmes on poverty stricken part of Africa like war and hungry ravaged Somalia. Don't blame him sir. He told you exactly what he saw on TV.

You watch those too?

texanomaly:


It's because people who want you to give to an African charity, only show those types of scenes. If they showed beautiful scenery and cute, clean, well fed kids, no one would donate to them. This is how they are portrayed in magazine and television adverts for charities.

Sadly people, like the man who was quoted, never leave their little piece of the world. They don't read much, and don't care what goes on outside their area.The only Africans he has ever seen are in those adverts I described.

This hits the nail!