Nipate
Forum => Kenya Discussion => Topic started by: Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants on January 15, 2018, 08:24:56 PM
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Should the African care?
I think he has bigger fish to fry. The African's fate is not dependent on what white nationalists think of him. It doesn't matter if these crackers love us, if we are busy shooting ourselves in the foot. They will never fix our problems.
Instead of whining about a racist being a racist, Africa should focus on solving its problems. I think we have to start by loving ourselves. By that I don't mean just our individual selves, but our Negritude. We should value fellow Negroes the way bazungus do themselves. A white person in America will be more traumatized by a mzungu being injured in Ukraine, than a fellow American, who also happens to be black, stopping a bullet in gang viiolence or at the hands of police.
I believe everything else falls into place, once the African can get past not liking himself(in a big picture way). There is natural resources, huge land mass, sheer scale, human resources. Getting the right people to work on the right problems from anywhere in Africa.
The welcome by kamwana for any African to be able to work in Kenya is probably a step in the right direction and should be emulated continent wide. Just abolish borders for Africans and goods within Africa. I don't buy the argument that we need higher IQ.
That is important. Not whether Trump or KKK types likes us - they will never. There is potential to have the last laugh over Trump types. But will the African seize the moment?
That is why this so called protest by South Africa totally misses the point. The people we should be looking for respect from are not in the White House. They are your fellow Negroes on the ground.
South Africa is planning to formally protest President Trump's reported remarks referring to Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations as "shithole countries."
South Africa's government on Monday is expected to issue a diplomatic protest to the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, CNN reported.
"The Department will provide an opportunity to the Charges de Affaires to explain the statement that African countries, alongside Haiti and El Salvador, constitute 'shitholes' from where migrants into the United States are undesirable," the South African Department of International Relations said in a statement.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/369008-south-africa-to-issue-diplomatic-protest-to-us-after-trumps-s-hole (http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/369008-south-africa-to-issue-diplomatic-protest-to-us-after-trumps-s-hole)
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Totally agree. Africa has the solutions just right here. No country has succeeded trying to trade or make friends thousands miles away. Africa has huge continent. All it need to do is open their borders - Rwanda is good example - and Kenya is following suit - allow for intra-africa trade. There are 52 countries - which have all that we will ever need - but right now each of Africa countries is trying to trade or make friends with countries as far as Japan or US or China...countries that takes a whole day to fly or 1-2 months for a ship to arrive.
It times for Africa to do what Uhuru did - allow free movement within the continent - that will slowly unite Africans - that will allow small scale traders to freely trade - SMES to do the same - large corp to do the same - and soon enough we would be there.
Africa has to start by opening their borders to fellow Africans and as you say loving themselves.
The best response to Trump is to announce that any African is welcome in any African country - no visa - just some ID.
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Totally agree. Africa has the solutions just right here. No country has succeeded trying to trade or make friends thousands miles away. Africa has huge continent. All it need to do is open their borders - Rwanda is good example - and Kenya is following suit - allow for intra-africa trade. There are 52 countries - which have all that we will ever need - but right now each of Africa countries is trying to trade or make friends with countries as far as Japan or US or China...countries that takes a whole day to fly or 1-2 months for a ship to arrive.
It times for Africa to do what Uhuru did - allow free movement within the continent - that will slowly unite Africans - that will allow small scale traders to freely trade - SMES to do the same - large corp to do the same - and soon enough we would be there.
Africa has to start by opening their borders to fellow Africans and as you say loving themselves.
The best response to Trump is to announce that any African is welcome in any African country - no visa - just some ID.
The other thing I realized, when Trump tried to renegotiate a trade deal with Germany, Angela Merkel told him to take it to the EU, because Germany cannot do such bilateral deals by itself. Africa has power, but it is split into small bits denying itself leverage.
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The intra-Africa trade, labor & citizenship mobility is often discussed but unrealized at the AU. SA and richer countries don't want migrants. Politics intervenes - for example the ANC would be overthrown by EFF if it allowed mass labor migration. Same for Nigeria with Liberian migrants. Kenya and Somalia? There have been incidences of xenophobia in all those places.
Trade is driven by production - the bigger an economy the more it has to trade. If you look at the Kenyan imports you will note they are in short competitive supply in Africa.
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I don't buy the argument that we need higher IQ.
It's OK to acknowledge inconvenient facts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_Global_Inequality (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_Global_Inequality)
Perhaps I'm mistaken and the African is not like the ostrich; in that case he must create his own narrative. Einstein said: Everybody is a Genius. But If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid
South Africa is planning to formally protest President Trump's reported remarks referring to Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations as "shithole countries."
I could be wrong but El Salvador has a bigger non-black population - including pure whites (Americans) and the Mestizo (Spanish descendants). Trump is just foulmouthed - his beef is poor folks not blacks - a subtle difference without a distinction. He respects success not color.
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Most of the African countries are shit-holes because of bad leaders like ouruto. That is NOT debatable and Africans should accept that. What Africans should not accept is that just because they came from shit-holes then that makes them shit-heads. However, when we start supporting thieves and murderers like Ouruto just because they are our tribesmates then they deserve to be called shit-heads from shit-holes.
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Most of the African countries are shit-holes because of bad leaders like ouruto. That is NOT debatable and Africans should accept that. What Africans should not accept is that just because they came from shit-holes then that makes them shit-heads. However, when they start supporting thieves and murderers like Ouruto just because they are our tribesmates then they deserve to be called shit-heads from shit-holes.
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Most of the African countries are shit-holes because of bad leaders like ouruto. That is NOT debatable and Africans should accept that. What Africans should not accept is that just because they came from shit-holes then that makes them shit-heads. However, when we start supporting thieves and murderers like Ouruto just because they are our tribesmates then they deserve to be called shit-heads from shit-holes.
Poor leadership has led Africa down for a long time. Uganda is a Shithole too, Burundi, Somalia, S. Sudan - oh what a mess. If Trump had not used Shithole during policy making it could have been different.
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I disagree. Africa was always down. This idea that one variable or factor (leadership mainly political) is responsible for a complex issues is really the epitome of simplistic thinking.There are so many structural issues that make Africa poor. These cannot be easily dealt with even with Jesus as our leader. Of course leadership is important but so are the other 1,000 plus issues that keep us down...we have to slowly and sustainable deal with all of them.
For experiment - assume today you're made a the president of a country named Mandera - can you tell us how far that country will be in say 2100? A country that start off with 98% illiteracy, 98% poverty level, that is landlocked, in a desert, surrounded by hostile neighbors.
Poor leadership has led Africa down for a long time. Uganda is a Shithole too, Burundi, Somalia, S. Sudan - oh what a mess. If Trump had not used Shithole during policy making it could have been different.
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Yup. Leadership is just one factor. It's the law of averages - the quality of leadership reflects the average citizen - even Jesus would be weighed down by the average.
The ultimate measure of AVERAGE is intelligence.
I disagree. Africa was always down. This idea that one variable or factor (leadership mainly political) is responsible for a complex issues is really the epitome of simplistic thinking.There are so many structural issues that make Africa poor. These cannot be easily dealt with even with Jesus as our leader. Of course leadership is important but so are the other 1,000 plus issues that keep us down...we have to slowly and sustainable deal with all of them.
For experiment - assume today you're made a the president of a country named Mandera - can you tell us how far that country will be in say 2100? A country that start off with 98% illiteracy, 98% poverty level, that is landlocked, in a desert, surrounded by hostile neighbors.
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Intelligence as being the ability to make better choices? I think it does play a part but I disagree it ultimate in anything; somethings just become culture and even the dumb in the society will do "intelligent" stuff because it the only way they know of. For me all these factors or variables are equally important - and until you get the right mix (you need lot of luck/opportunity) - then you hit a stage of leapfrog - where you suddenly grow so fast!. Africa has been dealing with lot of these factors or variables - is maybe 1 or 2 generation from getting the right mix to be able to leapfrog and quickly catch up with the rest of the world.
Yup. Leadership is just one factor. It's the law of averages - the quality of leadership reflects the average citizen - even Jesus would be weighed down by the average.
The ultimate measure of AVERAGE is intelligence.
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Intelligence - ability to make smart choices, do smart stuff, etc. There is empirical evidence of racially variable intelligence and its impact on development. For instance blacks/hispanics in the US are economically behind caucasians. Looked at closely, affirmative action for minorities in US universities and companies has resulted in over-representation of Asians (Chinese, Koreans, Japs) who are smart and don't need favors. So "minorities" has been revised to exclude Asians.
Haiti despite its proximity to the US is a third world.
I agree intelligence is not an ultimate factor just one of many variables.
Intelligence as being the ability to make better choices? I think it does play a part but I disagree it ultimate in anything; somethings just become culture and even the dumb in the society will do "intelligent" stuff because it the only way they know of. For me all these factors or variables are equally important - and until you get the right mix (you need lot of luck/opportunity) - then you hit a stage of leapfrog - where you suddenly grow so fast!. Africa has been dealing with lot of these factors or variables - is maybe 1 or 2 generation from getting the right mix to be able to leapfrog and quickly catch up with the rest of the world.
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Even when the theory of "intelligence" is taken it at highest; we do know intelligence improve or degrade with nutrition of kids & other factors; therefore it's chicken-egg situation; however obviously our current intelligence model don't capture why there is no Asian musician or artist or actors in the USA.
We definitely agree this multi-faceted complicated if not complex problem where no single cause or solution can explain it.
Intelligence - ability to make smart choices, do smart stuff, etc. There is empirical evidence of racially variable intelligence and its impact on development. For instance blacks/hispanics in the US are economically behind caucasians. Looked at closely, affirmative action for minorities in US universities and companies has resulted in over-representation of Asians (Chinese, Koreans, Japs) who are smart and don't need favors. So "minorities" has been revised to exclude Asians.
Haiti despite its proximity to the US is a third world.
I agree intelligence is not an ultimate factor just one of many variables
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Intelligence - ability to make smart choices, do smart stuff, etc. There is empirical evidence of racially variable intelligence and its impact on development. For instance blacks/hispanics in the US are economically behind caucasians. Looked at closely, affirmative action for minorities in US universities and companies has resulted in over-representation of Asians (Chinese, Koreans, Japs) who are smart and don't need favors. So "minorities" has been revised to exclude Asians.
Haiti despite its proximity to the US is a third world.
I agree intelligence is not an ultimate factor just one of many variables.
Intelligence as being the ability to make better choices? I think it does play a part but I disagree it ultimate in anything; somethings just become culture and even the dumb in the society will do "intelligent" stuff because it the only way they know of. For me all these factors or variables are equally important - and until you get the right mix (you need lot of luck/opportunity) - then you hit a stage of leapfrog - where you suddenly grow so fast!. Africa has been dealing with lot of these factors or variables - is maybe 1 or 2 generation from getting the right mix to be able to leapfrog and quickly catch up with the rest of the world.
Robina. Having lived close to various neighborhoods in the USA, I think environmental factors play a big role in Blacks and Latinos getting behind. Group think is a terrible thing, especially when it focuses on behaviors that do not improve lives. In some black neighborhoods, you are not expected to be anything other that sitting around doing nothing. Its a completely different culture.
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Robina. Having lived close to various neighborhoods in the USA, I think environmental factors play a big role in Blacks and Latinos getting behind. Group think is a terrible thing, especially when it focuses on behaviors that do not improve lives. In some black neighborhoods, you are not expected to be anything other that sitting around doing nothing. Its a completely different culture.
Of course, despite years of civil rights and affirmative action 8) Why can't they create a better culture? The Europeans and Japs after being reset at WW2 swiftly rose up again. The Jews too despite daunting disadvantages. Racism as an excuse has run out of currency.
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Most of the African countries are shit-holes because of bad leaders like ouruto. That is NOT debatable and Africans should accept that. What Africans should not accept is that just because they came from shit-holes then that makes them shit-heads. However, when we start supporting thieves and murderers like Ouruto just because they are our tribesmates then they deserve to be called shit-heads from shit-holes.
I agree Ouruto are terrible leaders. Yet, we have seen countries make leaps and bounds with questionable folks at the helm. At some point, South Korea was under military rule, even as it made big economic strides.
While leadership is important(the most important actually because they decide the direction), ultimately, it depends on whether that leadership correctly identifies what is holding the countries back. In Africa, I think it's structural and organizational as a result of its history.
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Definitely development is very complex and can't be simplified. I really hope we are going to knick it in a general or two. I would suggest benevolent dictatorship is a good start but Kichwa would kill me.
Even when the theory of "intelligence" is taken it at highest; we do know intelligence improve or degrade with nutrition of kids & other factors; therefore it's chicken-egg situation; however obviously our current intelligence model don't capture why there is no Asian musician or artist or actors in the USA.
We definitely agree this multi-faceted complicated if not complex problem where no single cause or solution can explain it.
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I don't buy the argument that we need higher IQ.
It's OK to acknowledge inconvenient facts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_Global_Inequality (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_Global_Inequality)
Perhaps I'm mistaken and the African is not like the ostrich; in that case he must create his own narrative. Einstein said: Everybody is a Genius. But If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid
South Africa is planning to formally protest President Trump's reported remarks referring to Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations as "shithole countries."
I could be wrong but El Salvador has a bigger non-black population - including pure whites (Americans) and the Mestizo (Spanish descendants). Trump is just foulmouthed - his beef is poor folks not blacks - a subtle difference without a distinction. He respects success not color.
Richard Lynn is a revered authority in racist circles. That is problematic. It would be less problematic if he had evidence on his side. At most it's circumstantial without establishing cause and effect. I am not even sure if one can find a reliable study that established the IQ of people in Africa. It seems to me that IQ rises the wealthier a society becomes. That can explain the Flynn effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect.
The most I can see about IQ is it's a test of how well one is adjusted to fit and function in a western(modern) society. If you live in one culture, you will always suck in a test with emphasis on attributes that are valued in a different one. Africa has been exposed to the West, but Africans have never really embraced western culture. Even African Americans don't exist in the same culture.
A typical mzungu's skill levels are very basic things. They are mostly glorified clerks who exist in a favorable economic environment. They can barely think outside the box. If he does not have a set of well written instructions and protocol, you will get chaos. You can replace him with a well written shell script. That said, I admire how well they can follow a script.
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Development is definitely complicated and that is why we need leaders who have thought about it and can coherently articulate and defend what it is that they are going to do. However, we know that stealing elections, looting, dividing the country along tribal lines and impoverishing citizens is not a way towards development. We are definitely heading in the wrong directions but because of stupid and silly tribalism we have our heads in the sand protecting losers, thieves and drunkards like Ouru and Ruto.
Definitely development is very complex and can't be simplified. I really hope we are going to knick it in a general or two. I would suggest benevolent dictatorship is a good start but Kichwa would kill me.
Even when the theory of "intelligence" is taken it at highest; we do know intelligence improve or degrade with nutrition of kids & other factors; therefore it's chicken-egg situation; however obviously our current intelligence model don't capture why there is no Asian musician or artist or actors in the USA.
We definitely agree this multi-faceted complicated if not complex problem where no single cause or solution can explain it.
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I agree Ouruto are terrible leaders. Yet, we have seen countries make leaps and bounds with questionable folks at the helm. At some point, South Korea was under military rule, even as it made big economic strides.
While leadership is important(the most important actually because they decide the direction), ultimately, it depends on whether that leadership correctly identifies what is holding the countries back. In Africa, I think it's structural and organizational as a result of its history.
Good thought.
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Trump is best ignored. Americans did an experiment, it went bad and I am sure they will correct it. If the Dems take over the House this year they will definitely make Trump a lame president. If he is not impeached by 2020, he will still be defeated. Meanwhile the other institutions in the US are working independently of what Trump does or says. Nobody is scared of Trump like they are of Ouruto who will steal elections, threaten judges, kill opponents and loot the country with impunity. Meanwhile nothing is working for the poor man who are the majority of Kenyans.
I don't buy the argument that we need higher IQ.
It's OK to acknowledge inconvenient facts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_Global_Inequality (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_Global_Inequality)
Perhaps I'm mistaken and the African is not like the ostrich; in that case he must create his own narrative. Einstein said: Everybody is a Genius. But If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid
South Africa is planning to formally protest President Trump's reported remarks referring to Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations as "shithole countries."
I could be wrong but El Salvador has a bigger non-black population - including pure whites (Americans) and the Mestizo (Spanish descendants). Trump is just foulmouthed - his beef is poor folks not blacks - a subtle difference without a distinction. He respects success not color.
Richard Lynn is a revered authority in racist circles. That is problematic. It would be less problematic if he had evidence on his side. At most it's circumstantial without establishing cause and effect. I am not even sure if one can find a reliable study that established the IQ of people in Africa. It seems to me that IQ rises the wealthier a society becomes. That can explain the Flynn effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect.
The most I can see about IQ is it's a test of how well one is adjusted to fit and function in a western(modern) society. If you live in one culture, you will always suck in a test with emphasis on attributes that are valued in a different one. Africa has been exposed to the West, but Africans have never really embraced western culture. Even African Americans don't exist in the same culture.
A typical mzungu's skill levels are very basic things. They are mostly glorified clerks who exist in a favorable economic environment. They can barely think outside the box. If he does not have a set of well written instructions and protocol, you will get chaos. You can replace him with a well written shell script. That said, I admire how well they can follow a script.
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Kichwa makelele mengi. I can't wait for Ruto to take over and line up the cabinet with Matiang'is. Murkomen will deal with noisemakers as the new total man.
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You really like to twist the truth. Kenya did exceedingly well during Uhuru first five and that is why he won. It did way better than US in similar period. The economy grew on average 5-6% (that is amongst the best anywhere in the world - China is now doing 6.5%?). We saw electrification on steroids - and street lighting never seen before - my rural outpost has street lights - and if you go to Uganda - you'd be luckly to find one working street light. We saw SGR - kenya biggest public investment ever - delivered on time and budget - that SGR is now operational - 700 shs to Mombasa in 5hrs and freigh (50K). We saw LAPSET get off ground. We saw the most ambitious tarmacking of roads in kenya - in Bomet my county -- there are more than 200kms under way - and this is happening everywhere. I can go on and on...but there is a reason UHURU WON by 54% - increasing his 2013 margin! Child mortality dropped; nearly every woman now gives birth in an hospital; Kenya dropped in ease of dong business by nearly 80 position - now it sit next to Rwanda & Mauritius & Botwsana of Africa. Folks are now paying loan at 13-15% after kenyan capped interest rate - that was hovering towards 25%. I can go on and on.
UhuRuto have been nothing but transformative. The people like Kichwa or Terminator will not bring any EMPERICAL evidence that compares Kenya in 2013 and 2017 because the data from all institution backs Uhuru as having delivered.
UhuRuto regime have managed to achieve so much in so short a time....such a shame they don't get accolades. It only in corruption that in my view they have failed.Uhuru can cement his legacy by stamping out corruption. Not in idiotic magufuli style. But in systematic way - that focus more on putting in place tight controls that make corruption hard - in further rolling out digitization and such measures that bring transparency to the corrupt institutions.
Trump is best ignored. Americans did an experiment, it went bad and I am sure they will correct it. If the Dems take over the House this year they will definitely make Trump a lame president. If he is not impeached by 2020, he will still be defeated. Meanwhile the other institutions in the US are working independently of what Trump does or says. Nobody is scared of Trump like they are of Ouruto who will steal elections, threaten judges, kill opponents and loot the country with impunity. Meanwhile nothing is working for the poor man who are the majority of Kenyans.
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Precisely. Kenyans need people who are doers. The Nyachaes. The Michukis. The Bitanges. The Rutos. The Matiangis. The Balalas. People who know how to get shiet done. Otherwise we end up with politician who just know how to talk, talk and talk. We need people who can get stuff done. That is what made America great....folks actually prefer to get some work done. America work ethic is out of the world.
Kichwa makelele mengi. I can't wait for Ruto to take over and line up the cabinet with Matiang'is. Murkomen will deal with noisemakers as the new total man.
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Robina, you are like a typical Kenyan politician. The only difference between you and Ababu, Munya and Iso Ruto is that at least they got paid and are expecting appointments in plum jobs. Its not too long ago when you used to make the same things that you now characterize as "makelele" . I have more respect for a consistent kalenjin rutoist tribalist like pundit because I understand the narrow political dark hole that he resides in.
Kichwa makelele mengi. I can't wait for Ruto to take over and line up the cabinet with Matiang'is. Murkomen will deal with noisemakers as the new total man.
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That was campaign period before NASA got rewarded with opposition role despite their glaring deficiencies - or rather because of them. My reason for voting Raila is known. Time for work now. You actually think competent folks are bad because you don't like them. That's the difference between us. Even Trump with the recovering economy is likely to be rewarded. He just has a PR battle ahead.
Robina, you are like a typical Kenyan politician. The only difference between you and Ababu, Munya and Iso Ruto is that at least they got paid and are expecting appointments in plum jobs. Its not too long ago when you used to make the same things that you now characterize as "makelele" . I have more respect for a consistent kalenjin rutoist tribalist like pundit because I understand the narrow political dark hole that he resides in.
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Robina. Dow Jones will always go up and down and would have gone up and down even with Hilary. I am sure the economy of the United States was great during slavery and so was South African economy during apartheid and maybe Germany's economy during Hitler. Electoral injustice, impunity, tribalism, mismanagement of the economy and dictatorship are not acceptable in exchange for "moving on". You can move on all you want but please, do not start with that condescending attitude of telling other people to move on. Have some respect for those of us who will never cow tow to the allure of fake "development". I am sure you now think you are on the "winning side" but we will change the ouruto political trajectory of capturing the state through electoral theft. There are just too many of us to be ignored or wished away.
That was campaign period before NASA got rewarded with opposition role despite their glaring deficiencies - or rather because of them. My reason for voting Raila is known. Time for work now. You actually think competent folks are bad because you don't like them. That's the difference between us. Even Trump with the recovering economy is likely to be rewarded. He just has a PR battle ahead.
Robina, you are like a typical Kenyan politician. The only difference between you and Ababu, Munya and Iso Ruto is that at least they got paid and are expecting appointments in plum jobs. Its not too long ago when you used to make the same things that you now characterize as "makelele" . I have more respect for a consistent kalenjin rutoist tribalist like pundit because I understand the narrow political dark hole that he resides in.
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(http://mobile.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/4265270/medRes/1859736/-/13lg8qw/-/CART-16-01-18.jpg)
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Looking at the list of the men who made America what it is - they were never politicians. The politicians and govt came in to regulate when these movers became too strong as they still are today. That is the reason why even if America is led by a goat no much ruin will happen as the CNNs would want the world to believe. In Africa we expect politicians who have participated in creating the mess to correct it, reason we will largely keep running like headless chicken. While Vanderbilts, Carnegies built the US rail based on a steel vision, our cargo loan based SGR is having problem with what to carry despite the figures of increasing imports and the containers KPA indicates it is handling!! Adding the last mile transport the cost is adding up to the same with what trucks charge!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Men_Who_Built_America
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Goods-shortage-stalls-Kenya-SGR-cargo-business/2560-4251750-15gm49/index.html
Precisely. Kenyans need people who are doers. The Nyachaes. The Michukis. The Bitanges. The Rutos. The Matiangis. The Balalas. People who know how to get shiet done. Otherwise we end up with politician who just know how to talk, talk and talk. We need people who can get stuff done. That is what made America great....folks actually prefer to get some work done. America work ethic is out of the world.
Kichwa makelele mengi. I can't wait for Ruto to take over and line up the cabinet with Matiang'is. Murkomen will deal with noisemakers as the new total man.
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Richard Lynn is a revered authority in racist circles. That is problematic. It would be less problematic if he had evidence on his side. At most it's circumstantial without establishing cause and effect. I am not even sure if one can find a reliable study that established the IQ of people in Africa. It seems to me that IQ rises the wealthier a society becomes. That can explain the Flynn effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect.
The most I can see about IQ is it's a test of how well one is adjusted to fit and function in a western(modern) society. If you live in one culture, you will always suck in a test with emphasis on attributes that are valued in a different one. Africa has been exposed to the West, but Africans have never really embraced western culture. Even African Americans don't exist in the same culture.
A typical mzungu's skill levels are very basic things. They are mostly glorified clerks who exist in a favorable economic environment. They can barely think outside the box. If he does not have a set of well written instructions and protocol, you will get chaos. You can replace him with a well written shell script. That said, I admire how well they can follow a script.
Absolutely. I used to think you were a believer in this racist IQ stuff, glad to see I was projecting!
That said, one of the groups with the highest IQ on the planet, comparable only to Ashkenazi Jews and some Chinese groups, are the Ibos of Nigeria. Lots of them moved to the UK during the war and they have been astonishing people there ever since.
I believe in the IQ group differentials as long as we are clear which groups we are comparing. Why would one compare all blacks in one camp vs all whites just because they share one or a couple of traits whose only discernible significance is appearance for the most part? There are such vast differences among each of these groups on many other traits that it makes such groupings ridiculous from a scientific point of view. That's why many scientists reject the idea of race (based on colour and not geographic groups), not just because it's prejudiced but because there's no good scientific basis for such large groupings just because they share skin colour. More fundamental traits could be used to create very different groups, for example. Just because these traits are not readily seen like we see skin colour doesn't mean they are not much more fundamental. So yes, there are differences between geographical groups, some kind of adaptation, so you don't get to credit the Irish with traits of a group in Eastern Europe for example, and same thing in Africa.
You have identified the key issue as far as our structural struggles. Systems like the Western one are outputs of certain traditions that grow over a time in no discerned conscious way. The systems that prevailed in most of Africa were informal and predicated on small close-knit groups. To the extent that agriculture made the growth of larger and larger kingdoms possible, these systems became gradually more and more centralized, complex and rigid...more "law-like" or "state-like" in the sense we understand those terms in modernity (which is Western-derived).
Remember agriculture sprung in Sub-Saharan Africa much, much later than Europe or Asia. So all these centralizations and complex organization that start to develop with stabilized and larger groups due to agriculture were only at their early stages here in the last 1000 years or so (not counting the Egyptians with their Nile and connection to the rest of the world, of course, plus their derivatives in the Sudan). Africans are per for the course with the rest of humanity in terms of stages of economic evolutions over time.
It is the curse of the modern African that he must live at a time when reductionist thinking determines his nature re other humans by looking at this "evidence" of "intelligence" without caring about the noted patterns of the evolution of human society across time in response to economic changes. Hopefully, 200 years from now, thoughts like this will appear ignorant to anyone who studies our times, though not as ignorant as say, those that prevailed a few decades or centuries ago.
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Kadame I don't disagree with your evolutionary adaptation theory. The 200 years estimate is however disheartening. Pundit is more optimistic and believes Africa will be up there in a generation or two.
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Majority of Africans are retarded due to malnutrition in early years. Lack of enough food and proper diet affects brain development. The results in KCPE and KCSE are proof that majority of Mwafrika are retarded. Without enough proteins in early years mens most of us will remain savages. Reason why all these African elites who were born in abject poverty only think of primitive accumulation. Be it Kenyatta mzee, Moi, Kibaki, Biwott, Ruto and all hustlers who talk of 'kutoka mbali'. Gouging on nyama choma cannot cover for lack of proteins when they are needed most.
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Majority of Africans are retarded due to malnutrition in early years. Lack of enough food and proper diet affects brain development. The results in KCPE and KCSE are proof that majority of Mwafrika are retarded. Without enough proteins in early years mens most of us will remain savages. Reason why all these African elites who were born in abject poverty only think of primitive accumulation. Be it Kenyatta mzee, Moi, Kibaki, Biwott, Ruto and all hustlers who talk of 'kutoka mbali'. Gouging on nyama choma cannot cover for lack of proteins when they are needed most.
Lol!
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The reason for food stumps in the US welfare system is actually kid nutrition. gout's analysis is correct but shallow
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Richard Lynn is a revered authority in racist circles. That is problematic. It would be less problematic if he had evidence on his side. At most it's circumstantial without establishing cause and effect. I am not even sure if one can find a reliable study that established the IQ of people in Africa. It seems to me that IQ rises the wealthier a society becomes. That can explain the Flynn effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect).
The most I can see about IQ is it's a test of how well one is adjusted to fit and function in a western(modern) society. If you live in one culture, you will always suck in a test with emphasis on attributes that are valued in a different one. Africa has been exposed to the West, but Africans have never really embraced western culture. Even African Americans don't exist in the same culture.
A typical mzungu's skill levels are very basic things. They are mostly glorified clerks who exist in a favorable economic environment. They can barely think outside the box. If he does not have a set of well written instructions and protocol, you will get chaos. You can replace him with a well written shell script. That said, I admire how well they can follow a script.
Absolutely. I used to think you were a believer in this racist IQ stuff, glad to see I was projecting!
That said, one of the groups with the highest IQ on the planet, comparable only to Ashkenazi Jews and some Chinese groups, are the Ibos of Nigeria. Lots of them moved to the UK during the war and they have been astonishing people there ever since.
I believe in the IQ group differentials as long as we are clear which groups we are comparing. Why would one compare all blacks in one camp vs all whites just because they share one or a couple of traits whose only discernible significance is appearance for the most part? There are such vast differences among each of these groups on many other traits that it makes such groupings ridiculous from a scientific point of view. That's why many scientists reject the idea of race (based on colour and not geographic groups), not just because it's prejudiced but because there's no good scientific basis for such large groupings just because they share skin colour. More fundamental traits could be used to create very different groups, for example. Just because these traits are not readily seen like we see skin colour doesn't mean they are not much more fundamental. So yes, there are differences between geographical groups, some kind of adaptation, so you don't get to credit the Irish with traits of a group in Eastern Europe for example, and same thing in Africa.
You have identified the key issue as far as our structural struggles. Systems like the Western one are outputs of certain traditions that grow over a time in no discerned conscious way. The systems that prevailed in most of Africa were informal and predicated on small close-knit groups. To the extent that agriculture made the growth of larger and larger kingdoms possible, these systems became gradually more and more centralized, complex and rigid...more "law-like" or "state-like" in the sense we understand those terms in modernity (which is Western-derived).
Remember agriculture sprung in Sub-Saharan Africa much, much later than Europe or Asia. So all these centralizations and complex organization that start to develop with stabilized and larger groups due to agriculture were only at their early stages here in the last 1000 years or so (not counting the Egyptians with their Nile and connection to the rest of the world, of course, plus their derivatives in the Sudan). Africans are per for the course with the rest of humanity in terms of stages of economic evolutions over time.
It is the curse of the modern African that he must live at a time when reductionist thinking determines his nature re other humans by looking at this "evidence" of "intelligence" without caring about the noted patterns of the evolution of human society across time in response to economic changes. Hopefully, 200 years from now, thoughts like this will appear ignorant to anyone who studies our times, though not as ignorant as say, those that prevailed a few decades or centuries ago.
That would be vooke. He and Robina share this view. I don't think IQ factors at all in how well a society does. Culture and history explains all that. I am not even sure what IQ measures. Some have suggested it measures how well one can take an IQ test. This whole Mensa thing seems to support that position. There is not much you can put a finger on as far as contributions made to the world by this group or its members, apart from joining together with other high IQ individuals.
The African is inherently as dumb/smart as anyone else, be they Ashkenaz or Asian. His organization leaves him vulnerable to outside exploitation. Of course there are more immediate explanations like politics and all. But ultimately, they are only valid, because they prevent him from optimal organization.
While I don't know who did the regional IQ tests and when, many lists put India's IQ score very much in the African realm. But India is able to leverage a different level of organization to better exploit its human resources to pick just one example. North Korea's IQ scores should be very similar to its southern neighbor's. But they still starve to death over there.
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The reason for food stumps in the US welfare system is actually kid nutrition. gout's analysis is correct but shallow
I should've highlighted the portion I was loling at. I wasn't laughing at gout's ideas, I thought his comment about our politicians was genuinely hilarious. I thought gout was funny.
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Development is definitely complicated and that is why we need leaders who have thought about it and can coherently articulate and defend what it is that they are going to do. However, we know that stealing elections, looting, dividing the country along tribal lines and impoverishing citizens is not a way towards development. We are definitely heading in the wrong directions but because of stupid and silly tribalism we have our heads in the sand protecting losers, thieves and drunkards like Ouru and Ruto.
That’s something I agree with KM
I came across this subject on Quora and one thing about all the so called benevolent dictators from Sankara,and even Gadaffi at some point....appear to have had was a clear vision. They had some ideals they deliberately pursued while in power.
If I asked you to summarize Uhuru’s last 5yrs legacy what would you say?
What was he trying to achieve? You can’t tell. There’s no crazy ideals that possess Uhuruto,or at least none is apparent.
https://www.quora.com/Has-there-ever-been-a-good-dictator-at-any-point-in-history-If-so-which-ones-were-good
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Development is definitely complicated and that is why we need leaders who have thought about it and can coherently articulate and defend what it is that they are going to do. However, we know that stealing elections, looting, dividing the country along tribal lines and impoverishing citizens is not a way towards development. We are definitely heading in the wrong directions but because of stupid and silly tribalism we have our heads in the sand protecting losers, thieves and drunkards like Ouru and Ruto.
That’s something I agree with KM
I came across this subject on Quora and one thing about all the so called benevolent dictators from Sankara,and even Gadaffi at some point....appear to have had was a clear vision. They had some ideals they deliberately pursued while in power.
If I asked you to summarize Uhuru’s last 5yrs legacy what would you say?
What was he trying to achieve? You can’t tell. There’s no crazy ideals that possess Uhuruto,or at least none is apparent.
Of course I can. It is called killing the ICC cases monster followed closely by keeping the tumbocrats supportive.
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Kadame I don't disagree with your evolutionary adaptation theory. The 200 years estimate is however disheartening. Pundit is more optimistic and believes Africa will be up there in a generation or two.
Methinks Pundit is a little too hopeful but I don't actually think it'll take us 200 years given we are not starting from scratch and going the whole route the same way, we are taking shortcuts. I just meant that there will be a time when Africans won't need to grapple with inferiority complexes occasioned by sharp differences in the economic advancement of their societies vs those of their contemporaries. 200 was a random number.
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If you look at Africa - nearly 1/4 of countries are already middle class - talking the botswana,namibia,south africa, mauritius,most of arab countries - and you have many in lower middle-income including kenya - and soon many will join - so by 1950 - I expect the average africa to be leading middle income earning at least 10k usd per year or more - and living in urban areas - and generally doing fine - and possibly before end of this century - it would have caught up with the rest of the world.
Methinks Pundit is a little too hopeful but I don't actually think it'll take us 200 years given we are not starting from scratch and going the whole route the same way, we are taking shortcuts. I just meant that there will be a time when Africans won't need to grapple with inferiority complexes occasioned by sharp differences in the economic advancement of their societies vs those of their contemporaries. 200 was a random number.
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If you look at Africa - nearly 1/4 of countries are already middle class - talking the botswana,namibia,south africa, mauritius,most of arab countries - and you have many in lower middle-income including kenya - and soon many will join - so by 1950 - I expect the average africa to be leading middle income earning at least 10k usd per year or more - and living in urban areas - and generally doing fine - and possibly before end of this century - it would have caught up with the rest of the world.
Methinks Pundit is a little too hopeful but I don't actually think it'll take us 200 years given we are not starting from scratch and going the whole route the same way, we are taking shortcuts. I just meant that there will be a time when Africans won't need to grapple with inferiority complexes occasioned by sharp differences in the economic advancement of their societies vs those of their contemporaries. 200 was a random number.
And all those middle class african countries have whites,asian or arabs who dominate their economies. I think the key to africa developing is to produce more by increasing productivity in every sector.
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Everybody knows that Africa has great potential but everybody also knows that the potential cannot be actualized without a functioning and stable democracy. Economic development needs stability like human beings need air. The notion that you can ignore half of the country and still achieve economic development is stupid. This is the beef I have with Kagame. He should have spent more time in building a stable political system that can last for a long time to guarantee that the economic development that he has harnessed will last a long time. I remember in our primary school history class when asked to state five reasons why an empire collapsed, we knew one of the answers would be, "lack of a proper succession system" or something to that effect. Accept and move on worked in 2007 because of nusu mkate. In 2013, it worked because the opposition never saw what hit them and they did not know how to deal with the slick way of stealing elections. In 2017 the opposition was ready and we are not going to accept and move on.
If you look at Africa - nearly 1/4 of countries are already middle class - talking the botswana,namibia,south africa, mauritius,most of arab countries - and you have many in lower middle-income including kenya - and soon many will join - so by 1950 - I expect the average africa to be leading middle income earning at least 10k usd per year or more - and living in urban areas - and generally doing fine - and possibly before end of this century - it would have caught up with the rest of the world.
Methinks Pundit is a little too hopeful but I don't actually think it'll take us 200 years given we are not starting from scratch and going the whole route the same way, we are taking shortcuts. I just meant that there will be a time when Africans won't need to grapple with inferiority complexes occasioned by sharp differences in the economic advancement of their societies vs those of their contemporaries. 200 was a random number.
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Talk about Economic Development without a stable political environment is like talking about furniture without a house.
If you look at Africa - nearly 1/4 of countries are already middle class - talking the botswana,namibia,south africa, mauritius,most of arab countries - and you have many in lower middle-income including kenya - and soon many will join - so by 1950 - I expect the average africa to be leading middle income earning at least 10k usd per year or more - and living in urban areas - and generally doing fine - and possibly before end of this century - it would have caught up with the rest of the world.
Methinks Pundit is a little too hopeful but I don't actually think it'll take us 200 years given we are not starting from scratch and going the whole route the same way, we are taking shortcuts. I just meant that there will be a time when Africans won't need to grapple with inferiority complexes occasioned by sharp differences in the economic advancement of their societies vs those of their contemporaries. 200 was a random number.
And all those middle class african countries have whites,asian or arabs who dominate their economies. I think the key to africa developing is to produce more by increasing productivity in every sector.
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Kichwa not everything is about Odinga failed bid for PORK.
Everybody knows that Africa has great potential but everybody also knows that the potential cannot be actualized without a functioning and stable democracy. Economic development needs stability like human beings need air. The notion that you can ignore half of the country and still achieve economic development is stupid. This is the beef I have with Kagame. He should have spent more time in building a stable political system that can last for a long time to guarantee that the economic development that he has harnessed will last a long time. I remember in our primary school history class when asked to state five reasons why an empire collapsed, we knew one of the answers would be, "lack of a proper succession system" or something to that effect. Accept and move on worked in 2007 because of nusu mkate. In 2013, it worked because the opposition never saw what hit them and they did not know how to deal with the slick way of stealing elections. In 2017 the opposition was ready and we are not going to accept and move on.
If you look at Africa - nearly 1/4 of countries are already middle class - talking the botswana,namibia,south africa, mauritius,most of arab countries - and you have many in lower middle-income including kenya - and soon many will join - so by 1950 - I expect the average africa to be leading middle income earning at least 10k usd per year or more - and living in urban areas - and generally doing fine - and possibly before end of this century - it would have caught up with the rest of the world.
Methinks Pundit is a little too hopeful but I don't actually think it'll take us 200 years given we are not starting from scratch and going the whole route the same way, we are taking shortcuts. I just meant that there will be a time when Africans won't need to grapple with inferiority complexes occasioned by sharp differences in the economic advancement of their societies vs those of their contemporaries. 200 was a random number.
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Precisely
And all those middle class african countries have whites,asian or arabs who dominate their economies. I think the key to africa developing is to produce more by increasing productivity in every sector.
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Pundito-Not everything is about Ruto and by the way, he will never be president.
Kichwa not everything is about Odinga failed bid for PORK.
Everybody knows that Africa has great potential but everybody also knows that the potential cannot be actualized without a functioning and stable democracy. Economic development needs stability like human beings need air. The notion that you can ignore half of the country and still achieve economic development is stupid. This is the beef I have with Kagame. He should have spent more time in building a stable political system that can last for a long time to guarantee that the economic development that he has harnessed will last a long time. I remember in our primary school history class when asked to state five reasons why an empire collapsed, we knew one of the answers would be, "lack of a proper succession system" or something to that effect. Accept and move on worked in 2007 because of nusu mkate. In 2013, it worked because the opposition never saw what hit them and they did not know how to deal with the slick way of stealing elections. In 2017 the opposition was ready and we are not going to accept and move on.
If you look at Africa - nearly 1/4 of countries are already middle class - talking the botswana,namibia,south africa, mauritius,most of arab countries - and you have many in lower middle-income including kenya - and soon many will join - so by 1950 - I expect the average africa to be leading middle income earning at least 10k usd per year or more - and living in urban areas - and generally doing fine - and possibly before end of this century - it would have caught up with the rest of the world.
Methinks Pundit is a little too hopeful but I don't actually think it'll take us 200 years given we are not starting from scratch and going the whole route the same way, we are taking shortcuts. I just meant that there will be a time when Africans won't need to grapple with inferiority complexes occasioned by sharp differences in the economic advancement of their societies vs those of their contemporaries. 200 was a random number.
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You cannot even begin of talking about increasing productivity in every sector before you settle the political issues. We have reached a point in Kenya where political shenanigans cannot be swept under the rug.
Precisely
And all those middle class african countries have whites,asian or arabs who dominate their economies. I think the key to africa developing is to produce more by increasing productivity in every sector.
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Benevolent dictatorship is a proven system to leapfrog the economy. Look at the Asian Tigers and China. A few quarrelsome folks should have to go to exile for the greater good.
Talk about Economic Development without a stable political environment is like talking about furniture without a house.
If you look at Africa - nearly 1/4 of countries are already middle class - talking the botswana,namibia,south africa, mauritius,most of arab countries - and you have many in lower middle-income including kenya - and soon many will join - so by 1950 - I expect the average africa to be leading middle income earning at least 10k usd per year or more - and living in urban areas - and generally doing fine - and possibly before end of this century - it would have caught up with the rest of the world.
Methinks Pundit is a little too hopeful but I don't actually think it'll take us 200 years given we are not starting from scratch and going the whole route the same way, we are taking shortcuts. I just meant that there will be a time when Africans won't need to grapple with inferiority complexes occasioned by sharp differences in the economic advancement of their societies vs those of their contemporaries. 200 was a random number.
And all those middle class african countries have whites,asian or arabs who dominate their economies. I think the key to africa developing is to produce more by increasing productivity in every sector.
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Ruto is very likely to be the 5th president of Kenya.
S - Jubilee behemoth
W - polarizing persona
O - new tribal alliances
T - betrayal by Gema
Odds: 70%
Pundito-Not everything is about Ruto and by the way, he will never be president.
Kichwa not everything is about Odinga failed bid for PORK.
Everybody knows that Africa has great potential but everybody also knows that the potential cannot be actualized without a functioning and stable democracy. Economic development needs stability like human beings need air. The notion that you can ignore half of the country and still achieve economic development is stupid. This is the beef I have with Kagame. He should have spent more time in building a stable political system that can last for a long time to guarantee that the economic development that he has harnessed will last a long time. I remember in our primary school history class when asked to state five reasons why an empire collapsed, we knew one of the answers would be, "lack of a proper succession system" or something to that effect. Accept and move on worked in 2007 because of nusu mkate. In 2013, it worked because the opposition never saw what hit them and they did not know how to deal with the slick way of stealing elections. In 2017 the opposition was ready and we are not going to accept and move on.
If you look at Africa - nearly 1/4 of countries are already middle class - talking the botswana,namibia,south africa, mauritius,most of arab countries - and you have many in lower middle-income including kenya - and soon many will join - so by 1950 - I expect the average africa to be leading middle income earning at least 10k usd per year or more - and living in urban areas - and generally doing fine - and possibly before end of this century - it would have caught up with the rest of the world.
Methinks Pundit is a little too hopeful but I don't actually think it'll take us 200 years given we are not starting from scratch and going the whole route the same way, we are taking shortcuts. I just meant that there will be a time when Africans won't need to grapple with inferiority complexes occasioned by sharp differences in the economic advancement of their societies vs those of their contemporaries. 200 was a random number.
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Robots & industry 4.0 is the new buzz. Will Africa catch up? There is a productivity acceleration (a shift!) in the west and emerging markets while Africa is yet to fully adopt the digital age. Every now and then I see a Kenyan on youtube attempting to launch a scrap jet like a kite :o
Precisely
And all those middle class african countries have whites,asian or arabs who dominate their economies. I think the key to africa developing is to produce more by increasing productivity in every sector.
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Ruto will win because his competition is wakina maDVD, Kalonzo, Mutua and possibly even Odinga. Ruto strategy should be to appear weak so they don't pull a kibaki by uniting behind one candidate. That is only threat I see - a united opposition and less enthusiatic gema (as one would expect). Of course Ruto learnt from the best so - he'll be instigating the likes of Mutua to ran against Kalonzo - the likes of Joho to ran - couple of Luhyas - and maybe even someone to challenge Raila in Luo Nyanza. Within GEMA - if they cannot support Ruto 100% - then best bet is for the vote to be splinterred - so no strong candidate - meru standing there - a tharaka - a muranga - a nyeri.
Plan A of course is to get Moi's KANU constituency of 90s - Kamatusa(nearly 20% of national vote)+somalis+small tribes+coast should already get Ruto past 30%. His biggest weakness right now is coast..they are still stuck with Raila...Ruto has to win the mijikenda votes without giving them DP or something big ....that leaves him needing about 15% - which he can make deal with any of BIG FOUR (GEMA,LUO,Kamba, Luhya).
Plan B is to imagine Jubilee coalition will remain intact - because it doesn't make sense to break a winning coalition.
All in all the biggest threat to Ruto remain Raila - he has to figure a way to divide NASA now - I'd give something to Wetangula or MadDVD or Kalonzo - but not all of them - just one or two - Wetangula is easy pick - Bukusu are already half-way in Jubilee - fire Eugene Wamalwa and hire Wetangula - let Mutua loose on Kalonzo - maDVD will never get out of Maragoliland. And double down on Joho - until he let off the mijikenda. Crash him financially.
Ruto is very likely to be the 5th president of Kenya.
S - Jubilee behemoth
W - polarizing persona
O - new tribal alliances
T - betrayal by Gema
Odds: 70%
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Ruto will win because his competition is wakina maDVD, Kalonzo, Mutua and possibly even Odinga. Ruto strategy should be to appear weak so they don't pull a kibaki by uniting behind one candidate. That is only threat I see - a united opposition and less enthusiatic gema (as one would expect). Of course Ruto learnt from the best so - he'll be instigating the likes of Mutua to ran against Kalonzo - the likes of Joho to ran - couple of Luhyas - and maybe even someone to challenge Raila in Luo Nyanza. Within GEMA - if they cannot support Ruto 100% - then best bet is for the vote to be splinterred - so no strong candidate - meru standing there - a tharaka - a muranga - a nyeri.
The 50% clause makes betting on a divided opposition a tricky gamble. The math must add up upfront or end up with costly promises like the recent run-off.
Plan A of course is to get Moi's KANU constituency of 90s - Kamatusa(nearly 20% of national vote)+somalis+small tribes+coast should already get Ruto past 30%. His biggest weakness right now is coast..they are still stuck with Raila...Ruto has to win the mijikenda votes without giving them DP or something big ....that leaves him needing about 15% - which he can make deal with any of BIG FOUR (GEMA,LUO,Kamba, Luhya).
Only Gema have a solid 20+% - the rest are 10% max. Weta is easy pick for Senate Majority Leader which is safe in stock with Murkomen. Ruto in new cabinet should pamper Bukusu and ignore Ababu? This chess I suspect is the real reason for the delay. Luo is a pipe dream without Raila.
Plan B is to imagine Jubilee coalition will remain intact - because it doesn't make sense to break a winning coalition.
A few pawns will be shaken off in new lineup. Gema has been nipped in the bud by roping in Meru (Kiraitu, Munya), Kikuyu (Kiunjuri). Murang'a cannot split with clueless PK. I think with Uhuru only Mandago anti-Kikuyu idiocy can lose significant Gema.
All in all the biggest threat to Ruto remain Raila - he has to figure a way to divide NASA now - I'd give something to Wetangula or MadDVD or Kalonzo - but not all of them - just one or two - Wetangula is easy pick - Bukusu are already half-way in Jubilee - fire Eugene Wamalwa and hire Wetangula - let Mutua loose on Kalonzo - maDVD will never get out of Maragoliland. And double down on Joho - until he let off the mijikenda. Crash him financially.
Mijikenda is pulling teeth. He can continue propping Mvurya and Mung'aro & Mombasa crew with mixed returns. A battle of attrition.
I too see Ruto's chances as good despite the do-or-die nature of his nemesis. Jubilee 20-year MOU remains the real master stroke.
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Africa doesn't have to develop robots or the new craze just adopt technology to improve production.Emerging countries have benefited more from mobile telecommunication than the developed nations in terms leaps in increased efficiency. We need to invest in R&D to solve our problems. Kenya should probably have allocated cash on university research departments and commercialization instead of investing in Konza.
One of the key determinant of a country prosperity is economic freedom. This is where kenya is lagging behind even though we made progress on ease of doing business. To move up economic freedom indices we need to dismantle crony capitalism,liberalize every sector, privatize all government business holdings, limit the scope and size of government and ensure efficient regulations that don't impede investment. Uhuruto government is doing none of this, they're working hard to entrench cronyism.
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hk telecom is consumer with multiple applications that's why Sub Sahara benefited disproportionately. Robots are for manufacturing - I don't see big applicability for non-industrial economy. IoT and services maybe.
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From facebook - debunks all the theories about IQ and all that - We just need to have skilled labour force. This I reckon is the Jubilee thinking. Kibaki had led the country a stray with campuses in every street and with every candidate suddenly scoring an A. This is the time to go back to the basics...with Matiangi dishing Ds and Es...folks have to find something they can actually do with their hands. Jubilee has completed TTC in every constituency but with Kibaki era As - they were never gonna get students --- now the Ds and Es have to troop there and find careers as welders, mechanics, electricians, plumbers and such skills.
I have a cousin who earned a Diploma in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems Maintenance from the Kenya Polytechnic (now Technical University of Kenya) in 2012. He's barely in the country. He's usually in Nairobi this week, Rwanda the next, and South Sudan the week after. He literally decides which jobs to take and which ones not to. I also have a friend who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Mombasa (formerly known as Mombasa Polytechnic) in 2015 who has been looking for a job for the past two years. This month, he was lucky to get a job with Equity Bank as a Teller.
Sounds ridiculous right? How does a Diploma holder get a job immediately while a degree holder spends three years looking for a job and finally settles on a profession completely unrelated to what he studied in school? Let me tell you why. While the former was taught practical skills in a Technical Training Institute, the latter spent a significant portion of his five years in University running from one lecture theatre to another learning theory of knowledge. No firm is willing to employ him because they'll have to spend a lot of time and money re-training him on practical industry skills.
While the former is highly-skilled, the latter is highly-educated. That is the problem we have in this country. We have a workforce that is highly educated but lacks in practical skills. This is why the Chinese are building our roads, bridges, and railway lines while we have Engineers in this country.
The gravest mistake that the Kibaki Administration committed in the quest to improve access to higher education was to upgrade all Technical Training Institutes, Polytechnics, and mid-level colleges to University status. In the rush to give these institutions Charters, they forgot to address two important questions: whether these institutions had the capacity to meet the skills needs of the future workforce it intended to train and whether the workforce they churned out would have the competency required to compete internationally.
One of the profound issues that Africa has to address –and address fast- is how to move from Third to First World. In order to make this transition, Africa has to emulate what is referred to as the “Asian Miracle” in global economics. Unlike Africa, countries like Taiwan and South Korea had no mineral wealth. How were they able to change their economic trajectories to the extent of even overtaking some First World countries? They focused on rapid technology-intensive economic development. They created national systems of innovation by copying technologies from First World economies. Most importantly, they invested in highly-skilled and not highly-educated human capital.
What is my point? Highly-skilled is more important than highly-educated in modern societies. Returns to education with regards to economic outcomes in a country are determined not by the number of University graduates but by the skill levels of the workforce. This is quite difficult to swallow, Right? To put this into perspective, let us take a look at Europe during the 18th Century Industrial Revolution. As late as 1850, Primary School Enrolment in Britain was as low as 11%. In a nutshell, only 11% of children born in Britain in the 18th century enrolled in Primary School. The remaining 89% did not. In contrast, Scandinavia had achieved full literacy by the turn of the 19th century. If there was a relationship between a highly-educated population and the rate of industrialization, Scandinavian countries should have industrialized faster. However, Britain was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution while Scandinavia lagged behind in terms of economic development for a very long time.
Why did this happen? While school enrolment was low in Britain, something else was happening –apprenticeship and craftsmanship. Apprenticeship was a system in Britain where Children between the ages of 12 and 15 would be sent to a craftsman who specialised in whatever it is they wanted to learn. The apprentices would then work under the master until they were 21. The apprenticeship system was so important in Britain that in 1653, the nation passed the Statute of Apprentices which made it illegal for anyone to practise a trade without having served under a master for a period of not less than seven years.
This is the primary reason why Britain was the technological leader in the world during the Industrial Revolution. It had a workforce which –though lacking in formal education- possessed the training and natural dexterity to come up with the ideas which economically revolutionised the world in the 18th century.
If this country –and by extension Africa- wants to industrialize and move from an Agrarian economy to become an Industrial giant- we have to rethink our education system. This country should stop its fixation with higher education and implement policies geared towards the enhancement of skills in the education system so that we can foster effective participation in the international labour market. It is time for us to revive our Technical Training Institutes and Mid-Level colleges so that we can provide comprehensive skills training for the workforce of the future. Otherwise, we will continue having people with Doctorates in Engineering who cannot design our roads.
Authored by Innocent Ngare .
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You spin everything jubilee does. Ati now Matiangi gets credit for dishing out E's and D's because he wants to create a skilled labor force.
From facebook - debunks all the theories about IQ and all that - We just need to have skilled labour force. This I reckon is the Jubilee thinking. Kibaki had led the country a stray with campuses in every street and with every candidate suddenly scoring an A. This is the time to go back to the basics...with Matiangi dishing Ds and Es...folks have to find something they can actually do with their hands. Jubilee has completed TTC in every constituency but with Kibaki era As - they were never gonna get students --- now the Ds and Es have to troop there and find careers as welders, mechanics, electricians, plumbers and such skills.
I have a cousin who earned a Diploma in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems Maintenance from the Kenya Polytechnic (now Technical University of Kenya) in 2012. He's barely in the country. He's usually in Nairobi this week, Rwanda the next, and South Sudan the week after. He literally decides which jobs to take and which ones not to. I also have a friend who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Mombasa (formerly known as Mombasa Polytechnic) in 2015 who has been looking for a job for the past two years. This month, he was lucky to get a job with Equity Bank as a Teller.
Sounds ridiculous right? How does a Diploma holder get a job immediately while a degree holder spends three years looking for a job and finally settles on a profession completely unrelated to what he studied in school? Let me tell you why. While the former was taught practical skills in a Technical Training Institute, the latter spent a significant portion of his five years in University running from one lecture theatre to another learning theory of knowledge. No firm is willing to employ him because they'll have to spend a lot of time and money re-training him on practical industry skills.
While the former is highly-skilled, the latter is highly-educated. That is the problem we have in this country. We have a workforce that is highly educated but lacks in practical skills. This is why the Chinese are building our roads, bridges, and railway lines while we have Engineers in this country.
The gravest mistake that the Kibaki Administration committed in the quest to improve access to higher education was to upgrade all Technical Training Institutes, Polytechnics, and mid-level colleges to University status. In the rush to give these institutions Charters, they forgot to address two important questions: whether these institutions had the capacity to meet the skills needs of the future workforce it intended to train and whether the workforce they churned out would have the competency required to compete internationally.
One of the profound issues that Africa has to address –and address fast- is how to move from Third to First World. In order to make this transition, Africa has to emulate what is referred to as the “Asian Miracle” in global economics. Unlike Africa, countries like Taiwan and South Korea had no mineral wealth. How were they able to change their economic trajectories to the extent of even overtaking some First World countries? They focused on rapid technology-intensive economic development. They created national systems of innovation by copying technologies from First World economies. Most importantly, they invested in highly-skilled and not highly-educated human capital.
What is my point? Highly-skilled is more important than highly-educated in modern societies. Returns to education with regards to economic outcomes in a country are determined not by the number of University graduates but by the skill levels of the workforce. This is quite difficult to swallow, Right? To put this into perspective, let us take a look at Europe during the 18th Century Industrial Revolution. As late as 1850, Primary School Enrolment in Britain was as low as 11%. In a nutshell, only 11% of children born in Britain in the 18th century enrolled in Primary School. The remaining 89% did not. In contrast, Scandinavia had achieved full literacy by the turn of the 19th century. If there was a relationship between a highly-educated population and the rate of industrialization, Scandinavian countries should have industrialized faster. However, Britain was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution while Scandinavia lagged behind in terms of economic development for a very long time.
Why did this happen? While school enrolment was low in Britain, something else was happening –apprenticeship and craftsmanship. Apprenticeship was a system in Britain where Children between the ages of 12 and 15 would be sent to a craftsman who specialised in whatever it is they wanted to learn. The apprentices would then work under the master until they were 21. The apprenticeship system was so important in Britain that in 1653, the nation passed the Statute of Apprentices which made it illegal for anyone to practise a trade without having served under a master for a period of not less than seven years.
This is the primary reason why Britain was the technological leader in the world during the Industrial Revolution. It had a workforce which –though lacking in formal education- possessed the training and natural dexterity to come up with the ideas which economically revolutionised the world in the 18th century.
If this country –and by extension Africa- wants to industrialize and move from an Agrarian economy to become an Industrial giant- we have to rethink our education system. This country should stop its fixation with higher education and implement policies geared towards the enhancement of skills in the education system so that we can foster effective participation in the international labour market. It is time for us to revive our Technical Training Institutes and Mid-Level colleges so that we can provide comprehensive skills training for the workforce of the future. Otherwise, we will continue having people with Doctorates in Engineering who cannot design our roads.
Authored by Innocent Ngare .
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I don't know about the politics but am sold on the need for TTC - handman training for the manufacturing and cottage industry. Companies also need to stop the ignorance of demanding a degree for every job. The Kibaki era MBA craze - you'd imagine the economy would double with the number of graduation ceremonies. Instead there is no notable improvement from all those paper tigers.
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I don't know about the politics but am sold on the need for TTC - handman training for the manufacturing and cottage industry. Companies also need to stop the ignorance of demanding a degree for every job. The Kibaki era MBA craze - you'd imagine the economy would double with the number of graduation ceremonies. Instead there is no notable improvement from all those paper tigers.
More arduino types and less of the lax monoidal functor types. Fundis, with some business skills, that do valuable work and get paid for it.
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I don't know about the politics but am sold on the need for TTC - handman training for the manufacturing and cottage industry. Companies also need to stop the ignorance of demanding a degree for every job. The Kibaki era MBA craze - you'd imagine the economy would double with the number of graduation ceremonies. Instead there is no notable improvement from all those paper tigers.
More arduino types and less of the lax monoidal functor types. Fundis, with some business skills, that do valuable work and get paid for it.
Yes. Even white collar jobs - a Kenya Poly CE diploma is a better programmer than a JKUAT CS degree. But Safaricom wowed by whitepaper types hires the theory guy - who promptly upgrades to MBA - to be a project engineer. Don't ask why they have struggled to create anything since M-pesa. Except new ringtones. It's a culture issue I think.