Liberia. Still a poor c

[KenyanPlato]

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The povery and lack of roads is just amazing. These roads remind me of our roads in 1980s. They were really bad. Seeing a woman with 8 kids breaking stones to sell as ballast is sad. Anyway these videos are good to see the fakeness of africa rising story. These poor people have no plattforms to air their problems

[Arcadian_Dreamer]

The povery and lack of roads is just amazing. These roads remind me of our roads in 1980s. They were really bad. Seeing a woman with 8 kids breaking stones to sell as ballast is sad. Anyway these videos are good to see the fakeness of africa rising story. These poor people have no plattforms to air their problems

We need to properly define poverty? It is lack of modern comforts and amenities such as tarmacked roads and tapped water or is it empty bellies? If it is the later then we had no poverty back in our subsistence agrarian roots, may be we should return to that model instead of aping what we can't reach. Modern poverty which equates to lack of paper money, eight lane highways, and such will forever be with us because we lack the technical sophistication and institutional wherewithal necessary. Basically we should stay in our lane.

[RV Pundit]

Poverty/Development is multi-facet - its not just basic needs (food, clothing, shelter) - it also the comfort of life - like good roads, electricity, telecommunications, etc. Good schools, healthcare, etc.

Is of course easy for any society or human being to deal with basic needs- so lack of food has never really be an issue except in calamities.

So development is really post basic needs - and it mostly linked to infrastructure - good houses, piped water, clean electricity, clean cooking energy, proper sewage, good paved roads, motorized transport, good schools, great hospitals, hotels - both public and private.

Most people tend to think that infrastructure is like food that you need to look for everyday.

Actually development of infrastructure is mostly done once - and the rest is really maintenance.

So Africa can easily develop if they bridge this infrastructure deficit now - and of course adopt a maintenance culture - otherwise some infrastructure can last centuries.

We need to properly define poverty? It is lack of modern comforts and amenities such as tarmacked roads and tapped water or is it empty bellies? If it is the later then we had no poverty back in our subsistence agrarian roots, may be we should return to that model instead of aping what we can't reach. Modern poverty which equates to lack of paper money, eight lane highways, and such will forever be with us because we lack the technical sophistication and institutional wherewithal necessary. Basically we should stay in our lane.

[RV Pundit]

This what I see - Kenya is far ahead - of many of these countries infrastructure wise. Some of the cars you see in their roads.

The povery and lack of roads is just amazing. These roads remind me of our roads in 1980s. They were really bad. Seeing a woman with 8 kids breaking stones to sell as ballast is sad. Anyway these videos are good to see the fakeness of africa rising story. These poor people have no plattforms to air their problems

[Arcadian_Dreamer]

Poverty/Development is multi-facet - its not just basic needs (food, clothing, shelter) - it also the comfort of life - like good roads, electricity, telecommunications, etc. Good schools, healthcare, etc.

Is of course easy for any society or human being to deal with basic needs- so lack of food has never really be an issue except in calamities.

So development is really post basic needs - and it mostly linked to infrastructure - good houses, piped water, clean electricity, clean cooking energy, proper sewage, good paved roads, motorized transport, good schools, great hospitals, hotels - both public and private.

Most people tend to think that infrastructure is like food that you need to look for everyday.

Actually development of infrastructure is mostly done once - and the rest is really maintenance.

So Africa can easily develop if they bridge this infrastructure deficit now - and of course adopt a maintenance culture - otherwise some infrastructure can last centuries.

Hogwash. Where does it stop? is having no internet a sign of poverty? what is next lacking access to AI will be deemed as poverty in the future.

There people who live well staying off grid with no access to electricity, who compost their toilet waste and trash, no tapped water, no internet access, no tarmacked roads here in the US, but they know how to sustain themselves, grow their own food, keep livestock, sustainably harvest wood fuel for their cooking needs, even spin their own clothes. Real poverty is therefore lack of knowledge not material things per se. The problem with Africans is that they have lost in touch with indigenous wisdom and know how of their ancestors and haven't yet acquired modern know how.

..it is of course easy for any society or human being to deal with basic needs- so lack of food has never really be an issue except in calamities.


You live in an ivory tower. Food insecurity is real hapo kwa ground. Most people would die for three square meals.

[RV Pundit]

Living like a hermit in a cave is something weirdo do but yes development or human needs forever evolve. After  dealing with basic needs you next deal with basic comfort

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

The povery and lack of roads is just amazing. These roads remind me of our roads in 1980s. They were really bad. Seeing a woman with 8 kids breaking stones to sell as ballast is sad. Anyway these videos are good to see the fakeness of africa rising story. These poor people have no plattforms to air their problems

It's easy to despair.  But I think we always need some perspective.  Liberia is fairly fresh from a nasty war.  They used to be much better off, though with serious inequities, prior to Samuel Doe.  It was a favorite of American expats to Africa at some point.

Another point of perspective would suggest that they are just at an earlier stage, that the most advanced countries like the US, also went through.  Those guys are pioneers.  In their own ways they are solving real problems.  It can seem crude and backward, but if it was easy, we wouldn't be here watching them.

Here is a street scene in New York City in the early 20th century.  That's a dead animal.  That's basically one lifetime ago.  I am told the streets used to smell of poop.  This would sound familiar if you have ever passed by a "flying toilet".

[Omollo]

The biggest poverty I saw in Liberia was the emptiness of her people. The objective of each one is to get an American or European passport. A European passport would enable moving to "Emerigka".

If the US decided to make Liberia the 51st state ahead of DC and Puerto Rico, thus granting liberians a chance to leave enmasse, I have no idea who will switch off the lights!

Hand in glove with this was a rare form of arrogance. They believe they are the most developed country in Africa. They point at 4 to 5 story buildings in Monrovia and tell you this is the tallest building in Africa. Whatever you do, dont argue with their truth. The Executive Mansion where Doe slaughtered Tolbert is also the largest or biggest palace in Africa. You just see an emptiness and longing.

If I wanted them to do something with devotion, I simply sent one of my white subordinates. It didn't matter whether he was just a mere driver as long as he was white liberians would follow instructions. Being me, I ofcourse carried out psycho social experiments mostly for fun. I'd issue them written instructions and shortly after send a cooperating white person (had a wonderful assistant from Bahamas) to contradict me. She'd give them the opportunity to get clarification from me just a few steps away. Nope! They did what the White woman instructed!

I was prevented from entering an office for a scheduled meeting. They kept me at the gate while my team waited for me. They believed I was the driver because only I had the permit to drive. I waited 30 minutes, then called my team back and we left

So its not exactly racism but some form of alienation

Lastly I struggle to accommodate liberians be it in hiring, equal treatment or matters that require me to exercise discretion. The easiest is to exclude them. But then it isn't who I am. So anytime there's a Liberian I recuse myself. Why? I may be prejudiced against them or may be too forthcoming to show I'm not prejudiced. Either way they suffer or others suffer

[RV Pundit]

Sound like another Haiti. Something is wrong with these former slaves.

The biggest poverty I saw in Liberia was the emptiness of her people. The objective of each one is to get an American or European passport. A European passport would enable moving to "Emerigka".

If the US decided to make Liberia the 51st state ahead of DC and Puerto Rico, thus granting liberians a chance to leave enmasse, I have no idea who will switch off the lights!

Hand in glove with this was a rare form of arrogance. They believe they are the most developed country in Africa. They point at 4 to 5 story buildings in Monrovia and tell you this is the tallest building in Africa. Whatever you do, dont argue with their truth. The Executive Mansion where Doe slaughtered Tolbert is also the largest or biggest palace in Africa. You just see an emptiness and longing.

If I wanted them to do something with devotion, I simply sent one of my white subordinates. It didn't matter whether he was just a mere driver as long as he was white liberians would follow instructions. Being me, I ofcourse carried out psycho social experiments mostly for fun. I'd issue them written instructions and shortly after send a cooperating white person (had a wonderful assistant from Bahamas) to contradict me. She'd give them the opportunity to get clarification from me just a few steps away. Nope! They did what the White woman instructed!

I was prevented from entering an office for a scheduled meeting. They kept me at the gate while my team waited for me. They believed I was the driver because only I had the permit to drive. I waited 30 minutes, then called my team back and we left

So its not exactly racism but some form of alienation

Lastly I struggle to accommodate liberians be it in hiring, equal treatment or matters that require me to exercise discretion. The easiest is to exclude them. But then it isn't who I am. So anytime there's a Liberian I recuse myself. Why? I may be prejudiced against them or may be too forthcoming to show I'm not prejudiced. Either way they suffer or others suffer

[Arcadian_Dreamer]

The biggest poverty I saw in Liberia was the emptiness of her people. The objective of each one is to get an American or European passport. A European passport would enable moving to "Emerigka".

If the US decided to make Liberia the 51st state ahead of DC and Puerto Rico, thus granting liberians a chance to leave enmasse, I have no idea who will switch off the lights!

Hand in glove with this was a rare form of arrogance. They believe they are the most developed country in Africa. They point at 4 to 5 story buildings in Monrovia and tell you this is the tallest building in Africa. Whatever you do, dont argue with their truth. The Executive Mansion where Doe slaughtered Tolbert is also the largest or biggest palace in Africa. You just see an emptiness and longing.

If I wanted them to do something with devotion, I simply sent one of my white subordinates. It didn't matter whether he was just a mere driver as long as he was white liberians would follow instructions. Being me, I ofcourse carried out psycho social experiments mostly for fun. I'd issue them written instructions and shortly after send a cooperating white person (had a wonderful assistant from Bahamas) to contradict me. She'd give them the opportunity to get clarification from me just a few steps away. Nope! They did what the White woman instructed!

I was prevented from entering an office for a scheduled meeting. They kept me at the gate while my team waited for me. They believed I was the driver because only I had the permit to drive. I waited 30 minutes, then called my team back and we left

So its not exactly racism but some form of alienation

Lastly I struggle to accommodate liberians be it in hiring, equal treatment or matters that require me to exercise discretion. The easiest is to exclude them. But then it isn't who I am. So anytime there's a Liberian I recuse myself. Why? I may be prejudiced against them or may be too forthcoming to show I'm not prejudiced. Either way they suffer or others suffer

Agree with all that you wrote. Liberians are easily my least favorite African group, they are bumpkins who have inflated sense of self worth by virtue of their association with America. They are the opposite of Naijas, who are charismatic go getters, don't settle for mediocre jobs etc, a Liberian will be happily be a janitor his whole life. They have the worst accents ever.