this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2024
25 points (90.3% liked)

World News

39350 readers
3395 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/41400491

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

West: exploits countries, gives nothing back

China: exploits countries, gives public transport and jobs at high price

Western citizens: Hah! Look at those dumb countries!

[–] FlyingSquid -3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Why don't you look into how much of Ethiopia's GDP goes to paying back China.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Why don't you look into how much of Africa's resources exit the continent for Western use at a fraction of the actual price?

Who do you think put African countries in the precarious positions they are in where they feel nearly obliged to look at seemingly better deals?

[–] FlyingSquid -3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Ethiopia isn't giving over 10% of their GDP to Western countries.

I know, I know, "West bad, China good." Believe it or not, this isn't some sort of balancing act. Both the U.S. and China can have imperialist intentions in Africa. You don't have to defend one to condemn the other.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You didn't grasp what I wrote. Let me spell it out for you: Bad west make Africa poor. Poor Africa want better option. Poor Africa make better deal (still bad though) with bad China. Better not always mean good.

Do you understand now?

[–] FlyingSquid 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Okay. Sure. The better of two terrible options. Sort of like the least smelly turd.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

Yep, but who's going to give them a better option? Western citizens would have to vote for governments that don't consider exploitation a "necessary evil" and for politicians that want enforcement of a fair trade supply chain. A prosperous Africa would mean more legal and most importantly highly skilled immigration.

But western citizens aren't willing to accept higher prices for goods as a result, so they don't vote that way. Instead it's easier to consume indiscriminately and whine when the people living in squalor dare look for a better life abroad.