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2005-02-03 Africa: Subsaharan

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Posted by Steve from Relto 2005-02-03 11:51:26 AM|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Wasn't Kinshasa called "Leopoldville" in the past? I kinda remember seeing it on the wall map in high school. (a long, long time ago, to be sure)

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-02-03 1:13:23 PM|| 2005-02-03 1:13:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 I want the ajoining sledgehammer concession. A dollar a whack.

Posted by ed 2005-02-03 1:17:00 PM|| 2005-02-03 1:17:00 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 The sad part is that, with all that Leopold and his minions did, by the 1950's the Belgian Congo was a relatively well-run colony - i.e., the people in general had a much higher standard of living than they ever did afterwards, and certainly they are much worse off today than they were then. So it is not true that the colony was "left in poverty".

Its biggest problem was that the managerial/technical and even clerical middle class was almost purely Belgian/expat, to a greater degree than in nearly any African colony. When they were mostly driven out the place went to hell.

Posted by buwaya 2005-02-03 3:14:26 PM|| 2005-02-03 3:14:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 "Listen to the yell of Leopold's ghost
Burning in Hell for his hand-maimed host
Hear how the demons chuckle and yell
Cutting his hands off, down in Hell."
Vachel Lindsay

Posted by James 2005-02-03 4:14:33 PM|| [http://www.idontknowbut.blogspot.com] 2005-02-03 4:14:33 PM|| Front Page Top

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