From The Washington Times:
The recent drop in oil and other commodity prices makes it almost a certainty that some unstable commodity-exporting nations will reach a crisis stage in the next few months. The only question is, which countries are likely to erupt first?
The Middle East is always a safe bet for an explosion, but there is a very good chance the next eruption will be in Africa, with the most likely location being Congo, followed by Sudan. In Latin America, Argentina is headed for another debt default and financial meltdown, and Venezuela continues to rapidly deteriorate. And there is Russia, which is likely to react poorly as its once booming economy goes into to a sharp recession. Pressures will mount on the United States to become involved, particularly in Africa, as mass killings begin again.
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My Comment: Africa has always been surviving "barely". A culture of political corruption. Lack of free markets. A population explosion that cannot sustain itself. Tribalism run amok. These ingredients have always been the poisonous brew for Africa. What masked a considerable amount of this toxic environment has been the steep rise in commodity prices.
Foreign currency inflow with investment helped to alleviate some of the problems that are now a part of Africa. But only barely. Oil rich Nigeria could never satisfy its population .... and now with oil prices collapsing this positioning by many of its different ethnic groups to get a part of the pie will only become more tense and focused.
I do not forsee African countries going to war with each other (with a few exceptions), but I do see a number of countries becoming failed states or worse.
Read more ....
My Comment: Africa has always been surviving "barely". A culture of political corruption. Lack of free markets. A population explosion that cannot sustain itself. Tribalism run amok. These ingredients have always been the poisonous brew for Africa. What masked a considerable amount of this toxic environment has been the steep rise in commodity prices.
Foreign currency inflow with investment helped to alleviate some of the problems that are now a part of Africa. But only barely. Oil rich Nigeria could never satisfy its population .... and now with oil prices collapsing this positioning by many of its different ethnic groups to get a part of the pie will only become more tense and focused.
I do not forsee African countries going to war with each other (with a few exceptions), but I do see a number of countries becoming failed states or worse.
My Comment: Africa has always been surviving "barely". A culture of political corruption. Lack of free markets. A population explosion that cannot sustain itself. Tribalism run amok. These ingredients have always been the poisonous brew for Africa. What masked a considerable amount of this toxic environment has been the steep rise in commodity prices.
Foreign currency inflow with investment helped to alleviate some of the problems that are now a part of Africa. But only barely. Oil rich Nigeria could never satisfy its population .... and now with oil prices collapsing this positioning by many of its different ethnic groups to get a part of the pie will only become more tense and focused.
I do not forsee African countries going to war with each other (with a few exceptions), but I do see a number of countries becoming failed states or worse.
The piracy problem off the coast of Somalia is a problem, but if Africa as a continent continues to slide into a failed state status it will be a nightmare. Just imagine pirates off the coast of West Africa, Nigeria (which is starting to have a piracy problem), Mozambique, Madagascar, Eritria, etc. ....
Our next crisis is Africa .... but the solutions (if any) are not that easy.
Foreign currency inflow with investment helped to alleviate some of the problems that are now a part of Africa. But only barely. Oil rich Nigeria could never satisfy its population .... and now with oil prices collapsing this positioning by many of its different ethnic groups to get a part of the pie will only become more tense and focused.
I do not forsee African countries going to war with each other (with a few exceptions), but I do see a number of countries becoming failed states or worse.
The piracy problem off the coast of Somalia is a problem, but if Africa as a continent continues to slide into a failed state status it will be a nightmare. Just imagine pirates off the coast of West Africa, Nigeria (which is starting to have a piracy problem), Mozambique, Madagascar, Eritria, etc. ....
Our next crisis is Africa .... but the solutions (if any) are not that easy.