"Let Africa Sink" - Kim du Toit

Ahh... So many post topics, so little time. I've had a mind to do a series of "compilation" posts which will contain lists of the very best stuff I come across while reading online. This will be the first. I shall call it "Blogumacation." It'll be on the bar on the right hand side. The present immigration debate with Ben has brought back to mind an old essay I read on what things are like in Africa and why it would be best for the West to simply leave the place alone. "Let Africa Sink" was written some years ago by Kim du Toit, a South African turned American turned fantastic blogger, who has since retired. In it, he explains that much of what goes on in the Dark Continent is a direct result of the mindeset and culture of the place, particularly the widely held philosophical outlook there that "life is cheap." It is a sobering essay, and not one to read or taken lightly. This essay, along with another of his that I can no longer find, were key in convincing me that style of government is almost purely a function of culture. The other (and by far the more persuasive, of course) has been my marriage and my experiences with my Chinese in-laws. Unfortunately, I can't share that with you. I can share with you Kim's essay. Go forth and read.