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Friday, July 08, 2005

Increased Funding for Africa

Tony Blair (British P.M.) just went on TV to announce that one of the results which has come from the G8 conference is a doubling of aid to Africa. How that translates to American dollars, I am not sure yet. It could be that our aid will double, or perhaps it will increase slightly while other countries also begin to pony up more. However, many feel that trade is really the issue which will truly help Africa.

Meanwhile, our poverty level in this nation continues to increase. The conservatives argue that this isn't really poverty, since these impoverished families live as well as some of the best families lived many generations ago. What? You honestly wish to tell us that the living conditions of the late 1800s or early 1900s are perfectly acceptable? We are not a third world country!

Now, I grant you that our poor may be better off than the poor of other nations. However, aren't we obligated to look after our own citizens first? They are our employees, our friends, our relatives, our neighbors. Other countries make no to very little contribution to our economy or the quality of our lives, and most despise us or take our aid for granted.

If taxpayers were allowed to earmark where all their yearly taxes are spent, the government would find itself suddenly re-prioritized. More money would be spent on our infrastructure, our environment, our own programs, our own poor and homeless, and very few funds would be sent to other nations.

I am now listening to an African reporter who is telling Tony Blair that this African aid is really too little, too late. This is typical of the arrogant cheek which we face from these beggar countries. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth! I am sickened by what we are doing. We are the English sheepdog, rolling over and fawning for a flea-bitten, mangy stray cur.

53 comments:

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

Sorry, I disagree on this matter with you.

That's all I'm saying.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Daniel,

That's OK! We've never agreed on everything. And sometimes you're right. This time, I think I am. ;o)

Michelle & TC
Cool! Thanks.

BarbaraFromCalifornia said...

I have a great idea. Let us pull out of the war in Iraq, stop spending billions of dollars killing people, use that money to help those in need here, and send money to help the those in Africa fasted with horrible, disease, famine and death by aids.

Makes perfect sense to me!

Saur♥Kraut said...

Barbara,

*LOL* I could've guessed you'd recommend that. A good idea!

SmileDragon said...

This is where some of my friends and I don't agree. I cannot even discuss this with them. They feel as if we have an obligation to other, less fortunate, countries to help them in any way we can. I would agree with this, except that we have way way way way ..... too many problems here at home that we need to fix before we can begin trying to help others.

Come on now, a drunk wouldn't go to another drunk to ask for help getting off the booz, would she/he? A drunk needs to become a sober drunk before they can help other drunks.

Just an example, something that hits close to home, something I have been close to throghout my whole life.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Smilesalot,

An excellent analogy. Exactly!!!

Fred said...

I am ready to leave Iraq. It's time to stop spending money over there. My prediction is that that we'll be out in two years. Bush does not want to have the next Republican presidential nominee (Jeb?) saddled with troops in Iraq.

Concerning Africa, I do support increasing our funding. On this one, though, I think Bush has it right. There has to be accountability and if there's no verifiable audit trail, you don’t get it.

Anonymous said...

Interesting discussion.

Rarely do "hand outs" do anything but eventually breed an entitlement mentality that is crippling to the human spirit. The irony is as Saur eluded, they hate and bite the hand that feeds them. Saur, I'm with you. I am sick of it!

Now, Bill Gates and wife have it right. They started a foundation the funnels billions to fund research for a vaccination for AIDS (brillantly designed to be effective and promises to cut the timeframe down dramatically)and to immunize children in Africa. Focused projects and managed like a business. Logical? Yes, indeed. Just like him. They are taking our science and doing something good for humanity. Since the foundations inception, they have saved over 600,000 children in Africa through the immunization program. Better yet, their money has helped the people it was meant to help and not lined the pockets of corrupt government officials and their families and friends. Remember the UN “Food for Oil” debacle. Oh yes, the money donated to the foundation by the Gates' is more than the entire foreign aid budget of Australia.

BTW do any of you remember hearing a thank you for the massive foreign aid we send abroad?

Lastly, American’s are the most generous people in the world. We donate more money per capita that any other nations citizens.

Hey, wait a minute. Go back to my first paragraph. Maybe this is why we are hated by so many nations. ????

If I sound a little perturbed, sorry, I am!

Saur♥Kraut said...

Kathleen,

My thoughts exactly. Good mention of Bill Gates' program. That was something new I hadn't known! I appreciate it.

Saur♥Kraut said...

P.S. I hadn't heard of a successful AIDS vaccine, and it doesn't look like they are actually using one right now. It appears that the Gates are putting money towards the development of one, only.

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

I have to chip in here, sorry:

The war in Iraq and other military expenditure is massive, as are the proposed tax cuts. So if something was done on both of those issues there would be a lot more money sloshing around.

Sorry but all Nations that are as powerful as the G8 have a responsibility to other Nations, its called being good and smilesalot exactly what parallels of suffering are their between the US and large swathes of Arfica? I must have missed the tens of thousands of dead US children every day.

And now on to the hand out mentality. Good grief, this makes me rage. Are you familiar with the IMF and the World Bank? Good, you see the reason many African Nations are in trouble is the stupid IMF action plan, a series of hurdles a nation has to jump through before it can be loaned money. Its a complex plan but in a nutshell it foists late-stage capitalism on social and economic structures that are unable to handle it. So the debts keep creeping up. The IMF don't care as they can than sell off the public owned resources to private comapnies for the cheap who then cut the funding behind the resources and leads to chaos. Please also see South America for examples.

Now, the majoirty of African Nations don't want hand outs at all but rather they want the nasty financial measures of the IMF and the ridiculous debt that they have to take on to be removed and then they can look after themselves but the G8 don't want them to be able to look after themselves with all their wonderful natural resources and cheap labour, they present a threat.

Anonymous said...

Saur: Yes, that is true. I thought I said research. The side note is that they have established critera for the grant that will not allow researchers to keep their work propriatary. They are required under the conditions of the grant, to share their work with other grantees. This is tremendous and will allow for the research to progress more rapidly. Interesting note is that the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)has made that a requirement of their research grants from the beginning. Through research funded by MDA, scientists located the first gene. They have lead the world in genetic research . . . neuromuscular diseases are for the most part genetic.

Shut me up. I could go on and on. But, I am excited that they have been so smart and I have high hopes that the research will result in a vaccine sooner than the industry could do. In the end, it means better lives for all of mankind. As you would say, kewl.

Anonymous said...

Saur: I went back and read my post and see how it could be confusing. Gates has two projects. The research for a vaccine for AIDS and a project to immunize African Children with the vaccines we already have available. Apparently, one child in Africa dies every thirty seconds from a disease that we already have vaccines available. Sorry for any confusion.

Anonymous said...

Daniel:
Believe it or not, Americans provide the money and have a say in how it is spent. Americans have a looooooog history of being generous with our money and our most precious resource, our sons and daughters. We do not particularly like the hatred that is expressed every nanosecond by neophytes for sport. Most Americans are not masochists nor enjoy being mocked. Americans are not responsible for every problem in this world. We are responsible for some things, but not all. The American people are becoming fed up with the "trash talk" the twisting of facts and the common practice of shooting us with one hand and holding the other out for more money. How hard is that to understand?

Daniel, you said, "Good grief, this makes me rage."

I am sorry to say, you do alot of raging. People need ear plugs. You come screaming off the page.

Consider not raging so much. Life will be a lot sweeter and so will you. No one will ever believe exactly as you do. They won't and you can't make them. You may be suprised that many of my beliefs have changed since I was 29. Youth is great and important, but it is not wise.

I read some of your blog tonight and I am sick. Enough for me.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Daniel,

The core of our disagreement is this: Do the wealthier/healthier nations owe a debt to the world? Is it their responsibility to take care of others? I believe the answer is no. You believe it is yes.

Kathleen,

Thanks so much for the clarification! It is very interesting, and exciting, to see a private business owner actually doing something to make the world a better place.

Incidentally, I don't object to anyone who privately chooses to use their money on other nations. However, when it comes to using U.S. citizens' funds, I feel that they should be used for U.S. citizens'.

Zeppellina said...

Sorry, saurkraut,
just dropped in to say hello, and I`m having to disagree with you on this one!

Yes, there are plenty of poor, and much hardship in the western countries such as ours, as I think you know, I am from the UK, and I see hardship here too.

However, the daily expenditure on the Iraq war by both our countries is frightening. As is the daily bill for Afghanistan, a war which is still contiinuing. We are not talking millions, but billions.

If this money was to be spent by both governments on looking after their own people in terms of their welfare and healthcare, you would see a dramatic change in people`s living conditions within a very short time.

And, we also have to take on board, that our countries economies have grown wealthy off of the backs of others.
Our countries, as with the rest of the G8 countries, have purposefully retarded
the growth of third world countries for many, many years now, so as not to upset the economic power balance which we have enjoyed.

Also, in a global ecomomy, and shrinking of the planet due to air transport...do you really want to have an epidemic of some virilent disease like TB on your doorstep?
Incidence of TB is growing in the UK, and also drug-resistant TB. Why? It was eradicated years ago. Ah..but you see, we cured it in the west, but we didn`t want to put in the financial effort, and do the decent thing for developing countries.
Now, it has come back to haunt us.
And the disease has evolved. Now one of the strains is resistant to drugs.
Not such a bright plan really, all things considered.
There are a lot worse diseases than TB
out there in the developing world, any one of them can be easily transported on a plane.
We, as human beings, have an obligation to our fellow human beings, whoever they are, and wherever they are.
You can`t say feed that baby, but not that one...could you? Could you physically sit down beside a woman and explain to her that you don`t believe her baby should get any food ?
Ah,... I think you are better than that saurkraut.

Dave said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
SmileDragon said...

To use my earlier analogy.... If I have a drinking problem, being that I benge, meaning when I drink I can't control myself, and end up drinking myself into alcohol poisioning every time. Even though I don't drink myself into drunkerdness every day, I still have a problem. Soooooooo, when one of my friends drinks every day, so much so that it begins to effect their every day life, does it make it ok for me to help her? My problem may not be exactly the same as hers, but it is a problem. Something that I should first deal with, and then I can offer her assistance.

If I try and help her but I don't help myself first, I won't be able to focus on my problems and help myself.

You cannot compare our problems to their problems. Every nation has differences, just like people. My day may be ruined because a rude customer came in, yelling and screaming. To another person, they could just shrug it off, and continue on with their day.

OOOOhhhh, this just came to mind. When you are on an airplane they always tell you to put your mask on first. Right? Why might this be? Because if you are not ok, how can you help other people?

Saur♥Kraut said...

Zeppellina,

I appreciate your contribution. You took a lot of time and effort to write it. Some of it I agree with! There is no perfect answer, and there will always be objections (some of them are valid).

Points I agree with:

The war is costing us a great deal of money that would be better spent at home (respectively).

Disease can carry easily from third world countries. But that is easily solved by providing cheap vaccines. The aid we send overseas is much greater than simple vaccines. I don't believe they 'deserve' it any more than our own citizens do (and since it's been taken from us I think we should have a say in the way it is distributed).

I would feel differently if the U.S.A. was treated with gratitude and respect for all we do, but we are treated as lepers while the lepers are treated as kings.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Mr. Gator,

Elongated head? Hmmm. So you don't like the new experimental me? Blue's my favorite color...and I think the green nicely compliments it. Don't you?

Smilesalot,

Personal responsibility. My point exactly. We live in a time where we are quick to say it's anyone's fault but our own. And we tolerate others that do the same. It's time to demand responsibility from other countries. We are in a co-dependant relationship and we are the enablers.

Dave said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Saur♥Kraut said...

Mr. Gator,

*g* Thanks...er...I think...
Yeah, this tropical storm/hurricane is looking a mite scary, but it should pass us by ... *ominous music* this time. Hope you bought a generator!

Anonymous said...

What exactly do gators do during Hurricanes?

Anonymous said...

Anon:

They expand their living quarters.

Dave said...

Gators normally crawl out of the sewer and head for the beach for some serious body surfing. The totally exhausted gator then shares cookie dough ice cream with friends and family.

And if you’re being figurative, they hire the best coach in the country.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Mr. Gator,

Being a gator rocks!

SmileDragon said...

Mmmmmm, cookie dough ice cream.

Emmanuel.K.Bensah II said...

Oh Saurkraut, oh saurkraut. I feel very sorry for you.

You raise some very interesting points that merit scrutiny.

Have you ever travelled out of the US? If I had some extra cash, which I HAD MADE FROM WORKING NOT FROM THE DONOR COUNTRIES, I'd invite you to visit my home country of Ghana.

You see, as I type this, I am at work in an air-conditioned room. Outside, there aree people going to work -- some poor, some rich, some middle-class -- and traffic lights are working.

Over the weekend, a public official came round to my house to fill me in on the newly-created National Health Insurance Scheme (not donor-funded, but funded by taxes from the population in Ghana) that will be operational in the next couple of weeks.

He didn't wield a machete, neither did he have to come to my house in a tank.

He walked, probably taking a taxi at a very affordable rate.

Yes, I may make more than he does, given my profession, but he will go back home in a car and sleep peacefully. He will not be stopped by soldiers; he will not have to pay a bribe to get a taxi home.

He would probably after go to Church, and prepare for the next week.

He will not see ONE SINGLE SOLDIER in the following week.

This is my country--Ghana. Ensconced in a rather turbulent West AFrican region, but at serious peace. The US embassy here praise my country for the very peaceful elections held here last November. Ambassador Mary Yates here in Ghana was sad to leave this country "as an example" for AFrica to follow.

So, please don't tell me ALL african countries are doing badly or riddled with corruption. Corruption is a serious canker--even more so in developing countries.

But, you have forgotten: COLONIALISM. Go ask the British. PLUS it is now established--and even the US has confirmed it that the first president of Ghana in 1957 (when Ghana attained its independence) DR.Kwame Nkrumah was OVERTHROWN BY THE CIA. Yes, YOUR govt.

SO please don't tell me your country doesn't have a role to play in helping poorer countries.

Look at the AFrican continent and SOuthern America and tell me why AMerica is SO disliked.The Brits initially had this reputation, but they have TRIED to make good.

SO Ghanaians PREFER dealing with the Brits, because they have a sense of compassion and fairplay--despite their colonialism over AFrica.

I spent 24.5 years living, working, and studying in Brussels, BELGIUM (headquarters of Nato/EU) in a job that exposed me to the diplomatic community a lot. Not to mention the fact that my Dad was himself one, and I had ALL the comforts that MOST Americans will probably never see.

We didn't own a home, we rented it--and it came from my Dad's salary. I went to British and US-style secondary school, and college respectively--all in Brussels.

I am educated. I have no reason to go back to the "West" for any reason. I work and am happy in my job.

Please don't insult my intelligence by telling me my country is not grateful for the money it gets.

Truth is: I DON"T WANT ANY MONEY FROM THE US OR G8! I want my debts cleared and BETTER TRADE.

Your country of the US is, according to the UN, the STINGIEST in donor assistance: 0.21 percent of your GDP.

Your poor deserve attention--serious attention. From shows like NYPD Blue to The SHield, to LA.Law to The Practice, we have gained an insight of the US anad how it places CORPORATE interests over the poor. THAT is why the US poor are suffering--NOT because your country is giving my country money.

NOT to mention drugs, which the CIA fabricated an ersatz, or fake war, to reap more money into the US--and what better place than COlombia--that is already unruly--or parts of the Americas -- in its own backyard??

Saurkraut, please let me assure you that when I travel, I prefer to go to Europe than the US.

There is a growing number of intellectual Africans out there -- some who are in the US and elsewhere -- who are re-channelling their efforts into making Africa a better place to live. I am but one of them in the macrocosm of this big, wide world.

SO, please watch the space for more AFrican-Union led initiatives, AFrican efforts, more on Africa simply.

We are big continent, and we are not about to go away. We want our independence from you. please get that straight. We want to start doing our own thing, because we realise you are either RACIST (Martin Luther King, 1960s, civil rights) or too corporate-minded.

Remember Enron?

have a good day...

and if ever you are curious try visiting Ghana Web to check the latest on my country.

Yes, we EVEN have computers, and some of us even have 24hr internet connection at work!!

hugs from Ghana (a cool 20 degrees)

Saur♥Kraut said...

Ekbensah,

Beautifully and fairly said. I truly appreciate your contribution. You sound like and intelligent, kind and thoughtful man.

Please understand that I am actually in agreement with a great deal of what you are saying. I know a lot about other countries, and have travelled to them as well. In fact, you would probably be surprised.

I did not say that all of Africa was filled with ungrateful savages, and I am aware that one can never lump all people under one umbrella.

I also agree that our corporations are a greedy group that are making progress on the backs of American citizens. In fact, I am going to be getting a movie called The Corporation (recommended by another blogger). It looks intriguing, and probably correct.

But we are not taking corporate funds and sending them overseas. We are taking the taxes of hard-working Americans and sending them to other countries that will not benefit them to any degree.

The fact remains that we have enough of our own problems here, which we need to solve before we worry about anyone else. And even if you are living in a peaceful part of Africa, and if even you are not standing in front of us, hat in hand, that doesn't mean that the rest of Africa isn't.

There are many parts of Africa that are filled with warlords who will take any of the monies that we send and will never dream of passing any along to the needy. There are other areas that will simply squander it and never attempt to use it to improve themselves and their ability to take care of themselves.

It is not up to any country to take care of any other country, in my opinion. We are not taking care of ourselves, as it is.

Bush is too happy to bring in illegal aliens over the border so that he can drive down the wages of the average blue-collar American worker. People are out of jobs because of his policies. There is a great deal of internal misery right now. The funds need to be spent here. Of course, we also need a better government in place...but that is almost 4 years away.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Ekbensah, I just saw your blog, and am deeply saddened by your ungentlemanly conduct. What a pity that you cannot have a mere discussion. I hope you modify it, and we can continue with our discussion. What you posted nullifies the respect I had for your thoughts.

Everyone, to save you the trouble of hunting through his various blogs: he calls me racist, and attempts to disclose personal information (perhaps to endanger, or intimidate?) It is too sad when people are not willing to debate ideas and must go for the easy way out: call someone a racist and maybe she'll run.

Anonymous said...

Oh, don't pull his comments. It only strengthens YOUR side of the discussion.

Anonymous said...

HE is the racist. But god forbid anyone say anything to HIM. And most of his post was his telling the rest of us how marvellous HE is. Look, Ek, none of us really care about your credentials because it isn't about YOU. It's about AID TO AFRICA and whether it should be sent over there or spent over HERE.

Anonymous said...

Oh, one more thing, Ek:

You said you didn't want our money. Well then you're in agreement with Saur, right? Or you just want our money for OTHER African countries, is that it?

Anonymous said...

EK.....aka....Bambi

Anonymous said...

Anonymous is right, Saur. The guy is a moron who just wanted to talk about how great HE was. He's also, obviously, a racist who was just looking for someone to flame.

Emmanuel.K.Bensah II said...

Saurkraut et al, I STAND corrected.

I had not seen your post before I posted my entry. BTW, you saw that I have a few blogs--only two are really active--the one you posted on (Trials & Tribulation (which is more for an African audience!!) and Reflecting the Eccentric World...

You didn't bother to check my Reflecting the Eccentric World... (more mainstream), which is the blog that attracts more of an "international audience":-)

Doesn't that strike you why I didn't post it there? My Trials and Trib is for an AFRICAN audience--most people who visit it are of African origin, and I think they deserve to know what you said.

AFter reading your post, I feel that I was rather impulsive in posting.

I am a Christian and I was brought up to say "sorry"--so I will: I am sorry if I offended you.

But, sometimes, being at the butt of racism for SO long, and working in a place where I am, I HAVE developed REVERSE racism. I don't like it, but it's rather ingrained.

Please just accept the fact that if you were in my shoes, you might feel the same way I do.

BTW, I DO think I am great:-) Ha ha...

This post/entry should not be a reflection to you of who I am. We all makes mistakes, and we all get angry.

I WAS angry yesterday. And I HADN't seen your post.

I hope you can accept that.

Your personal issues were not written in an attempt to sully you. I hope you saw that I commented on things like Bambi, etc..was there anything adverse in those comments?

I LIKE your blog--I really do, and I think you're rather intelligent. BUT I disliked those comments you made. Thanks for clarifying in your post.

I understand why you reacted the way you did after seeing my post--I probably would have reacted the same way.

I WILL modify my commen accordingly when I get a bit of time...

I think we are ALL biased to an extent.

I agree with ron -- I AM a reverse racist. Make no mistake. If you had seen the prejudices I have seen, you may be thinking like me too.

We complain a LOT about Africans over here--believe me! We have problems with Nigerians, whom we think are too brash, overwhelmed wiuth chutzpah, and too loud. And they are only next door!!

Tabasamu, how would I KNOW you are black. You have to forgive me on that one:-)

Look, bottom line is this: I PERSONALLY agree with a lot of things you say Saurkraut--really, I do. But it's the way you FRAMED it...it made me FEEL you are a racist...

I can see that you responded very intelligently, but I also saw that your response to Daniel HG was TOO candid for my liking: "I disagree with you, but I won't accept the fact that WB/IMF are also to blame"...

To me, that's what it sounded like, and you know Daniel's site--I see your comments regularly. SOme very interesting ones, I might add.

There is freedom of expression so you will, I hope, accept the fact that I made a faux pas in not waiting to get a response.

I puit my hands up: I am sorry. I will continue to visit your site, because I think you are an intelligent lady. And if I might add, your "photo" reveals you to be quite an attractive lady;-))

I have many white friends, whom I am still in contact with, and I know some of their views on their things, but I have come to realise that over all, Europeans are more open-minded about aid--that's why I find the US position no ennervating.

If it's not an attack on the UN, it's an attack on Africa, yet you have seen people like Danny Glover campaigning for people in Sudan, etc...because he is seeing, despite being Balck American and quite wealthy, that the incumbent US administration SUCKS.

For all Sudan's internally-caused problems...

My ex-girlfriend is Afro-American--from Baltimore--born and raised. I actually find Afro-Americans rather interesting, but for me, they have never been able to "empathise" with the Africans--and I don't blame them.

Three years ago, the Ministry of Tourism here set up an "Emancipation Day" which attracted many Afro-Americans and white Americans to come and see the extent of slavery on the people's of Africa. Ghana is home to one of the notorious places (Elmina castle) where slaves were exported to work in the US. My house is in the same region as Elmina, and I am oft-reminded when I'm relaxing at home, and see a white man pass, with a group, en route to Elmina HOW painful slavery was. And we NEVER got reparations.

yet, we have survived, despite the Mobutus, and Idi Ameens, to rise up the best way possible.

SO, I can only reserve judgement on the reverse racism thing.

For me, it is TOO ingrained--and being where I was -- diplomatic community -- exposed me to SOME serious pernicious racism by so-called white politicians who looked up their noses on our leaders by talking down to them like because they were giving us money, they had the right to SNUB us. That WAS racist.

Long rant, Suarkraut. I am attemting to vindicate myself you see:-)) because I am but a mere ant in this big world, and I have always believed that if you don't stand up for something, you will fall for anything. I have bombarded Daniel's blog with such comments, and I am not about to stop.

Hope to read your next entry. Have a great day.

PS I love Americans for their sense of family--that's one thing the Europeans, especially the Brits, seems to have very little idea of.

I don't hate Americans--believe me.

:-))

PPS, Do you know that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is from Ghana? If ever you find some loud-mouthed African in the world, you'll be sure that it's either a Nigerian, a South African, or a Ghanaian:-)) out of the top 5...

Emmanuel.K.Bensah II said...

Just to show you who I REALLY think is the greatest, pls check this link http://ekbensah.blogspot.com/2005/07/reviving-r-kelly-youre-greatest.html

Saur♥Kraut said...

Ekbensah,

Very nicely and fairly said. I am impressed that you took the time to come in here and make that post, and that you cared enough to make it right. I greatly appreciate it and look forward to more discussions with you!

Incidentally, I had a post in April about racial issues that set the tone for many people that 'know' me in Blogland. Here is that post.

Saur♥Kraut said...

P.S. Ekbensah, I would have the same stance if Holland or Sweden was being given funding as well. I don't know if I made that clear enough.

But I have noticed that you still have not altered your post(?)

Emmanuel.K.Bensah II said...

S, I have now!!

toodle pip!

Saur♥Kraut said...

Ekbensah, kewl! Thanx.

Anonymous said...

Good on you, Ek! I would shake your hand if I could.

Emmanuel.K.Bensah II said...

pls call me Emmanuel:-) ekbensah is a bit clumsy...;-)C.U. around in blogland

Saur♥Kraut said...

Emmanuel, good to know and much easier to remember! Thanks!

Dave said...

Excedrin,

I ask this question with the utmost respect. I had a professor who was from Ghana. He gave me a “B” when I really deserved a “D”. It was very difficult for my mind to handle a black man speaking with a British accent. But I don’t blame his accent for my bogey performance in his class. In an attempt to brown nose my teachers, I always sat in the front row. Big mistake. I didn’t realize that it was a custom in Ghana to fanny burp out loud. I’m pretty sure he just liked fanny burping on me. Is this really a custom? Give me the truth.

SmileDragon said...

Wow, I have really missed a lot in the past few days.

Emmanuel.K.Bensah II said...

mr.gator...not that I know of...;-))

geez...I can certainly tell you it's not characteristic of Ghanaians:-)) even if we do like to joke excessively about scatological things...beans and farting and all that...

nasty!

Saur♥Kraut said...

Emmanuel, *LOL* Mr. Gator is a big tease. None of us are ever too certain all the time as to whether he is teasing or not but he seems to have a good heart for a cold-blooded reptile. So don't take him too seriously...

Dave said...

His fanny burping didn’t seem to affect others in the class, but it baffled me. One day in the second week of class he let one go while standing right in front of me, I lost all control of my faculties. I was crying, laughing, sweating, fanny burping and wetting my pants all at the same time. It was then that he explained to the class and me of this Ghanaian custom. After that he always waited until he was in front of me. My senses told me something was afoul. Thanks for clearing the air.

Emmanuel.K.Bensah II said...

My senses told me something was afoul. Thanks for clearing the air. No pun intended ofcourse, Mr.Gator.:-)))

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

Ekbensah is the man and always will be the man.

If only the US would become utterly isolationist and stop sticking its money and nose into all of our affairs!

Anonymous said...

Daniel: whose nose is in whose tent?

Hey, have you tried Belgian Waffles?

Emmanuel.K.Bensah II said...

Belgian waffles--HEAVEN on Earth! (even if they pile up the carbo-hydrates)!;-)

Daniel, cheers!

Saurkraut--hope you're doing great...you don't mind, do you, me borrowing your blog to answer some q's:-))