The Pursuit of Happiness

I was reading an article today in one of my favorite magazines & the closing statement went as follows...

'The world as a whole has no shortage of young people. The real problem the world faces today isn't aging, its that almost 90 percent of the worlds youth is growing up in countries that cant offer education, access to capital, physical security, or good governance. It is one thing to note the inevitable graying of rich countries. It is another thing to overlook the opportunities and risks sorrounding the worlds vast youth population. The only way to avoid the worst of both worlds is for aging rich countries to share their skills and capital with young developing ones.' 

I have to say that I completely agree with the quote above. As a Nigerian, I believe that one of the primary reasons why many of the youth in my country result to email scams known as 419, commit much of the fraudulent acts they commit and sometimes result to violence is the fact that there is no access to opportunity. All over the world, many people migrate to America because the chance to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is existent. A man can grow up poor, but rise up to be the President of a corporation if he so chooses it as long as hard-work and sweat is shed. But, in many countries all over the world, this isnt the case. Access to proper education is rare, availability of good jobs are almost non-existent, there is no rule of law or any type of solid security. Also an individual can go to school, acquire a bachelors or even masters degree and still not find a job, making the education useless. 

In many developing countries, the government is corrupt, the police system is corrupt and there is no solid infrastructure.  Roads are not fully developed, there is no proper water supply, power system for electricity or even a well working sewage system in place. With conditions such as these it is understandable how and why some of the people commit the acts they do. That does not justify any of the negative acts, but does serves as an eye opener as to the motivational factors behind why these people act the way they do

Discontent and frustration, pile up and stir the hearts and mind of the people and sooner or later, the human body gives up to the mind. People start taking action into their own hands and fighting for better conditions. They start demanding rights, fair and equal treatment/elections and the ability to pursue happiness. They care less about their personal safety and rather die to create a better future not only for themselves but for their family members and children. For there to be a peaceful future, as the author of the quote above stated, aging rich countries need to share their skills and capital with young developing ones.  Not only will this help foster better relations between the west and these developing countries, but will appeal to the youths which in the case of many African countries are revolting as of the moment and will most likely be the future leaders and voice of their people. 

The Games We Play

Valentines

So, I decided to take a break from Politics & because Valentine's day was a couple of days ago, took time to write something about Love. At least an aspect of love, or what can affect it. So coming back from work today,  I started thinking... 'What is different about the world of today compared to that in which our Parents met & grew. I mean technology of course, to point out the obvious & yes, gas prices have risen dramatically. I mean GOD, just a few decades ago, gas was less than a dollar. But what has changed in the minds of people and also behavior wise since the 50's, 60's & even 70's that has affected the way we interact when it comes to dating/relationships and getting to know someone a little better.

To start off, I want to say that I value Adults a lot. Reason being not only because they are our elders but because a lot can be gained and learned from them. They've been on this journey of life longer than we and therefore I feel can impart a greater amount of 'useful' knowledge on us than our agemates, which we can then apply to present day life. When I talk to individuals over the age of let's say 50 who have been together at least 20-30 years and ask how they came to be, the story is always simple. We met at a location (bank, amusement park, cookout, concert) whatever the case may be, and the guy would say 'I thought she was the preetiest thing I had ever seen in the world' while the woman would say 'he was so sweet and i thought he was a gentleman' and then u know sky is the limit. They date, they court, they marry, and 30 years later after all the children have gone to college, they can still stand each other.

So I wonder sometimes, what is it about today's generation that we cannot stay together for longer periods of time without breaking up, seperating, cheating or driving each other crazy. First thing I personally came up with is that things were simpler back then. Talking to these older individuals, it seems like the mindset was straightforward back then. If the guy had a job, was responsible and expressed interest, and if the female was  interested, both would begin to talk. Once things started becoming serious, both individuals would consent to take it to the next level which would be Marriage. They compromised more and put more effort into 'making it work' because the belief was, marriage was sacred and a divorce was taboo.

Games

These days, things are very different, with lawyers make a killing off divorces. Celebrity break-ups get more publicity that hookups and a jobless, lazy individual has the same likelihood (chance) of talking to the same girl a motivated hard working individual could. It seems to matter less if the guy has a job; he could have 3 kids with 3 other women and not even pay child support & the female would still give him a chance. This leads me to ask the question, what has changed in the minds of today's youth and triggered this 'change' that makes some of us care less about what someone can offer and bring to the table in the long-run and only focus on things that will last a temporary time being (looks) being one.

Another thing I personally came up with and noticed is that people of today play more 'Games' than those of yesterday. A guy these days can be juggling three females at the same time for multiple different reasons while the females would know nothing of one another. A female could also have a boyfriend who she is in a committed relationship with but be cheating on her 'man' behind his back without him ever finding out. A guy will tell his girlfriend he's going on vacation to another country while he's just in another state messing around behind her back with someone she probably knows.

Also a guy will call a female or vice-versa & the other will screen the call knowing exactly how the other person genuinely feels about them and what they wanted. Elderly individuals I talked to out of curiousity found this weird. They believed that if a person knew another individual liked & truly cared for them, there was no point in playing games in which both people would be wasting their time & in the end, nothing would come of. Present day, a woman will lead a man on because of his money or what he can do for her and a man would do the same because of what he can 'get' or 'recieve' from the female. This was done 'back in the day' too, but is more prevalent nowadays than it was in the 50's, at least based on the elderly individuals I spoke too.

What do you all think, do individuals (youth) of today play more games & do you think things were simpler 'back in the day'??? Also has the concept of LOVE & what we consider LOVE changed in present day especially with Social Networks and the ease of meeting new people??.......

PLEASE COMMENT BELOW...........

Could it truly Be??? A 'United States of Africa'

Many have come and gone that have proposed that a 'USA', United States of Africa be formed consisting of the 53 'states' located in Africa. Individuals such as Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi have stated that only a true Pan-African state can provide stability and wealth to Africa while arguments have been made that this collective formation only, can bring true peace to Africa. While this shows the ambitious nature of some African leaders, the question remains if this hope/dream will become actuality. There have been talks of building subdivisions of Africa, an example being the proposed 'East African Federation' also known as the East African Community. Many have said that the United States of Africa might be in existence by the first quarter of this century (2025), while some such as Omar Gaddafi have commented saying that the federation may and could extend as far west as the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Carribeans.

Other African countries such as Zimbabwe, Senegal and Ghana have supported the idea of a collective formation, while others like Nigeria, South Africa & Kenya have been less interested. It seems that larger states with less to gain tend to show more opposition while smaller developing countries show more support because of what there is to benefit from in the pooling together of resources. Nigeria's lack of support comes as a result of it being one of the largest countries (if not the largest) in Africa, with a population of about 152 million people according to the CIA World Factbook. It is rich in Oil, Coaoa & Cotton and is also one of the top suppliers of Oil to the United States. It's lack of interest seems to be due to its power and inflence but such should not be so. 

The smaller nations, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Senegal, and especially ones with social instability and other issues will have much to gain from a strong federal government which is one of the many reasons why the are in support. The idea of a United States of Africa does sound good, but can it really happen.  Poverty plagues the entire continent and there is conflict in countless pockets. Present day, Africa's population has risen to that of 1 billion making it the third most populous continent after India and China.  But as can easily be seen especially in the case of Nigeria's relationship with China and China's heavy involvement in Africa present day, dependency continues. 

Mother Africa

The formation of a 'United States of Africa', a single currency, a single African military force, and a single passport for Africans to move freely around the continent sounds wonderful. It is basically the African version of the European Union, but for this dream to become reality, much sacrifice will have to be made. Africa unfortunately unlike Europe is plagued with countless Dictators and Military regimes. It is plagued with religious divisions, ethnic divisions, abject poverty and in many areas lack of proper healthcare and education. Tribalism still prevails in many areas and closemindedness which I consider a diesease still afflicts many leaders and members of the population who could enact positive change. It is good to hope and wish for change, but with so many leaders and individuals out only for their personal self gains, it is hard to believe, no matter how strongly one wants it, that change will come to Africa and Unity will result. BUT! I believe that we must not give up because what is worth having is worth fighting for and hopfeully, in the end, we  shall have what will internationally be known, called and respected as THE UNITED STATES OF AFRICA!!!.

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African governance today

I find it interesting, the change that is resulting present day in the continent of Africa. It is time overdue in my mind, that citizens of the continent started rising up and fighting for their rights and the opportunity to life, peace and the pursuit of happiness. Since the colonial actors departure in the mid 20th century, the ethnic divide they created and the social, political and economic problems they left behind has led to increased instability in the continent.

In the case of Nigeria, a country which I am from and proud to claim, there are many ethnic groups, the three main being the Yoruba, the Igbos and the Hausas. The Hausa people are primarily Northerners and Muslim while the Igbos and Yorubas are located mainly in the West, East and South and tend to be Christians. There have been very few cases where we have enjoyed Democratic rule, because in most cases military coups end up in power, or Dictatorships end up being the form of rule. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, the eighth most populous country in the world, and the most populous country in the world in which the majority of the population is black.

Even though the country (Nigeria), is top ten supplier of Oil to the United States, and also very rich in natural resources such as coal, iron ore and natural gas, it is still very poor. Naira to Dollar ratio is 150 to 1, when 30 or so years ago, it was 1 to 1. I can continue on and on, but the point is, accountability and strong leadership is needed in Africa. Corruption and Nepotism needs to disappear and be replaced by fair and just rule. African leaders need to understand that the title of President is not the same as Chief. You are not accountable to just those whom youve known for a very long time or grew up with, but to an entire Nation who elected you to be their representative. Also that if put in a position of Power and they do not do what's in the best interests of the people, the same situation happening in Egypt & Tunisia will result and they will be ousted.

*The days of corruption, self enrichment and cronyism are over, this is a new decade and Africa deserves better*

- Dips'