Open reply to David Lloyd-Jones:
Your robust replies to anyone you disagree with on the econ-soc-devt
list have sometimes been useful in making me inspect assumptions that I
have too easily settled into, for which thanks.
But your robustness has often crossed the line into plain bad manners,
arrogance and contempt for any fool (so identified) who has a different
view from you. I could call you any manner of variants of fool in
relation to Zimbabwe, where contrary to what you claim for Africa as a
whole, mortality rates and life epectancy are worsening, per capita
income falling, corruption rising etc - all associated with (and, I
believe to some extent caused by) structural adjustment. I won't
generalise beyond my area of expertise as you do, but discussions with
other Africanists lead me to believe that if I did I would be able to
sustain the case better.
I am glad that so few people have bothered to reply to you in kind, and
with much more of this sort of stuff I shall shortly be adding you to my
list of people whose messages are deleted unread.
I had not intended to go the conference you are attacking, but I will
now. I think you should too, firstly to apologise for your grotesque bad
manners, and then to test your prejudices in a spirit of academic debate
with people who have honest, and possibly more intelligent reasons for
disagreeing with you.
Sincerely,
Colin Stoneman
In message <[log in to unmask]> on Wed, 18 Mar 1998, David
Lloyd-Jones <[log in to unmask]> writes
>
>
>H M Taylor2 wrote:
>
>> Apologies for cross-posting!
>
>Apologies rejected. This is the most vile pieces of pornographic spam I
>have seen this week.
>
>>
>>
>> CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT!
>> The second biennial event on the theme:
>>
>> Africa and Globalisation: Towards the Millennium
>
>That was the good news: we can't have more than two more of these inane
>condescending goon shows.
>
>> Friday 24th-Sunday 26th April, 1998
>> The University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancs.
>> Supported by the African Studies Association, UK
>> and the British Council
>>
>> This event has been called against the backdrop of mounting economic and
>> political problems facing African states. Since the last conference,
>> Africa's economic decline has not abated as Structural Adjustment
>> Programmes continue to accession havoc to its economy and society.
>> Politically the stalemate continues in Nigeria, whilst the military
>> regime now strives to portray itself as the harbinger of democracy to
>> its regional minnows, whilst denying the same to its citizens.
>
>Two errors per line. AIDS will continue to get worse for some time, beause
>HIV has been around for a long time. Every other indicator of every aspect
>of life in Africa is getting better, and at a rapid clip.
>Child mortality is down. Effective malaria control is being seen in some
>places. Kleptocracy has gone out of fashion in a dozen countries. Kenya has
>just held its first reasonable election ever. Both birth rates and
>children-per-mother are dropping rapidly everywhere.
>
>And I saw on one of the Zambian news-services a piece of news that should
>bring joy if it happened anywhere on the planet: government ministries are
>doubling up their office space beause they can't meet the rent increases
>landlords want. (For the innocent, price inreases in commerial office space
>constitute one of the surest signs of economic health imaginable. But for
>the bureaucrats to react to the market's pressure: that's a miracle!)
>
>> These are a few of the issues that will be discussed in the 35 panels
>> over the three days. The conference has attracted over 100 paper givers
>> from throughout Britain and from overseas, and we are delighted to host
>> some of the key contemporary names in the field of African studies to
>> address the conference.
>
>Will there be anyone on any of these panels to point out that Nigeria is not
>merely a harbinger of demoracy but has actually delivered for several of its
>troubled neighbours -- or "minnows" to the white boys here? Not bloody
>likely.
>
>Domestically Nigeria is no doubt several kinds of messes -- which means that
>"stalemate" represents great progress.
>
>> They are drawn from the major disciplines:
>>
>> - Anthropology - Professor Paul Richards - Key Note Address
>> University College London/ Waggenigen Agricultural University, the
>> Netherlands
>>
>> - Anthropology - Professor Richard Werbner - Plenary Session
>> University of Manchester
>>
>> - Political Science - Professor Lionel Cliffe - Plenary Session
>> University of Leeds.
>
>Major intellectual centres all!
>
>> Target Audience
>> This conference is aimed at those teaching in universities,
>> researchers, those working for NGOs, government officials, research
>> students, political activists and those in the private sector who would
>> be interested in meeting to discuss and identify trends for Africa in
>> the new millennium.
>
>I just identified the major trends above. You an call this giggle show off
>now.
>
>> For further information, please contact:
>> Helen Taylor, Centralan Consultants Ltd, FREEPOST, University of Central
>> Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2BR
>> Tel: 01772 892251 Fax: 01772 892938 Email:
>> [log in to unmask]
>
>Brought to you by the UK, Africa-wide manufacturers of poverty through the
>export of Fabian socialism.
> -dlj.
>
>
--
Colin Stoneman, Old School, Swine, Hull HU11 4JE.
email: [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask];
Tel: 01482-811227; Fax: 01482-815857.
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