Advice for President Obama on Africa

Max grew up as the son of a man who knew 'ALL' the answers to the problems of the world. Max's father said so! Many times, his father let everyone know that anyone who didn't know that he had the answers was a turkey or a knucklehead.

The famous Ma Bell, the second most powerful force in the world (next to God of course), thought so much of Max's father's opinions, that she made him 'Supervisor of Troubles'. This is true!

The advice Max promised you, Mr. President.

Give Africa equal treatment!

Max realizes that the Middle East and Southern Asia are important areas of the world, but it is in Africa that some of the world's most dangerous wars are being fought.

Max has always chosen to do the jobs that others look down on. It isn't that Max likes working nasty and distasteful jobs. No, it is by doing things that others set aside that he believes he can made the biggest difference.

Africa is a continent that has gone largely uncared for. With the exception of Libya and Nigeria, the continent has seen less positive change in its situation over the last couple of decades than just about anywhere.

When genocide broke out in the Baltic Nations, the United States intervened quickly by international standards. When war breaks out between major Asian nations we are quick to try to send negotiators to settle things down.

In Rwanda, Liberia, Darfur, Congo and a dozen other places, wars have been conducted or are being presently conducted. For more than two decades we have waited until the wars burn themselves out before putting a single boot on the ground.

It is not that there are not economic reasons, like the Middle East, that we might be impacted by these wars that we do not get involved. The continent is rich in minerals and rare items that every industrial nation needs.

For some reason, the things we all want seem to flow from the interior of the continent in spite of all the fighting. It seems that whoever controls the resources is who will be paid for the mineral wealth.

In Somalia we started to take a stand during President Clinton's government, only to flee at the very first sign of resistance.

The African Continent is too large for any single initiative. It may be possible to send envoys to work on a mostly African solution to the problems in some part of that continent.

In other parts it is the governments that are in power that are the problem.

Many of the problems in Africa are rooted in the past. Customs, traditions and tribal identity all play a role.

There are governments and states on the continent that are relatively stable. Some of these are threatened by the instability on the borders. It might be possible to start with these. Building working security forces in more progressive nations might allow them to work as part of the African Union to stabilize the continent's bad actors.

Developing African nations into more energetic trading partners would decrease our nation's dependence on a single block of nations. Increasing trade through the more stable political units on the continent might also help them stabilize their neighbors.

Disease is viewed by many as the major problem in Africa. Max believes that curing disease in Africa can only happen by building an infrastructure of hospitals, clinics and medical training facilities. These all depend on having stable governments committed to their populations.

Perhaps you can get someone with great stature to lead a reformed effort to focus on the African continent.

Max wishes you well in all your willingness to stretch.

Max writes about greenways, rare diseases, timely topics, places to eat, travel and other issues of interest. He encourages you to add your comments.

Link one leads to the African Union site.

Link two leads to the African Democracy Forum site.

Link three leads to All-Africa news organization site.