Loomnie - Latest Comments

Re: A Framework For Discussing ‘Africa Rising’

SquareX — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 11:11:58 -0000

Why don't you guys stop talking and just get on with it like the Chinese.

Westerners talk too much.

Re: Reviews of Achebe’s There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra

Ifeoma — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 06:58:25 -0000

Pathetic. Loomnie is desperately trying to pretend that he is balanced. You HAVE NEVER BEEN BALANCED on issues that involve non-Yorubas. Achebe's new wook is causing waves around the world, and trust me, will sell millions. WORLDWIDE. Nigerians are so self -centered. Who cares what you think. I can assure you that Prof doesn't. Loomnie myfriend, keep trying to pretend to everyone that Achebe's criticism of Awolowo does not jaundice your agenda. Really pathetic
Ngozi

Re: Reading Bill Kahora’s “Urban Zoning”

loomnie — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:15:23 -0000

Thanks for the comments. I'm enjoying reading you reviews too!

On the money issue: how many people get a furniture loan and are able to pay the money back only a few months after receiving the loan? I think his applying for and being granted the loan goes along with his sticking-it-to-the-manedness. He collects a loan that he doesn't need just because he can. Then he goes ahead and loans part of the money to his boss. Besides, this loan arrangement thing with his boss seems to be a regular thing. Hence the idea that he has access to some money that someone else of his age and job description wouldn't.

Re: Reading Bill Kahora’s “Urban Zoning”

Scott — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:30:50 -0000

I agree that the story is missing some additional information. That said, I believe the money Kandle loans to his boss comes out of the furniture loan that the panel decides to let him keep temporarily. Regardless, I agree that the relationship between him and his boss has more potential than Kahora allowed. Great review!

Re: Reading Rotimi Babatunde’s “Bombay’s Republic”

Scott — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:48:45 -0000

You make a really good point about the metaphor for isolated, illegitimate heads of state. There's definitely a connection between him and some of the more detached leaders.

Re: History of corruption in Nigerian leadership

Codliveroil — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:44:46 -0000

This article illustrates the point I've been making for years. The problem is not with military administration or even civilian administration with democracy. It is not with President Jonathan's government.

The problem is that Nigerians have allowed corruption and cheating to embed itself into the culture. The practice of doing things properly, openly transparently, efficiently have all been dropped by the side of the road.

Only mere lip service is paid to public works, capital projects etc. Even if they are commissioned they are not done properly and not maintained, they either never worked properly in the first place or fall into disrepair. They are just excuses to defraud the nation. Witness the debacle during the Obasanjo era and electricity supply and the oil refineries which don't work properly.

President Jonathan is talking about tackling the electricity problem and he is tackling the oil subsidy issue. He may have good sincere intentions, but are the members of his cabinet as committed, or even the executive arm of government?

Nigerians have now become corrupt, regardless of what guise they present themselves as be it religious leader , ethnic figure-head, a solider or a democrat. They will eschew discipline and hard work, for cheating, lying and committing fraud. These have been adopted as the "Nigerian way", unlike in Superman where "truth, justice and freedom " are the American way. These values have been embraced by society like a long lost child.

You have stated that since independence these malpractices have been evident. Is it any surprise that the nation, now finds itself where it is today?

Corruption can be tackled, but it will take committment and dedication. Not just an odd panel here or there. Not cosmetic measures, which are very selective and ineffective.

Thank you for this post.

Re: CFP from the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan

Annie — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:51:50 -0000

Please is there anyway i can get Dr. Danjibo's number....We need him for a lecture... Thank you

Re: What is it like to live in Europe with an African identity? – Aljazeera video

Steve — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:41:17 -0000

really nice video, staying tuned for the next episode!

Re: Books I’ve read this summer

Andres — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:52:24 -0000

Very cool combination: sports, RCTs, history of economics, and recent history of financial crisis. I agree with your point of view of the anthropological perspective; and in this topic I wonder who evaluates the evaluators.

Re: Michael Lewis on the Germans

Nicolai von Neudeck — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:17:20 -0000

Dear Loomnie,

I would confirm it, if you need confirmation. Including exmaples, if needed.

Nicolai

Re: On The Book of Mormon – the musical

Menelic — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:20:50 -0000

I'm sorry but I must beg to differ. Rewriting small pieces of the book does not take away the fact that the bigger piece of the story remains problematic for First Nation People and People of Color in general - for they have been smitten wth color of skin as a marker of sin. Wether they can or cannot serve as priests does not change the fact that American wars of conquest are recast as holy war and execution of gods will. It is for this and many reasons that Mormons are not Christians, neither orthodox Christians nor Mormons would make that claim, if you as them. When in theological conflict - and there are quite some - the book of Mormon trumps the Bible in Mormon systematics. There is a reason for that.
This is not to say that all Mormons are bad people - but as a Black person, I d invite you to have some conversations with Mormon missionaries in Eurpe and Afrcia as well as with African converts. You will very quickly see that above all-is-well-that-ends-well tale of lieral accomodation is unfortunately very far from the truth.

Re: Friday links

Loomnie — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:49:10 -0000

Thanks! I'll check it out.

Re: Friday links

Martin — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:27:40 -0000

If I may add. Anthropologist's view of debt is out. In a book form.

Which might be interesting for many: http://inthearena.blogs.cnn...

Have a good weekend

Re: An anthropologist’s take on development economists

David Week — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 08:45:55 -0000

Excellent, and about time.

I think anyone with any training in the social sciences knows that any explicit methods or mathematics sits on a substrate of unexpressed, and not wholly expressible substrate called culture, the background, forestructures, tacit knowledge…Being a good social scientist involves adopting a reflective and reflexive stance, in which you allow your perceptions of the other (in this case, the poor) illuminate your own forestructures.

Economists, unfortunately, seem to want to distance themselves from the other social sciences, and pretend theirs is a natural science. The natural sciences can afford to be unreflective, and unreflexive, because they deal with rocks and trees and artillery shells. But a human studying a human is a very different kind of epistemological system than a human studying a rock.

Much of economics does read like bad ethnography. Economic authors bring to bear stale and uncritical assumptions, without apparent awareness not only that they are doing so, but even the awareness that they are doing so.

This hardly matters when they are employed by banks or treasuries. It's disturbing when this unselfconscious and unselfcritical approach is applied to investing in poor communities.

Re: On the history of the corporation

Keith Hart — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 06:58:31 -0000

There was an interesting follow-up to this story. The EIC had stocks of 17 mn tons of unsold tea and was being undercut in the important North American market by American and Dutch smugglers. The British government cracked down on the smugglers and granted the EIC a monopoly in the American colonies, substantially raising the price of tea there and putting the squeeze on local traders. The result was the Boston Tea Party and then of course the War of Independence.

Re: “A Prayer for My Daughter” by Tina Fey

Girke Judith — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:18:12 -0000

I like :)

Re: The Nigerian Textile Industry and Cheap Chinese Products

Website Designer Riyadh — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:08:29 -0000

We are waiting for that address.. Can anyone share with us..

Re: RCT, economics and qualitative research

Website Designer Riyadh — Mon, 23 May 2011 06:44:07 -0000

I think this article following the foreign policy.. Really very interesting article.. Thanks for sharing this one..

Re: The Nigerian Textile Industry and Cheap Chinese Products

Afriwearswears. Toyin-Ajao — Sun, 22 May 2011 10:33:58 -0000

pls. can you get us the postal Address of all functioning texile industries in Nigeria? Thanks.

Re: China, Africa and resource-backed infrastructure loans

MCA_2 — Fri, 13 May 2011 08:01:03 -0000

I looked around your website and found your blog is excellent. There are a lot of info for me to study, thanks for your great share.
Business Loan

Re: Tesco launches a recycled clothing collection line

BingoBiloba — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:54:20 -0000

nice design line: add a gold angel charm and its perfect, don't you think?

Re: RCT, economics and qualitative research

Loomnie — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:26:18 -0000

Thanks for the article, Lee. You want to share any thoughts on it?

Re: RCT, economics and qualitative research

Lee Crawfurd — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:06:21 -0000

Paul Krugman gives a good take on development and methodology here: http://web.mit.edu/krugman/...

Re: Morning Music

Judi — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:22:03 -0000

i like :)

Re: China in Africa, cont’d

Lua Wilkinson — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:53:57 -0000

Also recommend Deborah Bratigam's recent blog post for even more information: http://www.chinaafricareals...