It's really embarrassing... for who always call Africans "old friends"
Next, they'll claim that Africa has been part of China since ancient times.
How China Spied on the African Union’s Computers
41–49 of 49 posts
Re: How China Spied on the African Union’s Computers
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
welcome to world politics - US sold a Boeing 767 to China which was planned to be used by the Chinese President as the official jet, as expected, it is full of bugs. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1... Australia put bugs in the newly constructed Chinese embassy in Australia's capital back in 1995. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-08/the-chinese-embassy-bu...
Idea for political trolling: just once, sell the other country a jet or whatever without a single bug , and laugh as they desperately tear it apart, trying to uncover something.
Bonus points if you leak the intel/design plans talking about your recent breakthrough in bug technology and how untraceable they'll be now.
Re: How China Spied on the African Union’s Computers
#43Seems such a small gain with potentially huge downside with African countries distancing themselves from China. And so sloppily done too...
> Seems such a small gain with potentially huge downside with African countries distancing themselves from China. European countries and the US have been meddling in African countries for centuries, even more blatantly (including directly toppling governments or bringing in their armies) and they have hardly "distanced" themselves from them -- and they'll do that to China for such small peanuts? The population doesn'…
Great point. Business as usual. I guess the downsides were heavily subsided by the fact that african countries don't really have much to gain from it nor do they (meaning their leaders) have any will to do so.
Re: How China Spied on the African Union’s Computers
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well that's exactly what the African Union is for. The poverty trap right now is: 1) Loan from the IMF 2) Restructure your debt = privatization = loss of sovereignty and control 3) Repeat The hope is that through a regional central bank, regional investment bank and a regional monetary fund they can break away from the shackles of predatory psycopaths like the IMF and the World Bank. I personally think this will not…
The AU seems likely to be a in better spot, in part because it is built on regional "pillars" and a lot of separate organizations, so even if the AU itself for some reason were to fail, it is already having massive impact. E.g. ECOWAS covers 15 countries and ~350 million in West Africa. SADC covers 16 states in Southern Africa etc. COMESA acts as a superset of SADC and EAC, providing a free trade area covering 400m+…
the AU is also much older than UNASUR. The OAU was established in 1963 with a very clear mandate towards unification and decolonization.
However, the good intentions towards unity had to quickly face the reality of each despot desire to stay in power.
Re: How China Spied on the African Union’s Computers
#45Seems such a small gain with potentially huge downside with African countries distancing themselves from China. And so sloppily done too...
> Seems such a small gain with potentially huge downside with African countries distancing themselves from China. European countries and the US have been meddling in African countries for centuries, even more blatantly (including directly toppling governments or bringing in their armies) and they have hardly "distanced" themselves from them -- and they'll do that to China for such small peanuts? The population doesn'…
> The population doesn't know better or is kept down, and the leaders do what brings money to their accounts, not to the country.
This is less the case, and it is more that Chinese spying is peanuts compared to what the West has done and continues to do.
Re: How China Spied on the African Union’s Computers
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
The AU seems likely to be a in better spot, in part because it is built on regional "pillars" and a lot of separate organizations, so even if the AU itself for some reason were to fail, it is already having massive impact. E.g. ECOWAS covers 15 countries and ~350 million in West Africa. SADC covers 16 states in Southern Africa etc. COMESA acts as a superset of SADC and EAC, providing a free trade area covering 400m+…
the AU is also much older than UNASUR. The OAU was established in 1963 with a very clear mandate towards unification and decolonization. However, the good intentions towards unity had to quickly face the reality of each despot desire to stay in power.
That's true, but also changing, with the AU getting increasingly willing to send in joint AU forces to stabilize countries, or pressuring various governments to hold elections. That the AU is taking a more active role in curtailing dictators is quite ironic given that one of the drivers in getting to the Sirte declaration that laid a lot of the groundwork for reviving the work on the AU was Gadaffi...
Re: How China Spied on the African Union’s Computers
#47Re: How China Spied on the African Union’s Computers
#48When will Africa realise that they have to learn to look out for themselves because no-one else will? They declined Europe's "offer" (though realistically Europe really didn't have anything to offer its colonies after being devastated by WWII), but where they that much better off under Soviet influence and are they that much better off under China? It's time they started working towards real independence instead of a…
What do you mean by declined?
Most of the french speaking african countries (and some others) don't even own their own currency[1]. The way they can spend "their" money is dicated by guidelines set by the french Department of the Treasury.
You see them chasing the next free lunch, I see lobbyng. And compared to the billions spend in lobbying in the Americas or Europe, building the AU headquarters must have been pocket change. More so with backdoors.
Re: How China Spied on the African Union’s Computers
#49When will Africa realise that they have to learn to look out for themselves because no-one else will? They declined Europe's "offer" (though realistically Europe really didn't have anything to offer its colonies after being devastated by WWII), but where they that much better off under Soviet influence and are they that much better off under China? It's time they started working towards real independence instead of a…
What do you mean by declined? Most of the french speaking african countries (and some others) don't even own their own currency[1]. The way they can spend "their" money is dicated by guidelines set by the french Department of the Treasury. You see them chasing the next free lunch, I see lobbyng. And compared to the billions spend in lobbying in the Americas or Europe, building the AU headquarters must have been pocke…
>What do you mean by declined?
I mean they made a big spectacle of "overthrowing" colonial rule, but with the effect that they still have effective colonial rule (as you point out), but kicking out the actual Frenchmen living there they removed any incentive of the colonial powers to actually contribute any services back and build a functioning society.
It's the supposed freedom fighters who are just chasing free lunches and not actual freedom. Though I suppose they may never have had a chance. Look how the colonial powers have reacted to pan-Arabism or the Rhodesian UDI.