The Glade 4.0

Also take into consideration that the top two religions are Christianity and Muslim, both of which forbid contraception... I'm pretty sure there's something in both about "go forth and multiply" too.

Of course if these people were educated enough to think things through, they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

Psst- Christianity as a whole does not forbid contraception.

Catholicism, however, does.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

As pointed out, that would be Catholicism, not Christianity, and in any case, Muslims in Niger outnumber Christians 19 to 1 so it's largely irrelevant what the views of the Christians are in terms of the effects of contraception on birth rates.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

OMG racism!

Sorry my bad... I meant christianity to include all demoninations as I couldn't find a break down.

I will stand corrected however as you're right Christianity doesnt forbid the use of contraception, it's some of the denominations that do, mostly catholicism.

Soooo... after a bit more digging, Top 3 religions are Muslim (~95%), Catholicism and Protestants (~4%), making up most of the popuation, which doesnt bode well for contraceptions.

How about just not ****? That way there's no expense, and no chance of a baby you can't feed!

Nah, that would require, wait for it - personal responsibility.

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

Sexual frustration has been linked in young males as a contributor to violence. Considering the majority of the people are below the poverty line, I'm not sure abstinance would be a good idea.

I've been willingly without sex for 10 years, its no big thing. One gets rather zen about it.

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"...but there exists also in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level and reduces men to prefer equality in slavery to inequality with freedom." - De Tocqueville

Clearly, the rampant sex to prevent sexual frustration has lead to a violence-free Africa. Oh, wait.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Really Lydiaa? C'mon
Studies have shown that being a young male is a contributer to violence.
Guess what else studies have shown? Having sex leads to babies. More studies? They've shown that having babies when you can't even feed yourself leads to dead babies.
Considering the majority of the people we're discussing are below the poverty line, I'm absolutely positive abstinance would be a good idea.

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

Yes, yes, no ill effect of lack of sex for you whatsoever.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Know what else is interesting? Both religions forbid pre-marital sex too. Guess since people aren't listening to that edict either they might as well use contraception.

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No wonder you want to blow up pretty much every politician...

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The Dude abides.

Yes of course my philosophy must exist because of sexual frustration.

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"...but there exists also in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level and reduces men to prefer equality in slavery to inequality with freedom." - De Tocqueville

Admitting you have a problem is the first step on the road to recovery. /tease

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Its funny cause you said minuteman

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Holy shitsnacks!

I dont think thats a problem as the majority of the girls are married by the time they are 16. (http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/niger_1420.html). Plus contraception costs money, as SG pointed out, sex is usually free.

So is not having sex. Having sex leads to starving babies; not having sex doesn't.

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

True, but when you live in a country where there are no physical pleasures other than sex, what do you think is going to happen? They are only human after all. We live in a country where there are a million things to distract us from the harsh realities of life...everything from theatrical and musical entertainment to simple things like good food and drink, a book, or even an alcoholic beverage or a cigarette. Heck, I can go take a warm bath and turn on the radio to relax right now if I wanted to.

If you didn't have a single distraction or physical pleasure other than sex....are you really gonna withold because "its the right thing to do?"

It seems so simple from our perspective but its really not.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

How many of you know anything more about Africa than what you've seen on TV?

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Unless you are going to tell me that in the areas where there are babies literally starving to death that they have televisions and running water and bathtubs and nintendos and books to read, then I don't really see where you are going with that question.

I have not been to Africa, but from what I understand there are some really beautiful places, rich culture, and not every part is a deserted, diseased, starving wasteland. I don't get all my info from TV I get it from people who have been there, and books and magazines like NG.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

LK, apparently I'm a wacko. Indulging myself in sexual intercourse knowing that I would be guaranteeing that child, my child, a life consisting of nothing but wrenching pain and unbearable suffering - a life that will end in a death by starvation? Yeah, I guess I have a hard time justifying doing that "because there's nothing else to do". Call me crazy.

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

LadyKate:

National Geographic has political biases. People who have been there have political biases. Television has political biases. Even I have political biases ...

These sources are also inundated with cultural biases and value judgments that may or may not apply. The basic reality is that Africa is judged according to Western Standards and Western Values, but very little interest is every shown in actually trying to learn any of some 900 (that's probably a conservative as in low estimate) major ethnic groups on the continent.

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Vindi...I don't know your personal life, but until you have known starvation and been deprived of every other physical pleasure, then I'll listen to your opinion on that one.
I myself have somewhat of an understanding of what it feels like. When it comes to starvation and lack of other stimuli the body's wants and needs take over for the brain.

Khross: What and who doesn't have a political bias? I get that.

I took intercultural communications in college and anthropology and a number of other relevant classes that I took very seriously. I enjoy very much reading anthropological studies and anecdotes...I'm not an expert, not even close, but I do take the intercultural differences into consideration.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Sure thing LK, when I could barely afford to feed myself guess what I didn't do? Like I said, call me what you will, my own physical pleasure would never come at the expense of the pain, misery and death of my baby.

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko