Last King of Scotland - Why is most of Africa like that?

I wonder where you come from Silver, but am African myself and I have had first hand experience with these kind of leaders. You see, in the pre-colonial times, Africans were led by chiefs and autocratic kings. They would rule with iron hand, their words were final, and they would rule until they die before handing power to their children. With the coming of democracy, things have been very hard for African leaders-they want to rule until they die yet democratic values are saying this is wrong, so when opposition points this out, they are are beaten up and tear gassed!Have you followed what is happening Zimbabwe? Can you imagine that an 83 year old Mugabe still wants to run for President and is beating up every body and ruining the economy? Have you heard that another dictator, Museveni of Uganda has changed the constitution to rule for more than two terms? Have you seen Menes Zinawe of Ethiopia shooting and killing hundreds of opposition in Adis? These African leaders just cant manage Democracy, and yet they want to masquerade as democratic leaders-when infact, they are primitive African tyrants dressed in western coats! The amazing thing though, are the double standards of the western powers, Brittain and America-they are blamng Mugabe, but are quiet about the damage being caused by Museveni and Menez Zinawe to ther respective countrymen! What a shame!

I like to add that Europe wasn't that different for hundreds of years we lived under tyrants and fought bloody wars but these wars forged in people a strong sense of identity and or nationhood. One thing I observed in Africa is that a lot of people identify with their tribe before their country, so that a leader of a particular tribe is elected he works for the benefit of his tribe rather than the good of the country as a whole. And without a tradition of a strong press it is easy for corruption to take hold. A strong free press is a bulwark against such injustice. all the best urban