Ebola, Africa, Ignorance

People are afraid of Africa. My friend Ed Carr pointed this out recently in a post on social media when he described his frustration that Americans believe that Ebola Fever is coming for them (http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/we-still-dont-know-how-deadly-the-ebola-outbreak-in-west-africa-will-be/). Spoiler alert: it isn't. I am not shushing anyone or stepping up on a pedestal. Africa, and the 2/3rds world are very, very different from the United States and from Western Europe (and honorary places like Japan/Aus/NZ...). Traffic sucks, people look different, sanitation is unusual from these perspectives. Seasoned workers and travelers get it and don't mind it, at least don't admit to minding it. But really what I just wrote speaks to folks who travel to the have not world; not those who see it only vis-a-vis the media.
If you learn about Africa and other scary places on tv, the internet, in books, in conversation you have every right to be terrified of ebola, boko haram, aids/hiv, hippos/buffalo, you name it. What good do we know about Africa except Paul Simon found some folks to play nice music for what should be in everyone's top ten albums of all time (for the unwashed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhyrIsvAp0A).  My friend and former student, Ryan Good (http://plaza.ufl.edu/ryangood/uf/home.html) wrote a  really compelling paper about how Africa appears in video games that needs to get more air time. BIG SPOILER--it ain't good but essentially the games repeat and highlight every scary thing you ever could of thought of and make it all in Africa.
My exegesis of public media of Africa and the developing world is easy and I am not the first, and definitely not the best to do it. But here is the kicker--YOU THINK AFRICA AND THE DEVELOPING WORLD SUCK BECAUSE POWERFUL PEOPLE WANT YOU TO THINK SO. Why would those in power want us to believe that the developing world doesn't work...  ...(for emphasis)--because there are very valuable resources in the developing world including, but not limited to minerals, wood, food, animals, people, labor, soccer players, ruggers, fish, plants, and on and on. If we are continually reminded that folks in the 2/3rds world cannot manage than how can we justify being opposed to pro-western dictators as long as they provide order? The current story about China's grab for Africa as horror? Who should be grabbing it?
Good information is hard to come by and causes for concern far outweigh causes for hope. But think of this, as horrible as 700 plus people dying of Ebola is, as horrible as what Boko Haram has done and will continue to do, most of the 800 MILLION PEOPLE (soon to crest a billion if the UN has any skill at prediction) in Africa, and more than 3 BILLION in the rest of the developing world raise families, live well, and have the same cares and concerns as you do. Don't be fatalistic but don't be complacent either.