KONY 2012

[James L Walker]

Could it be that Kony 2012 is nothing more than just another fabrication for military intervention?

[apaosha]

Mali was a great Empire once. Abyssinia was once the richest nation on Earth.

My point was to emphasise the difference in potential, not the lack. Look at history.

What always must be asked is why sub-Saharan Africans cannot build nations by themselves, cannot keep the peace by themselves, cannot feed themselves, cannot protect their people, territory or resources by themselves?
And why is it the responsibility of Westerners, not just whites, to do this for them?

Because they are darkies, innit?

If you are suggesting that a race possesses certain innate tendencies, certain inherited predispositions, then I would agree. Tabula Rasa has been sufficiently ridiculed to rule out the alternative.

[SIATD v2]

Mali was a great Empire once. Abyssinia was once the richest nation on Earth.

My point was to emphasise the difference in potential, not the lack. Look at history.

What always must be asked is why sub-Saharan Africans cannot build nations by themselves, cannot keep the peace by themselves, cannot feed themselves, cannot protect their people, territory or resources by themselves?
And why is it the responsibility of Westerners, not just whites, to do this for them?

Because they are darkies, innit?

If you are suggesting that a race possesses certain innate tendencies, certain inherited predispositions, then I would agree. Tabula Rasa has been sufficiently ridiculed to rule out the alternative.

I was joking, sorta. My point was that we in the West on our mighty thrones with our wanktastic nuclear weapons think that the 'black continent' will forever remain a quagmire of war and poverty, and so we adopt policies to ensure that our prediction comes true. Sometimes without even realising it. If we simply cancelled all debt obligations, stopped selling weapons and limited our involvement in most of these countries to when we were invited in to share the fruits of our education then within decades the whole continent would be in much better shape.

[apaosha]

I was joking, sorta. My point was that we in the West on our mighty thrones with our wanktastic nuclear weapons think that the 'black continent' will forever remain a quagmire of war and poverty, and so we adopt policies to ensure that our prediction comes true. Sometimes without even realising it. If we simply cancelled all debt obligations, stopped selling weapons and limited our involvement in most of these countries to when we were invited in to share the fruits of our education then within decades the whole continent would be in much better shape.

At what point does one sever the apron strings?

[SIATD v2]

No time like the present. Though of course, the Chinese don't see it that way, which is in turn part of the reason for the West's continued interest in the continent...

[Fixed Cross]

No one wil ever stop exploiting Africa, as to be human simply means to exploit, or to take advantage of, and the African soil harbors many advantages. The question for the future is how to do it in a way that also benefits the continent, in a constructive way - as we take advantage of our own continents.

The "irony" if that's what it is, is that sub-Saharan Africa provides the potential for a far more successful taking-advantage than many other parts of the world where in fact life is organized much more successfully. So there is an enormous potential for improvement, that currently has been read only as "disgrace", "failure", "tragedy", "crime", etc. All of these words are appropriate but miss the point that might be made to the greatest advantage of anyone besides those that aim to cultivate scarcity and disorder.

I think that it is an improvement for Africa that the Chinese are taking such great interest in it now. The Chinese are not less exploitative than the western powers, but they are less hypocritical, therefore less deranging and subversive. Exploitation of Africa should be increased, but in ways that make of the continent an actual project, instead of simply a collection of mines.

[lizbethrose]

Certainly, fc. And moderate China is trying to do just that.

[SIATD v2]

No one wil ever stop exploiting Africa, as to be human simply means to exploit, or to take advantage of, and the African soil harbors many advantages. The question for the future is how to do it in a way that also benefits the continent, in a constructive way - as we take advantage of our own continents.

The "irony" if that's what it is, is that sub-Saharan Africa provides the potential for a far more successful taking-advantage than many other parts of the world where in fact life is organized much more successfully. So there is an enormous potential for improvement, that currently has been read only as "disgrace", "failure", "tragedy", "crime", etc. All of these words are appropriate but miss the point that might be made to the greatest advantage of anyone besides those that aim to cultivate scarcity and disorder.

I think that it is an improvement for Africa that the Chinese are taking such great interest in it now. The Chinese are not less exploitative than the western powers, but they are less hypocritical, therefore less deranging and subversive. Exploitation of Africa should be increased, but in ways that make of the continent an actual project, instead of simply a collection of mines.

I don't disagree with any of this.

[Oughtist]

Oooh, April 20th approaching... everyone ready for the half-inflated balloon pop?

[Flannel Jesus]

huh?

[Oughtist]

There's supposed to be a Flash-Mobesque postering event over the night of April 20th to bring attention to all this... I don't think they anticipated the redundancy of such when they initially scheduled it (i.e. before they went viral). Nonetheless, it will be curious to see how evident the event actually will be.

[Flannel Jesus]

Hype seems to have died down a bit over the last couple months, and rightfully so. I wouldn't be surprised if it was nearly forgotten come the 20th. Sure, there'll be some people participating, but I don't think it'll be a relevant thing. I don't think it'll get much attention.