Posted: 3/7/2012 8:38:24 PM EDT
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If you've got friends on Facebook like I do I'm sure y'all have seen the video going around the 'net.
I'm not here to say whether I support the campaign or not, nor am I trying to say what the right solution is, because honestly I don't know. All I'm here is to provide some information to think critically about the video and campaign. A blog called "Visible Children" has cropped up with decent information on the KONY 2012 campaign and the organization behind it "Invisible Children". http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/ Here is a direct link to the post on the blog that deals with the criticisms of the campaign and organization. Invisible Children has posted a fairly thorough, and honest reply to these criticisms. Invisible Children's Response As I said earlier, I'm not tying to tell anyone who they should support. That's none of my business. I just think it's important to look at everything from all sides. |
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I agree with the intent of the campaign, but, like many things, there's a lot more going on than people probably realize. I KNOW there's more going on than I realize. What I believe, based on limited study and knowledge of the region, and some extrapolation, in a few quick bullet points:
- Getting rid of Joseph Kony would be great. He's a Class 4 Section 12 Jerk. Needs to be thrown a good beating for every life he has needlessly shattered forever. - If he is removed from play, his organization will not pack up and go back to volunteering at the local Humane Society on weekends and sometimes after work on Tuesdays. Where before there was one d-bag, now there are a dozen previous subordinates looking to flex muscle and stake their claim to the empire Alexander left behind. - As Erik put it in the AK class, "there's a lot of sadness in the world." This guy is one in a telephone book of a-holes in that area code alone. I think it's great that people are stepping up and demanding he be stopped, but the whole campaign has this sort of "that's the endgame" feel to it, like that's going to solve the whole problem. I think that, due to the attention this has gotten in the developed world, his elimination would be seen as a major victory, and would be forgotten as soon as the next "LOLCat playing the ____" video goes viral, while there are plenty of people over there who wouldn't see it that way, because nothing would change for the better for them. For some, it would probably get worse. What does the kid do when the parents come home from work pissed off and smack them? They kick the dog because hitting the parents back is a fool's errand. The better, more cowardly thing to do if somebody better than you comes in and kicks your shit up and down the block a few times is to at least go remind those insolent little fishermen or whoever that you're still a big bad man who can kill you for doing something stupid like earning a meager living working an honest job 20 hours out of the day. - The government troops that are being supported are probably very nearly the same dudes, just wearing different clothing and on the government payroll vs. Kony's. (hell, why not both in some cases, just to spice it up a bit?) Ultimately, I speculate it's probably a real shitty situation to be in either way, and the two can, at times, be pretty interchangeable in their capacity for engaging in gratuitous douchebaggery at the expense of the populace. I'm not convinced these guys are the knights in shining armor some set them up (and pay them) to be. Bait-and-switch. I don't mean to suggest that, just because the problem is much bigger nobody should try anything at all, but I just think there are some unrealistic expectations being set for what might possibly be accomplished by this mass litter-the-streets-with-Kony2012-stickers-and-trash movement, that will likely "expire" before that video does on "December 31." I think the average time elapsed between a person never even having heard of the movement and re-posting/re-tweeting/sharing/etc. it themselves as if they were part of the inner circle is probably no longer than the video itself, which should give you an indication as to the level of expertise on the subject of the average "supporter," as well as clues as to their motivations for joining the crowd (this makes me a sensitive guy, right?) and their resulting willingness to further educate themselves on the facts (non-existent). This is a great idea and all, its just that the video plays on one's humanity, emotions and the general tendency to dislike royal assholes that most people possess (which is a good thing), using these strong feelings to promote belief in the idea (again, totally cool. If the video didn't make you feel something, you should have yourself checked for a heart), but it can be misconstrued by the sudden, overnight fanatic as a comprehensive understanding. Then you see that posted all around you, its more salient and easier to be taken into the mob mentality of it all without stopping to think, "gee, this whole thing just seems a little too perfect for me, this narrator dude sounds like he expects shit everywhere to start smelling like fresh Cinnabons once this one guy has been 'arrested.'" As far as the financials goes, that's a mixed feelings kinda thing - I get it that an oddly low % of the $ is direct aid, but maybe that's not the most effective way for that organization to achieve it's goals. I think Africa is a bottomless pit into which one could dump endless sums of money in terms of direct aid, only to have it be twice as deep tomorrow. I actually think LESS money should go into directly paying foreign forces, the integrity of which they honestly have little to no way of ascertaining, and more into footing the bill for the advisors and training over there focused on building a better, more secure force, not just an augmented one that needs to pull X warm bodies off the streets to show progress. I think that their video is proof that their strength lies in marketing the idea, and their strength comes from control of constituents. You may not be able to get a government to do your bidding, but control enough of the voter base that it matters to those who administrate it? Now you're getting somewhere. I'm OK with that as long as they don't misrepresent it, and call it what it is - the bulk of the money is being used to fuel a powerful marketing push and well crafted messages that are all about the psychology of making people "hate the bad man." The dude's mug is on a poster with bin Laden and Hitler. You could put freaking Mother Theresa on there with those characters, with a possibly menacing look in her eye, and you'd think, "gee, what did she get involved with I didn't know about?" All that said, here's to hoping the beer's already being chilled for the guys on their way to smoke the fool. |
| My 15 yo daughter signed up to "paint" Warner Robins in regards to something about this. I haven't done my research yet, but when I do i will be having a talk with her about supporting causes and how to pick them. My feelings on this particular issue are that at best it's a feel good "look I care" thing and at worst, there's some kind of scam hidden in there some where. Either way I think her energies would be better put to use helping people here in the US. |
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I did not write this but I thought it accurately explained this whole thing, some formatting got messed up...
This is in regards to Invisible Children's "Kony Campaign" and how it is essentially bullshit. The problems with the 'Kony 2012' campaign: Ok so let's get this out of the way first, the basic idea of the campaign is great, to raise awareness of a war criminal that uses children as soldiers and sex slaves. Unfortunately the whole campaign seems to be missing the bigger political picture, I think this is nicely demonstrated in the statement of its second goal: 'That the U.S. military advisers support the Ugandan Army until Kony has been captured and the LRA has been completely disarmed. They need to follow through all the way and finish what they have started.' This statement not only suggests that the campaign is in favour of U.S. intervention but is completely uncritical of the Ugandan Government and its army, both of whom are by no means 'the good guys' in this. I can't be bothered going into too much detail but here are a few key points: 1) The Ugandan Government is a dictatorship with Yoweri Museveni as the president since 1986. Among many of its human rights violations the regime tortures prisons, oppresses other political parties and the press and also wishes to introduce a bill that would have 'convicted homosexuals' put to death. 2) In the civil war in which Yoweri Museveni gained power child soldiers were used by his army (National Resistance Army) which is now the army of Uganda but under a different name. 3) The Ugandan army, or rather its high ranking officers have being using 'ghost soldiers' (soldiers who are no longer on the pay-roll) to siphon off funds, making the war even more profitable for them than usual, giving them a vested interest in its continuation. 4) (kinda the same point again) War is profitable, especially for large arms economies such as the U.S. and the UK. 'U.S. Military adviser support' may as well say 'we want to US and its arms manufactures /dealers to sell the Ugandan Government shit tons more weapons'. I'm sure there's many more points that could be made, and this is still a really basic explanation that barely goes into any detail, but even a single one of these points is enough to be critical of the campaign and its support of the Ugandan army. If the campaign really wants to be truly supportive of human rights it needs to recognise that Kony is not the only war criminal, all warmongering is a crime against humanity" Unknown. Additionally,Of the $8.9 million in donations they spent in 2011, this is the breakdown: $1.7 million in US employee salaries $357,000 in Film costs $850,000 in Production costs $751,000 in Computer equipment $244,000 in "professional services" (DC lobbyists) $1.07 million in travel expenses $400,000 in yearly office rent in downtown San Diego $16,000 in Entertainment etc... Only 2.8 million (31%) made it to their charity program (which is further whittled down by local Ugandan government officials) - what do the children actually get? Their rating on Charity Navigator is because they haven't had their financial books independently audited, and have no independent board members ...which is not a surprising given the use of cash noted above Now, after taking all of that into consideration, here is the kick. None of that is hardly even a problem anymore. This viral film has caught the attention of heaps of young folk but you are all far too late. Watching that Kony video is essentially watching old news. They started filming in 2003, and northern Uganda has been free of LRA violence and war for over five years. In fact, the LRA have signed a peace accord. They are rebuilding and are restoring the peace.Yes the leader is still out there however the recruitment of children has decreased 80%. This isn't due to the Invisible Children organisation, its because Ugandan military and the ICC have intercepted. The Invisible Children group are trying to pass a bill that allows America to militarise the region... They are providing misinformation to woo idealistic followers. The group have combined multiple regional conflicts to make it appear that this is one rapidly increasing issue. When confronted about their dodgy tactics, the head spokesperson stated;“I agree with you that leading people to believe that the war is still happening in Uganda is not ethically right. It's something we've been addressing internally, focusing on getting all staff and supporters on the same page (of communication)."If you read the news, or even had an ounce of interest in the on-going unrest in Africa you would already know this and not be fooled. Yes, awful things happen to people in 3rd world countries but this has been occurring for centuries, it isn't a recent occurrence.I think its only fair if I am to make such comments I provide sources (unlike the people over at Invisible Children...) SOURCES: (http://www.teachkids....org/doc315.php) (http://news.bbc.co.u...ica/3514473.stm) Pages 6 and 12 http://c2052482.r82....320205055Source For Ratings: http://www.charityna...ary&orgid=12429 http://c2052482.r82.cf0.rackcdn.co Michael Kirkpatrick, a long-time Independent Global Citizen, he has resided in Uganda and other regions of Africa. He has no political, religious or financial agenda. He wrote this article and gave an in-depth insight to whats really going on. He also questioned important members of Invisible Children about their motives. [1] http://www.blackstar...2010-06-02.html Charity Navigator is a website that breaks down the proceeds and donations given to Invisible Children and subsequently shows what percentile of that is REALLY going towards these impoverished kids. A measly slither of what is going into the founders pockets. [2] http://www.charityna...ary&orgid=12429 I've read an interesting passage from Northern Ugandan man however it is not 100% verified - he has advised the Northern Ugandan parliament have listed IC as their main priority on their "fraudulent activity" list. (See 2nd comment, username Livingstone). [3] http://www.topix.com...JSGHMES035Q6OI0 THIS article asking Invisible Children why they were pressuring poor AND illegal piece of legislation has since been removed and deleted. [4] http://blog.invisibl...sa-dougan/There were members of Invisible Children were saying what their "allowance" could purchase them, it was on a forum on the official website, and this has also been REMOVED. [5] http://blog.invisibl...om/?p=5901Also: [6] http://www.thegauntl...ganization.html While I agree that helping suffering people has merit, Africa is a shithole. None of the billions of dollars in aid that we have sent there since the fucking 1980's meant anything. The "governments" of these various tribal nations are content to get our greenbacks and sit on that shit forever. Same thing with Haiti, how many hundreds of millions of dollars went there after that quake? Bet you that place is still a shithole today.When someone asks you to help Africa, laugh in their fucking face. I will read your rebutles if you have any, but keep in mind if you don't have sources or if you have sources directly from invisible children, I will not take them seriously. |
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I love this thread simply for the memes Image Macros. An image macro is a picture superimposed with text for humorous effect, a meme is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture. An image macro can convey a meme but cannot be a meme? |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I love this thread simply for the memes Image Macros. An image macro is a picture superimposed with text for humorous effect, a meme is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture. An image macro can convey a meme but cannot be a meme? Correct. The meme would be the idea behind the image macro. |
| My cousin is Sam Childers the "machinegun preacher". I think I only met him once years ago so I can't say much about him. He did what he could, I guess as much as one person with no backing and little support could do. Maybe the best thing he did was bring attention to whats going on over there. Problem is its been going on for years (decades) but nobody cared and the politicians still don't care. Now our President is concerned with Syria's civil rights violations but since 2008 nearly 3000 have been murdered by the LRA with 700 children reported to have been abducted. There is no oil at stake so its not important. |
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My cousin is Sam Childers the "machinegun preacher". I think I only met him once years ago so I can't say much about him. He did what he could, I guess as much as one person with no backing and little support could do. Maybe the best thing he did was bring attention to whats going on over there. Problem is its been going on for years (decades) but nobody cared and the politicians still don't care. Now our President is concerned with Syria's civil rights violations but since 2008 nearly 3000 have been murdered by the LRA with 700 children reported to have been abducted. There is no oil at stake so its not important. As inhumane as it sounds, it isnt our problem. We are not the world police and we should only be using taxpayer money in a way that benefits the taxpayers. |
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My cousin is Sam Childers the "machinegun preacher". I think I only met him once years ago so I can't say much about him. He did what he could, I guess as much as one person with no backing and little support could do. Maybe the best thing he did was bring attention to whats going on over there. Problem is its been going on for years (decades) but nobody cared and the politicians still don't care. Now our President is concerned with Syria's civil rights violations but since 2008 nearly 3000 have been murdered by the LRA with 700 children reported to have been abducted. There is no oil at stake so its not important. As inhumane as it sounds, it isnt our problem. We are not the world police and we should only be using taxpayer money in a way that benefits the taxpayers. Your right, but we do justify when we step in, like when oil is involved. My other point is that 56 million people watched the same kony youtube vid I did. Many will contribute to the "cause" of getting the word out. If half those people gave $2 to hire a mercenarys to kill this guy the problem would be over quicker. The thing is, we are talking about africa and as soon as Kony goes down, somebody else will stand up in his place. |
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I love this thread simply for the memes Image Macros. An image macro is a picture superimposed with text for humorous effect, a meme is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture. An image macro can convey a meme but cannot be a meme? Correct. The meme would be the idea behind the image macro. Alright now I'm lost. Can you post 2 separate pics with explanations? |
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With gas approaching $4 a gallon, I don't think oil has been a factor in any of our recent conflicts. I know, really. Years ago when I worked in the hangar and the US was bombing Slobodan Milosevic there were a bunch of us standing around wondering why we were there. One of the guys, who's dad worked in the Pentagon said it was for oil. We laughed and said how could it be for oil, Yugoslavia has none. He said his dad told him that Slobodan was killing muslims and muslims controlled most of the worlds oil. He said his dad told him that if we took Slobodan out of power we'd have cheap gas for years, and we did. It sounds cloak and dagger, but thats the way the conversation went. |
