This is a Story About YOU

[T.Ruth2power]

Congo's tragedy: the war the world forgot

In a country the size of Western Europe, a war rages that has lasted eight years and cost four million lives. Rival militias inflict appalling suffering on the civilian population, and what passes for political leadership is powerless to stop it. This is Congo, and the reason for the conflict - control of minerals essential to the electronic gadgetry on which the developed world depends - is what makes our blindness to the horror doubly shaming. Johann Hari reports from the killing fields of central Africa

This is the story of the deadliest war since Adolf Hitler's armies marched across Europe - a war that has not ended. But is also the story of a trail of blood that leads directly to you: to your remote control, to your mobile phone, to your laptop and to your diamond necklace. In the TV series Lost, a group of plane crash survivors believe they are stranded alone on a desert island, until one day they discover a dense metal cable leading out into the ocean and the world beyond. The Democratic Republic of Congo is full of those cables, mysterious connections that show how a seemingly isolated tribal war is in reality something very different.

This war has been dismissed as an internal African implosion. In reality it is a battle for coltan, diamonds, cassiterite and gold, destined for sale in London, New York and Paris. It is a battle for the metals that make our technological society vibrate and ring and bling, and it has already claimed four million lives in five years and broken a population the size of Britain's. No, this is not only a story about them. This - the tale of a short journey into the long Congolese war we in the West have fostered, fuelled and funded - is a story about you.

<snip>

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/congos-tragedy-the-war-the-world-forgot-476929.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. I follow this war. It upsets me how no one seems to care.

[T.Ruth2power]

2. Why do you think that is?

I've been discussing this for nearly a decade and few seem to dare to even approach the topic. I've often wondred why this is.

[Captain Hilts]

3. I think that Congo is not geographically defined is part of it.

Once you get past the 'Belgian' part and the fact that a lot of "The African Queen" was shot there, it has little meaning.

The book about King Leopolod of Beligium helped a wee bit, but not much.

Same for Rwanda. We seem to be reluctant to deal with countries without a sea coast as the logistics are harder.

[seemslikeadream]

4. few seem to dare to even approach the topic.

because to do so would bring shame to a way of life sustaining the genocide

[MedleyMisty]

6. Because humans are monsters?

People whine about how God allows evil.

There is no God. There is just us. We are the evil - we do it, we allow it, we reinforce it, we let it go on and on while whining that we're helpless against it and denying it and turning our evil on anyone who points it out.

I had to go hug my husband after reading the first bit - and then I found myself not wanting him to touch me.

[annabanana]

11. It is because of deep complicity.

To get to the roots of this destruction will require the removal of most of the "topsoil" of our daily lives.

[The Liberal Thinker]

5. Too bad it's such a huge country.

Otherwise a UN invasion might be the best idea.

[fortyfeetunder]

7. Get thee to the Greatest page!

K&R :kick:

[Bjorn Against]

8. K&R. This is important....

Four million people dead and we rarely even hear about this country on the "news". It is shameful this does not get more attention.

[otherlander]

9. Can I say something slightly off-topic?

Sorry, but the picture seemslikeadream posted down thread made me think of this. How can we talk about increasing the wealth of third-world nations while NOT talking about DECREASING the wealth of first-world nations?

[Karenina]

10. Hä?

Increasing the wealth of third-world nations??? Surely you jest!

[MedleyMisty]

12. I'll talk about it

I've long thought that there might be enough resources for everyone if we'll just give up some - it's impossible for everyone to be as rich as the richest people in first world countries. But if we were willing to share and give up some stuff, I think most people could at least have the necessities of life. And that would give us a starting place to work on overpopulation.

Frankly now I'm at the point where I have no empathy for people who have no empathy. If you dehumanize others, then you dehumanize yourself.

[AwakeAtLast]

16. I don't think it is decreasing the wealth of first-world nations.

It is the decreasing of the wealth of the mega-rich and big corporations, which is in some way considered charity - otherwise known as "the right thing to do". Therein lies the indifference. :(

[blindpig]

13. As always...

Follow the money.

But hey, these corporations are just exercising their mandate, to increase the wealth of their shareholders. They are blameless, the shareholders are blameless, that's just the way things work, yes?

No way in hell, blood on everybody's hands, including the buyers of coltan bearing devices. Hang on to that cell phone, it might be slippery.

[GeorgeGist]

14. This War has been going on ...

since profit making was considered fair.

[undergroundpanther]

15. I don't say much

because I get too upset I wanna explode when I start writing about it. It's because some things are just so bad it makes me crazy inside and the thread gets confused I get triggered and trolls amuse themselves,. Darfur Rwanda,Abu Gharib Guantanamo,all these places are falling apart the brutality and sadism I want to scream. I want to have power,so I will be heard by those with power for once. I want to grab the fuckers in the whitehouse and slap some sense into them all. But it's maddeningly impossible because they are so protected from our frustration by guns,money,thugs,cops and wall to wall weapons. I know they won't change or care or help as long as they have bunkers,guns,sycophants,a lying press,thugs, money, mercenaries,cops,all this 'security and more separates them from ever facing us..or even hearing us at all.And I HATE it.