[Brenda]

Yeah, right. People here are soooooooooooooooooooooo poor, they cannot afford to buy food, and the ones that run the country are sooooooooooooooooooo wealthy they can swim in gold.

The cause of the problems in Africa is imo the fertility of the soil and the lack of knowledge (among other things), and not my donation, thank you very much.

[Zipperfish]

I don't tink its particularly the fault of the west. I'm sure abducting them, packing them on boats and shipping them off to the New World to be sold didn't help matters much, but that was a long time ago. The direct cause of starvation in Africa is non-functioning governments. If it was just a matter of charity, the problem would have been solved long ago. Basically life in a lot of Africa consists of trying to get enough to eat and fleeing marauding hordes.

[stokes]

Africa was doing just fine until the Europeans fucked it up in the 1800's. They deforested thousands of acres in order to build railroads so they could build empires. No Trees and plants cause soil erosion which leads to infertility!!!

In the 1700's the Sahara Desert was 1/3 of its current size.

Yeah sure the gap between rich and poor here is not as profound but it is still there

[Brenda]

$1:

Yeah sure the gap between rich and poor here is not as profound but it is still there

it always was, and it always will be there. but here, on this continent, you can choose the way you want to earn you money.

I don't think many Congolese have that option... they are damned lucky if they have fresh water, and if the aid the west put into that continent was managed well, and the governments had been fair, a lot more people wouldn't have died of starvation there.

[Brenda]

$1:

EXACTLY the same issues.

exactly the same bullshit, and projecting it all to your case again. How convenient.

[Zipperfish]

three three:

I just listened to the vid for a few seconds to find out what I suspected: This is a battle between "the government" (on behalf of the multi-national corporations) for "precious land and resources". They want to strip the land of its resources and kill or otherwise get rid of the tribal people who have lived there for centuries.

This is EXACTLY the same battle being fought worldwide, where people are trying to protect their land, their resources, their lives from multi-national greed and aggression, in collusion with local governments. This is governments making war on their own people for profit.

We have it right here: The people of North Frontenac have learned that their government will not protect them from uranium drilling on their property, so they went to the Algonquins for help and a blockade was set up. They are now in consultation with the province and the miner. In the Congo, that wouldn't have happened: They would have been killed. However, it is EXACTLY the same situation. It is the multi-nationals causing war and strife and death all around the world. It also profits the multi-national war-makers who make military equipment, provide supplies, etc. They have a stake in sustaining conflict, and they do.

The latest from the Algonquins:

"Engaging in dialogue and discussions in good faith with view to resolving complicated disputes such as this is the preferred way. Our traditions and teachings compel us to engage in dialogue rather than litigation in the Courts to resolve disputes. This is all that we have asked from Ontario and the mining company since their unilateral plan to explore for uranium on our lands came to our attention last spring.
All we have asked is that Ontario comply with the recommendations of it's own Courts and its public inquiries and live up to its legal obligations to First Nations Communities," said Chief Davis. "There is still a long way to go and we are far from resolving these complex issues. However, I am pleased that the discussions to date have been positive and my Community will continue to engage in a dialogue and consultations to attempt to resolve the issues."


EXACTLY the same issues.

stokes ... you rock!

I don't think this issue quite stacks up to 45,000 men, women and children being massacred every month.

[BartSimpson]

Zipperfish Zipperfish:

three three:

I just listened to the vid for a few seconds to find out what I suspected: This is a battle between "the government" (on behalf of the multi-national corporations) for "precious land and resources". They want to strip the land of its resources and kill or otherwise get rid of the tribal people who have lived there for centuries.

This is EXACTLY the same battle being fought worldwide, where people are trying to protect their land, their resources, their lives from multi-national greed and aggression, in collusion with local governments. This is governments making war on their own people for profit.

We have it right here: The people of North Frontenac have learned that their government will not protect them from uranium drilling on their property, so they went to the Algonquins for help and a blockade was set up. They are now in consultation with the province and the miner. In the Congo, that wouldn't have happened: They would have been killed. However, it is EXACTLY the same situation. It is the multi-nationals causing war and strife and death all around the world. It also profits the multi-national war-makers who make military equipment, provide supplies, etc. They have a stake in sustaining conflict, and they do.

The latest from the Algonquins:

"Engaging in dialogue and discussions in good faith with view to resolving complicated disputes such as this is the preferred way. Our traditions and teachings compel us to engage in dialogue rather than litigation in the Courts to resolve disputes. This is all that we have asked from Ontario and the mining company since their unilateral plan to explore for uranium on our lands came to our attention last spring.
All we have asked is that Ontario comply with the recommendations of it's own Courts and its public inquiries and live up to its legal obligations to First Nations Communities," said Chief Davis. "There is still a long way to go and we are far from resolving these complex issues. However, I am pleased that the discussions to date have been positive and my Community will continue to engage in a dialogue and consultations to attempt to resolve the issues."


EXACTLY the same issues.

stokes ... you rock!

I don't think this issue quite stacks up to 45,000 men, women and children being massacred every month.

Zip, didn't you know that the First Nations have been oppressed unlike any other people in the world?
The oppression of the FN outstrips anything supposedly suffered by the Armenians, Jews, and etc.
(And everyone knows those stories are all BS just to make the white man's oppression of the FN not look so bad).



[/sarcasm]

[QBall]

Oh good. I wasn't aware of what this month's "Crisis Country of the Month" selection is. It's Congo. I'll just file that under 'D' for "Don't give a woo-hoo."

[ShepherdsDog]

three.....three...three. no one believes your bullshit, at least no one who counts.

[sasquatch2]

The end of the 19thcentury and the beginning of the 20th century saw Africa being opened up.

David Livingston informed the world that the slave trade was alive and well and euopeans with maxims put an end to it. Meanwhile the world community made the Congo Basin the concession of the King of Belgium. This was exploited savagely, for profit resulting in the deaths of millions---the main enforcing agent---maxims.

The end to colonialism plunged Africa into tribal anarchy----Idi Amin, NKruma, and Bukasa were the main players now it is Zimbawi's turn.......They have proved they can kill Africans as well as the colonialists.

[martin14]

$1:

They have proved they can kill Africans as well as the colonialists.

or maybe even better...

[TheQuietKidd]

Africans have gone back to their old tribal warfare ways that were present before the Europeans arrived. Differences are, now their populations are massive and they have automatic weapons, not good, not good at all...