20 replies to this topic

[AdamDabour]

Not sure if this was posted here before but something I really think people should watch.

[James]

I would love to see Kony arrested or dead, don't really have a preference. That said, I have a few issues with this campaign.

I would bet the vast majority of youth who attempt to remain up to date on current events have come across some kind of literature on the L.R.A. and the issues of central Africa in the last five or six years, even if they don't remember it. Newspapers, magazines, blogs, online news sources, books, journal articles, etc. have been covering these conflicts for a while now, even if they aren't front page material. There are three differences I can see between the previous literature and filmography on the L.R.A. and this Kony 2012 campaign:

First is the 'what if this was happening in America to white kids' argument. I don't think I need to say much about this other than it's depressing that people still need to approach issues like this from a racial perspective to appreciate their severity. If you have a problem caring about a person because they're black and in Africa you ought to reevaluate your capacity for empathy.

Second, youth reliance on hot media as their medium of information necessitated a video with high production quality and a flashy narrative to spark any mainstream interest. It's increasingly difficult to capture the imaginations of young people, therefore it took a highly engaging, factually sparse video like this to rouse interest in Kony. Where would the mainstream Darfur movement have been without George Clooney or Brad Pitt? Kids can't read a newspaper anymore, it's got to be spoon fed to them before they can collect and retain information. This leaves them with very little understanding of the actual facts surrounding the situation. What's the political situation in Uganda, the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Chad, or the Central African Republic? Who is arming the L.R.A.? What are other countries in the region doing to fend off the rebels? None of this is covered in the video. Nobody seems to be asking.

Finally, and in my main problem with this video, is the shameless self promotion by the charity (company?) that made it. They actually tell you at the end that the best way to stop a war is to buy a box set filled with standardized posters and other goods designed and produced by the organization. You watch what you think is a 30 minute call to arms only to realize at the end that you were sitting through an infomercial. Now they're having a worldwide protest on April 20th where everyone is going to put up exactly the same posters all over the place. Rather than an organic movement we have a fabricated protest where everyone is expected to wear the same t-shirts and march like they're in an army. They've somehow managed to commercialize an African civil war and market it to white people. That's almost as depressing as the war itself.

Also one of their posters has Kony in the foreground in front of Osama and Hitler. lol

[Punk Rock Geek]

Just got invited to three different event pages for this.  I found this response in the process.  Be sure to read the entire article:

Military intervention may or may not be the right idea, but people supporting KONY 2012 probably don’t realize they’re supporting the Ugandan military who are themselves raping and looting away. If people know this and still support Invisible Children because they feel it’s the best solution based on their knowledge and research, I have no issue with that. But I don’t think most people are in that position, and that’s a problem.

http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/

[YQS]

I think it's a good cause and all, but I don't see the link between my donations to this group and the troops looking for Kony actually catching him. It's not like Kony emits colorful light beams into space every time someone buys a kit, because if he did, then I would totally buy one...
And did the US government actually say they were planning to pull out the military advisors? I can't seem to find that information... This whole campaign would be kind of unnecessary if they had no such plans.

Second, it'll be a long while before I advocate US troops going off to catch "bad guys" in any country. Their interference might just give Kony more ammunition to rile up his followers.

Third, like PRG's/Visible Children's point about the Ugandan army being just as bad as the guy they're looking for, some of the politicians they are trying to get on board are also responsible for dead children in other countries. Would it be alright if I started a campaign to get Joseph Kony to find and arrest Mullah Omar? I don't think so... But unlike the Visible Children guy, I don't see any other way to stop him than by force. I totally agree with him about the issue needing action instead of awareness.

Fourth, like James said, the "facts" in that movie (not that there were many) were messed up. They say Kony is fighting for nothing but to keep power, and I look it up and find out he's a Christian fundie fighting for Christian values and it also stemmed from the Ugandan government's perceived unfair treatment of members of his ethnicity.

There are probably more, but that's just the one example that bugged me the most. I should have got the hint when they called it the "Lord's Resistance Army"...


That being said, now that I know Kony exists, I hope he gets caught. Might even give the magic kit people a few bucks if they help rescue all the children (some of whom are probably in their 40's now since he's been kidnapping for around 30 years).

[Punk Rock Geek]

Another response to the Kony situation:

Last year I went to Gulu, Uganda, where Invisible Children is based, and interviewed over 50 locals.  Every single person questioned Invisible Children’s legitimacy and intention. Every single person. If anything, it seemed the people saw Invisible Children as a bigger threat than Joseph Kony at the time. Why is it the very people you are trying to “help” feel more offense than relief with your aid?

“They come here to make money and use us.”

“It makes us feel terrible to be presented as being so stupid and helpless.”

These are direct quotes. This was the sentiment of the majority of the people that I interviewed in varying degrees. I definitely didn’t see or hear these voices or opinions in your video. If you are to be “saving” the Acholi people, the very least you can be doing is holding yourself accountable to them and actually listening to what they have to say.

This offensive, inaccurate misconstruction of Ugandans and its conflict makes me wonder what and whom this is really about. It seems that you feel very good about yourself being a savior, a Luke Skywalker of sorts, and same with the girl in your video who passionately states, “This is what defines us”. Therefore, I can’t help but wonder if Invisible Children is more about defining the American do-gooders (and making them feel good), rather than the Ugandans; profiteering the American military and corporations (which Invisible Children is officially and legally) than the conflict.

http://pomee.tumblr....-harm-than-good

Be sure to read the entire thing.

[AdamDabour]

YQS, on 08 March 2012 - 12:03 PM, said:

I think it's a good cause and all, but I don't see the link between my donations to this group and the troops looking for Kony actually catching him. It's not like Kony emits colorful light beams into space every time someone buys a kit, because if he did, then I would totally buy one...
And did the US government actually say they were planning to pull out the military advisors? I can't seem to find that information... This whole campaign would be kind of unnecessary if they had no such plans.

Second, it'll be a long while before I advocate US troops going off to catch "bad guys" in any country. Their interference might just give Kony more ammunition to rile up his followers.

Third, like PRG's/Visible Children's point about the Ugandan army being just as bad as the guy they're looking for, some of the politicians they are trying to get on board are also responsible for dead children in other countries. Would it be alright if I started a campaign to get Joseph Kony to find and arrest Mullah Omar? I don't think so... But unlike the Visible Children guy, I don't see any other way to stop him than by force. I totally agree with him about the issue needing action instead of awareness.

Fourth, like James said, the "facts" in that movie (not that there were many) were messed up. They say Kony is fighting for nothing but to keep power, and I look it up and find out he's a Christian fundie fighting for Christian values and it also stemmed from the Ugandan government's perceived unfair treatment of members of his ethnicity.

There are probably more, but that's just the one example that bugged me the most. I should have got the hint when they called it the "Lord's Resistance Army"...


That being said, now that I know Kony exists, I hope he gets caught. Might even give the magic kit people a few bucks if they help rescue all the children (some of whom are probably in their 40's now since he's been kidnapping for around 30 years).

Only reason i posted was for the message to get out and just to let people know about it. Not to try get donations for them. I keeo seeing vids and stories about the charity not being as transparent as they should be, that their figures dont add up  etc

[YQS]

AdamDabour, on 09 March 2012 - 09:19 PM, said:

Only reason i posted was for the message to get out and just to let people know about it. Not to try get donations for them. I keeo seeing vids and stories about the charity not being as transparent as they should be, that their figures dont add up  etc

Well, I just dont see how awareness will help. And since the bottom line of this whole thing is to get US troops in Uganda for whatever reason, it's not likely I would advocate it.

[Skaz]

It's a bit like the underpants gnomes on South Park:
Step 1: Raise awareness Step 2: ?????????? Step 3: Stop Kony

[Sammysaint]

Yeaaaaaaaah let's beat the bad guy by funding the Ugandan Army who are one of the worst militaries in the world for rape and murders! Woo!!!


But here is a Ugandan Woman talking about it, very good.

[AdamDabour]

YQS, on 10 March 2012 - 03:54 AM, said:

Well, I just dont see how awareness will help. And since the bottom line of this whole thing is to get US troops in Uganda for whatever reason, it's not likely I would advocate it.

Yeah but some people would go and try get their governments to do something if enough people say it then they get a reaction. Putting US trrops into uganda isnt something i'd push for either. like I said whole reason I posted it was for awareness really. Awareness does little to actually help but thought i should share it and see what happens.  I cant do anything else cause the country i'm in give no fucks about anyone else atm and i'm broke.

[Punk Rock Geek]

Now Listening To:  White People For Peace ~ Against Me

[Goatseboy]

It'd be awesome if celebrities endorsed things like anarchism and socialism, or is that a long shot?

[Punk Rock Geek]

Goatseboy, on 12 March 2012 - 05:25 PM, said:

It'd be awesome if celebrities endorsed things like anarchism and socialism, or is that a long shot?

How big of celebrities?

[Goatseboy]

I know it sounds awful, but isn't that what the Kony 2012 mindset is? The mainstream consciousness propelled onwards by paltry endorsements from big social media users?

[Midnight Strike]

After reading that blog, and watching the ugandan woman's response... it really seems like this organization (?) doesn't really know what it's doing, and it's just an excuse to move a bunch of money. I could be wrong, yeah, but that's what it seems like.
The Kony 2012 video is kind of a shocker, when the kid Jacob was talking about how he'd rather being dead, I literally cried, I thought it was a good cause and everything, but then it was just mere advertising, "buy our shirts, buy our posters, magically save the world"
Also, maybe it's just me, but I don't think a kid that young should be explained that kinda stuff... you can't tell him the whole thing [about rape and murder], but you can't really let him with just half the info... that kid seemed to small to care about the big problems of the world, I think you should let kids live their childhood

[All Dead]

http://www.guardian....aigner-detained

[Sammysaint]

That was honestly such hilarious news, the video was also fantastic - like a hairless gorilla in the street

[All Dead]

Cocaine is a helluva drug.

[Man]

I think you are right. I heard something about 2.5 billion barrel oil. Only one third of the money actually goes to Uganda. And there is a lot more issues with this campaign. Maybe it is real, but is it a coincidence that it became that big just now?
I don't like the video even if it was honest. I don't like the whole idea. It this "white man's burden" stuff. We aren't supposed to clean up there. Helping yes, but not by taking control. And this is what happens if the campaign is successful and America sends troops.
Additionally, i don't think Kony is the problem. He is not the next Hitler. It is not like killing him and then we have world peace. Killing him would mean that someone else becomes leader of the LRA.
The other thing is: fighting against Kony means fighting against an army of child soldiers. And we all know how the U.S. Army operates. The stories from the latest wars are horrible enough. This can't be the solution.