PELHAM

Yeah it's been like that for half a century, I've seen campaigns come and go for many years, most quite shallow like this one. They don't achieve much, people claim hollow victories, get bored and it all fizzles out. I'm puzzled why they are focused on Kony and Uganda and not the DRC next door (where Kony is now) which is full of Kony's and the child abduction, cannabalism, rape and butchery is/was 100 times worse? Not much was reported in the West about the wars in Congo in which Uganda and many other nations played a major part: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Congo_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Congo_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MONUC#2010

I don't think they mean that, they are just commenting on the fact that he has no cause but himself. Someone watching that video might wonder what the purpose of all that butchery and fighting is or what Kony's reasoning is. How does he justify what he has done in his own thoughts? Some things that occur in Africa are very distasteful and it's very difficult to know where to begin or how to describe them as they are so at odds with western culture. ---------- Post added at 05:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:31 PM ---------- Quite wrong - they drove the LRA out of Uganda several years ago and killed some of the top commanders. That's why people have a problem with this video, the LRA isn't there anymore so why are they promoting it as a Ugandan issue to raise money? You should read the responses to this video from some of the Ugandan Ministers lol. The LRA now operate in other countries and it's suspected they operate from bases hidden in remote parts of the DRC.

I partially agree that wealthy westerners making shallow attempts to be at ease with themselves while others suffer is often laughable and the way others get rich from the process is profoundly distasteful. However, people with no faces or fingers to type with don't often appear on facebook (well they don't even have computers) and they really do need others to raise awareness. Lets agree that without this silly viral vid most people would not be aware of the horrors that ocurred and are still occuring in the jungles of central africa. Changing your profile pic may not be THE way to end it but it does get the problem noticed and that's a small start. ---------- Post added at 05:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:03 PM ---------- Yes it is because this will all end up being a joke about a video and people will forget the crimes. I say forget the video and remember the real issue.

Type in "LRA victims" in google and switch to images. The victims don't find it funny - they just don't have any lips to cover their teeth with any more. If you had met people like this (I have), you wouldn't find joking about it as easy as you obviously do. While the video is yet another example of silly viral marketing and oversimplification, the crimes of Kony and the LRA across central Africa are very real. The International Criminal Court needs to bring people like this to justice.

Who is claiming killing Joseph Kony will solve all of Africa's problems? It will solve the problem of Joseph Kony, who knows what will happen to his brainwashed child army. But it's a step in the right direction as this mass murderer can't be allowed to continue can he? That facebook quote sums up some ridiculous soundbites that no one believes. Sums up someone with warped logic. Also putting ..Oh wait... at the end of something is getting nearly as irritating and meaningless as ....arrow to the knee...lol. The OP is perfectly correct that something should be done about Kony. That idea should not be lessened just because of some oddball charity and their stupid video.

Sudayev you are correct to raise suspicions about this charity and I doubt giving them money would solve anything. I have watched money pour into Africa for decades and it seems to evaporate as soon as it gets there. Expensive cars and houses seem to grow very well for a certain few though. Anyone wishing to donate to anything should choose very carefully! However, if you chose only to work with non-corrupt, democratic governments in Africa you would soon find yourself with no one to work with. Also if you were to arrest people for crimes against humanity by western standards it would in fact be easier to build a fence around the entire continent. The US is doing the only thing possible and is focusing on the worst criminals while working with lesser criminals and hoping to change things. That is the uncomfortable reality. Can I also point out that millions of tonnes of eastern block weapons were dumped in Africa from the 1950's onwards with no conditions placed on their use with the results we see today. Much of the horrific mutilation and violence was a method taught by North Korean and Chinese military advisors as a means of terror to control rural populations. In the country where I lived they would go from village to village picking victims at random, killing, burning, raping, forced cannibalism, hacking off lips ears and noses and leaving the clear message that if people didn't do what they said, worse would happen. The men that did this were fresh from communist training camps and armed with SKS, AKM & RPK rifles. So this whining about a small US involvement from the usual suspects does not really make any sense.

@one_man _clan I would check out forum rule 6 and remove that link. You can't link to videos like that here.

It's just some Senator looking for some extra votes, listen to what Obama says.

RT and the Syrian Government are desperately trying to spread that IED garbage to cover up what happened. There is even a report that an autopsy was carried out in Damascus and a nail was found in Colvin's scull (have you noticed that someone has changed the wikipedia page based on 2 unconfirmed media stories?). What they fail to mention is that Colvin and Ochlik were not alone when they died, there were 4 other journalists present who witnessed the multiple rocket attack. 3 rockets hit their building. Paul Conroy was wounded by the same shell that killed Colvin along with William Daniels, Edith Bouvier and Javier Espinosa, details here: http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=48839 http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/paul-conroy-on-syria-massacre-horrifying-to-think-what-s-happening-now-the-cameras-are-gone-homs/s2/a548170/ Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Index 2011-2012, recognise who is 4th from bottom just below Iran? http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html Assad has given permission for 200 media groups to enter Syria but their movements are strictly controlled. They are escorted and can only visit certain events and talk to Syrian citizens when the government minders allow it. Colvin and Ochlik, along with many other journalists, had to sneak across the border from Lebanon as due to the reporting restrictions they were refused entry to the country and had to enter illegally. It's nothing new in Syria. I'm not sure if anyone remembers the travel documentary by Dom Jolly some years ago? He was followed everywhere by an official government minder. Also see this account from Al Jazeera's Dorothy Parvaz who went missing in Syria last year only to turn up 19 days later in Iran: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/05/2011518184325620380.html Blindfolded, I was led to the first of my three cells - a tiny, sparse room, roughly three paces across and five length-wise. On the floor, on a ratty brown blanket, sat a young woman whose face was puffy from crying. She said she was 25 and from Damascus and indicated that she had been there for four days. She didn't know why she'd been picked up by the Mukhabarat, the Syrian intelligence service. The BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2011/06/the_difficulty_of_reporting_fr.html Current FCO advice: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/syria Journalists working in Syria should be particularly aware of the sensitivities of the authorities towards the media, particularly those working for foreign media organisations. In addition, all foreign journalists entering Syria require special permission from the Syrian authorities. A number of foreign journalists have been detained and subsequently released by the Syrian security forces during the crisis. The security forces have also confiscated phones, cameras and video cameras of foreigners in Syria. Like all other visitors to Syria, journalists should take particular care to avoid demonstrations which can and have turned violent. ---------- Post added at 02:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:43 PM ---------- The West only acts under UN Security Council resolutions. The security council passed SC/10200 to protect Libyan civilians which allowed a no fly zone and the subsequent strikes on Gadaffi forces when cities were attacked with battlefield weapons: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/sc10200.doc.htm They have attempted something similar for Syria but all attempts are blocked by Russia and China. The other thing NATO would require is the cooperation of Turkey. That is not forthcoming as they are sulking in a corner after the realisation that they will never get into the EU. I would agree with you that there is less enthusiasm for several reasons including the lack of oil (well it helps if there is something profitable at the end to replace the enormous costs). Obama is also close to an election and does not want any problems. You can narrow it down to one particular thing if you like but that betrays how deep your thinking is on the matter.

No, no, it doesn't stand on it's own. Thats a rather simplistic view of a very complex psychological situation that ignores other emotional effects such as fear, anger, disgust, hate or revenge. If you hate the enemy or desire revenge you plant an IED anyway, despite your feelings of empathy, as the emotional perspective is changed. It doesn't mean they have no empathy or less empathy, they know exactly what damage an IED causes. They may be empathising more with a deceased or injured colleague or themselves (self pity) than the intended victim? Hatred, contempt and revenge are long-lasting emotions, more like a temporary attitude or disposition than a temporary emotional state. Does this make them more dominant than empathy? I believe so. Consider also physical stimuli such as fatigue, pain, hunger and stress. Might these induce self pity leading to a strong desire for self preservation, e.g. "better him than me"? Can empathy win in that situation? What about long lasting psychological conditioning such as military, political or religious instruction? If you are conditioned to believe the enemy deserve death, then add in the above complex battlefield stimuli, is empathy temporarily reduced even further? I say temporary because empathy can drive people nuts later. The return of empathy produces feelings of guilt and regret.

Nah I wanted to get it in case you didn't get it and Iran thread #2 was started lol. I have watched the Onion items for years - it's not as good as it used to be.

Yes I am familiar with the Onion and have enjoyed it's humour for many years. I like this one: Brain-Dead Teen, Only Capable Of Rolling Eyes And Texting, To Be Euthanized http://www.theonion.com/video/braindead-teen-only-capable-of-rolling-eyes-and-te,27225/ and this: Are Tests Biased Against Students Who Don't Give A Shit? http://www.theonion.com/video/in-the-know-are-tests-biased-against-students-who,17966/

How international nuclear regulation works - the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Non-Proliferation_Treaty Five states are recognized by the Non-Proliferation Treaty as nuclear weapon states (NWS): China (signed 1992), France (1992), the Soviet Union (1968; obligations and rights now assumed by the Russian Federation), the United Kingdom (1968), and the United States (1968)

The biggest scandal in Poland is the amount of counterfeit vodka being consumed: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=422760&NewsAreaID=2 lol

Can you check what you write is true and relevant before posting it here please? Firstly the Saudi Royal family are Salafi not Shia and the other dominant pillar in Saudi power the Al ash-Sheikh are Sunni. Gaddafi and Assad have turned their armies on the civilian population resulting in thousands of deaths from heavy weaponry, that didn't happen in Tunisia, Egypt or Yemen did it? Completely untrue, yet more utter nonsense: Reuters- China's top two state oil firms have agreed to lift a total of about 140,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Libya under term deals for 2012, set to raise China's crude purchases from the North African exporter after supply disruptions last year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/01/china-libya-oil-idUSL4E8E113820120301 The Libyan National Oil Company still controls 70% of production, so which German and French company bought all the oil fields?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Oil_Corporation#Libyan_civil_war_and_transition Were you aware there is a Libyan oil conference and trade exhibition in Tripoli next month? http://www.oilandgaslibya.com/venue/ List of Exhibitors: http://www.oilandgaslibya.com/exhibitor-list/ So this other info you gave us about the security situation in Tripoli is also not true?

@one_man_clan Nice video of Gaddafi there - did you know many of those 'supporters' were paid or coerced? E.g. have a look at this from Al-Jazeera a year ago: 17th Feb 2011 - In an apparent effort to control the public narrative in the wake of rare protests that have spread throughout Libya, the country's government is threatening to withdraw scholarship funding from citizens studying in the United States unless they attend pro-government rallies in Washington this weekend, Al Jazeera has learned. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/02/2011217184949502493.html So the gracious and great Gaddafi pays your University fees as long as you engage in protests on his behalf? As for morality I think the pictures and deaths of hundreds of people in Homs speaks for itself. Was Marie Colvin/Remi Ochlik a terrorist? Why is the Red Cross still being kept out of Homs and why is there a restriction on reporting from Syria?

Democracy. It's a word that is often quoted and 90% of those that do so don't know the meaning of the word - that is the saddest joke of all. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy It was set up that way to prevent "a minority being oppressed by a "tyranny of the majority" and is a necessary safeguard. Those who understand the complex nature of international politics will understand this. The UN is what we have to work with, it's far from ideal, but dismissing it as valueless because you don't always get what you want is not really a sign of maturity.

What you describe already exists under the Security Council - that's what it's there for? Political leaders are arrested by forces acting under UN authorisation? Why it doesn't seem to work as it should is you have to get a whole range of different people to agree on the same thing. Not an easy task, just look at what occurs around here lolz.

Yeah they keep making the same mistake - supporting corrupt dictators. Assad will be out of Syria shortly. You expect Syrian's to forgive what has happened and embrace those who blocked UN resolutions, blocked humanitarian efforts, blocked Arab league progress and looked the other way while people died? Can someone prepare a future thread describing how wonderful life was in Syria under Assad lolz. If Russia and China did the right thing they would be welcomed back and would no doubt have the majority of the contracts because they work cheap and would be more familiar with all the equipment. Too late now tho, they have supported Assad and ruined any future involvement in building a future for Syria. So things will only get worse as they have no option now but to prop up Assad while more people die. If only they had learned that lesson in Libya?

If you want to escape your daily oppression writing only what you are told to write by your rich bosses, you are welcome to asylum in my garden shed! We can publish the true story of the lies you write every day and I will protect you from the Goldman-Sachs secret army who will no doubt try to have you killed. lol @Vilas - the one flaw in your theory is that when this happens, and it does, we get to find out about it eg: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_McKelway http://blogs.wsj.com/emergingeurope/2012/01/09/turkish-colonel-journalist-fired-over-kurdish-killings/ http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2011/09/03/breaking-here-first-cbc-sacks-peter-wickham-over-secret-corruption-briefings-to-us-ambassador/ http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/10/28/356287/wync-radio-show-fires-journalist-for-taking-part-in-occupy-wall-street-protests/?mobile=nc If what you say happened regularly, it couldn't be hidden. Searching "journalist fired" brings up thousands of links on google and many of them are very disturbing cases of corruption across the world. Many others are simply cases of Journalism ethics and standards and bringing the status and objectivity of their organisation into disrepute. E.g. the young lady in the last link above was justifiably fired because she did break the journalism ethics code. How could listeners/viewers trust her objectivity in the future? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism_ethics_and_standards The other flaw in your theory is that you believed the hype about Stratfor being a secret intelligence organisation, it isn't. It's a jumped up subscription newspaper. Newspapers employ journalists to provide info and investigate stories. Having journalists on the payroll of a newspaper is evidence of what exactly?

What is wrong with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty? Most of the world has signed it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Non-Proliferation_Treaty Iran signed it too and is now breaking international law. The UN security council and the UN general assembly have voted on it and passed resolutions. Although not an NPT signatory even North Korea recently agreed to stop enrichment and halt all nuclear testing. Why you single out the US continually I'm not sure. All Iran has to do is allow the IAEA inspectors to look around a few sites and stop enrichment, or withdraw from the NPT then this whole thing would be over with. Why the continued bizarre behaviour? As I said before Amadinejad made his name in Iran holding US hostages and I guess he can't break old habits. This whole silly, phoney mess is his idea. It keeps him in power doesn't it?

mmmm.......that's a credible website?? http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=theme&themeId=1 Why is there just one name referenced across most of the articles? Does he appear on RT much?

You are labelling an entire country and government as Islamic Fundamentalists because 112 Libyan Jihadists turned up in Iraq? 112 out of 5.6 million? If they really are what you accuse them of surely they could have sent a few more? The latest UN report states: "current conditions" in Libya had to be understood against the background of "the damage caused to the fabric of the society by decades of corruption, serious human rights violations and sustained repression of any opposition." Transition periods differ, you can't compare Libya with Egypt because the situations were completely different. In Libya after Gadaffi there was no government or NGO's of any kind, that is why things are not good. In Egypt the military, police, civil service etc remained in place. You see, completely different situation? As for the rest - do you get this info somewhere or dream it up yourself? Some people are desperate to find evidence of Libya failing and curiously they are the same people that defended Gadaffi during the uprising. Try this one: Libya is not a failed state in waiting: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/9124380/Libya-is-not-a-failed-state-in-waiting.html @Sudayev, not safe? They are holding international football matches in Benghazi? http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/02/20/soccer-africa-libya-idINDEE81J0FG20120220

Well they are breaking international law - so what do you suggest we do. Ignore it? Then what's the point of international law and the UN in the 1st place?

And under communism none of that happened? Or was it because the press was state controlled you didn't know about it?