Jospeh Kony

[EanieMeany]

I'm presuming we've all seen this flying about Facebook, so what are folks thoughts on the whole thing?

 

I'll admit that I haven't watched the video as a) the LRA is something I've been aware of (in very little detail, admittedly) for years and I'd rather read up on the situation myself before I start signing up to any kind of organised outrage. To that end, I can't really comment much more on the current trend other than to say that it does seem to be just that - a trend lacking in any real substance or useful purpose as it stands. But again, I haven't watched it, but I will do when I can do so as a relatively informed viewer.

 

The one thing that does strike me straight off is the utterly ludicrous (to the extent of being downright offensive and insulting to the people who really matter in all of this, in my opinion) idea of covering the place with pictures of Kony, looking for all the world like an album cover, to "raise awareness." What if I started cutting about the place with a t-shirt bearing the image of whoever is calling the shots at al-Quaeda these days? After all, I doubt your average punter knows who it is now that bin Laden is gone. I'd imagine that Africans across the world who actually know what is happening in the region - not just Uganda which, it has to be said, seems to be a bit of a non-player these days when it comes to Kony seeing as he's been out of the country for 6 years - would be pretty disgusted at the idea of a bunch of ill-informed, affluent attention seekers walking around advertising such a brutal war lord as a fashion statement.

 

 

Thoughts?

[dirty dingus]

Not seen anything on facebook, first i've ever heard of this mob. Sounds like the typical animals who try use religon as a flag of convenience to commit attrocities.

On a lighter note I'd like to see Joseph Kony v Joshua Milton Blahyi in a deadliest warrior african nations cup special.

[Joe1874]

I understand why people want him rid of. The man is evil, forces children to fight for him and kills them if they refuse. Well going by that video it seems like that! Possibly could just a way to "justify" invading another country.

[Guest David Edwards]

The so called charity, 'Invisible Children' is I think, more about drawing attention to itself rather than the plight of Ugandan children. Most of its raised funds (66% approx) is spent on salaries and 'expenses'. No wonder then that charity watchdogs give it such a poor rating for financial accountability.

[garymcc1874]

I watched the video and then read these: http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com.nyud.net/ and http://ilto.wordpress.com/2006/11/02/the-v...sible-children/

 

Kony is clearly a lunatic who needs captured and killed, but Invisible Children seems like a bit of a sham.

[Guest David Edwards]

I watched the video and then read these: http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com.nyud.net/ and http://ilto.wordpress.com/2006/11/02/the-v...sible-children/

 

Kony is clearly a lunatic who needs captured and killed, but Invisible Children seems like a bit of a sham.

 

It would seem so.

 

http://kony2012.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/

 

'The Culture Makers........when they speak the world listens'.

 

Not surprised at all that Saint Paul Hewson is amongst them.

 

 

[SpoonTon]

Wait... I thought African warlords and child soldiers were a good thing? Without them we wouldn't have cheap conflict minerals, and without those we wouldn't have affordable laptops, phones or even facebook at all! I mean, these guys protect our western way of life. Surely we should be celebrating and protecting them?

[irnbru]

Although this is definitely something that should be highlighted more all of this fake outrage is really a pet hate of mine.

 

Having said that when the front pages of papers are full of stories about Rangers players ex girlfriends cat's getting stuck up trees then sometimes this big bang type of awareness is needed although certainly not at a profit like this one is.

 

Having said that all of the people who have this new found outrage need to stick their heads above the parapet more and realise there is more to the world than their own wee bubble.

 

Not normally my type of music but a line in this song sums it up for me:

Lyrics

Thou shalt give equal worth to tragedies that occur in non-English

Speaking countries as to those that occur in English speaking countries.

[Rossco]

The Kony 2012 campaign thing is to raise awareness of who Kony is & what he does to those who have not heard of him.

 

My girlfriend is one of those (current affairs to her is who got slapped on TOWIE) & she watched the whole video & whilst she seen it as an over the top advertising campaign she was educated a little on the subject & it did encourage her to read up a little on the history of the conflict & bit more on what Joseph Kony has done.

 

 

[alexp]

The so called charity, 'Invisible Children' is I think, more about drawing attention to itself rather than the plight of Ugandan children. Most of its raised funds (66% approx) is spent on salaries and 'expenses'. No wonder then that charity watchdogs give it such a poor rating for financial accountability.

that figures. i wonder what the money and time that has been put into "getting kony famous", would do for the villages of uganda.

 

so a bunch of americans now know who joseph kony is. it's not like my facebook friends are going to hunt him down. most of them can't even find uganda on a map. mind you i haven't watched any of the videos so i have no idea what the whole goal of this campaign is.

 

[EanieMeany]

Another thing I don't get is why IC want to arm and train an army which any normal person wouldn't encourage in the slightest bit given that they are accused of being a bunch of kidnappers and murderers themselves, an army nominally under the control of someone who appears to be nothing more than a crooked dictator. That in its self is incredibly dangerous, never mind the idea that flinging in the American World Police on the whim of a Facebook campaign sets a precedent that would hugely damaging.

 

Making people aware of these kind of situations can't be a bad thing, but that has to be seperated from the Kony2012 campaign which does actually seem to be a rather distasteful operation. People have to question these things, it annoys me that people think they can watch a video then be all out-raged and "upset" if anyone who attempts to form their own opinions dares to question it. The beauty of countries like this one and the USA is that you can challenge propoganda, but I suppose it's not really too unexpected for so many people to just accept whatever nonsense is fed to them in a shiny video these days.

[Dunoon_Ton]

Fair enough to them for raising a bit of awareness to this and as someone said earlier most people would never had heard of it otherwise. Sad thing is, it should be raising the profile of this happening anywhere, not just in Uganda. The RUF in Sierra Leone are another disgusting bunch who hack peoples limbs off, use forced child soldiers (and worse, which isnt evn suitable for this msg board)

 

If anyone is interested in this stuff, there is a really good book called A Long Way Gone, its an actual account of a now 26 yr old ex-child soldier in the RUF who escaped. Really harrowing stuff, but a really good read.