Orphaned, Raped and Ignored

[Mowich]

The attention of the world is still on Haiti yet other countries continue to suffer countless cruelties and the slaughter and/or abuse of children. One would think that the Rwandan genocide might have taught the nations of the world something but such is obviously not the case. Why is the Congo not receiving the attention of the world when the ever-mounting casualties are far greater than that of Haiti? Why do we turn our backs on them while doing all we can to help Haitians? I do not know the answers to these questions but I do think they need to be asked.


OP-ED COLUMNIST
Orphaned, Raped and Ignored
Op-Ed Columnist - Orphaned, Raped and Ignored - NYTimes.com

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: January 30, 2010

KALEHE, Congo
“Sometimes I wish eastern Congo could suffer an earthquake or a tsunami, so that it might finally get the attention it needs. The barbaric civil war being waged here is the most lethal conflict since World War II and has claimed at least 30 times as many lives as the Haiti earthquake.

Yet no humanitarian crisis generates so little attention per million corpses, or such a pathetic international response.”

 

[darkbeaver]

The Belgians murdered fifteen million for their Imperial health.

 

[TenPenny]

Where's Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner when you need him?

 

[Mowich]

Where's Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner when you need him?

Ah, another Zevon fan! Good question, TenPenny.

 

[Mowich]

The Belgians murdered fifteen million for their Imperial health.

Well I just learned something, DB. Didn't know that and will now do some research.

By stating that are you simply referring to more mass slaughter or do you not care what is happening in the Congo?

 

[gerryh]

why? because the congo has nothing the rest of the world wants, and the rest of the world is too busy sinking money into ways to take human life rather than in ways to save human life.

 

[Johnnny]

Actually the congo has alot of resources, the world might be letting them finish themselves off before the corporations move in...

 

[Mowich]

why? because the congo has nothing the rest of the world wants, and the rest of the world is too busy sinking money into ways to take human life rather than in ways to save human life.

There is some truth in what you say, gerry. However, Haiti has nothing to offer the world - nothing at all.

Sometimes I think that disasters such as that which befell Haiti are nothing more than the 'flavor of the month', giving nations of the world a chance to show that they do care about other nations besides their own. Trouble is they don't care enough and they don't care for too long.

 

[gerryh]

There is some truth in what you say, gerry. However, Haiti has nothing to offer the world - nothing at all.

Sometimes I think that disasters such as that which befell Haiti are nothing more than the 'flavor of the month', giving nations of the world a chance to show that they do care about other nations besides their own. Trouble is they don't care enough and they don't care for too long.

Exactley

 

[Mowich]

Actually the congo has alot of resources, the world might be letting them finish themselves off before the corporations move in...

They have minimal resources, Johnny. Nothing like what is available in the Congo or in such quantity.

 

[Johnnny]

i dont know about that there are lots of metals to be mined there(congo)

 

[darkbeaver]

Well I just learned something, DB. Didn't know that and will now do some research.

By stating that are you simply referring to more mass slaughter or do you not care what is happening in the Congo?

I learned that listening to a Norman Finckelstien Lecture a while ago. He said he could not understand why there were ten thousand books about the Holocaust of WW2 and only one about the Belgian Congo Holocaust.

 

[darkbeaver]

Hati resources have been held in reserve, since they were discovered, by the same powers that have crippled Hatian social development and occupy the country today under the rubric, "international aid".

 

[#juan]

There is some truth in what you say, gerry. However, Haiti has nothing to offer the world - nothing at all.

I disagree. Haiti can offer miles of great beaches far from home for a lot of tourists. Maybe if with some of the billion dollars and more that has been donated were used to build a few good hotels that aren't going to fall down during a mild earthquake maybe the tourist trade will come back and some of these people will be able to work for a living. The whole service industry could be rebuilt. Hurricane resistant Modular housing for the people along with sewer, water, and electrical services could be built fairly quickly along with schools and hospitals.

 

[AnnaG]

Tlast I heard was that Haiti has some nice beaches, warm weather, etc. What do you mean it has nothing to offer? I'd say it has the same as Dominican Rep., Cuba, Costa Rica, Belize, etc. Nice places to go escape winter. Or at least it could be a nice place.
lol Nuts. Juan beat me to it.