Sunday 11 March 2012

Remember the Maine! Remember Joseph Kony!


I wrote an article a few years ago, a comment on a ‘trending’ campaign on Twitter directed against an English journalist. I opened as follows;

I love old horror movies, really old ones, the old black and white flicks with people like Boris Karloff. I’m sure people will have seen some of the original Frankenstein movies. Quite often there are scenes of indignant mobs out with flaming torches, hunting down the monster. But that’s so old-fashioned, don’t you agree? The mob is still with us of course, but it has long since lost the torches. Now it expresses its righteous indignation on the internet, haunting down the creatures that have happened to offend, hunting in a mood of outrage; hunting like a pack.

It’s true; the mass expression of a two-minute hate (yes, the analogy is appropriate) against Joseph Kony, head of the so-called Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), is the latest example. Angelina Jolie has joined in, saying that she does not know anyone who does not hate Joseph Kony. All this flaming passion and outrage was sparked by Kony2012, a YouTube video broadcast last Thursday, one sponsored by a charity called Invisible Children.

The aim was to make Kony ‘famous’. This man carried out a war of terror in northern Uganda for decades, with an army made up in part of kidnapped children, an army responsible for the most nauseating atrocities. No need to make him famous, because he was already infamous. But ‘famous’ he has become in the lights of Kony2012, with over fifty million views of the video. People in the States were encouraged to put up posters in cities across the nation, thus making the fight against Kony and the LRA a matter of ‘national interest’ in Washington. That, so the film makers believe, will ensure that US military ‘advisors’ are sent to Africa to aid in the hunt for Kony.

I wonder if these people understand the potential damage they have done; I wonder if they understand anything at all about the present political situation in Uganda? Ugandan bloggers and journalists, outraged by this moral imperialism, are saying that the film may very well serve to resurrect Kony and the LRA from a long decline. Javie Ssozi, a leading Ugandan blogger, has said that suggesting that the answer is more military action is wrong.

Have they thought of the consequences? Making Kony ‘famous’ could make him stronger. Arguing for more US troops could make him scared, and make him abduct more children, or go on the offensive.

The other thing worth pointing out is that the picture painted of Kony and Uganda by the film is six or seven years out of date. Kony is no longer in the country but hiding away in the jungles of neighbouring states. Documentary filmmakers have a responsibility to tell the truth as honestly as they can; otherwise they risk sinking into the mire of propaganda. Kony2012, with its inaccuracies and patronising view of Ugandans and Uganda, has done nothing more than whip up mass hysteria, the sort of thing that would have been understood by the yellow press of old. Remember the Maine! Remember Joseph Kony! – what’s the difference?

Do not misunderstand me; I think Kony is a boil on the backside of humanity, but this campaign is all surface and no substance; it rose quickly and it will die just as quickly, when the mob turns to some other fashionable trend. There have been people highlighting the Kony problem for years, with a lot more sobriety and a lot more effect. Sending in US troops would be like setting an elephant off in pursuit of the ants, and we surely all know the outcome with that.

Who are these Invisible Children people; what’s their motivation? Is it altruism, a concern for suffering humanity? No, the organisation seems to be a money-spinning operation feeding off pure emotion. I read in the Telegraph that of over $9million it spent in 2001 less than half went on helping people on the ground. The rest apparently went on “awareness programmes and products”, as well as management and media; in other words, a lot of self-promotion.

A spokesman for the Ugandan government, also pointing out that the war is no longer in the country, said that Kony2012 (it really should be Kony2006) is creating a wholly misleading impression, allowing Invisible Children to garner increasing financial resources for their own agenda. It’s clearly been a great success, playing on emotions rather than reason. But it really is time for the hate fest to end.

19 comments:

  1. Population control, African style.

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  2. A liberal's idea of altruism is usually to perform some action that entails absolutely no risk to themselves and does no good except to make its perpetrators feel morally superior to the folks who think they're full of rice paddy fertilizer.

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    1. Put-downs are fueled by "assumption consumption" and laziness. The following are reasons why labeling isn't a good idea:

      a) It is easier and requires less effort to assume something is true than to look up the facts.
      b) If we’re uncertain of the facts, we’d rather go along with others than admit our ignorance.
      c) It may be a hollow attempt to raise our stature by trivializing, ridiculing, and demonizing others.
      d) It may be due to carelessness and bad habits.
      e) We may fear and be suspicious of others.
      f) We may lack critical thinking skills.
      g) We may have been brought up with prejudice.
      h) We may use labels to control others.
      i) Whether we agree with them or not, we may accept labels to remain part of the ‘in’ crowd.
      j) We may not be assertive enough to come to the defence of others.

      (Source: http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/labels.htm)

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    2. Psachno, thanks. 'Assumption consumption' just about sums up those who swallowed Kony2012 so uncritically.

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  3. Ana, I believe that we are missing the point in all of this. Sadly the Hype of being a part of something is taking away from the reality that there are children suffering. That needs to be the focus. I wrote a blog about it this weekend.

    http://www.dlipparelli.blogspot.com/2012/03/kony-2012-just-some-fireworks.html

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    1. LTH, that indeed is the point. I'll come and look at your article in a bit.

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    2. Thanks for your insight on my blog!

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    3. Thanks for drawing it to my attention. I don't get around as often as I should, so I would be grateful if you could link any similar items for me, LTA.

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  4. I'm glad you wrote this, Anastasia. I agree, things are not as simple as they appear and the charity, Invisible Children, has really come into question. I do, however, understand their desire to keep Kony in the spotlight. Of all the baddies out there, he is way up there, yet most people know more about George Clooney's girlfriend than they do him -- until now. And I think that's good. I doubt that will affect out government's support to oust him. I know they've been laying plans for many months now, and I'm curious how this outburst of information will affect them. So I give cheers for raising awareness, but keep my money in my pocket until I see a charity that does more for Kony's victims.

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    1. Janene, yes, he is an awful man. I've known about him for years, from my trip to Uganda and before that from a documentary on the BBC about aspects of life in Africa presented by Bob Geldorf. I think it a good thing to bring him to public attention, I just don't think it's been done in a very good way; there is too much hype and hysteria. The people I know in Uganda, who have nothing at all to do with the government or official sources, are angry over the inaccurate way their country has been depicted.

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  5. The following remarks has been posted on behalf of Tony of Blog Catalogue.

    Nothing frustrates or angers me more than when surface trumps substance & unfortunately much of what happens in US society occurs at the surface

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    1. Tony, I know exactly what you mean. There is nothing new in this. Shakespeare knew of it; he knew of the short attention span of the public, so easy to turn from one form of enthusiasm to another. It's what I call the Mark Anthony factor.

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  6. George Clooney has a girlfriend? Seriously?

    Uganda had a great economy and a perfectly decent government under King Freddie. Then the meddlers decided that Uganda would be so much better off under Milton Obote . . . who turned out to be a corrupt thug, so cheers were heard when an enterprising junior officer named Idi Amin seized power . . . leading to mass murder and further collapse into chaos . . . until he was forced out and Obote reimposed on the hapless Ugandans . . .

    That's about the time I lost interest in "helping" Africa.

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    1. Calvin, have you seen The Last King of Scotland? I can recommend it if you have not. Uganda is a lovely country. Its modern history saddens me, a tragedy of errors.

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  7. Anastasia Jolie, you have enough problems at home.

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  8. Hi Anna... I personally believe someone as heartless as Kony should be put to justice... but that is not what i am going to say... think about a scenario where nations dont need approval from UN or any international body to enter into any other country in the world based on hits of "likes" and signing of online petitions... Like it is said in the beginning of Kony2012 video.. 'This is an experiment" it sure is, Kony is just a criminal they choose to see if this works.. and yes its definitely working..

    next time US army, or any powerful army in the world can enter into any other country they finds fit.. media can change any saint into sinner.. a good video in youtube can make us believe whatever they say. no need of veto in UN.. no need of approval from any international body...

    this is the next level of war tactic... through the power of social network..

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