Article

2004-12-11 Africa: Subsaharan

Hidden war that claims 1,000 lives a day

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by tipper 2004-12-11 4:01:33 AM|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The U.N. is on the case, I'm sure...ZZZZZ...

Posted by gromky 2004-12-11 5:29:23 AM|| 2004-12-11 5:29:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 unfortunately, except for the "bloody frontier of Islam clashes", I'm suffering a real 'African vs, African' clash attention fatigue. The African countries seem almost beyond help, when I see them allow ZimBobWe to operate as a welcome AU member, I wanna puke

Posted by Frank G 2004-12-11 8:58:21 AM|| 2004-12-11 8:58:21 AM|| Front Page Top

#3
The U.N. is on the case, I'm sure...ZZZZZ...

What do you think the UN should do?
.

Posted by Mike Sylwester 2004-12-11 9:06:25 AM|| 2004-12-11 9:06:25 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 no bots/autocommenters, please

Posted by Frank G 2004-12-11 9:18:56 AM|| 2004-12-11 9:18:56 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Maybe Mike, confess that it can't do a thing and drop all pretense that it has any influence upon the situation.

Posted by Don 2004-12-11 10:02:15 AM|| 2004-12-11 10:02:15 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Mike what would be the best way to create a more effective and vital UN? Would more money help? Or would a deep seated conviction be better? Do you think losing the powder puff blue would help? Or is the tradition to strong. Let's talk silver patterns now, I am fond of Stratevari, should the UN cafeteria settle on one or spread out the patterns in hope of spreading good cheer? Do you think UN licesne plates are a good thing Mike? Should I be allowed to buy one?

Posted by Shipman 2004-12-11 11:23:06 AM|| 2004-12-11 11:23:06 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 What do you think the UN should do?

Maybe their peacekeepers can stop raping babies long enough to keep some peace.

Posted by Robert Crawford 2004-12-11 11:38:12 AM|| [http://www.kloognome.com] 2004-12-11 11:38:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 How about a viable threat to bomb the crap out bof the agressors,MS.Otherwise to quote Gromky"ZZZZZZ"

Posted by raptor 2004-12-11 11:45:54 AM|| 2004-12-11 11:45:54 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 What do you think the UN should do?

1. Ignore the problem until the NGOs start really screaming. (Already done)

2. Guilt-trip the Europeans into coughing up more money and troops. Settle for extra money in lieu of European troops and hire Angolan Boy Scout troop instead. Pocket difference.

3. Appropriate 40% of funds earmarked for Congo as 'administrative costs'.

4. Hold "Malaise in Congo" conferences in Paris and Brussels (be sure to get generous shopping-discount for conference-goers and spouses).

5. Blame the US for inaction.

6. Repeat until ennui sets in, or NGOs need new fund-raising campaign.

Posted by Pappy 2004-12-11 12:37:15 PM|| 2004-12-11 12:37:15 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Even if the EU came up with troops (of dubious quality) they would still need Air America to take them to the war zone. The EU does not have a credible air lift or even sea lift capability.

Posted by Douglas De Bono 2004-12-11 3:47:49 PM|| [http://www.DouglasDeBono.com] 2004-12-11 3:47:49 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 Hey Mike! Time's money and Life is short! Look! They're easy questions and I'm not the critical sort.

We need to move on the the next 10. So hurry.

Posted by Shipman 2004-12-11 3:49:33 PM|| 2004-12-11 3:49:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 I think all RBers left right and Aris should get together and form a committe to examine a way to start to get ready to make changes in the baseline propostion that the UN is essentialy a pretty damn good way to make a living. With this committee we might, no will, get permanent funding. I nominate MS to chair the self-sustaining committee on getting lotsa money from elsewhere.

Posted by Shipman 2004-12-11 4:52:52 PM|| 2004-12-11 4:52:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Great idea! MS can live off the administrative fees, his son can take kickbacks, and the rest of us can park anywhere we want with diplomatic immunity. Count me in!

Posted by Tom 2004-12-11 5:05:31 PM|| 2004-12-11 5:05:31 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Even if the EU came up with troops (of dubious quality) they would still need Air America to take them to the war zone. The EU does not have a credible air lift or even sea lift capability.

While there is truth to the latter assertion, the former is not. European troops are good; when compared to nearly all African forces, superior (even the Greeks :p).

The 'quality issue' lies in the chronic UN forces' problems regarding mandate, command and control, and ROE.

Posted by Pappy 2004-12-11 5:08:19 PM|| 2004-12-11 5:08:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 "Even if the EU came up with troops (of dubious quality) they would still need Air America to take them to the war zone."

Al Franken owns an airline? Sheesh...

Posted by Dave D. 2004-12-11 5:38:48 PM|| 2004-12-11 5:38:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and Chad had all deployed troops in the country by the close of 1998. The main objective of all the warring parties was to loot Congoâs immense mineral wealth. Gold and diamonds flowed into the coffers of all the governments involved.

So long as there is financial incentive involved, don't count on any of these bloodthirsty parasites giving a hot damn about the cost in terms of human life.

While early colonial influences and their arbitrary national boundaries have done Africa no great favors, the tribal mindset that persists to this day is what continues to cripple the dark continent. Leaders consider their nation's assets to be personal property and act accordingly.

Until the African people cease to cooperate with such corrupt leadership and begin killing these tribal chieftains, nothing is going to change. However brutal it might sound, AIDS is going to end up curing a lot of Africa's problems. The common philandering male (along with a lot of very unfortunate innocent women) will finally be exterminated and a new behavioral profile will emerge for anyone who wants to survive.

Lack of substantial change in African politics has generated a global attention-span fatigue rivaled only by the Palestinian cause. At some point, the outside world must commit to full scale military intervention (the UN does not count) or simply back away slowly and let the meltdown proceed on its own. Only when enough of those who perpetuate stone-age tribal thinking are dead will there be any chance for progress. While I detest the notion of so much innocent life being lost, it represents expectable collateral damage caused by the continuing existence of such malign leadership.

The African people need to begin killing their corrupt leaders or settle for being killed by them. No realistic alternatives exist, short of global powers routinely decapitatng corrupt African governments until the local elitist class is depopulated. When African populations stop cheering on their war-criminal leaders, only then will some sort of progress begin. Until that time, bloodshed on a massive scale is the only thing to expect.

Posted by Zenster 2004-12-11 6:40:30 PM|| 2004-12-11 6:40:30 PM|| Front Page Top

00:03 gromky
23:36 Mike Kozlowski
23:21 Don
23:09 Capt America
22:59 Jarhead
22:51 Brett_the_Quarkian
22:39 True German Ally
22:35 Zenster
22:28 Zenster
22:24 Dave D.
22:15 lex
22:14 Dave D.
22:13 lex
22:02 Dave D.
22:01 lex
21:59 lex
21:52 Dave D.
21:50 lex
21:49 Bomb-a-rama
21:46 Phil Fraering
21:46 jackal
21:44 lex
21:43 Alaska Paul
21:43 lex