This picture is an example of one of many propaganda items that are floating around on the web.
One question I have for the majority of KONY 2012 supporters is: Why are you putting so much support into an organization that 'helps' people overseas when the United States itself needs help with its many unresolved problems?
I think that too many people decide to jump on the Invisible Children bandwagon without thinking about the problems their own country has. We are more than $15.6 trillion dollars in debt. Why are we going to another country to solve their problems?
I also would like to point out the message on the poster above. It says "KONY 2012: The Worst". Then there is Hitler and Osama bin Laden behind Kony.
Compared to the two others, I think Kony's actions are quite underwhelming. And the kidnapping is happening in Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo , so why aren't the citizens and army doing something about it? It is their country. The plight of 30,000 children should be high on the countries' priorities, despite the Lord's Resistance Army's evasiveness.
Additionally, some other questions you should ask yourself: 30,000 children would be very difficult to hide. How has Kony been managing it for 26 years successfully? How has he been feeding those people? Can we really base our judgement on the situation of the plighted countries by using a viral video on the internet? Is it right to trust the voice of a man recently discovered to have suffered a mental breakdown?
Sources:
http://www.kony2012.com/
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.html
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/critiques.html#financials
http://local.sandiego.com/news/invisible-children-ceo-arrested-in-pacific-beach
First of all, I completely agree. The whole KONY 2012 thing is just completely overdone. I don't understand why we're so worried about the LRA, even after it's done its worst years and years ago. I agree that Kony is a terrible guy, but... compared to Hitler and bin Laden? I think that's kind of insulting (for lack of a better term) for people who had to suffer through Hitler's and bin Laden's actions. Yes, people suffered thanks to Kony, but people need to understand that the US is in no fit shape to take on something like this.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I find it kind of funny how it says "The Worst" at the bottom. The worst what? The worst guy, or the worst campaign?
I have to agree with both of you, folks. Jason Russell did a good sell of Kony. The design of the poster is especially brilliant. Remember him constantly saying in the video 'It's this year or never'. Of course, it is the election year. Everyone expects "Obama 2012" or "Romney 2012" stickers and signs everywhere and here is something totally different. "Tada!" "Err...what?" "Who The Heck Is KONY?" "Oh, you don't know, it's that evil guy from Uganda who is guilty of... blah, blah... you really should watch the video" - Perfect for spreading the meme. And then, of course, pledge your support, and then... buy their action kit... and then, well, you don't need to worry. "The "Invisible Children" will take care of the rest with the help of your money. Although, based on their financial statement (from an independent audit) only a tiny portion of the millions of dollars they made with this campaign will go to Uganda (i.e. Museveni). How much of that will reach the armed "children" we are supposed to "save" is unclear...
ReplyDeleteAs for LRA, I'd go even further and question the validity of the whole thing. What evidence were we presented to draw any definite conclusions about Kony, his existence and his alleged actions?
1.Jason walking around talking? - Well, I presume that suggests that Mr. Russell might be real. He prepares the viewer to spread the video by repeatedly showing the Facebook "share" button while talking about how we are all interconnected and how together we can do anything. Unfortunately, later he gets caught on tape in San Diego walking around naked, allegedly masturbating in public. (Way to spread the "Invisible Children" all over the sidewalk. Pretty damaging to his credibility. Oh, well...)
2. His African "friend" Jacob sobbing and talking through tears about his brother being killed (Emotional Appeal)? - but he is just one witness? Is that going to be enough to start military operations in a sovereign foreign country with our Tax money? - Absurd!
3. Photo stills of some African girls standing around (Emotional Appeal). In the running commentary we are told they were made sexual slaves? Really? They could have been going to school, or posing for one of the "crazy" westerners.
4. Another photo of some boy with a Russian assault rifle on his shoulder (another Emotional Appeal). All right, it's not uncommon in Africa and Middle East to employ the young in those activities. Where is the huge army of "Invisible Children"? Now to Russell's credit - he does mention in passing that Kony is not even in Uganda anymore. So where does that leave us?
(continued) :)
(It accepts only 4096 symbols per comment. Cheap Google!!!) It's good that I copied the entire thing (Well, good for me anyway)
ReplyDelete5. Another interesting trick Jason uses his own son, Gavin, whose birth is shown at the beginning of the video, to demonstrate that even a 5-year-old child easily comes to a realization that Kony needs to be stopped. Of course at first Mr. Russell shows Kony's picture to his son and tells him how horrible Kony is using Classic conditioning as an obvious authority figure over his son. Not surprisingly, Gavin does not hesitate to reach his "own" verdict: "Kony must be stopped!" - Ridiculous!
6. We see Russell and others talking to a few politicians. Apparently convincing them to assist Uganda's government (Museveni) in bringing Kony to justice. But if we check the 1997 US Congress materials the Americans suspected Museveni's troops of doing a lot of the killing, raping and pillaging. So, we are supposed to send them money? - Crazy!
7. Spot on! Putting Hitler and Bin Laden images next to Kony's is nothing else but a cheap way of creating Guilt by Association, through eliciting negative feelings in viewers. There is a fallacy called "Argumentum ad hitlerum". Look it up on wiki, it's frequently used on various public forums. The funny thing is that people don't know very much about Adolf Hitler, yet gobble up the government propaganda with ease. And what about Bin Laden? He was a CIA trained "Asset" to fight the Russians in Afghanistan, and when the Russians withdrew and the US stopped their support he supposedly turned on Americans (9/11, countless bombings, etc.) or so they say. Does Kony come even close? Was he responsible for millions of deaths (Hitler)? No. Or did he developed some racist superiority theory/ philosophy sweeping the world? No. Did he commit acts of terrorism (Osama)? We don't know. What do we really know about Kony? Very little and one-sided - from media and Congressional documents and almost nothing from Kony 2012 presentation.
Should we do something about this whole mess? Maybe, maybe not. How about withdrawing our troops from half of the world and stopping billion dollar infusions into other countries' dictatorships and alike. We could certainly use some money here AT HOME!
Anyway, good work, young ladies. When are you going to be finished with this, Jay...?(Papa out)
P.S. Don't forget the "hiding in the bush" African tradition and squishing the egg when they accept the rebels back to their society (not that it would ever happen with the rabid International Tribunal screaming for Kony's head on a pike).