[extropy-chat] (no subject)

[Dirk Bruere]

Matus wrote:

>>>      
>>>
>>That's partially the case, but another major factor is the the West in
>>general, and the US in particular, quite often has had a hand in
>>    
>>
>putting
>  
>
>>these genocidal maniacs where they are today, or at least supporting
>>them. Saddam is a case in point, but the US is currently cosying up to
>>    
>>
>a
>  
>
>>whole load of warlords in Afghanistan, a guy who boils political
>>prisoners alive (Uzbekistan IIRC) and of course our good pal the
>>    
>>
>nuclear
>  
>
>>armed Islamic military dictator Musharraf, to name but a few.
>>
>>--
>>    
>>
>
>Yet we had nothing to do with putting Kim Jong Il in power, or Idi Amin,
>or Mao Ze Dong.  Whether or not the US played a role in propping up
>dictators, and whether it was just or not in that circumstance, is
>irrelevant to the question of why the media just doesn't give a shit
>about the millions of people dying in North Korea or the Sudan.  A large
>  
>
Primarily because it's not our problem.
NK is a well armed state that nobody wants to prop up with aid.
Sudan is just yet another instance of Africa imploding. It seems that 
all assistence to Africa does is prolong the misery.

Just about every nation is Africa is a 'fake' - a few lines on a map 
drawn by the former colonial powers. Trying to maintain those fictions 
has a lot to do with what's happening and why Africa doesn't work.

On top of that may be a cynical realisation that it's pointless to keep 
feeding people who are breeding beyond the limits of their ability to 
feed themselves.

A case in point is the reaction to the tsunami in the Indian Ocean. I 
suspect a great deal of the Western response is because we now see those 
people as being 'us'. They are no longer seen as decrepit hopeless Third 
Worlders looking for handouts, but hard working folks just like us who 
have had a tough break. Brit dead are now expected to exceed 400. They 
were there as tourists having a holiday, just like as if they'd gone to 
Spain or Portugal.

>number of those journalists don't like the US anyway, so would see it as
>a good opportunity.  I ask again, has any western journalist ever been
>tortured or kidnapped or murdered by North Korea?  Anyone know?
>
>  
>
Why should they be? All journalists that I know of have been explicitly 
allowed in by the govt and under careful supervision.
It would be more instructive to look at regimes that actually kill 
journalists (inc foreign ones).

-- 
Dirk

The Consensus:-
The political party for the new millenium
http://www.theconsensus.org



-- 
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.9 - Release Date: 06/01/2005