Six Million Dead in the Congo - US Policy? What should it be?

[Still a Democrat]

Over six million people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the deadliest conflict since the Second World War.

A study published by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in January 2008 said that 5.4 million people had died from 1998 to 2007 in Congo, with 45,000 more victims being added to the death toll every month.

...

http://www.caritas.org/activities/emergencies/SixMillionDeadInCongoWar.html


What should our involvement be? What should we do that we're not?

[alex cross]

1. We should respect their sovereign government

and their culture and traditions.

[Rebubula]

3. Uhhh...

..what?

Dear god... please say that you are being sarcastic...

[alex cross]

8. Please point out to me ONE time when our intervention in the

internal affairs of another country has worked out for the better.

I may be wrong, but I can't think of one instance.

[Rebubula]

11. Fine...

...I agree that intervention may not be the answer. A benevolent dictator is still a dictator to the people.

However, to say that we need to respect their culture and tradition is ludicrous. They have killed 6 million people in a decade. What kind of fucked up culture and tradition is in play that we need to respect any of it??

Some cultures are NOT equal to others...

[Hannah Bell]

14. lol. we pay their "dictators"

[LaurenG]

5. Respect the culture and tradition of murderers?

woah!

Edit: typo

[Swede]

2. Don't send troops.

That would be a disaster.

[madrchsod]

4. there`s really nothing the government can do.

not to quibble over the death toll but now the most of the deaths are now the result of the war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Congo_War

http://www.theirc.org/special-reports/congo-forgotten-crisis?gclid=CL7x4-aYgKYCFQTNKgodFQoIpA

the major media in this country is focused on white america while most of the world`s major media is`t that racist and xenophobic.

[Karmadillo]

6. Before I can answer, I need to know if they have any oil.

nt

[blindpig]

10. Don't need to be oil.

The place is a literal gold mine, not to mention the coltan, diamonds, timber......plenty for a capitalists to grab with no compunction at all.

[blindpig]

7. This is the result of Capitalism..

and though it would be impolitic to say so I'm sure the movers and shakers find it acceptable, if distasteful.

[alex cross]

9. That wasn't the question but it may be the best argument for

keeping our government out of the situation.

[Rebubula]

12. Yeah...

...it was all rainbows and puppies until capitalism came around...

What about Hutus and Tutsis - result of capitalism?

There has been horrific tribal warfare in that region for eons. This is nothing new.

[blindpig]

13. Capitalism sets the record every time....

when it comes to exploitation, it is a matter of efficiency and scale. Sure there was a lot of ugly shit before Capitalism, but this method of economic exploitation is on steroids and is what we must deal in in the here and now. It would be pointless to rail against feudalism or Roman slavery, eh?

[Hannah Bell]

16. bullshit. and "we" have been there for centuries.

[piratefish08]

15. no oil, not our problem.

[Hannah Bell]

17. there's oil.

[LeftinOH]

18. Stay the hell out. n/t