| Mass Distraction |
14 April 2003
|
Is It Still Colonialism if the Invaders are Black?
The Americans and their Anglo-Australian pals have killed a few Iraqis, a few thousand it would appear, and the entire world is having kittens over a few dead journalists. Meanwhile, the ugly little war in the Democratic Republic of Congo has gone into year four, now, with foreign troops involved, and the anti-war protestors seem oblivious to the 1,000,000 dead. There's a reason for that -- they are oblivious.
In 1998, Rwanda and Uganda invaded Congo to support a rebel movement (think regime change), and Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia have joined in. Surely President Chirac has something to say (in French) about this. Where is former KGB-officer Putin in this Kalashnikov-armed dispute? Shouldn't Mr. Bush be smoking out the evil doers? Can't Mr. Blair explain American policy to us so Mr. Bush doesn't have to talk?
It is a malignant form of racism, this silent treatment of murdered Africans. It is long past time for the peaceniks to march against the invaders. It is wrong for black people to kill black people, just as it is wrong for white people to do it. American can't get served in some German restaurants because their government's missiles accidentally kill a few Iraqi civilians. Meanwhile 467 civilians were killed in a town called Bunia by invading soldiers from Uganda and their indigenous allies last month and no one knows about it.
As a suggestion, no more marches for or against the war in Iraq until at least one for African peace shuts down a few cities. No more UN Security Council debates on reconstruction of Iraq until it makes peace for Congo. And how about an anti-troop march -- "We don't support any of the soldiers in Congo!" All we are saying is give consistency a chance.