"When Christians kill Muslims, it's the Crusades. When Jews kill Muslims it's murder, and when Muslims kill Muslims, it's like talking about the weather. Nobody really cares about it." ~Dan Gillerman~~
Seeing one of my favorite field Negroes, John Lewis, get arrested yesterday for protesting the atrocities taking place in Darfur, got me thinking: When is the death of over 200,000.00 people and the displacement of over 2 millioin more going to matter to the rest of us?
Here in A-murder-ca it's wall to wall coverage of the stinking swine flu, and not one single A-murder-can has died so far. Not one! Yes we have lost about 200 or so of our brothers and sisters to the South, but you know what? I have lost thousands of brothers and sisters in Sudan and I don't see that shit on the news every day. Not unless George Clooney or some other "A" list celebrity starts feeling guilty about all the shit they have and decide to take a private jet and a camera to the middle of hell.
So sorry, I know I blogged about how potentially serious this swine flu thing could turn out to be, but that's just it; it's potentially serious. The shit going on in Sudan now is serious, and no one seems to give a damn. I wonder if those were Jews killing all those those poor black Africans in Darfur the silence would be this deafening? If the Janjaweed thugs were Zionist would there be outrage? If that scumbag, Omar al-Bashir, was propped up by Israel and not Russia, would there be mass protests in the streets?
"The war in Darfur has laid bare the racial animus that has always underlain the war in Sudan. The killing there is not about religion. It is about race and ethnicity. In Darfur, the government's drive to "Arabize" a country that is made up of myriad ethnic groups has found a full and willing partner in Arab nomads whose search for new water and grazing land for their herds has led them into conflict with the majority population of settled African farmers..."
~Julie Flint, Human Rights Watch~~
Nooooo, racist Arabs? Noooooo. (But field, the difference is those people in Khartoum belong there, it's their land. The Jews in Tel Aviv are colonialist, they are occupying land that is not theirs) Yeah, whatever. That is called pretzel logic, because it is seriously twisted. The fact is, Arabs from the North are trying to ethnically cleanse the poor Africans to the South, and the shit ain't pretty. We can dance around it all we want and pretend it's not happening, but it is.
Which is why I love the fact that my man John Lewis and those other protesters picketed the Sudanese embassy on Monday. I love the fact that they are still engaged and still trying to make us remember. Even if most of us would like to forget.
Why hasn't Obama done anything or mention Darfur??
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't sound like the change Obama promised he would bring.
Continue with your blind support of Obama and lets see where it gets you.
Mr. Field, you cannot count the horriffic situations in africa with all your fingers and toes.
ReplyDeleteIf you think the huutus and tutsis buried the hatchet (no pun intended) in Rwanda, you are wrong. It has spread to the Congo.
There is a thriving slave trade going on right now in Niger and Mauritainia. Has been forever.
The clans in Somalia are up to their usual nonsense. They didnt exactly mothball the technicals.
The child soldiers are still being stolen in Uganda and Angola.
The tribes in Kenya still raid each others villages and take booty and slaves.
The civil war (read "tribal war") in Mozambique still smolders and flares.
The killing fields in Sierra Leone still run red. Various and sundry bush generals carry out weekly atrocities on their own people.
Tribal and gang warfare in common in all parts of Nigeria.
Did I mention your friend and mine Comrade Bob Mugabe in Zimbabwe getting in the guinness book of records for wrecking a good country in 5 yrs?
Add to that the nearly universal corruption of all governments from Kharthoum to Jo-berg.
You cant really pick and choose what ghastly horror to bring to the light of day. You will always overlook the young boy or girl, mother or innocent used up and discarded to further the agenda of some evil despot.
I KNOW you are not tryin to justify the apartheid treatment of the Palestenians by Israel by transposing the horrendous, outrageous acts of the Arab Sudanese's treatment of the non-arab Sudanese in Darfur...
ReplyDeleteBecause THAT would be pretzel logic.
Truth is... ALL peoples are capable of the absolute best and absolute worst behaviors. No racial or ethnic group is excluded. Period.
And why is it we gots to be callin' on white people to solve our problems???
ReplyDeleteWhere's Denzel???
Where's Oprah???
Where's OJ??
friend of Ron Mexico... you really need to listen to more than Fox News... Obama has spoken out about Durfur.... and I think if he didn't have all the friggin crisis to deal with here.... more could be done... Funny, from your past posts, I never got the impression that YOU gave a shit about Durfur.... you only seemed to be obsessed with strewing factually incorrect info on Obama... Get your facts straight before you bother to post.
ReplyDeleteLook up the Second Congo War. I didn't hear about it until a few years ago. The lack of coverage or concern are the culprits for both situations and I'm sure you already know why.
ReplyDeleteI do know the world's priorities are mixed up and you can't always run to the U.S. for support since they're spread out in Irag and Afghanistan...SMH!!!
I remember reading somewhere that oil was involved in the Sudan conflict and that some (all?) of the victims were Christians. I do care more about Sudan than Afganistan to be honest and that theater is well suited for our air force. But it would be unilateral since nato/eu just scratches their buts these days. The UN just sucks on human rights too.
ReplyDeleteszpork
Anony 10:38, why celebs, what about you and I?
ReplyDeleteGreat post Field.
So Jody, you agree with me that the shit in Darfur is seriously f*&&*d up. If you do, let's start from there, and work our way back to Israel. But I am not going to have a conversation about Israel and exclude the crap that's going on in many Arab countries.
ReplyDeleteAnon. 10:34PM, I co-sign with you. And trust me, at some point I will speak to every one of those horrible situations you mentioned.
frends of ron mexico, what is with your Obama fixation? This post was not about Obama. It's been 100 days!!! Let's give him a little more time to see how he deals with the Sudan and that region.
Can we do that before we ))))))(((((?
Wherever the sh*t is really hitting the fan, we see the tragic results of European colonialization decades after it ended.
ReplyDeleteWell, Bush started AFRICOM...
ReplyDeleteand he also is on record as the president who has given the most federal dollars to the continent.
Somehow I think the cheap oil that the Chinese are getting is more important. Bravo to John Lewis and a;; the people who keep this issue i the forefront
of the minds of many.
What's the next move?
I say John Lewis should buy a pirogue and go hijack some tankers or cargo ships. You get good PR if you pick one with an American flag.
Field, I am with ya..... I was just responding to your rhetorical "critique" in the original post.... The Arabs in Northern Africa have done horrors, no doubt..... and I respect and honor any and all that speak out about injustice where ever it is taking place and regardless of who the perpetrators are. I would like to see a dialogue about what needs to happen and how to make that happen in a way that promotes justice for all.
ReplyDeleteyou know America does not care about Sudanese issues, same happened in Rwanda.
ReplyDeletefield
ReplyDeletestop giving your propaganda. you are not concerned at all. i do not see you doing any volunteer work to help the sudan. does the word pro bono mean anything to you. field the sudan only confirms that our people are naturally violent. why throughout the world when a crime is committed do we see a black man committed it. look at the pirates off somalia. oh lets not forget its summer time. i bet your legal practice will thrive because our people cannot be civil during the heat!
Bob, you are wrong about african problems being the product of european colonialization. Just another weak attempt to blame atrocious black behavior on a white face. The fact is Vietnam, singapore. canada, thailand, phillipines, australia and many other countries were colonialized by europeans and they havent fallen into chaotic killing zones like those in Africa.
ReplyDeleteSometimes black problems are caused by other blacks.
We are violent in Africa, we are violent in europe, we are violent in Detroit, philly, miami, port-au-prince, kingston, Gary, Memphis...etc......
Time for us to wake up. Stop ALWAYS blaming others.
Sudan? Do they have any oil? No? Oh well.
ReplyDeleteJust about every country that was ruled by a European colonial minority is up the crapper. There's a lot more to it than can be explained in a comment, but Europe is not innocent in the atrocities we see committed today. Who do you think made up the borders that put enemy ethnicities together? Where do you think the armies/militias in Darfur, Congo are getting their weapons from?
ReplyDeleteNot to say it's ALL the man's fault, but their not innocent.
While I can get behind a movement to end the genocide in Darfur, I also think more should be done on Congo.
But AfriCom is NOT the answer. The only military intervention that should occur should be to keep innocent people from being killed. The whole mandate to lose as few UN, peacekeepers' lives as possible is a little . . . crazy. But, from historical record, we got let some of this play out. But we can definitely do more to save lives.
for more, you can read The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good by William Easterly, the Penguin Press, New York: 2006, p24
Wow, field. Looks like Alan Keyes even comments on your blog: just look at 12:02. Anyway, no one is going to care about Africa because there is just too much money at stake. All these wars cost money, so how are supposedly poor nations getting money for supplies? They have to be selling something. I mean at one time Africa was a gold mine literally. Almost any precious metal or gem you wanted could be found there. There is even a natural nuclear reactor there: Oklo in Gabon. Sudan itself has oil, which I think is the real driving for of all of this. I hate to be the conspiracy theory guy, but I think that what the policy is with Africa is to let everyone kill each other off so there is less trouble in getting what left. Why pay a group of farmers for their land so you can drill or mine when you could wait for them to be killed, make a deal with the government, and get what you want cheaper?
ReplyDeleteYes Grinder, they do have oil and much more, especially melanin, "AIDS" and kinky hair.
ReplyDeleteEddie, I agree with you. America don't want the hassle. They would have to go up against Europe, Middle East and now China. They all have that deep vested interest in the mass rape of Africa's resources to build up their own country. Why should America care as long as we can borrow that "African rape" money from China. And of course that Melanin problem again.
Field, not that it makes a blessed bit of difference in the morality of the actions but you are aware that the "Arabs" in Sudan look pretty much no different than Michael Steele or even Alan Keyes. They look nothing like Arabs from Arabia or Iraq or Palestine.
ReplyDeleteSome may call themselves "Arab" but in the US, and I would think in many other places as well they would be considered black.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=sudanese%20president&sa=N&tab=wi&um=1
http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/03/africoms-covert-war-in-sudan/
Sudan has oil. China needs this oil. The U.S. is afraid to F with China because China holds trillions of dollars in U.S. debt. The genocide continues.
ReplyDeleteI say John Lewis should buy a pirogue and go hijack some tankers or cargo ships. You get good PR if you pick one with an American flag.That PR will result in Lewis labeled a "home-grown terrorist" and an Al Sharpton field day. You know how we can always depend on the folks at Faux News, Screwed and Biased.
ReplyDelete"Just another weak attempt to blame atrocious black behavior on a white face. The fact is Vietnam, singapore. canada, thailand, phillipines, australia and many other countries were colonialized by europeans and they havent fallen into chaotic killing zones like those in Africa."
ReplyDeleteI will give you that we shouldn't blame colonialism for all of our problems.( Although I co-sign with no1kstate, they are not innocent) But did I see Vietnam in your list? A lot of factors contribute to violent behavior. Ethnic tensions, poverty, and corruption. Look at Bosnian Herzegovina. Look at Sri Lanka,Burma,and the ethnic fighting in places like India and Khasmir. To suggest that only blacks are violent is just,well, silly.
Monie, you and some others like La~~- summed it up pretty well. No economic interest therefore no interest at all.
Rippa, you are right about the frat boy. He was engaged with Africa, and I will always give him credit for that. Just don't ask me to give him credit for anything else.
um, i don't think it would be any different if the jews were perpetrating that violence. either way, its africans dying, and since we don't support each others' causes, its unlikely it would get press. I mean it could have easily happened had the succeeded in giving the Jews Uganda instead of Palenstine. but it is what it is. Either way, despite the perpetrator, its wrong. YOu are right, this conflict exposes the true nature of the war. The people of Dafur kept quiet when the north attacked the south, secure that their religion would keep them safe from the same persecution. But racist ideology and a quest for resources will always be exposed and now we see the war is not against Christians and Animist, but against blacks who live on areas with resource wealth. i'm sure they'll next turn their attention to the Nubians who look like the Arabs in charge but somehow will be proven not to be the same. Its good to know that there are still some people who care, even when the cameras and public attention go away.
ReplyDeletefield, i'd also like to not that anonymous failed to acknowledged continued conflict on religious and ethnic lines in philipines (another country the person mentioned) not to mention rampant poverty despite the supposed economic gains these countries have made.
ReplyDeleteAFricom is NOT the answer, i must agree. how does funnelling more guns and more military assistance help...that's what got us in this mess when we were left post cold war with a bunch of weapons and illegal means of acquiring weapons for the pillage of our resources.
and i must add that there are economic interests. but as someone mentioned here, why blatantly seek out the resources when you can just have the government clear off the land for you and then give you contracts for extraction. i mean, they are doing it in colombia, so why wouldn't they be doing it in sudan?
Hi Field Negro.
ReplyDeleteI think you're overreating too much!
Do the people of Sudan look Arab to you?
To me they look black and what's happening in Sudan looks a lot like some blacks killing another bunch of blacks. I don't know about you guys but the killers seems to have the same color as the one being killed to me...
Secondly, stop overreating Field Negro! You should take a trip to France, come live here for a month, and you'll understand what's racism and hatred.
Field:
ReplyDeleteI understand your fustration about the news coverage concerning Durfar, and we also have to include Chad into the mix as well since the problem also affects the border. I have to say this, we have short-term memories and short attention spans. We have known about the situation in Darfur since 2005 or 2006, and about a month ago the international criminal court issued a warrant for al-Bashir, then he started with that neo-colonialism argument and negates the he is the President and this happening under his watch. I listened to black talk show program in my area and they had a problem with and called the action racist. Now this man is responsible for giving the Janaweed weapons including the use of air strikes and bombed villages. Field we know this went on, but the question becomes what is the rest of the world going to do about. There are times that I think more aware we become, the less we want to acknowledge. Some think that the problem will magically disappear, and let us face the reality some people are not going to do anything because it does personally affect them. We do not feel connected to the people in Darfur because it would mean having empathy. You may feel that Geogre Clooney may feel guiilty, but at least he is feeling and doing something. Whether participating in the HBO documentary a few years about Darfur or going to Washington to discuss with policital leaders. Don Cheadle co-authored a book with John Prendergast entitled " Not On Our Watch", and ther is also Samatha Power about the history of genocide that perhaps Anon at 12:01 could benefit from reading. The information about Darfur is out there, but is responsibility to read it.
Young'un sez - AFricom is NOT the answer, i must agree. how does funnelling more guns and more military assistance help...that's what got us in this mess when we were left post cold war with a bunch of weapons and illegal means of acquiring weapons for the pillage of our resources.Oddly enough, the principal thrust of Africom isn't supplying guns... Or direct Military assistance. Africans get those, all by themselves, on the cheap from the Russians and Chinese.
ReplyDeleteThe goal there is that it is a lot less expensive to prevent a war, than fight one. The Military already figured that isht out - even if some of our politicians are too stupid to.
Look for Africom to actively work with countries, African companies, and individuals to develop infrastructure (and jobs). The goal being to try and develop an inclusive business class in African countries - who have a vested self-interest in maintaining stability.
And yes, they are also building up the infrastructure necessary for the US Military to react, should thy be ordered to.
A lot of this came from lessons learned from Dumbys incredible adventure in Iraq.
What is happening in the Sudan, is fully protected by, and militarized by the Chinese.
Thanks for this post, Field. I loved your indictment of the white liberals who only see Israel and completely ignore other injustices in the world. Below is another example of that. See the caption of picture 9.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jewcy.com/gallery/tamil_protest_london
Field,
ReplyDeleteAnyone who does not see that Arab colonialists invaded and occupied Northern Africa in much the same way as European colonialists did in other parts of the continent need some history 101.
The Arab world cries out for "Palestinian Justice and Independence from Israel" but it's OK for Arabs to murder Africans?European or Arab, slavery is still slavery and murder is still murder.
Why does the world remain mute regarding the atrocities commited in the Sudan and other African countries?Why do the horrendous cries of agony and torture go unheard?I will join you today Field and ask my readers this question.
U
""Look at Sri Lanka,Burma,and the ethnic fighting in places like India and Khasmir. To suggest that only blacks are violent is just,well, silly.""
ReplyDeleteMr. Field, you make a childs argument. Nowhere did I say "ONLY" blacks are violent. Thats a strawman. I said we seem to be violent everywhere we are.
Vietnam seems to be doing OK now all the colonial powers are gone. Had a bunch of grief when europeans and chinese were there though.
Amazing that when whites do nothing they are uncaring racists, when they do something (Mr Clooney) they are simply soothing their own racist guilt. No wonder nobody wants to touch the stinkhole called africa.
Field,
ReplyDeleteI feel you. The CBC outside of people like Lewis or our new girl from Maryland, Rep. Donna Edwards, is worthless when push comes to shove. I think it's good you shook folks up with the Israel-Palestinian link b/c yeah, let's be honest if circumstances and players where different, the outcry would be deafening. Troublesomely analogous to the protests when white cops shots even a scumbag black felon child molester and there's a protest march, yet young black have done the Klan, rogue cops and hypertension one better in wiping out other black men and too many people are scared to run the criminals out.
Now, we shouldn't give your trolls comfort here. I notice a few comments from dickheads saying bravo (one from Meyer Lansky? a scumbag Jewish criminal name?). However, anything, even these analogies, that will shame people into action has to be tried.
When we did our suprheroes book The Darker Mask (MacMillian, 2008) in collaboration with Walter Mosely and 4 comic book artists, I told my co-editor I wanted to do a story on a superhero in Darfur. After the book launch this past fall we did something at the national Press Club. Mia farrow and other celebs were there. Guess how many black folks? It was well publisized at Howard, all the usual places. When we did go to HU's homecoming all the sisters le wanted to ask me was when Zane would be contributing to Darker Mask II. People forget this same regime slaughtered non Muslim BLACK AFRICANS in the southern Sudan long before they turned against Darfur.
We as African American don't have the luxury of hypocrisy, at home or abroad. Which is why Donna Edwards, who unseated a longtime CBC leech, Albert Wynn, attacks racist cops, banks/corporations sucking our people dry, demands real solutions in the Middle East and reining in Israel, environmental problems, trade and true democracy and elimination of colonial dislocations STILL plagueing Afruca...AND leads the charge against teenage predators and drug dealers in our own community (even if they're somebody's son, grandbaby), terrorism, fighting corrupt dictatorships in Africa--and justice for the people in Darfur. This shit is NOT mutually exclusive.
Shame that Clooney has to do it. Maybe MJ can stop counting his sneaker money, or Magic can use his payday loanshark endorsement cash. Ah but alas, the only athlete out there is Manute Bol, who's bankrupted himself trying to save his people from extermination, and yet somehow HE'S the chump?
Field, youre not gonna get much interest on this subject. REASON: no white guy to blame.
ReplyDeleteGood try with the white guys that left 50+ years ago though.
How you gonna get folks riled up about negroes killin negroes half a world away when you cant get interest in negroes killin negroes in our own fuckin neighborhoods???
Now, some white cop kills a thug in Oaktown..BINGO! Marches, parades, OUTRAGE!! A hundred young black animals in philly killin another hundred brothas...NUTHIN! not a goddamn thing.
--BTW; got them 10,000 foot soldiers yet field? or did we lose interest at 300?--
Save your breath Field. no niggaz gonna get down on another no matter what he/she does. Kill, rape, poison our neighborhoods, abandon their kids, drop out of school.
DONT FUCKIN CARE!
NOW, I heard in Memphis that some cracker looked at a sista wrong..WRITE IT UP FIELD..I think he might have been a .. gasp!..REPUBLICAN!
Looks Like Rep Lewis is Resisting... and just look at that Cracker arresting him, wheres his Taser???
ReplyDeleteOr at least some Pepper Spray...
Picketing the Embassy, like that'll really do something, oh well, whatever makes y'all feel better...
Speakin of Crimes Against Humanity, whats up with your Sixers??? Where's IVERSON?!?!?
y'all gotta win 2 in a row.
Frank
Field, this last moron is an example of the fools who cloud the issue and divert the focus. I don't see Rish Limbaugh going over there to help or support saveadarfur.org. Indeed, GOP Sen. Bill frist even admitted that his ex-colleagues would rather use darfur as some playground "taunt" issue on which to attack blacks, liberals, than help. He's been over there several times, doing penance for his Senate bullshit, for his terri Schiavo nonsense. I met him at the Press Club and at Princeton and he's one of the few white folks who are for real.
ReplyDeleteHere's the link on amazon for The Darker Mask. We're in negotiations with Cartoon Network to animate some of these stories, including "Avatar" the Darfur story.
http://www.amazon.com/Darker-Mask-Gary-Phillips/dp/0765318512/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241019946&sr=8-1
It's all about race. This is what you get when negroes refuse to criticize or even take to the streets over so-called black people slaughtering other black people. We don't even stand up and shout over the slaughter in our own neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteBlack Americans have a parochial view of the world. Everything black people do is good and everything non blacks do is bad and racist.
I remember when Winnie Mandela was acting a fool in South Africa before her husband was released from prison and getting into debates with your cousins who wouldn't stand for any criticism of Ms. Mandela.
We didn't even get on the First Black President when he stood back and let the genocide occur in Rawanda. In fact, black people in this country did not have much to say bad about the slaughter at all except "ain't it awful?"
You know, I hate to be always kicking black folks in the ass but we are so quick to condemn others and our own glass house is on such shakey ground.
Where is Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and all the hip hop crowd? Hello, is this thing working? Is there a movement in ths country initiated by black folks about Darfur? Every time there is a crisis in Africa, it's white folks who try to do something and all they get is grief from us, who do nothing. Do we really need the great hope to solve these problems?
I did find this link. Don't know if it's active but it's a place to start for those who choose to engage. Since I've about given up on trying to save negroes in Oakland, maybe I can do some good for folks across the pond.
http://www.savedarfur.org/page/group/ACTSAfricanAmericansConnectingToSaveSuda
The "Arabs" you are referring to are not really pure Arabs anymore. They look more morrocish black then Arabs.
ReplyDeleteOh Field. You are so full of it. I like most of what you say. But when it comes to anything Muslim you are as ignorant as the resst of Ameri-murderers.
No, don't talk about the Jews colonizing because they haven't killed 200,0000 yet. When it reaches that number, will you condemn it then? Please.
What do you know about Darfur? Don't google it.
We, as Blacks need to save those within our own families, neighborhoods, states, and country.
ReplyDeleteThen perhaps we'll have enough resources to help those outside of our country.
I find it hard to help outside my own country. When...1/6 children go hungry every day in my state; when so many are a step away from homelessness; when we as a country set aside thousands of acres for golfing, that could house the homeless; when healthcare is not free or available to all; when our Vets are forgotten; when children are abused, and the list of social ills goes on and on...
Sure, there are plenty of people in Africa (and elsewhere) that need help from other countries. I'm all for that, I'm just not sure I can get past my own concerns and those of others I know.
How hypocritical. How predictabely hypocritical. Of all the shit goin on in Africa. (thanks anon 10:34 but you missed a bunch) Field picks the one that non-black africans (debatable) are involved in. Field says he will write about the many other black-caused horrors..he will not. We all know he will not.
ReplyDeleteThere wont be a non-black to blame so we wont talk about it. If a non-black brings it up, he will be branded a racist.
Mr. Chambers, you dont see Limbaugh standing up for Darfur but you will see thousands of other whites doing it. You wont either see Russell Simmons, Charles Barkley Robert Johnson or any other famous black people. Plenty of blame to go around.
I agree with the poster who said you wont get blacks to care about other blacks in Sudan getting murdered when we dont care about the THOUSANDS of black men killing each other in our streets. We dont care about our own sins, only the sins of others. Field is no different.
Cinco
ReplyDeleteI think we can do both. I find that peole who are not going to help the folk who live next door are less likely to folk who live on the other side of the world. It is very easy to do nothing, but what we do realize another factor, climate change. Everything is interconnected and relative, we will need to walk and chew gum at the same time. I think apathy is our greatest enemy as we allow it come like a poisonous gas draining the oxygen and it is suffocating us. My grandmother us to say therefore the grace of God go I and understand this it could anyone of us.
This is crime against humanity and how long can continue to do nothing before more people die?
@hennasplace...
ReplyDeleteI hope you are right. There's no shortage of foreign nor domestic cncerns.
I don't support apathy at all. I do support helping within our own borders first. Thankfully there are many people across all races that want to help in many areas of the world.
Geez.
ReplyDeleteLotsa strong emotions raised over this.
I was listening to Terry Gross (Fresh Air, WHYY) interview the first female President of Africa the other day. Her name, in case you don't know, is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, of Liberia. She has also written a book called "This Child Is Great". Granny, here's a book for you to look at!
In this interview, she said that she wished folks would stay out of Africa's business and quit throwing money and other forms of aid to Africa. Obviously, I am paraphrasing, but this is essentially what she said. She said that if that happened, Africa would find means to take care of Africa.
Not that I agree with her 100%, but she did make a good point when she said she would rather see people participating in helping Africa grow through mentoring programs and establishment of business and trade with other countries. Africa does have a lot of fertile land and a lot of natural resources that could be developed for the good of the entire Nation.
Another thing, there are an awful lot of folks who keep bringing up the race thing. These are not "race" issues, these are humanitarian human rights issues. I realize there are a lot of white supremists every where, but there are a lot of black folks who do not want to stop hating whitey for every little bump in the road.
Ever been to the back woods of this country? You see poor folks, black, white and brown co-existing side by each without a problem. They're poor and maybe "ignorant" but proud and do not blame their neighbors for their ills. I once had the privilege of living in such a place (volunteered to work on a community project for half a year) and I was pretty damned impressed on how everyone would help their neighbors with what little they themselves had to offer.
Which, believe me, might be nothing to most folks but was a lot to them. My neighbors brought me veggies from the garden and baked goods. I never felt more blessed and that food tasted all the more rich to me because I knew it was a tremendous gift from the poorest people in this land.
An example of "There but for the grace of God go I", but I haven't felt quite that way ever since encountering such grand hill folk.
My husband always said about growing up in Bayou country, "We didn't know we were poor because we had enough to eat." He never owned a pair of shoes until 5th grade when it became mandatory for children to wear shoes to school (1965). His eye glasses were used and provided by The Lions Club.
First 100 days of Obama's Presidency have been miraculous. The last prez who was a productive was FDR. That's quite a comparison, no?
Granny, email me because I have a lot of glam books about Obama that I would like to send to you:
wcbcwi@yahoo.com
Cheers,
Whitney
Hey Field,
ReplyDelete*tips hat* I am a new reader to your blog.
Much has been said about European blame and involvement but please, let's not forget about the Chinese whose greed has helped fund the atrocities in Darfur.
This is reason #12717217 why I did not watch a single second of the Olympics. I also try to avoid any products made in China. Any dime we give to them is helping to fund rape and murder. I know it's not that simple but China is the one country many Americans throw money at without even knowing where it ends up.
I was disheartened at all the so-called liberal Hollywood celebs who flocked to Beijing but then want to be taken seriously when they need PR for humanitarian efforts. SMH.
Don Cheadle is a black American who has been on the front lines in Darfur and even co-wrote a book about his experiences. "Not On Our Watch" is not the BEST book the the conflict but it is a perfect read for those starting from ground zero.
Why should America be the world's policeman?
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Anon in that you cannot always attribute failing in African countries to a white face or colonialism. Most of the present day problems in Africa are attributable to dumbass leaders, who happen to be black.
Africom is a manifestation of the Global War on Terror, nothing more or nothing less.
"No, don't talk about the Jews colonizing because they haven't killed 200,0000 yet. When it reaches that number, will you condemn it then? Please.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you know about Darfur? Don't google it."
Exactly! THEY HAVEN'T KILLED 200,OO0 But the Arabs in Sudan have. See the difference?
BTW, I know a lot about Sudan. Probably more than you AND Don Cheadle (who, by the way, I happen to love) and he wrote a book on the subject.
And to all the folks who say that we have enough problems here in A-murder-ca to worry about some folks in Africa. Sorry, an African life is just as important to me as an American one.
Obviously Field, you don't. You just picked up the latest cause of the white people.
ReplyDeleteThey aren't screaming their heads off about Cogo as much as about Darfur. Why? Finding Muslims the scapegoat is quite easy, isn't it?
Everytime there is criticism of Israel, people ask why aren't you focusing on Darfur? The question is why are you trying to change the subject?
Field, why couldn't you have mentioned Darfur without making it a Muslim/Arab issue? It's not. It's a humanitarian disaster and deserves condemnation, but WHY COMPARE it to Israel/Palestine?
Fishy.
Jody
ReplyDeleteIt`s always a pleasure reading your comments .As an African like you there are worst places like Sudan but the propaganda is in full force.
To understand whats going on in that region one need to go back to the 1980 the war of the Aouzou strip which was a proxy war betwen France and Lybia.AFRICAN GET THE GUNSb AND KILL EACH OTHERS WHILE OTHERS GET THE MINERALS.IT`S ALL ABOUT OIl.
Field Negro you dont know jack about about Sudan you just repeat the propaganda spew on the new media.
ReplyDeleteAlso stop the divide and rule " Arabs killing blacks" both side are BLACKS one speak Arabic the other speak Zaghawa.
First,....why are you calling Clooney? Is Clooney going to solve Sudan's problem?
ReplyDeleteLike the last anonymous comment..."You don't know jack about Sudan."
There is no doubt that the atrocities going on in Sudan are disheartening, however, which news are you reading/watching?
Funny how we love to use words but when it comes to the interpretation and implementation we all back out
Genocide requires an intent which is missing in Sudan's case.
Unless we all want to redefine the crime, then there is nothing we can do.
Both sides are at fault and when civilians get involved in wars, there's bound to be casualties.
Do your research sir!
I love your blog but what turns me off is when people blog off of news they read and won't dig deeper for the truth.
Western media will always portray Africa as they see fit
If you want more info and interested in Sudan's case....you may want to visit http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/index/index.htm
You can even email them to get more info
If USA really want to help Sudan, they need to be neutral
Unlike Bush that had a side and evidence showed that they were supplying weapons to the rebels...they should join the rest of the Arab and African leaders in deferring for at least a year to stabilize the country
They should also push for Truth commission because Sudan's case like every other African case...is deeper that just conflicts
It is not over for Sudan.
What they need is support to coexist and clean up the mess that their colonial masters left behind decades ago
Field ever heard of Mamdami?
ReplyDeleteHe's a black African (not African American) professor in the US, (I forget what university he's teaching at, but it's a prestegious one), and he's an expert on Sudan.
He's written books. I know Sudanese who have been to Sudan and regularly visit family there. But I guess that wouldn't fly with you either becasue although they are as black as night, they speak Arabic and do have Arab ancestry to I guess that just makes the "Arabs" you were referring to who are killing your black brothers in Africa.
For a man so intelligent, you really do say some dumb stuff sometimes.
LOL at Saleema
ReplyDeleteWhenever African issues come up and people start talking abt it, I always ask them "where did u get ur scope?"
CNN and FOX?
By the way Mr. Field...here is something to chew on
I have not read it yet...:)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30502963/
I don't watch TV.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the CIA-put-crack-in-the-hood-is-a-conspiracy-theory meme
ReplyDeleteI read an article about a CIA-linked Nicaraguan who started slingin yayo to raise money, so it's not completely a conspiracy theory. This cat linked up with Ricky Ross. Check on it.
As for the article, he was trollin for some pub. Meh.
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