Joseph Kony Campaign- Thoughts?

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I am not sure if you have been exposed to this yet, but this movement to "Stop Joseph Kony" has gone absolutely viral in the past 24 hrs. My facebook has been bombarded with this video and a number of debates. It is getting quite annoying seeing some of the arguments and how much knowledge people think they have. There are people saying this is a huge deal that we need to get into, and then there are those who say we have problems here in the United States that need dealt with before we worry about this. I am not too well versed on this yet, but I just thought I would see what you guys think.

 

 

 

Disclaimer:this is about a half hour video.

[The Dude]

Could you provide a brief summary of what this is all about? Don't have time to watch that vid right now, but would like to know what the hell everyone is talking about.

[Foppa]

Good idea, terrible man...but sounds like the IC is a shaky at best charity (like so many African charities) and sounds like they fund the Ugandan military that apparently isn't much better than Kony.

 

I don't pretend to know a lot about it, but it seems to me that this is a very dated idea? You really can't go to Africa without encountering something, but seems to me Kony has been pushed out of Uganda and not too effective lately in the Congo? Of course he should be punished if found, but if he's spending his days hiding, I'm not sure how practical it is for the U.S. to get involved militarily. Should be a U.N. effort, even though I don't always agree with what the U.N. is capable of either.

 

I passed it along on my facebook, and told people what I just posted...just a more brief verson.

[Foppa]

Could you provide a brief summary of what this is all about? Don't have time to watch that vid right now, but would like to know what the hell everyone is talking about.

 

Another power hungry African warlord who sells girls into the sex slave industry and kidnaps boys to fight and kill in his 'army'. Has been doing it for 20 some years. Organization wants to make him 'popular' so that leaders of the world have no choice but to go after him.

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

Good idea, terrible man...but sounds like the IC is a shaky at best charity (like so many African charities) and sounds like they fund the Ugandan military that apparently isn't much better than Kony.

 

I don't pretend to know a lot about it, but it seems to me that this is a very dated idea? You really can't go to Africa without encountering something, but seems to me Kony has been pushed out of Uganda and not too effective lately in the Congo? Of course he should be punished if found, but if he's spending his days hiding, I'm not sure how practical it is for the U.S. to get involved militarily. Should be a U.N. effort, even though I don't always agree with what the U.N. is capable of either.

 

I passed it along on my facebook, and told people what I just posted...just a more brief verson.

I agree, and i think you are correct about the date of this happening. I have been told that he hasnt been a force in Africa for over 5 years, and that this movement is basically pointless. I was also told that they began filming for this in 2003. Some of the arguments for this cause are absolutely baffling, and while I agree that this is a bad situation, it is remarkable how much people in the United States are unaware of the problems we have here in the states. Frankly, they are wanting to do a movement to gain awareness for something that it wont affect.

[Jadler]

I'm just going to copy and paste my facebook reply to a friend of mine because I'm too lazy to rewrite it for you guys.

 

Everyone that's sharing that Kony 2012 video. Yes, it's for a good cause, but take a look at their financial reports from 2011. They received $8.9 million in donations but only $2.8 million actually made it to the charity program. The rest was used for employee salaries, travel, and film costs. Somebody always has to make money.

 

Proof: http://c2052482.r82.....pdf?1320205055

[carlfense]

I'm just going to copy and paste my facebook reply to a friend of mine because I'm too lazy to rewrite it for you guys.

 

Everyone that's sharing that Kony 2012 video. Yes, it's for a good cause, but take a look at their financial reports from 2011. They received $8.9 million in donations but only $2.8 million actually made it to the charity program. The rest was used for employee salaries, travel, and film costs. Somebody always has to make money.

 

Proof: http://c2052482.r82.....pdf?1320205055

 

I bet that ratio will look better given all of this publicity. In fact, the film costs might look quite appropriate and savvy given my news feed.

[GSG]

[Jadler]

[Omaha-Husker]

[Nebula]

I couldn't get into that video. I sort of half ass tried to watch it, but after like 90 seconds of the guy speaking in this melodramatic, super serial tone of voice about how important Facebook has become, I couldn't handle it anymore.

 

And this makes sense. I don't have a Facebook account, and everyone who appears to be lathered into a frenzy over this seems to be getting it from there. Don't get me wrong, I hate child trafficking and militarizing children as much as anyone else. But I sure as hell am not going to donate to something by clicking on a link that has the words "stay classy" in it.

[Blackshirts007]

I couldn't get into that video. I sort of half ass tried to watch it, but after like 90 seconds of the guy speaking in this melodramatic, super serial tone of voice about how important Facebook has become, I couldn't handle it anymore.

 

And this makes sense. I don't have a Facebook account, and everyone who appears to be lathered into a frenzy over this seems to be getting it from there. Don't get me wrong, I hate child trafficking and militarizing children as much as anyone else. But I sure as hell am not going to donate to something by clicking on a link that has the words "stay classy" in it.

actually, had you watched the video, you would have noticed that they were not trying to market anything, including donations, they had briefly mentioned it once about IF you wanted you could, it was more the awarness and helping out by contacting your government officals or celebs, and on 4/20 to hang posters and flood the streets with propoganda, franky what it comes down to is there is an election coming up, and with that they can either chose to keep the couple hundred soldiers after Kony, or pull them because of a failed mission, and since nobody has really been aware of the sitution, the odds of them pulling them out were greater, thus this worldwide viral panic about this issue gets people in a frenzy and they start to voice their opinion, and when you have hundreds of thousands of people coming together, you basically cant say no

[Jadler]

Woah woah, not everyone is oblivious to what goes on in Africa. Also AFRICOM stated quite a while ago that Kony had left Uganda. So a couple hundred soldiers training Uganda's lackluster (and quite corrupt) Army isn't going to do a whole hell of a lot now.

 

 

Just a side note: Most of the better Ugandan soldiers have been working for American contractors in Iraq (I can't say enough good things about the guys I met). Not sure where they are after the withdrawal.

[Nebula]

I couldn't get into that video. I sort of half ass tried to watch it, but after like 90 seconds of the guy speaking in this melodramatic, super serial tone of voice about how important Facebook has become, I couldn't handle it anymore.

 

And this makes sense. I don't have a Facebook account, and everyone who appears to be lathered into a frenzy over this seems to be getting it from there. Don't get me wrong, I hate child trafficking and militarizing children as much as anyone else. But I sure as hell am not going to donate to something by clicking on a link that has the words "stay classy" in it.

actually, had you watched the video, you would have noticed that they were not trying to market anything, including donations, they had briefly mentioned it once about IF you wanted you could, it was more the awarness and helping out by contacting your government officals or celebs, and on 4/20 to hang posters and flood the streets with propoganda, franky what it comes down to is there is an election coming up, and with that they can either chose to keep the couple hundred soldiers after Kony, or pull them because of a failed mission, and since nobody has really been aware of the sitution, the odds of them pulling them out were greater, thus this worldwide viral panic about this issue gets people in a frenzy and they start to voice their opinion, and when you have hundreds of thousands of people coming together, you basically cant say no

Yeah, like I said, I despise child sex trafficking and the practice of forcing children into military service. I have kids, you know? I just find it interesting that I am not on the medium that has fueled the emotion behind this video. The medium itself can have nearly as much influence on the consumer of information as the actual message, was kind of my point. Marshall McLuhan would probably enjoy this conversation.

 

And to be perfectly frank with you, this is not new information to me. I've read the newspaper every day since I was in seventh grade, and I cannot even begin to estimate how many times I've shook my head in disgust over stories concerning human rights issues in Africa over that duration. I don't know if that has had a desensitizing effect on me or not, but this video doesn't represent a new, unique issue to me. It is more like another domino in a line that stretches beyond sight.

[walksalone]

Let the U.N., (without the U.S.) go over and take care of this nitwit