Comments for Geog 305: Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa University of Mary Washington Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:31:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on White King, Red Rubber, Black Death by timmy cook http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=228&cpage=1#comment-1992 timmy cook Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:31:01 +0000 http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=228#comment-1992 I think they should outlaw chocolate hands in Belgium. (I'm assuming it was Belgium) That is just adding insult to injury to the people who suffered as a result of Leopold. I think they should outlaw chocolate hands in Belgium. (I’m assuming it was Belgium)
That is just adding insult to injury to the people who suffered as a result of Leopold.

]]> Comment on White King, Red Rubber, Black Death by timmy cook http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=228&cpage=1#comment-1991 timmy cook Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:28:54 +0000 http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=228#comment-1991 Isha, I think the people were of the Congo were helpless. Of course they realized the destruction (I Hope) but what can ya do if you don't have a gun to fight back with? Isha, I think the people were of the Congo were helpless. Of course they realized the destruction (I Hope) but what can ya do if you don’t have a gun to fight back with?

]]> Comment on White King, Red Rubber, Black Death by Jacqueline Nova http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=228&cpage=1#comment-1990 Jacqueline Nova Sun, 10 Jul 2011 18:45:50 +0000 http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=228#comment-1990 I was mainly shocked by the large amount of wealth obtained by King Leopold II and the country of Belgium through the enslavement of the Congo. King Leopold II built beautiful buildings and museums in the name of his country, however it seems to be unknown and unrecognized by the citizens of Belgium that the Great cities, such as Antwerp and Brussels were built by the oppression, and genocide of millions of Congolese. I also find it ironic that the city of Brussels where King Leopold II once lived has held multiple peace negotiations and conferences for Western Countries. I was mainly shocked by the large amount of wealth obtained by King Leopold II and the country of Belgium through the enslavement of the Congo. King Leopold II built beautiful buildings and museums in the name of his country, however it seems to be unknown and unrecognized by the citizens of Belgium that the Great cities, such as Antwerp and Brussels were built by the oppression, and genocide of millions of Congolese. I also find it ironic that the city of Brussels where King Leopold II once lived has held multiple peace negotiations and conferences for Western Countries.

]]> Comment on White King, Red Rubber, Black Death by Isha Dahal http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=228&cpage=1#comment-1964 Isha Dahal Fri, 08 Jul 2011 20:14:38 +0000 http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=228#comment-1964 Why didn't the people of Congo see the motivation of Leopold II to colonize the country before his death? Why was it until 2005, his status wasn't reinstated? Why didn’t the people of Congo see the motivation of Leopold II to colonize the country before his death? Why was it until 2005, his status wasn’t reinstated?

]]> Comment on White King, Red Rubber, Black Death by Zach Feinstein http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=228&cpage=1#comment-1963 Zach Feinstein Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:01:15 +0000 http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=228#comment-1963 My impression from the documentary was that a lack of oversight by the Belgian government was partly to blame for the massive atrocities committed during King Leopold's reign. It seemed from the movie and from Hochschild's book that the Belgians basically let their white officers and black soldiers run wild as long as they met their rubber quotas, no matter how many atrocities they committed. The Belgian government couldn't possibly have not known about what was going on in the Congo, but did not need to change its policies because money from rubber was flooding into the country and the Belgian people really believed that they were trying to bring civilization to the Congolese. I was unaware that the Belgian government was still trying to cover up all of the atrocities committed during this period. Eventually, the government and the people of Belgium will need to come to terms and accept the fact that they blindly let ten million people die under their monarchs reign. My impression from the documentary was that a lack of oversight by the Belgian government was partly to blame for the massive atrocities committed during King Leopold’s reign. It seemed from the movie and from Hochschild’s book that the Belgians basically let their white officers and black soldiers run wild as long as they met their rubber quotas, no matter how many atrocities they committed. The Belgian government couldn’t possibly have not known about what was going on in the Congo, but did not need to change its policies because money from rubber was flooding into the country and the Belgian people really believed that they were trying to bring civilization to the Congolese.
I was unaware that the Belgian government was still trying to cover up all of the atrocities committed during this period. Eventually, the government and the people of Belgium will need to come to terms and accept the fact that they blindly let ten million people die under their monarchs reign.

]]> Comment on Ghosts of Rwanda by James McLeo http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=216&cpage=1#comment-1909 James McLeo Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:08:14 +0000 http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=216#comment-1909 The coup or genocide of Rwanda was a thought out and planned attack knowing what they knew of the previous events in Somalia. They knew killing ten Belgians would break the back of the enforcers who would try to go into Rwanda and keep the peace. Now the world just watched as the genocide took place not just the USA but, no one sent troops in to keep the peace or to engage in stopping the killing. The coup or genocide of Rwanda was a thought out and planned attack knowing what they knew of the previous events in Somalia. They knew killing ten Belgians would break the back of the enforcers who would try to go into Rwanda and keep the peace. Now the world just watched as the genocide took place not just the USA but, no one sent troops in to keep the peace or to engage in stopping the killing.

]]> Comment on Ghosts of Rwanda by timmy cook http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=216&cpage=1#comment-1903 timmy cook Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:31:43 +0000 http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=216#comment-1903 And how can we hold our politicians accountable like Clinton if it is so obvious that they are misinforming the public about what they knew?? And how can we hold our politicians accountable like Clinton if it is so obvious that they are misinforming the public about what they knew??

]]> Comment on Ghosts of Rwanda by timmy cook http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=216&cpage=1#comment-1902 timmy cook Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:30:24 +0000 http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=216#comment-1902 I had my first nightmare as a result of this. The enemy of the world is ignorance. Without it, people would understand that genocides, wars, ect. do not help progress mankind but actually make us worse off. Then we can expect some change. I had my first nightmare as a result of this.

The enemy of the world is ignorance. Without it, people would understand that genocides, wars, ect. do not help progress mankind but actually make us worse off. Then we can expect some change.

]]> Comment on Ghosts of Rwanda by Donald Rallis http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=216&cpage=1#comment-1866 Donald Rallis Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:21:28 +0000 http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=216#comment-1866 I though one of the most telling comments was by the US official who was quoted as saying "The US does not have friends, it has interests." This basic guideline applies to Republican and Democratic administrations in the US (George Bush II made an almost identical comment in response to why the US wasn't responding to Liberian requests for help during the conflict there) as well as to the foreign policies of just about every country in the world. Several of the US government officials interviewed in the video after they left office reflected what must have been an agonizing conflict between their official responsibilities and their personal convictions. The tragedy is that the welfare of fellow humans in other countries is so often insufficient to reach the level of a country's "interests." I though one of the most telling comments was by the US official who was quoted as saying “The US does not have friends, it has interests.” This basic guideline applies to Republican and Democratic administrations in the US (George Bush II made an almost identical comment in response to why the US wasn’t responding to Liberian requests for help during the conflict there) as well as to the foreign policies of just about every country in the world. Several of the US government officials interviewed in the video after they left office reflected what must have been an agonizing conflict between their official responsibilities and their personal convictions. The tragedy is that the welfare of fellow humans in other countries is so often insufficient to reach the level of a country’s “interests.”

]]> Comment on Ghosts of Rwanda by Jacqueline Nova http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=216&cpage=1#comment-1865 Jacqueline Nova Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:51:31 +0000 http://www.regionalgeography.org/africa/?p=216#comment-1865 A Journalist asked Christine Shelley, spokesperson for the State Department during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, was asked “How many acts of genocide does it take to make genocide?” This statement captures the international community’s options and efforts in stopping the Genocide in Rwanda. I fully understand that there is a large gap between what is ethical and moral and what is political and in the best interest of the state. But in a democracy, the best interest of the state is primarily based in what is preserved to be the best thing to do by the people. Do the American people or white/Europeans turn a blind eye to the issues in the Continent of Africa? In this class I have learned how little I know about the Continent of Africa. A year after the Rwanda Genocide, American troop’s lead NATO forces into Bosnia, which was suffering from Ethnic Cleansing (classified as less then acts of Genocide or Genocide). A Journalist asked Christine Shelley, spokesperson for the State Department during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, was asked “How many acts of genocide does it take to make genocide?” This statement captures the international community’s options and efforts in stopping the Genocide in Rwanda. I fully understand that there is a large gap between what is ethical and moral and what is political and in the best interest of the state. But in a democracy, the best interest of the state is primarily based in what is preserved to be the best thing to do by the people. Do the American people or white/Europeans turn a blind eye to the issues in the Continent of Africa? In this class I have learned how little I know about the Continent of Africa. A year after the Rwanda Genocide, American troop’s lead NATO forces into Bosnia, which was suffering from Ethnic Cleansing (classified as less then acts of Genocide or Genocide).

]]>