COIN case: LRA Lords Resistance Army

[carl]

That video on the LRA has had over 11 million, that's million, hits in just the last few days I believe. My 14 year old nephew heard about it on Facebook and now is interested.

It is quite a phenomena. It is good if it helps thing along but it disturbs me a little. The attitude of the video is something along the lines that this has gone on long enough and we are going to do something about it now. And what they are going to do is wear bracelets and go viral and speak out without fear. The object of all that is to make "them" get Kony this year. It seems like the makers of the video are as interested in patting themselves on the back as doing something about Kony.

It is an interesting happening.

[Dayuhan]

It seems like the makers of the video are as interested in patting themselves on the back as doing something about Kony.

The makers of the video are of course not in a position to do something about Kony... drawing attention and building awareness is all they can do. If that involves a bit of patting themselves, so it goes... human nature.

One wonders, though, if they realize what's likely to be involved in getting Kony. If it were all that easy it would have been done already.

[M-A Lagrange]

The makers of the video are of course not in a position to do something about Kony... drawing attention and building awareness is all they can do. If that involves a bit of patting themselves, so it goes... human nature.

One wonders, though, if they realize what's likely to be involved in getting Kony. If it were all that easy it would have been done already.

Here are some critics of the video

How a Ugandan warlord went viral in 24 hours
So how did Mr. Kony become a trending topic on Twitter in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia in 24 hours? The answer: A U.S. based charity; A compelling video; And a savvy social media campaign that sought to influence key cultural personalities to propel its cause and engage new audiences. The group Invisible Children's aim is to make Joseph Kony famous, so that in 2012 he can be finally brought to justice. The group asks supporters to join a pledge that reads "Joseph Kony is one of the world's worst war criminals and I support the international effort to arrest him, disarm the LRA and bring the child soldiers home." The Globe and Mail

Kony2012 video goes viral, and so do concerns about its producers
[...] Visible Children has collected a number of these critiques. The non-profit's financial statements show that only 32% of the $8.6m it spent last year went to direct services. Meanwhile Foreign Affairs magazine has accused the organization of "manipulat[ing] facts for strategic purposes." Charity Navigator has given Invisible Children a two-star rating in accountability out of a possible four. Critics point out that the campaign calls on the public to pressure the US to continue working with the Ugandan military, an organisation that has its own record of abuses. The Guardian

Kony 2012 campaign criticized for dumbing down conflict
Critics have accused the campaign of using colonial language and advocating for military intervention in Africa. With the explosion on social media sites of an activist viral video, Kony 2012, exposing the misdeeds committed by Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony, critics have reacted to the campaign denouncing it as "colonial" and reminiscint of Kipling's "White Man's Burden" argument. Globalpost

Lord's Resistance Army: After long silence, the US-tracked rebels attack
The deadly Lord's Resistance Army goes on attack again in Democratic Republic of Congo, but coordinated efforts by regional armies and the US military has put them on the run. CS Monitor

Some of those critics are legitimate some are... Less

[TDB]

I did think the KONY12 video dumbed down, I guess it had to. The complexity of the conflict may be beyond many peoples comprehention. The few pieces I saw criticising it were a little outdated and illinformed. I think if you're going to set up a campaign like this, you need to give everyone all of the facts and allow those to do the talking.

[JMA]

I did think the KONY12 video dumbed down, I guess it had to. The complexity of the conflict may be beyond many peoples comprehention. The few pieces I saw criticising it were a little outdated and illinformed. I think if you're going to set up a campaign like this, you need to give everyone all of the facts and allow those to do the talking.

I was Youtube view 63,644,267 and watched it all.

They need to get this guy.

If in the process some guys make a lot of money then as they say ... "that's America".

It is of course scandalous that it has not been a high enough priority for the Ugandan government, regional groupings and the African Union before Obama committed 100 odd yank soldiers to the mission. Well done Obama!

So now we will see how many 'kids' sign up for this initiative and if they are able to produce sustainable activism to press this issue home.

I hope they get the guy.


PS: After posting this I refreshed the Youtube page and saw the number had climbed to: 65,051,329 ... amazing!

[carl]

I was Youtube view 63,644,267 and watched it all.

They need to get this guy.

If in the process some guys make a lot of money then as they say ... "that's America".

You're right.

It is damned interesting all those you tube views and I wonder what it portends for the future.

[TDB]

I was Youtube view 63,644,267 and watched it all.

They need to get this guy.

If in the process some guys make a lot of money then as they say ... "that's America".

It is of course scandalous that it has not been a high enough priority for the Ugandan government, regional groupings and the African Union before Obama committed 100 odd yank soldiers to the mission. Well done Obama!

So now we will see how many 'kids' sign up for this initiative and if they are able to produce sustainable activism to press this issue home.

I hope they get the guy.


PS: After posting this I refreshed the Youtube page and saw the number had climbed to: 65,051,329 ... amazing!

I agree. Some of the comments against are listing all the other problems Uganda has. Well that's the problem if you're going to be a single issue charity, you're only going to target that one issue.

[JMA]

I agree. Some of the comments against are listing all the other problems Uganda has. Well that's the problem if you're going to be a single issue charity, you're only going to target that one issue.

Sometimes it takes the initiative of outsiders/kids/whoever to shake the professional politicians awake and to force them to take action.

In my era Band Aid (1984) - run by a bunch of long haired gits - turned 'business as usual' on its head. Magnificent work.

The spark of humanity still burns in the young.

I am always reminded by what Cynthia Ozick wrote (in relation to the Holocaust):

Indifference is not so much a gesture of looking away--of choosing to be passive--as it is an active disinclination to feel. Indifference shuts down the humane, and does it deliberately, with all the strength deliberateness demands. Indifference is as determined--and as forcefully muscular--as any blow.

[carl]

The makers of the video are of course not in a position to do something about Kony... drawing attention and building awareness is all they can do. If that involves a bit of patting themselves, so it goes... human nature.

One wonders, though, if they realize what's likely to be involved in getting Kony. If it were all that easy it would have been done already.

If they do realize that, they don't say it in the video. They kept speaking of "arresting" Kony. They avoided saying anything about having to kill him. Nor did they say anything about walking around in the forest for weeks at a time. They stressed training and technology provided by those 100 Americans and they especially stressed really really wanting to see him got in 2012.

It is an interesting video from a cultural point of view. I watched it because I wanted to see what got my nephew so exercised so fast. From the standpoint of learning anything about the LRA beyond that they are really bad, it isn't so good.

[davidbfpo]

When I looked there had been 34m views of the KONY12 video; I'd be intrigued how many views were of the total video.

Following a comment on Kings of War going viral KoW has been rather busy today, today's comment:http://kingsofwar.org.uk/2012/03/inv...ect/#more-6538 and yesterday's:http://kingsofwar.org.uk/2012/03/lla...us-psychopath/

KoW recommends this background article, from November 2010:http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articl...-lra?page=show

Incidentally the UN's covert operation in 2006, using Guatemalan Special Forces, are mentioned:http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswee...rd-target.html

[TDB]

When I looked there had been 34m views of the KONY12 video; I'd be intrigued how many views were of the total video.

Following a comment on Kings of War going viral KoW has been rather busy today, today's comment:http://kingsofwar.org.uk/2012/03/inv...ect/#more-6538 and yesterday's:http://kingsofwar.org.uk/2012/03/lla...us-psychopath/

KoW recommends this background article, from November 2010:http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articl...-lra?page=show

Incidentally the UN's covert operation in 2006, using Guatemalan Special Forces, are mentioned:http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswee...rd-target.html

The Daily Beast article gave some really good background info. The failed Guatemalan attack must have really boosted his prowess, making people believe that he really does have super powers and a connection to god.

[ganulv]

The Daily Beast article gave some really good background info. The failed Guatemalan attack must have really boosted his prowess, making people believe that he really does have super powers and a connection to god.

And Imad Mughniyah. And Jesse James. Some folks think Tupac’s still out there, too. Not trying to make light of a vile human being or a horrible situation, it’s just that people will believe a lot of things is all I’m saying.

[davidbfpo]

FP Blog has a good article, the author has spent sometime in Uganda and a torrent of responses:http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/...licated_things

[carl]

Something occurred to my cynical side about this video. It is coming out, hopefully, late in the LRA game and if Kony is killed this year or next, the producers of this video will be able to use that to their advantage. They can enhance their influence in various circles because they will almost certainly take some of the credit. Professionally they already have a lot of cachet just because of the number of hits it has had.