Hey all you guys up there on your high horse!
Get down; come chill out with Kony and myself.
A good friend of mine recently tweeted asking: “Do you think so many people would have died in the Holocaust, Cambodia, etc. if the internet and social media was being used, like today?” When I read this Tweet I felt a swell of irrational anger, probably spurred on by me 3rd Red Bull of the day. What made me even angrier is how many people dared to ask this question.
How dare you ask this?
Just an aside, people are assuming that the world was not aware of the above mentioned incidents. The world knew about them, take Rwanda for instance the world knew about it but failed to give a shit. We as human beings should be ashamed that we have the tools now more than ever before yet still we only ‘play’ that we are doing something about the problems of the world. Is this not worse?
Do you really think watching a video such as the Kony 2012 video that has gone viral will do anything? How many of you watched it from the comfort of your home and office pushed share, tweeted or made a Facebook status about it then waddled over to your TV wearing your Che Guevara t-shirt and forgot all about it because you did your bit by pushing share. You clicked a mouse you didn’t do anything, don’t dare pat yourself on the back, you really don’t deserve it.
Rhino poaching, yet another widespread issue especially for South Africans. Sure you watched the video of the guy telling you how much killing rhinos sucks and you clicked share (I admit I shared it too), and you hear everyday how many more rhinos have been killed. “Ag shame man, those poor rhinos,” has probably been said an infinite number of times, yet nothing changes.
At least the little Chinese man with erectile disfunction is doing something about it, and Joseph Kony who we can all agree seems to be a bigger douche bag than George Bush Junior is doing what he must believe rather strongly in, even if it is just for power and greed.
If there were more people like Kony in this world it would be a better place.
Now before you get your knickers in a knot I’m not saying everyone should start raping and stealing children to make them child soldiers. It’s just not realistic for everyone to become war lords and there are definitely not enough children for each person to have their own little army. What I am saying is obviously these people believe so strongly in something that they are willing to actually do something about it.
Imagine how the world could change if just half the world was willing to stop thinking that pushing like or share was actually doing something to help anyone, because I hate to burst your bubble but its not.
We aren’t doing shit. Joseph Kony is the one winning here and you know what he deserves too because unlike us he is willing to fight for whatever the flip he is fighting for.
….having said that like this post if you agree.
abcitsme 
You are a genius. Sharing the video will only inform. Nothing will happen to this guy, movies dont change the way politicians thinks. Politicians change the rules that allow for bad ass MF like Kony to be taken away. So I dont bother any more with sharing these videos of how hectic some ruthless leader in Africa is or was, because here in the Dark State. This kind of media is not going to turn any heads. Its interesting all of a sudden to turn our head to this dude, I mean Rober Mugabe (President of Zimbabwe had half a country exterminated in the 60’s) because they were from the wrong tribe. He is still in power. Africa is a dangerous place and should be left alone. Movies wont change anything, except people who donated to the cause. I reckon their monies where spent to fund the movie.
Please read your own blog again. Sit back. Think about it. Then think about what IC has done in 7 years. Then you’ll see that you’re the one feeling guilty about yourself. Do something about that and tell us what you did. Your drivel above is wrong from so many angles, I won’t even start to dissect it.
Hi sit back read it and notice that I do mention I haven’t done anything either. I also do not downplay what has happened or condone it in anyway. The point to my ‘drivel’ is that we sit and ‘like’ or share things yet we don’t actually ever do anything to change what is happening. So please read my blog again. Sit back. Think about it. Then you’ll see that you’re the one feeling guilty about yourself. Your drivel above is wrong from so many angles, I won’t even start to dissect it.
Clearly you missed the whole point of the movie or you yourself waddled off too soon to grasp the real message… I hope to enlighten you and would like to add before I start that I have not yet made up my mind as to whether I will take part in the movement, but I take offence to your attitude of superiority towards those who have decided to partake and have therefore decided to respond in Kony2012’s defence:
I’m sure you will agree with me when I say that the world has never been in a worse state than it is now. And this hasn’t happened over night; it has been a long and gruelling process in which each and every one of us has been enveloped. From terrorist attacks on faraway lands, to wars in neighbouring countries; from our own dismal and heart-breaking Rhino slaughter to the individual beggars on every street corner; the decay is moving closer to home every minute of the day.
It is for this reason, and again I am sure you can relate, that most of us are starting to turn a blind eye. With every bone chilling story and every heart wrenching cause (because they are all as crushingly sad as the last), people feel more and more helpless. It has just become too much to handle so we as a society put up filters. After all, how can I (or you) possibly help fix it all? Where do we even start?
Yes we can pledge funds to a single organisation that we choose, but what makes that organisation more worthy than the next and how exactly will my R500 a month stop those foreign bastards from mutilating the next Rhino?
These are the thoughts of every single person in the world right now. How can I help? How will my measly contribution make a difference? And you really can’t blame them because no one can help with everything!
This is where Kony2012 comes into things. They found a cause close to their hearts (regardless of critics saying that it is the wrong thing to do, they found something terrible that they want to try fix, regardless of how long it’s been going on, they want to stop it now) and they’ve finally found a way to stop it. Or at least give it a damn good try.
Thought process:
– How do we fix this? Put Kony behind bars.
– How do we put him behind bars? We help the Ugandans capture him.
– How do we help them capture him? We approach our 1st world government and ask them to assist.
But they won’t assist us because we are too small! They won’t see us because it doesn’t affect them!
– So now what? We make them see us. We make ourselves bigger. We show people what is going on and ask them to join us!
– How do we ask people to join us? SOCIAL MEDIA!
When people hit share, they are telling the next group of people about the cause! And even though we’re not physically doing something, we’re standing together behind a united cause and we’re suddenly big enough for the government to see us! And THEY can physically do something!
It’s a doable solution that has finally been offered to the masses. Instead of asking for money and time and resources many people don’t have, they are asking us to just stand together so we are big enough to be seen.
I know Invisible Children ask for donations too, but even a Neanderthal knows that NGO’s have to be run like a business! The only difference is they don’t have a product or service to offer that will benefit the donor; instead they ask for money to run that business whose goal is to help the specified cause! I mean if Invisible Children sent every last penny they received to Uganda, how would they tell more donors about themselves to get more money to help more?? It’s the simple concept of “what you put in is what you get out”… the more you put in to get people to finally hear you, the more people that will finally hear you.
Yes, Kony has been around for many years and yes, we have tons of causes closer to home, but what exactly can we do about it?? What exactly are YOU doing about it?
This is finally the chance to start doing something! And although I am not sure of the actual cause because I have not, I am 100% behind the way this campaign has mobilised people to stand together and get the people that can make a difference (government) to make that difference.
You commend Kony for fighting for what he believes in? Well this is the world finally fighting back. Who are you to belittle that? I look forward to hearing your alternative suggestions.
I’m not attacking Kony2012 which I believe is pretty obvious. This blog post is simply a commentary on the human condition, clearly you missed the whole point or you yourself waddled off too soon to grasp the real message.
Look I’m not going to pick through each point because I agree with you. I’m not saying social media doesn’t do anything good, take Egypt for instance, it started a revolution. See Social Media 1 – Shitty Egyptian Government 0.YAY! Social Media is fantastic and I am an avid user and promoter of it so no need to enlighten me but thanks for the offer, rather kind of you.
I don’t say anything about the actual KONY 2012 cause or the people who are actually actively involved in the project but I don’t believe that someone clicking share or like is actually actively doing anything or raising any awareness. More likely they will forget about it in a week yet feel they have done something to help the world when they have done nothing. This is my point and a valid one at that. How many of the people who watched the video will actually do anything, how many of them will say: “oh that’s awful, shame” and then carry on with their lives?
How am I changing the world? I’m probably not doing a thing to change it and a doubt I ever will, much like the rest of the world. That’s my point, once again. You say I have a superiority complex, wow how about those millions who clicked share they feel they have done their bit to save a child’s life? I mean come on!
You are missing the point of the post.
It’s not the systems that are in place that’s the problem it’s the people. You, me and them.
Kony2012 is a noble cause and if the world actually cared it would succeed.
Having said that perhaps I am just a pessimist, if the campaign does happen to succeed I will eat my words…print them out and eat them…and send you pictures, now THATS doing something.
Your commentary in this blog is *spot on*… And I would agree with Kirk… Borderline genius! I shared a similar line of thought on the SA Kony 2012 event page, when I declined the invitation, and commented about the reason for my non-attendance. I do HANDS ON charity work… You know, immediate, tangible stuff, in my own country. Both physical work, as well as sucessful fund raising for a specific charity, ie. I am doing something. And yet I was criticised from all directions, because I apparently did not care about the atrocities that Kony has commited etc etc. Well, I did NOT just click the “share” button, sign an online petition and watch a video!
Take for example the issue of whaling. We’ve all watched The Cove, we’ve all watched whale wars. There is an entire fleet of Sea Shepherd ships and boats manned by ardent activists. They have immense funding and support. Even they are finding it hard to win their “war” against the whalers…
And don’t get me started on the Mugabe issue, in my homeland, Zimbabwe!!!
Why would the USA, which has been financially sponsoring a manhunt for Kony, FOR 20 YEARS, do any more because we have all decided to sign up online?
Can I perhaps tempt any one of these people to channel this passion into something more local? Something that would actually require some sort of real input? I have many good South African causes that are equally as important, local and very current!
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