AFRICA

Dying Under the Radar

Report says 40,000 die in Congo each month, five years after war's end.

By Seth Colter Walls | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Jan 22, 2008

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Posted By: Firedog 5150 @ 03/03/2008 5:17:40 PM

Comment: I care about America, but Americans aren't dying at a rate of 40,000 a day. Especially from conditions that could be easily prevented. We shouldn't be upset that our leaders are ignoring the Congo, we should be upset that all the supposed humanitarians that consistently rattle off the media grabbing headline of Darfur aren't as quick to mention the suffering on a scale that in the context of the holocaust makes that event look like a historical nosebleed. The Congo is without question the ultimate global humanitarian crisis, and for someone blessed with growing up in the greatest country on the face of the earth I believe it is our responsibility to extend compassion beyond the borders of our own.
Posted By: Firedog 5150 @ 03/03/2008 5:16:42 PM

Comment: I care about America, but Americans aren't dying at a rate of 40,000 a day. Especially from conditions that could be easily prevented. We shouldn't be upset that our leaders are ignoring the Congo, we should be upset that all the supposed humanitarians that consistently rattle off the media grabbing headline of Darfur aren't as quick to mention the suffering on a scale that in the context of the holocaust makes that event look like a historical nosebleed. The Congo is without question the ultimate global humanitarian crisis, and for someone blessed with growing up in the greatest country on the face of the earth I believe it is our responsibility to extend compassion beyond the borders of our own.
Posted By: Marine#1 @ 01/25/2008 2:22:21 AM

Comment: Does anyone care about America anymore?
Posted By: Marine#1 @ 01/25/2008 2:21:46 AM

Comment: Does anyone care about America Anymore?
Posted By: opinionsqueen252 @ 01/23/2008 4:19:33 PM

Comment: I have two different opinions on this issue. First of all why the hell do we always worry about the rest of the world before we worry about ourselves. Call me selfish but dang we have issues over here too!! Secondly because I am human and although that comment sounded like I didn't have a heart I have a huge one, why are we fixing countries where they are killing off themselves just to get laid by virgins in the afterlife?? Why not help the countries where all they are trying to do is live? I can't believe the US who helps every little country out there has not taken a bigger stand in the countries such as Congo where they are losing 40,000 people a year!!! What the hell????!!!! If you're going to help help!!!
- Posted By: misterharban @ 01/23/2008 4:41:14 PM
  
  Comment: Setting sensible priorities is not selfish. It is an absolute necessary aspect of helping people, whether triage in an emergency room or sorting through the choices of people in dire need of everything.
  
  I had a very brief encounter ministering to the needs of mothers and young victims of burns in a hospital in Managua. In this hospital the patients bring their own bedding and, at times, share beds with strangers. At first, I was appalled. On further reflection I realized that this facility was surely in the top half of health care facilities around the world. Yes, we have problems to tend to at home. Until you get a chance to see some of the rest of the world first hand, though, it is impossible to put our problems in a world perspective.
  
  More importantly, our imperial desire to solve problems with armies and agencies effectively isolates us from ever having to look into the eyes of these people. Once you do, you realize that they truly are us. I am no one worlder, by any stretch of the imagination. But we lose a little of our humanity when we segregate our humanity and needs at home from their humanity and needs somewhere else in the world.
Posted By: Distant @ 01/23/2008 2:59:32 PM

Comment: People on the African continent have been slaughtering each other by the hundred's of thousands for, at a minimum, the last 5 decades. No amount of international aid or peacekeeping has made any difference. At what point do we stop doing the same old same old? At what point do we say, "Our interference hasn't helped, and may have made things worse. Let's stop interfering."

When do we require that Africans become responsible for themselves? Why are we responsible for everything in the world that goes bad? Do you take personal responsibility for all the ills of your neighbors? Do you pay their medical and food bills?

Why is America responsible for everything? When will we learn to let others solve their own problems in their own ways??
- Posted By: actglobally @ 01/24/2008 1:33:29 PM
  
  Comment: "Do you take personal responsibility for all the ills of your neighbors?" - Unequivocally yes.
- Posted By: misterharban @ 01/23/2008 4:03:20 PM
  
  Comment: Who are you to decide the standard of responsibility to which we should hold these people in need? If you are an American, you truly won the sperm lottery when you were born here. Your circumstances are probably more the making of others than of yourself. Perhaps you would be willing to send your children to Africa since they surely have that inborn American sense of personal responsibility.
  
  Our efforts to assist these people in finding the humanity we take for granted is neither a responsibility nor a burden. The ability we have to help others is one of the greatest privileges that inures from our American heritage. If it is a burden to, you don???t do it. But realize that there are many, unlike you, who have looked into the eyes of people with greater needs than their own and discovered things more valuable than the shine on the next new car in their driveway.
Posted By: amyelizabeth @ 01/22/2008 11:21:54 PM

Comment: It is people like you, Damon44, who have no regard for humanity. Your lack of empathy for poverty in the world just adds to the problem. Welcome to America, people, you can meet 'a-holes' like this on every corner. Maybe Damon44 needs to be transplanted to the congo and see how he does walking a day in the shoes of the poverty stricken, err should I say barefoot. Our world is in chaos and people like you won;t be the ones solving the problems.. youre a part of it. I donate to many charities.. how about you, Damon?
- Posted By: lighthouse @ 01/23/2008 5:18:40 AM
  
  Comment: I agree with you amyelizabeth.As long as people like Damon go on breathing around the world,the problems of the world and the humanity won't be over at all.I HOPE people like Damon will understand what we say sooner
Posted By: amyelizabeth @ 01/22/2008 11:15:02 PM

Comment: it precisley people like you, Damon, who continue down the path of turning your eyes and deaf ears away form world poverty and do nothing about it..(even in America). Welcome to America where you meet 'a-holes' like Damon44. Your lack of empathy and disregard for humanity is a reason why world problems continue to happen. Maybe we need to drop you in the congo and walk a day in their shoes.. or should i say in their barefeet.
Posted By: sjbrock80 @ 01/22/2008 4:24:53 PM

Comment: Can you substantiate any of those claims, midnight05?

Seems to me like Congo is struggling for the very reasons stated in the article. They are not the first and won't be the last country, unfortunately, to lose a lot of people due to post war depression and lack of support.

Instead of blaming people for the problem, we as a nation need to get the facts out (like this article), and call for support from our communities.
- Posted By: misterharban @ 01/23/2008 2:23:58 PM
  
  Comment: I agree that we need to seek support from our communities to bring relief to these people, but not at the expense of personal involvement. I am an Episcopalian and the national church is flacking a program called ???One Episcopalian??? to encourage people to contact their elected representatives to move our country toward a goal of spending one percent of our wealth toward reaching the United Nations Millenium Development Goals. As for what it calls the faithful to do on their own, the call is for an additional seven tenths of a percent at the personal level. This is all well and good, but a little math shows that if the faith community in our country alone would simply do what it is called to do, which is to share one tenth, that the increase in funding would more than meet the call of the Millenium Development Goals. As long as we spend more effort exhorting others to do more and ignore the role that we can each play as individuals, our individual ignorance of the humanity of others in need will persist.
  
  We have worked to ensure that we give our tenth in time and money to missions in Central America. The faces of the people, especially the children, make it impossible to forget how blessed we are and how much we can do to help others in need. No television documentary or self-serving documents from government or private organizations can replace the first hand experience that we each can share with others in need.
  
  Sure, we should encourage our communities to get in and help. But nothing will ever surpass individual, hands on, commitment to go out and join the world.
Posted By: midnight05 @ 01/22/2008 1:55:09 PM

Comment: Is there no end to the bitter fruits of Belgian colonialism and the years long exploitation of the Congo by Mobutu and his successors. Congo has had so many rapists, including our own Pat Robertson, who colluded in the devastation of Congo by getting Reagan and Bush to look the other way while feeding Congo aid that was stolen systematically. It is an ugly and tragic story that is still going on.
- Posted By: misterharban @ 01/23/2008 2:07:28 PM
  
  Comment: midnighto5 -- Without disputing the evil that Reagan or Bush or anyone else may have done with regards to this or similar problems, what have you done, how much time have you offered, how many dollars have you spent to help these people or people like then find relief?