Slog
News & ArtsMonday, August 27, 2012
Death Dying to Get Out of Your Hungry Country
Posted by Charles Mudede on Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 8:16 AM
When I read sad stories like this (the supply of which is more than you could ever imagine)...
The first time I met Somalia Olympian Samia Yusuf Omar was two years ago in Hargeisa, Somaliland, where she had agreed to be interviewed. I remember she stepped off the plane from Mogadishu in a new royal-blue dress and headscarf, track trousers tucked underneath.In April, a boat carrying Omar from Libya to Italy ran out of petrol and the Italian navy ship which came to rescue passengers threw ropes over the side. Omar tried to grab the rope, missed, fell into the water and drowned. News about her death emerged during the London Olympics and was later picked up by Italian newspapers. She made the trip to Italy to search for a coach.
I aways return to this...
The history of humans has been about movement from bad places to better ones. In some respects, we, the humans at the start of the 21st century, are less global and more confined than ever before. Billions of us cannot flee wars, corruption, or debts. We are not permitted to go to where the food grows.
1
"The history of humans has been about movement from bad places to better ones" People make places "bad" or "better". Africans are making Africa "bad" today. They vote based on Tribal or Religious affiliations. The wrong nose shape means death. The tribe that controls the government tries to destroy other tribes. Until Africa stops putting tribe/belief system over good government, all other places will be "better".
The "better" places went through this process and found that religion and tribe tear people apart when they are put at the top of the importance list.
The "better" places went through this process and found that religion and tribe tear people apart when they are put at the top of the importance list.
2
The real fucked up part is when Europe carved up Africa without regard to the tribal and religious affiliations, and used that wealth to kill other Europeans because of political affiliations.
3
Of course, Chuckie migrated to a much better place, but then he just shits on it every chance he gets.
4
@1 Yeah, Africa has plenty of good farm land and valuable natural resources. The problem is the corrupt politicians who run the place.
5
@2 oh please divers nations, groups tribes in africa, already carved up each other, displaced eath other, and would have hapily carved up europe, too, if they'd've managed it; no race or group is more evil than any other. some just were more powerful.
as to the comment that there's less mobility today, hogwash. really. mudede is just a lefty version of sarah palin, it's a word salad, one day it's we're too globalized, lookit the migrants, sometimes it's horrible, next day he celebrates it, next week we're immobile. fact: the world is more connected and mobile THAN ever, MORe people are not in poverty than ever, more have laptops and cars and phones then ever, and even the ones who're poor and starving know more about the world than ever. really, we have about 1/4 the world now at a decent standard of living. this is dramatic progress and a testament to technology, capitalism, democracy, and trade. now that said, yes of course there's bad things duh ranging from europe's aggression to africa, to china's lack of democracy, etc. etc., american's over throw of guatemanal, DR iran etc etc. but really, on the whole more people live in freedom and relative ....not wealth but relative not starvingness...than EVER before. mudede is just the people magazine of the left, tossing out any old notion for a quick hit anyday with no coherence. here's th coherence: capitalism works, on a gross level, with gross flaws, that need corection or management thru wha'ts loosely called ....govenrment or socialism WHATever, and i mean like germany. and yes, we need more world government to engorce enviro standards and such. but we've been moving over oh about the last TWENTY CENTURIES to more freedom and better standard of living and if you can't see that, you're as blind as the right winger like sarah palin who believe all kinds of nonsense. we are more confined than ever? what the holy fuck, you really think ANY PREVIOUS CENTURY would be preferable? when, the one with adam and eve before they first sinned? this is religion, not politics or philosophy.
More...
as to the comment that there's less mobility today, hogwash. really. mudede is just a lefty version of sarah palin, it's a word salad, one day it's we're too globalized, lookit the migrants, sometimes it's horrible, next day he celebrates it, next week we're immobile. fact: the world is more connected and mobile THAN ever, MORe people are not in poverty than ever, more have laptops and cars and phones then ever, and even the ones who're poor and starving know more about the world than ever. really, we have about 1/4 the world now at a decent standard of living. this is dramatic progress and a testament to technology, capitalism, democracy, and trade. now that said, yes of course there's bad things duh ranging from europe's aggression to africa, to china's lack of democracy, etc. etc., american's over throw of guatemanal, DR iran etc etc. but really, on the whole more people live in freedom and relative ....not wealth but relative not starvingness...than EVER before. mudede is just the people magazine of the left, tossing out any old notion for a quick hit anyday with no coherence. here's th coherence: capitalism works, on a gross level, with gross flaws, that need corection or management thru wha'ts loosely called ....govenrment or socialism WHATever, and i mean like germany. and yes, we need more world government to engorce enviro standards and such. but we've been moving over oh about the last TWENTY CENTURIES to more freedom and better standard of living and if you can't see that, you're as blind as the right winger like sarah palin who believe all kinds of nonsense. we are more confined than ever? what the holy fuck, you really think ANY PREVIOUS CENTURY would be preferable? when, the one with adam and eve before they first sinned? this is religion, not politics or philosophy.
6
@4,
The problem is the corrupt multinationals that rob those countries blind. African countries that lack natural resources (Senegal and Botswana, for example) fare much better than those that possess a great deal of mineral wealth (such as Angola and the DRC). That's entirely due to resource wars, encouraged by multinational corporations. The people living in those countries don't want to be raped and murdered, but DeBeers and Exxon don't give a fuck.
The problem is the corrupt multinationals that rob those countries blind. African countries that lack natural resources (Senegal and Botswana, for example) fare much better than those that possess a great deal of mineral wealth (such as Angola and the DRC). That's entirely due to resource wars, encouraged by multinational corporations. The people living in those countries don't want to be raped and murdered, but DeBeers and Exxon don't give a fuck.
7
Isn't it just as true that the history of humans has been about movement from good places to bad (thanks to technology?)
(When we had the technology, and the will, people even lived on the moon...for a few days, at least.)
The deserts of Phoenix and Las Vegas, the swamps of Florida...these are bad places to live...and yet, millions of people have moved there, thanks to the technology to make them livable. (Not that this is either, necessarily, a good or permanent thing, of course.)
(When we had the technology, and the will, people even lived on the moon...for a few days, at least.)
The deserts of Phoenix and Las Vegas, the swamps of Florida...these are bad places to live...and yet, millions of people have moved there, thanks to the technology to make them livable. (Not that this is either, necessarily, a good or permanent thing, of course.)
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
All You Motherfuckers Complaining That aPodments Are Too Small at 200 Square Feet by Dominic Holden
-
Portland Voters Are Stoopid by Goldy
-
SL Letter of the Day: Did You Think I Was Going To Tell You Not To Come Out? (PLUS: Help Free Kate!) by Dan Savage
-
Rightwing Anti-Gay French Activist Commits Suicide at Notre Dame Cathedral by Dan Savage
-
Spoiled Rotten: Star Trek Into Darkness by Paul Constant
-
There Are No Atheists In Foxholes by Dan Savage
-
Tornado Truthers by Dan Savage
-
Why They Break Windows by Unpaid Intern
-
Listen Up, Gays: They're Coming to Recruit You by Cienna Madrid
-
Saint Genet Re-Creates "Shoot" by Brendan Kiley
Stranger Personals
The Stranger
RSSSeattle Art & Performance Quarterly
A complete guide to Seattle's current art, film, dance, and theater season.
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (7) RSS