Kony 2012 (and repercussions)

[cattiechaos]

By now I'm certain that many of you have caught notice of Invisible Children's video/campaign against Ugandan guerrilla leader Joseph Kony and his child army. He is the head of the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) which seeks to overthrow the current Ugandan government and replace it with a theocratic government based on the 10 Commandments (Kony

Comments

[canadaphile]

I want to know why this is so sudden. It is nuts. I have my own feelings on the LRA and Kony, but this sudden interest. . . where did it come from? I just want to know where the hype started.

=^..^=~

[cattiechaos]

I think it might have been because of the IC video?

[canadaphile]

That's what another friend suggested, and it's probably the case. There have been other videos, though. . . part of the reason may be the year. We've seen two great dictators fall, nations change, so this may just be like "THE WORLD'S ON A ROLL! LET'S DO THIS!"

[cattiechaos]

If that's the case, I'm all for it! Why not caught up in the youthful (if naive) enthusiasm for ~*~*CHANGE!~*~*~*? If people want "Revolution" by the Beatles to be the theme song of this year, I'm all for it.

[canadaphile]

Enthusiasm doesn't mean accomplishment. Maybe it's because I'm so negative, but I see this hype as some self-serving ego boost thing.

[cattiechaos]

I think it does make people feel better to share the video/spread the words - it gives them the impression (illusion?) of "Aww right, I'm doing something good!" - the same impression we get when we volunteer at shelters or put a few coins into an expired parking meter. I don't begrudge people that because they are doing something good in spreading the word. I feel strongly about this because I have spent a large part of my life trying to get apathetic teenagers to care about ONE issue outside of their little box of a world, so when I see something like this it's like THERE IS HOPE :p

[canadaphile]

It is a good feeling, but unlike volunteering or donating, which is an actual act that's much more likely to have the impact desired, spreading the word and showing support for the short weeks the topic is featured does very little. What about when the heat on this dies down? Just move on to something else to make you feel good? That seems very self-serving to me; it's like the topic is ignored. The feeling is what's more important, if that makes sense. Not the message and real meaning.

[cattiechaos]

> spreading the word and showing support for the short weeks the topic is featured does very little.

I disagree - I think spreading the word is extremely important because if enough people are aware, it could catch the government's attention and cause them to accept that this is important to their voters and they ought to make this part of their policy agenda.

> What about when the heat on this dies down? Just move on to something else to make you feel good?

I wish! If people went from cause to cause just to make themselves feel good, people would be a LOT more aware of the problems in the world. I don't really care that it's self-serving because I believe that selfishness is intrinsic in human DNA and I expect people to be selfish.

[canadaphile]

But the attention doesn't last, that's what I'm saying. There are a couple of weeks of lots of coverage, and then it's gone. Moving on to the next new thing. Life events are merely fads to the majority, far as I've seen. Everyone is selfish to a degree, and to a degree that's healthy, but the interest in these events is just an action to fit in. I haven't seen anyone do anything. Support can only do so much when things are so far away.