Congolese Girl

This young woman was protesting against the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Regent Street in London.

The finger pressed against her head lifts this shot out of the ordinary.

Now, if these people tried to sort out their tribal problems peacefully, amongst themselves, and stopped blaming the "West" , progress might happen.

For a person complaining about treatment by mods on DPR, that is a terribly shallow view.

If you spent a bit of time learning about how other actors, not just the west, influence / inflame situations in so many countries, you might find a bit of compassion for the struggles so many go through as a result of such influence.

If this conversation is not part of Daneland's intent, then I am happy if these last two post are moved elsewhere.

While I usually steer clear of politics, sharing this photo makes me feel compelled to share my thoughts. I firmly believe that many people suffering from the severe consequences of conflicts are not responsible for them in any way. Numerous external and internal factors, with the Western world arguably being the most influential, contribute significantly to these issues. The continuous accusations against the Western world for its historical and present actions are, in my opinion, justified.Addressing the past poses a challenge, and I'm not idealistic about finding a quick solution or reconciliation. The actual actors from that time are not around to answer for their actions, and their descendants often hesitate to acknowledge their ancestors' responsibility. On the other hand, I disagree with the viewpoint of solely blaming the Western world for all the suffering. I believe that many individuals, particularly rulers among the affected population played/are playing a great role for such situations to unfold.
The world's constant demand for consumption and unchecked consumer habits are fueling conflicts globally and it's something we can address. Yet, I don't believe change will occur voluntarily. It's only when we face serious consequences that we might stop destroying the planet, exploiting our own kind and other species or at the very least, cease being complicit in these actions.

I did not want my reply to be too political, for a complex argument that involves a lot of Geopolitics, and struggles between major powers, for resources and influence. The Chinese seem to be having some success right now. But the post colonial history of Africa is full of tribal strife sometimes with puppet masters behind the scenes, sometimes not.

I invite you to read the story of Ian Smith on this fairly neutral Wikipedia link . You can skip the early part of his life and move on to the later stages, when he was involved with Robert Mugabe. Draw your own conclusions. Just one story of the sad post colonial history of Africa.

There will always be tyrants around and they have more of a chance in less developed countries.

We need to be careful when we generalise though. Did the actions of Mugabe make all the people of Zimbabwe guilty? Idi Amin in Uganda before then?

The ordinary people were victims of these two tyrants.