Dear Americans, Your Hashtags Won't #BringBackOurGirls; You Might Actually Be Making Things Worse

[FrodosPet]

This piece brings up some interesting points about not letting our concern for these poor young ladies caught up in this terrible kidnapping end up hurting them and others.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jumoke-balogun/hashtags-wont-bringbackourgirls_b_5292312.html

Jumoke Balogun - Co-Founder of CompareAfrique.com

Posted: 05/08/2014 9:41 pm EDT

Simple question. Are you Nigerian? Do you have constitutional rights accorded to Nigerians to participate in their democratic process? If not, I have news for you. You can't do anything about the girls missing in Nigeria. You can't. Your insistence on urging American power, specifically American military power, to address this issue will ultimately hurt the people of Nigeria.

It heartens me that you've taken up the mantle of spreading "awareness" about the 200+ girls who were abducted from their school in Chibok; it heartens me that you've heard the cries of mothers and fathers who go yet another day without their child. It's nice that you care.

Here's the thing though. When you pressure Western powers, particularly the American government, to get involved in African affairs, and when you champion military intervention, you become part of a much larger problem. You become a complicit participant in a military expansionist agenda on the continent of Africa. This is not good.

You might not know this, but the United States military loves your hashtags because it gives them legitimacy to encroach and grow their military presence in Africa. AFRICOM (United States Africa Command), the military body that is responsible for overseeing US military operations across Africa, gained much from #KONY2012 and will now gain even more from #BringBackOurGirls.

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The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

[radiclib]

1. Hmm..

Must be a Greenwald lover.

[951-Riverside]

2. I'll say it again...

If these were 10 white girls there would have been a pile of dead black dudes and they would be home by now, no debate, no discussion, no hashtags

[Nye Bevan]

6. Yeah, it took a mere 444 days to get the (mostly white) Iranian hostages back home (nt)

[dsc]

13. that was with the least interventionist President we have had in the life time of any poster who is

less than 80 years old.

[951-Riverside]

19. Not even close to my point. Take the abduction of Capt Phillips or even Somolia in 1993...

You have 2 dead pirates in that case. There was no negotiation, no debate, no hastags, the seals moved in took 2 of them out (rightfully so) and captured the one who didnt poke his head out.

In 1993 when 18 service men were killed trying to capture a notorious warlord, troops went into there and killed nearly 3,000 Somalis afterwards

The rules of engagement are very different for black Africans when it involves the injury or capture of whites also the public's willingness to get involved is quite different when those same factors are involved.

I have no doubt in my mind if the 9/11 attacks were masterminded by Black Africans, the operation to take down Al Qaeda would have been concluded by Summer of 2002 and there would be no prisoners.

Look, I'm not advocating for Bongo Hamhock or whatever they're called. I think special forces from whatever country should go in there and kill them all, take no prisoners. They serve no value to society when they try to stifle the advancement of others but that's not going to happen because one simple fact remains; these girls are black. This is also why the Kony 2012 campaign fell flat, no one was willing to put lives on the line to capture black africans who "only" pose a danger to other black africans.

Some may argue that keeping brutal thugs like Kony or Bongo Hemorrhoids in place makes it easier to take Africa's resources because you don't have to worry about the people resisting, just pay a warlord under the table and he'll take care of the rest.

[Hippo_Tron]

22. Uh, we tried to rescue them much sooner and failed miserably...

Special forces today are light years ahead of where they were in 1979, largely because of that failed rescue mission.

[MohRokTah]

3. The hashtag started in Nigeria to try and light a fire under the Nigerian government

So,uh...

It worked.

[treestar]

4. that person cares more about military intervention and expansion than getting the girls back

He is more worried about Nigeria's power. They should be taking all the help they can get.

[Dorian Gray]

8. Yep

I will also say, I'm sure that their parents are hopeful that anything that spurs action will result in finding the girls. Nothing else matters right now.

[FrodosPet]

11. 'He' is a 'she', but that does not matter

I am of mixed feelings. Part of me is on the side of "Go Seals! Go Rangers! Kick some kidnapper ass".

But what she presents about how we should quit trying to be the world's top cop does have some merit.

In any event - I am in no shape to fly to Africa, grab a .50 cal and big belt of ammo and go monster hunting. And so I will give my thoughts and meditations and hopes that courageous, wise, and compassionate people can rescue these young women before it is too late.

[Raine1967]

16. Thank you. NT

[Number23]

24. Yep. This is easily the dumbest thing I've read in a long time

And the people that are so concerned about military intervention instead of saving lives would scream if someone took this view if their own children were in danger.

[Nye Bevan]

5. Yes, here's an example of a tool of the US Military Industrial Complex.

A warmonger in the mold of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. The message to young people should be: do not concern yourselves with atrocities taking place abroad. Be insular. Be incurious. You may now return to playing Flappy Bird and Candy Crush.

[AngryAmish]

9. There are about 170 million people in Nigeria.

The US is incompetent to figure out who from whom. To get the girls back would involve invading the country, partioning the nation, putting up walls as forcing id's upon the population to determine who belongs where.

LETS GO FOR IT!

or may b e a hashtag is easier....

[randome]

10. Who would ever have thought someone with 'AngryAmish' as a username...

...would be an expert on international military and detective operations. Geeze, that must be an incredibly comfortable armchair you're sitting in.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A 90% chance of rain means the same as a 10% chance:
It might rain and it might not.[/center][/font][hr]

[Nye Bevan]

12. Yes, granted, to find Osama Bin Laden we had to invade Pakistan (pop. 180 million),

partition the nation, put up walls, and "force IDs upon the population", to "determine who belonged where".

But the big difference is that the Osama Bin Laden raid took place without the cooperation of the Pakistan government, whereas Nigeria has actually asked for our assistance.

[AngryAmish]

14. Alright, Ms. anti-insurgency expert, raise your own army

Julius Caeser did it to defeat the pirates, and he had a beef.

This is not our problem.

I think our hashtag offensive against Boko Haram is exactly right

[randome]

7. 'Might'. Because when mass kidnappings occur, the 'sensible' thing to do is cross your fingers.

Bullshit article by a George Will lover.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]

[flamingdem]

15. Just discussed w Nigerian taxi driver

He noted that it's tough to fight them without restructuring the country - and that the current govt has some responsibility due to election practices - as does the United States. He does hope worldwide attention will force the govt to address the fact that the army is ineffective.

[nomorenomore08]

17. I am skeptical of aggressive military action as a facile solution. I will say that.

Mainly because there have been so many instances of our military intervening overseas and making things even worse.

[William769]

18. Like what happened to these school girls is not traumatizing enough already.

What complete and utter bullshit! There is no fucking reason none whatsoever to even side with some asshole that writes a piece of shit article and it makes me wonder about anyone who believes it.

This is nothing but bullshit from start to finish and should and will by me be treated as such. Un fucking believable.

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The road to Nigeria is paved with cutthroat thieves murderer's & rapists (just to name a few.)

[sheshe2]

20. I have seen this posted before and it seems to be a lone voice.

The government of Nigeria is finally asking for help. The Mothers The Fathers The Sisters The Brothers are crying out for help. They want their girls back. It is obvious that they cannot or will not do it on there own!

Yes this is indeed bullshit. One voice says no and millions say yes!

#bringback our girls.



Thanks William, well said.

[William769]

21. Good on Nigeria, shame on the person who wrote the article.

They need to come home posthaste.

[Number23]

25. But it's not a lone voice. Greenwald caught (well deserved) hell for saying something very similar

and I'm sure these two are not alone.

[sheshe2]

26. Well my dear Number23.

I don't give a rats ass what GG has to say, nor do you!

They can kiss my ass! They want the money they want their headlines and they are the worst bottom feeders that I have ever seen. That GG is lauded here makes me sick.

I want the girls home. They have been damaged and I hope that that is not beyond repair.

God damn it bring those girls home. We need to bring them home.

They are our future...



Keep us safe. Yes we need to keep them safe.

[Sunlei]

23. Dear France, Thank you for your fast action.