An interesting site on the role of France in the Ivory Coast...

[Lancer]

"French forces had killed Ivorian civilians and destroyed a sovereign state’s air force to reassure 15,000 compatriots and to avenge the deaths of nine soldiers."

http://mondediplo.com/2005/04/10diop

[Lancer]

"French governments, of left and right, have always enjoyed a free hand in their former colonial empire. They have carried out political assassinations, pillaged resources and supported bloody dictatorships. So far, it has all happened in the dark. The violence of November 2004 took place in daylight."

[Fake Boris]

1500 for 9 deaths in Ivory Coast: =166
100,000 for 2900 deaths in Iraq: = 34.48

American pacifism is mathematically superior

[RGBVideo]

u fail in teh following of teh news

FFL has been there now for something like three years. IIRC, you (USA) approved their peacekeeping mission in UNSC vote.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

conservatives never let the facts get in the way because they are unamerican and traitors.

[RGBVideo]

Hmm.

I agree with the main point of the article, though:

THERE is a widespread belief, never clearly formulated, that the culture of violence is deeply rooted in Africa. The underlying assumption is racist: that power struggles in the continent are the expression of secular ethnic hatreds.

Unsurprisingly, western media have persisted in imposing their clichés and preconceptions upon the conflict in Ivory Coast, presenting the head of state, Laurent Gbagbo, as a wily but brutal visionary, the rebels as good communicators and the shouting masses as young patriots.

Two weeks after the rebellion broke out in September 2002, France’s then foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, explained to the Senate in Paris: “The present crisis is the result of traditional tensions. Ivory Coast, with its north-south split, is an ethnic and religious patchwork that has been in crisis since the death of Houphouët-Boigny” (1). What he meant was: “Here’s another fine mess Africa’s got itself into.”

There has indeed been a strong new wave of "White man's burden" sort of thinking as of lately within EU press & politics. I think it has something to do with the disastrous failures in Rwanda and Serbia.

The much appraised EU peacekeeping mission to Congo and it's hyping in my local newspaper was a typical example of the power of this sort of thinking. I think this "we're gonna help 'em by sending our own troops to upkeep peace -- surely that'll work" sort of thinking will come and bite us in the ass later on. This is also the reason I've been consistently against the much-demanded "humanitarian intervention" on Chad-Sudan border: I don't think that we can do anything which would do more help than harm in the long run.

[RGBVideo]

I just made my original post since there have been like half a dozen "omg french surrendermonkeys r fighting a chocolate war in africa their hypocrits about iraq oil war" -threads made by US repugs which have just read a single FOX news article and don't know crap about the situation in western Africa.

So, if the point of this thread is to bash France yet again, you should invent a better excuse for such, this one has been used for many times and is starting to get a bit boring by now.

[Lancer]

The thread is about apparent French colonialism, lets stay on topic...

Is nobody concerned for the people of the Ivory Coast?

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
1500 for 9 deaths in Ivory Coast: =166
100,000 for 2900 deaths in Iraq: = 34.48

American pacifism is mathematically superior

How you figure? Obviously the racist Frenchie bastards feel a single french solider is worth 166 brown skinned folks why we Amerkuns only think one of our boys are worth 35 brown skinned folk.

[Master Zen]

So, this is to justify the Iraq War or what?

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

I dunno ask fake boris or Lancer.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Lancer
The thread is about apparent French colonialism, lets stay on topic...

Is nobody concerned for the people of the Ivory Coast?

I am. When the lazy peasants are finally given free market, they'll go to the bank and get a $500m loan to compete with Nestlé.

[Lancer]

"So, this is to justify the Iraq War or what?"

Actually this is about "the role of France in the Ivory Coast".

What do you think of what France is doing in the Ivory Coast?

"fake boris"

fake boris? wtf?

"I am. When the lazy peasants are finally given free market, they'll go to the bank and get a $500m loan to compete with Nestlé."

Please explain. You're worried about Ivory Coast competeing with Nestle?

[Fake Boris]

alt+130 power dude: Nestlé

[Fake Boris]

Wow. You made that line this morning in the shower?