It happens in africa so who cares ?

[BlackCat]

Well, it seems that poly OT haven't noticed it, but the presidential election in Kenya has ended in a mess.

Current president seems to have "modified" the result a bit and now they are cutting each other down with machetes.

There are too much to paste here so just follow the link :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7168580.stm

Humans

[lord of the mark]

Re: It happens in africa so who cares ?

Originally posted by BlackCat
Well, it seems that poly OT haven't noticed it, but the presidential election in Kenya has ended in a mess.

Current president seems to have "modified" the result a bit and now they are cutting each other down with machetes.

There are too much to paste here so just follow the link :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7168580.stm

Humans

the combination of a very close election, and the strong identification of the candidates with particular ethnic groups, seems to be challenging the commitment of many Kenyans to the rule of law. I hope they can avoid letting what is still fairly limited violence (IIUC) spiral out of control. And that the international community can help to keep a lid on it. Kenya has been one of Africas more successful countries in recent years, IIUC.

[Geronimo]

ethnic based political parties seem to be a bad idea everywhere. They simply can't credibly pretend to serve the interests of the entire electorate.

[BlackCat]

Yeah, we honkeys/europeans are probably to blame yet again - it was after all us that draw the boarders.

While Kenya has been pretty stable, it seems that all that are needed to send a country to hell is a presidential candidate that tries to fix the election. When even the local observatours says there is something rotten,then it's serious.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by BlackCat
Yeah, we honkeys/europeans are probably to blame yet again - it was after all us that draw the boarders.

While Kenya has been pretty stable, it seems that all that are needed to send a country to hell is a presidential candidate that tries to fix the election. When even the local observatours says there is something rotten,then it's serious.

True. The fact that the US and Canada and the rest of the new world countries are the appalling basket cases we see today is surely owed in no small part to the arbitrary borders of these countries that were established by europeans.

[Dis]

It's not that I don't care, I just can't do anything about it. The U.S. can't do anything about it. We'd get our asses kicked.

We don't need any more american dragged through the streets thank you. Best to stop intervening in other countries and let them figure things out for themselves.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Geronimo


True. The fact that the US and Canada and the rest of the new world countries are the appalling basket cases we see today is surely owed in no small part to the arbitrary borders of these countries that were established by europeans.

QFT

Except the fact that the comparison doesn't match.

[Riesstiu IV]

I for one don't care what happens in Africa.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Dis
It's not that I don't care, I just can't do anything about it. The U.S. can't do anything about it. We'd get our asses kicked.

We don't need any more american dragged through the streets thank you. Best to stop intervening in other countries and let them figure things out for themselves.

No offense, but you are aware of the fact that first the US government approved the election and then later said it wasn't fair ?

Rumours says that the prime support of the reelection was based on his support of the the "war on terrorism" while the other candidate had some questions about this ?

[SlowwHand]

http://kenya-safari-wildlife.blogspot.com/2005/11/wildlife-webcam.html

[VetLegion]

I just saw a report about this on TV. A hotel manager was interviewed and said that nothing will happen to tourists, Kenyans respect tourism, this is an internal thing. A Swedish lady was interviewed and said that she's a bit uneasy about things, but so far they've been safe. Perhaps this thing will fizzle out before it reaches disasterous proportions.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by BlackCat


QFT

Except the fact that the comparison doesn't match.

Why not? Why isn't canada rent by civil war resulting from it's arbitrary borders? none of which were established by Canadians.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Geronimo


True. The fact that the US and Canada and the rest of the new world countries are the appalling basket cases we see today is surely owed in no small part to the arbitrary borders of these countries that were established by europeans.

Weird comparison since in Canda/US the Europeans killed, displaced, supplanted or otherwise replaced the occupants and then populated largely according to the borders they had just drawn.

There was no large migration to Africa that superseded the ethnic divisions that had existed for hundreds of years and which the European boundaries ignored.


All that said, people have to try to move on from the wrongs of the past. Pointing fingers at Europeans of even 50 years ago doesn't help the situation-- No matter how the mess was caused, what can be done to fix it

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Geronimo


Why not? Why isn't canada rent by civil war resulting from it's arbitrary borders? none of which were established by Canadians.

Because the aboriginal population is too small and divided to really bring on an effective civil war (some bands seem to be doing too well in the courts enforcing their rights to want a more violent approach) and the vast majority of the early settlers were French and English and pretty much accepted the authority of those colonial powers that had drawn the borders

[Flubber]

Re: It happens in africa so who cares ?

Originally posted by BlackCat
Well, it seems that poly OT haven't noticed it, but the presidential election in Kenya has ended in a mess.

Current president seems to have "modified" the result a bit and now they are cutting each other down with machetes.

Lets assume I care a great deal-- Apart from military intervention that might stop it for the duration of the intervention even while those intervening are attacked sporadically by all sides . . . What exactly can be done to stop this? I don't see trade embargos as having any immediate impact.