The European Tribune is a forum for thoughtful dialogue of European and international issues. You are invited to post comments and your own articles.
Please REGISTER to post.
According to the numbers published in the spanish press, the numbers of people killed in Iraq exceed those in Darfur.
The number of people killed in Darfur is a very difficult number to grasp because of the difficulties in the reporting. There is a huge difference among different estimates
Actually, the number of deaths in Congo are larger. the number of people dead in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro and in Colombia (due to coca gangs financed by the "war" on drugs) are roughly those of the number of people dead in Darfur.
From different reports in the Spanish press:
Iraq from 30000 to 100000 people dead (lower estimate belongs to the US) Area of Congo estimates are around 20000 (the great unreported war, estimates from UN members and journalist extrapolations, wild unknown guesses) Colombia plus Rio around 10000 (other drug related crime in all South America will increase that number by a factor of 2, without counting people dying directly from overdose or taking cocaine in bad estate. These data come from official sources) Darfur.. estimates vary between 5000 and 20000 people (5000 from local organization and 20000 for those claiming a genocide-style killing happened some months ago).
And in this list, I have only included people dead in "wars". By far, the worst problem is the 500-800 million people in misery with problem to get food who died becasue their inmune system becomes too weak.
So, yes I think we should have a stronger say about the huge underated and undereported war in Congo...This said, of course, I think we should talk more about conflicts around the world...starting with Congo, followed by the legalization of drugs... followed by a number of conflict in Africa, including Darfur.
But priorities number one are still hunger and Iraq. Second comes Congo and drugs... Congo is definetely undereported in this site and all the western press and concience. Regarding Darfur, in the present situation of ceasefire, I think it is properly addressed in this forum. Another spike in the number of deaths should be for sure addressed here. But more kids die of hunger in Africa in any given day than in the ceasefire (even if it only partial) in Darfur
A pleasure I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude
See this Washington Post story for details.
Iraq doesn't even come close. I hate to say it, but it appears that because the Iraq situation can be so easily blamed on the Bush administration, it gets a lot of play. Darfur is the fault of the Sudanese regime, and it simply isn't as fashionable for western progressives to criticize, despite being one of the world's most odious governments.
I agree with your analysis, obviously.
I guess I don't tell you anything new with the following comment re:
"simply isn't as fashionable for western progressives to criticize"
In my humble opinion: Real progressives do not care about fashion, but about progressive causes. Those who care about fashion are "champagne socialists." Atlantic Review - A press digest on transatlantic affairs edited by three German Fulbright Alumni
by Oui - Dec 5 1 comment
by gmoke - Nov 28
by Oui - Dec 617 comments
by Oui - Dec 610 comments
by Oui - Dec 51 comment
by Oui - Dec 41 comment
by Oui - Dec 2
by Oui - Dec 150 comments
by Oui - Dec 16 comments
by gmoke - Nov 303 comments
by Oui - Nov 3012 comments
by Oui - Nov 2838 comments
by Oui - Nov 2713 comments
by Oui - Nov 2511 comments
by Oui - Nov 24
by Oui - Nov 221 comment
by Oui - Nov 22
by Oui - Nov 2119 comments
by Oui - Nov 1615 comments
by Oui - Nov 154 comments
by Oui - Nov 1319 comments