Another perspective on Ukraine

Alligatorob

Alligatorob

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Location
Northern Utah, transplanted from Florida/Louisiana
This is an interesting point of view. And I believe a valid one, if the Ukrainians didn't look so much like us would we be as concerned?

I know the strategic importance of Russia and the Ukraine are different from Africa, but I doubt that's all there is to it.

I think what Russia and Putin are doing is beyond awful, but the world is full of awful things...

I'm a Black, African woman. It's time to change the channel on Ukraine media coverage.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/03/opin...age-ukraine-africa-makura-lgs-intl/index.html
 

" 'It's very emotional for me because I see European people with blue eyes and blonde hair being killed.' These were the words of Ukraine's Deputy Chief Prosecutor, David Sakvarelidze, during a recent BBC interview about the Russian invasion of Ukraine."

I'd bet a bunch Sakvarelidze meant "blue eyes and blondes like us", brother killing brother.

That said, it's infuriating that countries of the "free world" take way too little interest in Africa and are entirely unmotivated to help during the multitude of crises the African people endure. I was appalled at how little was done during the pandemic, especially after seeing great work and charity being done to eradicate the AIDS epidemic there. But apparently, the motivation for that was more selfish than charitable.
 

So far as I know, there's not a single nuclear bomb on her continent which means there aren't many pointed at her continent. She's speaking from relative security.
 
My reasoning for watching this is certainly not because of race. To be honest that is the farthest thing from my mind in this conflict. I have been a history teacher for decades until retired and it is pretty simple that these things spark interest for me. It doesn't matter one bit to me what country or what sort of people are involved. This is part of history so I am naturally interested in it.
 
Well in terse terms, a primary ignored issue in the world, especially in many Third World countries including many regions of Africa, is overpopulation. Across the planet, there are inadequate societal attitudes to soberly face that issue with the sad ways it should be for the sake of humanity. Worst are the Western wealthy and wealth seekers, corporations of endless growth and development and resource extraction, along with their politicians and media that have little interest or short term incentives in changing course. What is addressed is supplying such countries with food aid that results in higher population growth expanding to minimum subsistence levels creating vast shanty town slums around core urban areas with misery and hopelessness. With any natural or societal disaster, famine and chaos results.
 
Murrmurr said:
" 'It's very emotional for me because I see European people with blue eyes and blonde hair being killed.' These were the words of Ukraine's Deputy Chief Prosecutor, David Sakvarelidze, during a recent BBC interview about the Russian invasion of Ukraine."

I'd bet a bunch Sakvarelidze meant "blue eyes and blondes like us", brother killing brother.

That said, it's infuriating that countries of the "free world" take way too little interest in Africa and are entirely unmotivated to help during the multitude of crises the African people endure. I was appalled at how little was done during the pandemic, especially after seeing great work and charity being done to eradicate the AIDS epidemic there. But apparently, the motivation for that was more selfish than charitable.
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Years ago, remember having a conversation with a very good friend of mine, a European, who works for W.H.O. We had helped the orphanages in Bulgaria during the fall of the Soviet Union and had become very close. Years later she told me something I'd never known during that conversation. She was questioning why America wouldn't allow contraceptives to be distributed with the AIDS medication. Couldn't begin to try to clue her in on the impact of the dynamic American differing views with respect to birth control.

I did find out that many kind things - acts of charity - had been done by a certain politician in power in America that was anonymous...so that made me realize that more kind things than we realize might be manifesting with respect to world poverty and deprivation. It just doesn't make the "news'. After all, what's the spin on "kindness".
 
AnnieA said:
So far as I know, there's not a single nuclear bomb on her continent which means there aren't many pointed at her continent. She's speaking from relative security.
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So as far as you are concern, the wars and other conflicts on the African continent is "relative security." Back in the 90's, I don't think nuclear weapons were involved in the Bosnian war, yet the response was very firm to stop it.

From the article:

"In Africa, it’s the stories of conflict in Ethiopia, insurgency in Mozambique, election violence in Uganda, and the recent coups in Mali, Chad, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau. But it’s clear that far too many are not paying attention to them because the people in these stories are not rich or from the Global North.

It’s the reason why the ‘unthinkable things’ that happen in places like Africa are typically reported in terms of issues, numbers and trends – rather than the people, the emotions and the lives destroyed. In Africa our stories tend to offer simplistic analysis that lacks context and nuance, and prioritizes headline-grabbing proclamations, like this one from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about an “an epidemic of coup d’états” in response to the six coups in five out of 54 African countries over an 18-month period.

These examples have shown us that global media is complicit in perpetuating racist narratives, by not encouraging diversity in its newsrooms and giving an unrestricted platform to reporters and influential spokespeople with implicit biases that are left unchallenged."
 
I seem to recall a huge worldwide movement to end apartheid in South Africa.

Look up PEPFAR. At least one million African lives saved thanks to this program that was initiated under the the administration of Bush #2.

https://www.borgenmagazine.com/george-w-bushs-africa-legacy/

The first iteration of PEPFAR allocated $15 billion over five years to spend on antiretroviral drugs, treatment centers, prevention programs and abstinence-only initiatives. In the first five years, the rate of people receiving antiretroviral treatment in sub-Saharan Africa increased forty-fold, from 50,000 to two million. According to a 2009 Stanford University assessment of the efficacy of PEPFAR, between 2004 and 2007 approximately 1.1 million deaths were prevented due to PEPFAR’s activities.
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I think the reason Ukraine gets so much attention is that the main player in this war has thousands of nukes. And has threatened to use them.

But, yes, there is racism in the news media. I don't doubt that for a moment.
 
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This is an interesting and poignant topic.

I don't love Trevor Noah's humor but I do watch his show due to his intelligence and perspective. I always learn something. Go to 16:40 if you don't want to watch the whole video.

 
dseag2 said:
This is an interesting and poignant topic.

I don't love Trevor Noah's humor but I do watch his show due to his intelligence and perspective. I always learn something. Go to 16:40 if you don't want to watch the whole video.

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Thanks for sharing this!
 
Nosy Bee-54 said:
So as far as you are concern, the wars and other conflicts on the African continent is "relative security." ...
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I meant the author--Moky Makura-- is currently safe and secure compared to those dying in Ukraine. She makes valid points but her timing is abysmal.

The discrimination against non-white refugees trying to flee Ukraine that @dseag2 posted about is! a real time problem that is shameful and does need quick intervention. But for Makura to complain about media coverage while bombs are falling on civilians trapped in cities ...that's an article for a better day. Retrospective analysis and criticism would be much less tone deaf.
 

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