Comments on The Pensive Quill: Appointment With Genocide

Saint?MaryHedgehog, Good points. I too have watch...

2011-06-19T16:06:43.171+01:00

Saint?MaryHedgehog,

Good points. I too have watched the films and found them hard going. This is what happens when hatred is nurtured; people become things to be sacrificed.

Marty,

‘what a pity that country didn’t have a huge oil reserve!’

The West would have intervened then alright.

Ryan,

Solving problems and stopping genocide are problems of a different order.

Fionnchú, appreciated. It is a fascinating case s...

2011-05-21T11:01:23.880+01:00

Fionnchú,

appreciated. It is a fascinating case study. On the Congo have you read King Leopold's Ghost? Kate Adie suggested I read it and then sent me a copy and it was a tremendous book. One of the best I have read. And she knew a thing or two about the world.

Excellent review; I agree that the Congo's sit...

2011-05-20T22:22:21.498+01:00

Excellent review; I agree that the Congo's situation attests to the unending abyss that seems to suck up most of Africa. The UN this week noted that contrary to earlier predictions by century's end we'll have 10.1 billion and not 9, and Africa's population will triple. Climate change, famine, war, chaos: let's hope we can stave off these horseman of the Apocalypse, or perhaps buy more RED products via Bono.

what on earth is the deal with Africa? Trying to s...

2011-05-20T03:00:28.286+01:00

what on earth is the deal with Africa? Trying to solve their problems is like playing whack a mole. You solve South Africa, Somalia pops up. Somalia solved Ivory Coast pops up. Then Congo, Rwanda, Somalia again, Liberia, Angola, Zimbabwe. Famine, wars, AIDS epidemics. I read last week that in Congo a woman is raped every 5 seconds. Horrendous. Just never ends. Very sad.

Powerfull post Anthony, what a pity that country d...

2011-05-19T08:27:35.097+01:00

Powerfull post Anthony, what a pity that country didnt have a huge oil reserve!

Sasha, it is not straight forward as we now reali...

2011-05-19T06:21:37.310+01:00

Sasha,

it is not straight forward as we now realise. However, Herman's take on the Balkans in which he was denying massacres leaves a lot to be desired. Kagame is hard to defend and I wonder what Gourevitch thinks of him now.

I have not read the book you reviewed... doubt i c...

2011-05-19T04:52:29.593+01:00

I have not read the book you reviewed... doubt i could stomach another one as I have read/viewed a fair few other recounts written & film through the years. Just a few thoughts...
RE’ Belgium introduced a rigid but false ethnicity of Hutu and Tutsi’
Yes divide and conquer - tried and true strategy - taken to new levels. Rwanda’s long history of subjugation/colonization paved the way (1894 European colonization & 1926 tribe identity ID cards enforced)
What I also see as a primary underpinning the genocide was utilising an intrinsically, deeply spiritual peoples cultural ways and dousing it liberally with the petrol of religion and poisoned delusions... Whenever there are atrocities smack bang in the middle is the Vatican imprint and the apparition of Mary! as well the dictator maniacs & trotting on their heels the followers like putty in their hands. (All the mroe reason to remain a fervent EX Catholic...) The hate was fuelled and the madness stoked and stoked The inevitable happened just as planned.. The reconciliation processes & healing goes on to this day... Has the world learnt anything? Nope imo. But the Hutu & Tutsi who survived know they were pawns in an evil, hell cut loose game traced back to colonization. Just like the Palestinian kids know they are merely fodder for Zionist bullets.

I read this book a few years ago and remember bein...

2011-05-18T22:47:50.180+01:00

I read this book a few years ago and remember being horrified. However, like you I then began to learn more about the Kagame regime and their role in the mineral wars in Congo. After then reading 'The Politics of Genocide' by Edward S. Herman and David Peterson it is hard to see Philip Gourevitch as anything but discredited.