30 March 2011

Meanwhile, In the Humitarian Disaster Not Involving Oil…

I am referring, of course, to The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, where forces supporting the guy who won the election, Alassane Ouattara, have taken the capital, Yamoussoukro:
Rebel forces in Ivory Coast have taken control of the official capital, as power seems to be slipping away from the president, Laurent Gbagbo.

Residents and military sources said troops loyal to Gbagbo's rival, Alassane Ouattara, had entered Yamoussoukro, meeting little resistance as security forces fled. The port city of San Pedro also fell.
This has been going on for how many months now, (Hint: it's been 5) and hot a hint of anyone wanting to intervene, because, of course, they don't have oil.

So you have two African leaders, both without much in the way of support, who are oppressing their opponents and the general population, but the one that is a mid-level oil producer gets the full NATO bombing treatment, while the world's leading exporter of cocoa gets some minor finger wagging in the general assembly of the United Nations.

A little bit of oil we spend blood and treasure on, but a lot of chocolate, that ain't worth nothing.

Talk about screwed up priorities.

2 comments :

Cthulhu said...

No neglect to mention that Gbago gets uncontested support by the Christian right in THIS country, mainly by Missionary and part time Republican Senator Jim Inhofe, a congressman turned lobbyist for Gbagbo, and all of the "Family" christian republicans who actively campaigned for the State Dept to THROW OUT the last Ivory Coast elections so Gbagbo can win.
GBagbo, it seems, is a Evangelical Christian who is ok with killing gays (An Idea exported to Africa by White Fundie Xtians here), and his oppenent, and winner of the elections, is a Muslim.

Hmmmm

Matthew G. Saroff said...

It's the velvet Jeebus get out of jail free card.

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