Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Daniel W on December 9, 2012 at 7:27pm

Joan, you've pique'd my interest!  This history is new to me.  Time to learn more.  Thank you!

Permalink Reply by Daniel W on December 9, 2012 at 8:00pm

How about this book.

Amazon.com

King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa

Also on Audible, which is good for me.'

Time to learn something new.  Thanks again.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on December 9, 2012 at 10:18pm

Sentient, an audio book is a good idea. I am trying to spare my eyes. The story is so horrific, I would have to take it in short bits. It is a story we should have learned in school. I am ashamed I didn't learn it from my family. 

Permalink Reply by Regina Goodwin on December 12, 2012 at 7:46am

Read the book "King Leopold's Ghost or 500 Years of European Behavior."

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on December 12, 2012 at 2:42pm

"King Leopold's Ghost" is a must read for those who support colonialism, or for those who do not understand how evil human beings can be. The simple fact, well documented, that King Leopold instructed his missionaries and henchmen to cut off the hands and feet of children and wives when the men didn't bring in their quota. He was a brutal, disgusting, thug who read the bible and attended church and pronounced himself a christian. He followed the example of his god with no conscience or regret. That is where he found his moral compass. Many times I have been asked where I get my moral compass. A very important lesson we need to heed. When he was found out, there was a propaganda project that restored him to full acceptability by the courts of Europe. Talk about hypocrisy!

Belgian Congo

One more tragic album of King Leopold's Victims:

Belgium, King Leopold's victims

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on December 12, 2012 at 3:14pm

NEITHER NOSTALGIA NOR ILLUSION: Congo Versus Belgium

We have not learned these aspects of history, or politics, or religion. We need to know these stories, not because of the sensationalism, but because we can more easily be skeptical of the claims of people who either do not know history, have forgotten it, or delude themselves, or even deny facts of history.

Where is Howard Zinn when we need him? Are there younger Zinn's coming along?

History that records the facts of what happened and the rationale behind their attitudes and behaviors empowers us to make better decisions. 

Leopold's henchmen were instructed to disable the right hand of children and wives of men who did not bring in their quota. At first, the henchmen shot a hole through the hand, but that became too expensive so they chopped off the right hand, and then a leg. I am tempted to make a sarcastic remark here, but this is too awful to play word games.  

Permalink Reply by Daniel W on December 12, 2012 at 5:26pm

Joan,

Only into the beginning of the book, but it begins with some uplifting history before starting into the difficult tale ahead.  

 

One of the uplifting aspects is that individual activism, such as by  George Washington Williams, (His letter to Leopold) - and Edmund Dene Morel ("In 1900, Morel put new life into the campaign against Congo misrule (begun a decade before by the American George Washington Williams) with a series of articles in the weekly magazine Speaker.) - and William Henry Sheppard, who with the help of Roger Casement, would form the Congo Reform Association (CRA), one of the world's first humanitarian organizations.  

 

A paragraph from Williams' long letter:  All the crimes perpetrated in the Congo have been done in your name, and you must answer at the bar of Public Sentiment for the misgovernment of a people, whose lives and fortunes were entrusted to you by the august Conference of Berlin, 1884—1 885. I now appeal to the Powers which committed this infant State to your Majesty’s charge, and to the great States which gave it international being; and whose majestic law you have scorned and trampled upon, to call and create an International Commission to investigate the charges herein preferred in the name of Humanity, Commerce, Constitutional Government and Christian Civilisation.

 

It's uplifting for me to see the story as part of the story of individual conscience and activism.  There is much more for me to learn about this, just starting.

 

One frustration - Apparently there is some fictionalization in the book to make it more readable.  I will describe more later, as to whether it's clear what is documented and what is dramatized.

 

Another description of the book, from wikipedia.  I thought I had heard of it before.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on December 12, 2012 at 6:49pm

Daniel, you correctly state:
“One frustration - Apparently there is some fictionalization in the book to make it more readable. I will describe more later, as to whether it's clear what is documented and what is dramatized.”

As always happens with historical events that involved some kind of cruelty, there is usually a disclaimer to reduce the numbers who suffered or the degree to which they were made to suffer.

Remember the history of African slavery in eastern and southern USA? Many of the words that have been written and spoken to declare lower numbers and trivialize methods of torture occur often. As we compile information from different sources, we find there may be fiction involved in telling the stories, but there are facts underlying fiction. When one ferrets out well-documented information, it continues to be a horrid story of human’s inhumanity to other humans.

Remember the history of witch burning; was it 600,000 or 3,000,000? I suppose to the ones who were burned, it doesn’t matter, it still hurt. Perhaps it should matter, but it doesn’t to me. It isn’t the numbers, it is the intent and rationale.

Remember the history of homophobia, not only in the USA, but also throughout history and around the globe? Some perceive homosexuality as a gift to be treasured and others condemn it soundly. The fact is, homophobia is alive and well in the USA and for no good reason as far as I can tell.

What do African Congolese, men and women burned as witches and homosexual men and women have in common?
Well, I can’t speak for other countries and cultures, but I do know that these hatreds grow on the foundations of religious dogmas and when atrocities occur it is defended as means to an end. Human thoughts and acts occur not much above the thoughts and actions of apes.
Human beings have only 1% different DNA or RNA than apes, but that tiny little amount should count for something because it reveals itself in the size and function of the brain. Our human brain has the capacity to think and reason and understand what empowers human beings to flourish and create an environment to supports flourishing.
In my humble opinion, I think religion, politics, and economics all converge in a huge transformation moving from ape to fully functioning human.
Will the Earth wait for humans to become fully human?

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on December 12, 2012 at 8:46pm

And their misery goes on with 6,000,000 dead since 1996.