Kony

I didn't watch the whole video while I was at work. Nor do I know anything about Kony; I don't have time to research anything right now. I will say that the bits that I saw really reminded of the zeitgeist films from a couple years ago. So regardless of fact or fiction they definitly have a good crew together... Let's just see what they do with there 15 mins.
 
NickClapper said:
Yes, it is clearly an over-simplification. But that's because you're watching an emotive YouTube video made by a charity with a clear agenda when it comes to Kony. If you don't want a simplified version, go and read the ICC's indictment reports. If you are looking for information on YouTube, it's hardly fair to complain that it over simplifies things. It's the equivalent of, in my English Literature degree, taking all my references from Wikipedia rather than specific critical texts.

I would also defend the charity by saying that the purpose of the video isn't to raise money. Yes, it makes people want to buy t-shirts and posters but there is no reference to 'you can help by donating'. Almost all charities go down that line of attack but don't get these criticisms levelled at them, so the fact that Invisible Children gets this stick without even making that argument is, in my opinion, unfair. Yes, there are some transparency issues within the charity's fundraising capacities but that's because it's come under such enormous and unprecedented media scrutiny in such a small space of time. The press will always be able to find some sort of issues when they have the upper hand over a (relatively) small charity. I'm not saying that totally excuses any discrepancies but I think it's unfair to dismiss them out of hand just because one or two things have emerged. However bad their policies are, they're not as bad as what's being done in Uganda.

Which brings us to the most important issue regarding the Kony2012 campaign and that's its political and social validity. Really this ought to be the only rational argument being brought against it. There is a suggestion that the US could be infantilising Africa by intervening with the LRA and that the Ugandan army is a dangerous ally to equip with state of the art technology. These subjects are certainly up for dispute but the fact remains that Joseph Kony is #1 on the ICC's list of indicted but uncaptured human rights criminals. Clearly he ought to be brought to justice; I don't think anyone will dispute that. Whether you agree with moral interventionism is another thing altogether but it should only be a fundamental disagreement with that principal that leads anyone to actively object to the Kony2012 video and campaign. I think that is a totally valid line of debate and one that the charity would be happy to engage in.

So, in summary, I think it's easy to be cynical when something explodes in social media and makes a lot of people become overnight advocates of a cause they'd never heard of before. There is definitely an argument about the moral position of supporting US intervention in Uganda but, in terms of bringing to light a devastating global issue, the film is excellent. Simplified? Of course, but they've managed to get millions of people to watch a 30 minute video on YouTube which is more than any of us could ever say for our short films. People who feel strongly about the issue ought to pursue a more rigorous investigation of the issues before trying to convert others, but as a jumping off point this video expresses a lot that I think is good about humanity's social conscience.
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You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss us Kony2012 critics as merely "cynical."

And what makes you think the video isn't intended as a fund raising tool? It's proven to be an excellent one, and I'm sure that's not an accidental outcome.

With regards to the argument that it's justified in it's simplification because it's a youtube video from a charity, what? since when does that give license to simplification? license to lying? license to propaganda? The video is 30 minutes long. 30 minutes. That's enough time to offer analysis, to offer nuance, to offer real information beyond "Kony is bad". Instead we get his charming 5 year old boy doing what amounts to digital parlor tricks. FAIL. This is serious stuff, spare us the Sesame Street routine.

Kony2012 is propaganda, and it's not enough to say Kony is a bad guy and so do what we say here at Invisible Children. IC has proved itself unreliable and sensationalistic. This isn't about our short films, this is the most viral video in history and for a lot of people it's the alpha and omega of the issue. It is meant to inspire without thought and analysis. Buy the Kony Kit! Write Congress! Follow us on Twitter! How about find out what the fuck is really happening? what are the options and consequences of inserting ourselves into this situation? READ!

You can't bottom line these things and argue that the ends justifies the means. Example, it's believed Kony's army has dwindled down to the hundreds (not 30,000 as the video says), but because Oprah and Angelina are on board with Invisible Children, we prop up the Ugandan Army to go after Kony by proxy. Flush with money and new weapons, the Ugandan Army marches off into the outback in search of Kony (who left Uganda 7 years ago). Along the way the Ugandan forces do what they've done in the past, they rape, they murder, they commit crimes against humanity -- all things they've done before, but now they're doing it with funding from you and Oprah. Facebookers, you're now an accessory to that. Example 2: we send our Special Forces guys (Death squads) after Kony and get a replay of Mogadishu when our lads from Delta Force were gutted like pigs. American prestige is battered, Iran is emboldened, gas prices spike, any number of crazy things can happen. You're an accessory again. This is exactly what IC wants, a military mission to get Kony and yet they make no attempt to explain the ramifications, nope, just click you mouse and "Like" our cause and don't you feel better now? Life isn't that simple. Don't be the Boyscout in the Bordello. Find out what's going on before signing on to these reckless media events.
 
Keep politics off of Indietalk. You aren't talking about the video anymore. Instead, you have started attacking one's position. You all need to take a step back and chill. I don't want to read this crap on IT when it's already littered all over Facebook.
 
DeJager said:
Keep politics off of Indietalk. You aren't talking about the video anymore. Instead, you have started attacking one's position. You all need to take a step back and chill. I don't want to read this crap on IT when it's already littered all over Facebook.
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We are talking about a video. A documentary. We are talking about the methods and consequences of its production and the influence and power/risks of videos released on social media.

No one is forcing you to read this thread.
 
A rather interesting twist in the tale…

Invisible Children Co-Founder Detained: SDPD

A co-founder for Invisible Children was detained in Pacific Beach on Thursday for being drunk in public and masturbating, according to San Diego Police Department.

Jason Russell, 33, was allegedly found masturbating in public, vandalizing cars and possibly under the influence of something, according to Lt. Andra Brown. He was detained at the intersection of Ingraham Street and Riviera Road.

Brown said Russell was acting very strange.

"Due to the nature of the detention, he was not arrested," she said at a press conference. "During the evaluation we learned we probably needed to take him to a medical facility because of statements he was saying."

Police said they received several calls Thursday at 11:30 a.m. of a man in various stages of undress, running through traffic and screaming.

Police described Russell as "in his underwear." He allegedly took off his underwear at one point, but it was back on by the time officers arrived, said Lt. Brown.
Several people attempted to calm him down, according to police. When officers arrived they said he was cooperative.

"He was no problem for the police department however, during the evaluation we learned that we probably needed to take care of him," said Brown at a press conference. "We determined that medical treatment was a better course of action than arrest."
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EDIT: Ahh, nevermind. I originally said more, but I don't feel like talking politics right now. I will only say that the more I investigated the recent events, the more I began to empathize with Jason Russell. Perhaps he could use a little respite.
 
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I don't like the video one bit.

He said that on my birthday (April 20th) they are going to litter the streets of every city with propaganda against this person from Africa, when really they should all be hanging Happy Birthday signs for me...
 
brianluce said:
The fact that the founder of Invisible Children was running through the streets of San Diego high as a kite, half naked and jerking off proves one thing for certain: The guy is definitely a filmmaker.
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:lol:

Not to make light of the serious subject matter, but I was fairly sure and impressed that they had gotten Matt Damon to narrate their film until the guy introduced himself.
 
brianluce said:
The fact that the founder of Invisible Children was running through the streets of San Diego high as a kite, half naked and jerking off proves one thing for certain: The guy is definitely a filmmaker.
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:lol:

I feel rather sorry for Russell and hope he makes a full recovery, but I don't think IC is a worthy recipient of anyone's money - unless you're concerned with fulfilling the founders' boyband fantasies: (starts about 1:40)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWACLKaOC08
 
Wow. That music video is more embarrassing than running naked through the streets.

As far as that story is concerned, it's worth noting that the police took him to a hospital, not lock-up, and that they are yet to issue any criminal charges.
 
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