npfr: Todays Darwin Award ...

Loz {> 'I believe in peace, Bitch'

I think its pretty poor taste to make wisecracks about the people of Goma right now.

Loz {> 'I believe in peace, Bitch'

Perhaps its because I am European, but I think that no one deserves to die like that, even looters.

And perhaps its because I know something about Africa that I think such comments crass and insensitive.

I am also not entirely aware of the specifics of the situation in Goma, but what I do know is there has been a pretty awful natural disaster.

And I do know some of the history of central Africa. Its not very pleasant.

If all that she can say about Goma is such comments, then perhaps its better she said nothing at all, quite frankly.

40% of the town was destroyed 2 of the 4 hospitals were destroyed. They were salvaging what would have been lost anyway, just unfortuante they were too slow.

Apparently the whole of the central business district destroyed too.

Even looters stupid enough to steal gasoline in the midst of a lava flow? Sorry, dude, but there really are people who need to die.

Bedwarmer wrut:

Maybe not so much 'need to die' as 'have it coming.' Whether or not they deserved it is totally beside the point. There are people in this world who are simply too stupid to continue drawing breath despite anyone else's best efforts to keep them alive

The two of you should seriously ignore each other.

I see. So the people in Goma are less educated and thus 'had it coming to them.'?

Why do you think they are less educated? A virtually non existent education system perhaps?

After the colonial powers raped the Congo who raped it after that? And who supported him?

Or has it got nothing to do with education? Fair enough. Lets simplify it. These people incapable of education and thus have 'it coming to them' anyway? Just plain thick. They should simply die then. Mmmmm. So who is a looter and who isn't? You should know that. Sitting all comfortable and playing God. Switch on the TV news. They will tell you I am sure. Allocate blame. Its someone elses fault. Wash your hands.

What you mean 'everybody's best efforts to keep them alive'? There were not armies of aid workers there. There may be now, but there was not in the first days. It takes time to launch an international aid effort.

There is an alternative explanation to the 'stupidity' of looting gasoline under such circumstances - it might be that a gallon of gasoline has the sort of value to those people that is simply worth a grave risk to get some. I have no idea really; it's just a suggestion.

When I was in my late 20s I used to marvel at the stupidity of people who would climb on rafts that I wouldn't use to cross the Banana River Lagoon, and attempt to float across to Florida from Haiti or Cuba.

Then I got a little older, perhaps a little wiser, neck a little less red, and started wondering about what must it be like to live in conditions so shitty that these people would try something as 'stupid' as that.