The World, According to Kony

This post should be called “Kony, according to the world”. By now everyone has likely seen, or at least heard of, the Kony video and the Kony 2012 campaign put out by Invisible Children. In short, Joseph Kony is a bad guy; I think we can all agree on that. And the Invisible Children not-for-profit organization has some very good intentions, and is therefore the good guy. And we should all root for the good guy to win… which is exactly what this feel like.

I’m a HUGE sports fan. I’m the kind of fan who believes he can out coach the coach. I’m the kind of fan who sees stuff the announcers miss. I’m the kind of fan who knows the refs are wrong and can recite the rules, verbatim, to support my case. And, of course, I’m the kind of fan who yells at the TV, as if my cheering might motivate a player to react differently.

Right now it feels like a billion Facebook users, media outlets and celebrities are yelling at the TV. “Kony is wrong, and everyone should know about it!” And what is that supposed to do?

It’s not like he’s the first. It’s not like he’s the most recent. It’s not like there haven’t been efforts made. And I have a problem with presenting information out of context. Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 campaign makes it seem like the US government, and most of the rest of the world has ignored this Kony problem. But we haven’t. Efforts have been made¹.

Even still, what do you purpose we do about it? It took a decade and a full scale military operation to track down and eliminate Bin Laden. I would think, to track down Kony, who lives in a jungle, it would take a similar effort. So what are we supposed to do? Go to war to find this guy?

It short, shit happens. Really, really bad shit happens. And it happens to children too. And there is no easy answer. And a social media campaign won’t change that³.

1. I have some follow up questions for Invisible Children, which I want to believe is a credible organization:

• If I donate money, where does it go?
• Will Kony be forgotten in a year like most trends in social media?
• Why are we just hearing about him now?

2. Wikipedia has evidence of that, but there are a number of other news sources as well.

3. Unless it’s on Pinterest.

The World is Your Shopping Cart Return

Question: What kind of person leaves their shopping cart in some random parking space rather than returning it to the shopping cart return?

Answer: Every kind of person.

The old adage, “it takes all kinds” works well here, because you’ll see all kinds of people leaving their carts in an inappropriate place. You’re just as likely to see it at Wal-Mart as you are outside of Saks. Blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians; they all do it. People driving sports cars, mini vans, pickups, or low riders; they’re all guilty. The elderly, the teenagers, the middle-aged; not one is clean. It really does take all kinds.

But the question is why? Why not put the cart where it belongs. I’ve seen carts left blocking a space just a few feet from the return. Some people are clearly making it to the return with their cart, and yet others just leave their cart in any arbitrary space, along as it’s out of their way. I’ve even seen someone leave a cart blocking another vehicle.

Why? Are you too lazy to walk an extra 30 feet? Do you not have time to make the extra 15 second walk? Or do you simply not care about your society? I suspect that’s the real truth. The growing problem of shopping carts being left in any random spot is indicative of the growing problem that people simply don’t care anymore. It relates to laziness, but it would be better defined as indifference. Some people just don’t care about other people.

What We Should Be Asking the Candidates

I don't hear a whole lot about this subject coming from the GOP candidates, nor has Obama made much public mention of this growing issue, but there is a growing crisis in the Middle East which may very well become a major issue in the term of the next president.

While the US and the UN increase sanctions on Iran for simply exploring the idea of creating a nuclear program, Israel is taking a much more aggressive approach. Israel, which already has nuclear capabilities¹, has pretty much said to Iran, “we’ll attack first²”. Meaning if Iran, who philosophically believe Israel doesn’t have a right to exist, develops the ability to wipe out Israel, Israel is not going to sit around on their butts waiting for it to happen.

And if Israel attacks, there will be a domino effect of countries getting involved. China has an economic partnership with Iran, but will stay in the shadows at first. China will supply Syria and Syria will take Iran’s side. Pakistan or Egypt may get involved with Iran as well. If Pakistan gets involved then India will want to fight Pakistan. At this point the United Nations will have to get involved too, obviously on the side of Israel and India.

I’m not sure who will put their chips in the pot first: China or US. But once one is in, the other will be automatically in as well. Russia³ will jump in at some point too and before we know it, we’ll be in the midst of a global war, bigger than the previous two. And then there’s South Korea, they might be the game changer. They’ve got nuclear weapons and no one really knows what the South Koreans are capable of. Once they’re in, everyone has to start choosing a side.

So the questions we need to be asking in the coming election, is not what they will do once the war starts; the questions need to be about discerning whether or not our leaders truly understand what the hell is happening over there, and how they are going to keep the shit from hitting the fan.


1. It is not totally clear whether or not Israel has nuclear weapons, but they definitely have the capabilities... and they've probably got nuclear weapons already.
2. In my own words.
3. Russia doesn't have the economy to be a major player anymore, but they've got bombs and will side with China, so they're a credible threat.