>> ^kronosposeidon:

Civil war in Ivory Coast:
- Chief export: Cocoa
- US response: None
Civil war in Libya:
- Chief export: Oil
- US response: War
These are both current events, BTW. I hate regurgitating the "blood for oil" mantra, but if someone else can offer me a better explanation then I'm all ears. Or as soon as someone says "blood for cocoa" for some other war in the world, then maybe I'll shut up.


The only thing I'd mention is that it's a resource that will draw blood here if we let it destabilize too far (and yes we may cause it). Oil is used in so many things, materially and fuel wise, that it becomes easy eventually to see how there could be lives lost on our own soil due too any number of issues.

But, they won't be flashy deaths. So who cares right? My biggest issue with this so far is that ALL members on the security council have not had a hand in this. Also, remember that Libya is "supposedly" a U.N. abiding nation. Yet they're doing the opposite of what was required by the resolution.

I hate war; I know it will be for money, oil, and gaining footholds. This one I think is correct, but we've abused our leverage with the U.N. a lot. It's nice to see us actually following that resolution.

I have no idea how the congress should be involved (other than an "atta boy" or "you're a terrible Democrat, all hail the Republicans). This was voted upon 50 years ago--basically. While this follows many trends it also skips others; I think I've not fully concluded on where we should be. But, that is why we have our leaders. To make informed decisions and I dearly hope it's true here.

Civil war in Ivory Coast:
- Chief export: Cocoa
- US response: None

Civil war in Libya:
- Chief export: Oil
- US response: War

These are both current events, BTW. I hate regurgitating the "blood for oil" mantra, but if someone else can offer me a better explanation then I'm all ears. Or as soon as someone says "blood for cocoa" for some other war in the world, then maybe I'll shut up.

lol; what happens in Ivory Coast stays in Ivory Coast.
>> ^kronosposeidon:
I'm sure the US State Department has Ivory Coast (along with most of Africa) on the official "Fuck Them" list. .

It's just a continuation of the sad, shameful story of American foreign policy since World War II: As long as you're not communist, or are not mean to Israel, you will be our friend, and we totally don't give a shit how you treat your people. And still some idiots are completely baffled about why so many people hate America. Are they supposed to love us when we befriended their brutal leaders? Nope, it's just easier to label legitimately angry Muslims as terrorists who hate freedom, apple pie, monster truck rallies, and the Yankees. And everyone knows you don't have to be a terrorist to hate the Yankees.

If Mubarak is overthrown, I wonder how much money we'll dangle in front of the new regime just so they'll play nice with Israel? Will it be the same as what Mubarak is getting now, or will we up the ante just to show our 'commitment' to the 'will of the Egyptian people'? (If the Egyptian government is toppled, I guarantee that you'll be hearing those platitudes, over and over again.)

In the mean time, no one gives a fuck about the crisis in Ivory Coast. They're too poor, they don't produce oil or any other valuable resource, there are no American big businesses there, and they're too far away from the Middle East to have any influence. I'm sure the US State Department has Ivory Coast (along with most of Africa) on the official "Fuck Them" list.

>> ^dag:

That's a great observation. No small amount of hypocrisy there.
The US somehow manages to get away with espousing democracy out of one corner of the mouth and supporting crappy dictators out of the other in the name of "stability". 1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt every year ... disgraceful.
>> ^RedSky:
I can't help draw the parallel between China's call for restraint after the North Korean shelling of Yeonpyeong (and the condemnation it received for not flat out denouncing it) and Hilary Clinton doing the same visa vi Egypt's protests.

Here are the groups:

Group A
South Africa
Mexico
Uruguay
France

Group B
Argentina
Nigeria
South Korea
Greece

Group C
England
USA
Algeria
Slovenia

Group D
Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana

Group E
Holland
Denmark
Japan
Cameroon

Group F
Italy
Paraguay
New Zealand
Slovakia

Group G
Brazil
North Korea
Ivory Coast
Portugal

Group H
Spain
Switzerland
Honduras
Chile

Legacy100's raving immediately became irrelevant when an entire continent of 53 unique countries was compared to 3 cherry picked countries in Asia. Do I need to remind you that some of these gems of economic development also fall under the Asian designation . . . Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, East Timor, The Maldives, Nepal, Yemen, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, etc.

There are deep and complex structural problems in Africa. Every country is unique but the exploitation of natural resources and labour is pretty universal.

Why not try reading "Bitter Chocolate" by Carol Off. It chronicles the exploitation of cocoa by large western corporations in the Ivory Coast, just 1 unique story in a bouquet of 53.

Westerners should stop pointing fingers at Africa while they stuff their mouths full of chocolate tempered on the back of bitter exploitative conditions on a continent they know NOTHING about.

>> ^tbone8ty:
thats to bad and all but maybe if u guys woke up and stop killing each other maybe we woulndt have to come in and babysit you.


Lol, where are the US forces in assisting with the human lives being lost in:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0904550.html

Algeria
Ivory Coast
Congo
Somalia
Sudan
Uganda

?

The only reason your troops are being sent to die in a foreign country is because of oil. How many barrels of oil do you buy with an exploded Humvee and five young dead US soldiers?