USA Africa Dialogue Series - Jeffrey Flocken: Tragic Losses in the Heart of Darkness

"Because the world's most imperiled species are sometimes found in the world's most dangerous places, the combustible mix of focused altruism and local desperation can collide and result in horrific tragedy.

Such a scenario occurred this past weekend in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) -- the setting for Joseph Conrad's epic novel "The Heart of Darkness." In this wild jungle, the Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature and headquarters for the Okapi Wildlife Reserve -- a center devoted to conserving the rare okapi and helping improve the lives of local people -- was over-taken forcefully by a gang of poachers, intent on retaliating against the staff of the center who had been thwarting their elephant poaching operations in the region."

- Jeffrey Flocken

Starting with the unfortunate title of this piece, one is taken by the arrogance and ignorance of these "Save Africa's wildlife ambassadors." from the West. You read through the piece and come away with the clear impression that they are more devastated by the loss of their okapi than the slaughter of the indigenes caught between the vision of these wildlife zealots and the reality of life in these communities. It is so disrespectful, but do you blame them? Our leaders should be shot! Africa. Heart of darkness!

I mean, what is it with Western liberals and their Messianic complex? They humanize our wildgame and dehumanize us. I mean, how can you be celebrating Conrad's Heart of Darkness in this manner in the 21st century? From under which rock did these characters crawl out of? Na wa!

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- Ikhide

 

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