Toubabou

BBC NEWS | Africa | Taylor ‘made rebels eat enemies’

The biggest problem with a story of this kind is that it completely ignores the cultural background of the people involved. On the one hand, military cannibalism is a tradition of long standing in many African cultures, as it is horrifying to and dehumanizing of the enemy. On the other hand, there is a tendency in at least some sub-Saharan cultures to believe the absolute worst about an enemy, and to give great credence to the word of an ally. At the same time, honesty is not a virtue in these societies, as honesty has a way of hindering relationships.

Thus, Mr. Marzah could be saying what he’s saying for two reasons:

1. He might be saying it because it’s the truth, and Charles Taylor did, in fact, trade in weapons for diamonds and command the eating of enemies.
2. He might be saying it because he thinks the International Tribunal wants to hear it, or he wants to harm Charles Taylor, or because he committed cannibalism and wants to blame Taylor, or some other reason for which he would lie.

Unfortunately, the Western world is seldom prepared to understand non-Western values, and particularly so among the élites who presume to judge others for crimes against humanity.

I am curious as to whether the charges are true, but I wouldn’t take Mr. Marzah’s word for any of it.

The Jawa Report: New Hoth Ready Burqua

blonde sagacity: Democrats Legislating How You Smell? wcbstv.com - Conn. Student Suspended For Buying Candy In School

Something evident to me, and missing from the commentary at these stories, is that the micromanaging of non-academic behavior by kids at school is not really related to the purposes of a school. If I want my kids not to eat Skittles®, I will keep an eye on that. If I don’t mind them eating a bag of Skittles® every day, how is it the school’s business to interfere? And if I want my kids to smell like the perfume counter at Marshall Field’s, why should the government get involved? From my observation of certain people, heavy scent-wearing seems to be a cultural value for some people. Why should the government become involved in regulating such cultural expression?

The real problem here is that the institutional schools have been surrogate parents for so long, and in such increasing measures, that many people see nothing wrong in having the government legislate little things like this.

To quote the Tick, “No thanks, we’ve got all the government we need!”