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[–]grant0 741 points742 points ago

I've written about this extensively, with sources, at http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com

[–]ctolsen 76 points77 points ago* 

Thanks for your work, it's been useful. I've been trying to do the same as you but yours was way better.

Sucks that Facebook is blocking it, I've been discussing a lot today. It's weird how people don't like it when their bandwagon is being criticized.

Edit: The most important points I've gathered, for anyone who wants to use a soundbite or two:

The organisation is spending money on the wrong things. Giving this case publicity also indirectly gives them money. You might be fine with that.

What's not fine: They actively work to strengthen Uganda's military force. They're ruled by a man who's been "reelected" since the 70s and aren't strangers to Kony's methods themselves.

There has been progress in terms of peace, without compromising the fact that Kony is an indicted war criminal. Military advances has brought nothing but pushbacks in peace processes, and horrible retaliatory strikes. And who stand between Kony and the military forces who try to get him? A wall, made up of kids you're trying to save.

General militarization of the area isn't going to work. Maybe a Seal Team Six-style action would do, but that's not on the table right now.

What Invisible Children is doing might just be making things worse. As Chris Blatter says: "I usually endorse symbolic gestures of support. Except, of course, when those gestures lead to symbolic gestures in return, like the pillaging and slaughter of villages."

[–]Bezbojnicul 10 points11 points ago

"reelected" since the 70s

80s. Museveni first assumed power in 1986

[–]redlime 116 points117 points ago

The best skill that Reddit has taught me is critical thinking, thanks to posts like yours.

[–]SpacemanJim 47 points48 points ago

Yay, appreciation for critical thinking! I'm a philosophy major, so critical thinking is my primary skill... after elitism.

[–]grant0 5 points6 points ago

Thank you. I've learned a lot from Reddit too, in the 5+ years I've been here.

[–]pussyhands[S] 122 points123 points ago

Thanks - I read this earlier and am pleased to hear there are others advising the public of the full story.

[–]Iam_Thesame 101 points102 points ago* 

facebook has blocked sharing this site, if you haven't read it yet. I have contacted the owner (via email) with information regarding how to avoid this. Simply add "nyud.net" to the URL. It will then look like this: http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com.nyud.net. It simply mirrors this page and facebook is yet not able to comprehend this fact. If you could place this link into your thread-text, it would be nice. If they go viral we can, too.

Thanks for gathering data and writing it all together. PUSSYHANDS 2012

EDIT: Just realised grant0 is the owner of this page. lol.

EDIT2: Clarification.

EDIT3: THREAD REMOVED BY ADMINS. Why for science's sake!?

[–]Syptryn 24 points25 points ago

What's facebook's motivation for blocking this?

[–]tr_morrison 24 points25 points ago

Most likely bots took it as spam because so many people were posting it.

[–]The_MAZZTer 20 points21 points ago

You can also try using a url shortener like tinyurl or goo.gl on the url before posting it (then you don't have to use coral cache at all).

[–]Iam_Thesame 0 points1 point ago

Indeed!

[–]cdizl 6 points7 points ago

Facebook is blocking the mirrored site as well. They must have a text parser that simply reads the path because it only stated the tumblr account was blocked and wouldn't let me post

[–]tetrarn 5 points6 points ago

they blocked that url as well.

[–]Iam_Thesame 1 point2 points ago

Not for me yet. Fucking automated spam robots. Just keep complaining to facebook. They have to add it to a safelist, like wikipedia.org or youtube.com.

[–]howmanymics 3 points4 points ago

Thing is no one on my facebook wants to read a few paragraphs. They would rather watch an emotional video.

[–]JoshSN 5 points6 points ago

Facebook bans sharing tumblr sites?

[–]grant0 43 points44 points ago

Nope, just mine.

[–]bmk2k 1 point2 points ago

i was just able to share that link on facebook....

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]grant0 17 points18 points ago

If you link to it, they delete it instantly. Ask your friends with Facebook if you don't believe me - it's kinda scary! ~ Grant

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]grant0 4 points5 points ago

I have no idea if the entire thing was automated based on so many people trying to post the same link at once, or what.

[–]evilarhan 1 point2 points ago

It's true. They just tell you that the site has been blocked by facebook. Not just in posts or status updates; they're doing this in facebook chat and personal messages as well.

[–]zimm3rmann 49 points50 points ago* 

So my personal experience with IC is this: I found about their organization in 2009/2010 from a family friend. Our family was pretty moved by these videos. Anyways, IC has road crews who go and get the message out. Last year, during the Texas part of one of the teams tours they stayed with us in Houston. Honesty, the teams are in this for the right reasons, they are so passionate and driven by what they do. I also got to meet Tony Bazillo who was on the road with this team. Tony was one of the kids who saw this stuff first hand, and it really is all real. The next tour, we had another team stay in out house, but they were only there for a day or so. Anyways, from what I have seen over the last few years, they really are trying to make a change. If anything, their organization will bring attention to the living conditions in East Africa to the American people, and that's not so bad to get a dose of reality every once and a while.

Edit: typed on my phone, sorry.

[–]grant0 35 points36 points ago

That's why I began the article by saying that I don't question anyone's motivations. I'm sure they're trying to do the right thing, I just don't know that they are.

[–]CHINESEFACTORY 13 points14 points ago

Ignorance does not equate to innocence. These are some serious accusations and anyone that was so passionate about something would have dug a little deeper and wisened up. Many props to grant0 and pussyhands, I knew something was very off about this thing.

[–]KayteeBlue 10 points11 points ago

Posting this shit up all over Facebook. Sucks that the actual link is blocked.

[–]grant0 19 points20 points ago

[–]caz01 13 points14 points ago

Any speculation on why facebook is blocking your anti-IC article?

My idea is probably pretty dumb, but I reckon it's because Mark Zuckerberg's face appears in the Kony 2012 video, and he has personal access to a top secret tool that he can use to filter out anything that makes him look bad on facebook :P

[–]grant0 31 points32 points ago

Conspiracy-based theory: Facebook manually blocked it due to objecting to its political content.

More likely theory: tens of thousands of users tried to post the same link at once and Facebook mistakenly detected some sort of advanced spambot and blocked it all.

[–]wulfsaga 8 points9 points ago

A very well written article Vs. edited video with excellent quality and narration and also witness testimonial.

Its interesting to see what will happen next, will politician debunk everything in video? Or will they follow the 'voice of people'?

and anyone notice that the narrator say 'lets do an experiment.' in the start of documentary?

I am still thinking even if the video is inaccurate, its all for experimenting with social networking, to see if people care something when it got blown over proportion. And to see if people notice the error....

maybe CIA test on social power.. who knows...

put tinfoil hat

[–]Grant638 0 points1 point ago

Wow I had no idea about this.

[–]heyfella 497 points498 points ago

JUST FUCKING TELL ME WHAT TO THINK ALREADY.

[–]BritishHobo 198 points199 points ago

Yeah, I'm still trying to stay impartial here because it's irritating seeing comments in this post laugh at all those silly bandwagoning fools who were swayed so easily by the video... when they themselves have been swayed by this post that isn't exactly conclusive or undeniably correct itself (by which I mean this is just a guy linking a few sources and saying 'Well maybe these guys are a little shitty', it's not absolute factual confirmation that something shady is going on here). I feel like some of these people are just in it to be cynical, to scoff and say 'pfft, everyone's buying into this shit, I knew something was up, cheers for validating my mindless cynicism, I'm so smart'.

[–]Dray11 39 points40 points ago

I guess the phrase "damned if you do and damned if you don't" comes to mind whilst reading this

[–]BritishHobo 8 points9 points ago

Eh, I don't really think so. I think you can take a side by reading through the evidence yourself and making an informed decision, and then say that maybe all the people who are getting excited should do some more research as well. Where it becomes stupid is when you see one post saying 'Hey I'm not sure but does anyone else think this company is a little shady?', skim-read one or two links, and then excitedly crow 'YES! See, all those people who bought into that video without doing research themselves are easily-swept idiots! We're so much smarter!'.

[–]Dray11 2 points3 points ago

Nah I know what you're trying to say and I sort of agree but its just what people do " Look an idea lets get carried away with it without knowing hardly anything about it " but at the same time you can't generalize to everyone. I'm sure a fair share of people will indeed do their background research before jumping on either band wagon.

[–]matics 11 points12 points ago

I've been a member of IC for a few years now, and have followed up on the Kony situation in Africa as it's progressed. I'm just a supporter, not an organizer.

The main issue that I think these articles bring up is the fact that it has gotten better over there, but IC has the ultimate goal of freeing all of the children being used by Kony. He is less active in Uganda, now, which is good for that area. But he is still using child soldiers, and because the kids are still out there, this issue keeps coming up.

I haven't donated to them for the past year because of their poor management of finances, but I still attend the events and raise awareness. I think it's still a good cause, but now because so few people actually understand what's going on in Africa it's come under much greater scrutiny, which has indicated they could use a redirection.

[–]sleeplessone 6 points7 points ago

How many of the supporters are aware of the fact that in order to capture him, we are going to have to kill children to do it?

[–]nordlys 12 points13 points ago

The point is: Be more critical. Line up the arguments you are presented and make up your own mind.

No critical thinking and bandwagons are reasons that shit like this happens over and over again. I don't really blame the relatively few that jump onto the one heading in a cynical direction.

[–]BritishHobo 7 points8 points ago

Aye, exactly. I just wish people wouldn't leap at the chance to lord it over the Invisible Children supporters when they (the people in this post) have been just as easily won-over, just by the other side of the argument. If you read one article and then settle into a position without doing any more research, you can't then laugh at people for watching a thirty minute video and doing the same.

[–]searage 1 point2 points ago

i think theres a First World Problem meme in this somewhere. if you figure out how to phrase it, praise be to you

[–]krutmob 3 points4 points ago

Is is terrible that I really feel like this?

[–]Chevron7 570 points571 points ago

Well I've hated Kony ever since he interrupted Taylor Swift during the VMA's

[–]knowledgeoverswag 75 points76 points ago

One of the best succinct satires of all time.

[–]kevdaddo 64 points65 points ago

OF ALL TIME!

[–]juniper17 20 points21 points ago

stolen This will get me so many likes on facebook!

[–]Thatguykalem 2 points3 points ago

Or a lot of hate. It's hard to tell at this point. The number of people pretending to care about the issue is pretty ridiculous :|

[–]LickMyAsshole 12 points13 points ago

Yeezy 2012

[–]ichundes 2 points3 points ago

I've hated Kony since they removed OtherOS from the PS3.

[–]Warisin 5 points6 points ago

Hey, you're the guy who leaked HL2!

[–]AnswerAwake 2 points3 points ago

Hey, you're that dumb ass that makes those stupid comments!

[–]Warisin 1 point2 points ago

That's me!

[–]ichundes 4 points5 points ago

I did hack Valve, and I shared the results with someone I shouldn't have. This person put it on bittorrent ... I never wanted it to become public. I know that still makes it somewhat my fault, and I apologize for that.

[–]un7ucky 1 point2 points ago

gold my friend, gold

[–][deleted] 61 points62 points ago

Just out of curiosity, in the KONY 2012 video, it was stated that the LRA would agree to peace, and then turn around and start the violence all over again. is this true? not trying to discredit you or anything, just asking because I joined in on this and started a $600 fundraiser, but I don't want to help fund lies!

[–]misterraider 114 points115 points ago

It also stated that he had largely moved out of Uganda and was up to the same tricks elsewhere. I was of the understanding that the issue wasn't Uganda but it was Kony himself.

Considering the two arguments that most people seem to be using against this movement are addressed specifically within the video itself, it seems like the points are moot.

Also, saying "this has happened for centuries" isn't a valid argument against stopping it now. People have been saying that for centuries, and it's what's allowed such atrocities to continue for said centuries.

As for why they are targeting Kony as opposed to the hundreds of other war criminals out there? He is number one on the list of the UN's war criminals, which is a pretty good standard to start from, and by targeting the biggest one, you are not only setting a precedent for what can be done, but a precedent for what should be done.

I'm not saying the charity is entirely legit, but I haven't read enough to sway me either way yet.

As for the people asking (albeit joking) what they are supposed to think? Here's my opinion: the issue is what is important, not the individual people or charities. The main message of the video is that in the last few years there has been enough cultural and technological changes to make it possible for people to actually give a shit and to be able to do something without sacrificing their standards of living. He asks the question "why should where you live affect if you live?" You can ask the question by supporting any number of charities, or any number of completely different issues around the world. I didn't get the impression from the video that he was asking money specifically for his charity. He was asking us to realise that it's become so much easier to give a shit.

[–]jenniav 2 points3 points ago

Thanks for what you just did there. I would only add that I think the overall message would be that it's become so much easier to give a shit AND actually do something about it. But there's always the option to continue sitting on your ass complaining about the percentage of profit being used to give aid vs. the percent being used to spread the word and whining about what fb will and won't allow for posts while contributing nothing of real importance. It's a free country after all.

[–][deleted] 24 points25 points ago

Don't ask social media for advice. I think it's best to do your own research and make an independent judgement on this issue (Especially since no one can be trusted it seems).

[–]technicallynottrue 10 points11 points ago

They don't help anyone with their money apparently I'd suggest donating to Medecins sans frontiers or someone that will use it for good to really help children.

[–]LickMyAsshole 1 point2 points ago

Yes, that part was true.

[–]NinjaDiscoJesus 24 points25 points ago

what the hell is going on.. /r/pics new is full of kony links.. including liam neeson.. I am puzzled

[–]cfschris 6 points7 points ago

There is only one way to deal with a Sith lord....and his army.

[–]reddcell 179 points180 points ago

I'm not a fan of children to begin with...invisible children scare me.

[–]HoneyBearz 52 points53 points ago

This is a legitimate fear.

[–]concussedYmir 2 points3 points ago

In Fallout 2, invisible children would pick your pockets.

Invisible children would also die from shit like grenade blasts and you'd get blamed for it.

Invisible children are the worst.

[–]pr1ntscreen 2 points3 points ago

Why oh why didn't you patch it? Killing those fuckers were a real treat.

[–]MisterSquidz 13 points14 points ago

Shhhh, they're in the walls.

[–]gaff26 149 points150 points ago

I'm glad a few of these types of discussions have arisen tonight - the Kony 2012 viral video is having a huge effect on so many people, and I think it's not a good idea to be swept up in the hype. Some of the figures you've quoted are really interested and makes me think that if they were also put out there onto social media outlets like Facebook or Youtube, would they make a major change of ideas in peoples minds. Well done.

[–]optimismkills 20 points21 points ago

I like to see people being skeptical, but I think I'm still on board with this Kony 2012 thing. The video's argument is pretty weak "The US government is already helping but what if they stop?!" However, the notion of crowd sourcing a movement against violence and atrocity and bringing awareness to Americans on a large scale is something I think could have a powerful cultural impact. I'd like to see it happen.

Also the organization doesn't look that sketchy to me. 3 star rating out of 4 for their charity. Top officers are paid around 80k, which is fair for running an organization.

[–]iamnoss 60 points61 points ago

They wouldn't change anybodies mind, instead he/she would just be called out as an "asshole" for even teasing the idea that the campaign is not 100% truthful.

[–]pussyhands[S] 173 points174 points ago

I'm willing to be labelled an "asshole" by the ignorant if it means I get the truth out there.

[–]Amoxychillen 46 points47 points ago

Just a second, while there is certainly questions to be raised (courtesy of your scepticism) , I think it's a bit early to be calling the trusting ignorant and your position "truth".

[–]ifixphotos 86 points87 points ago

You're the hero Gotham needs

[–]babyimreal 18 points19 points ago

We need pussyhands

[–]cdankochik 24 points25 points ago

but not the one it wants

[–]pussyhands[S] 11 points12 points ago

This one made me laugh

[–]cats_are_people_too 7 points8 points ago

Asshole 2012

[–]hinduguru 6 points7 points ago* 

you're doing a good job trying to get this out there. i'm angry to see someone is actually trying to pull something like this off. reminds me of the countless times I was trying to find an apartment in the city and it was being rented by a missionary or a prince from Nigeria

[–]older_soul 23 points24 points ago

I posted this on facebook:

It's good to see folks interested... but sending $ to the Ugandan military to hunt down a dude posted up in Congo is a really bad idea. Sending a group with a consistent history of HRA to hunt down another group in a resource rich yet poorly stabilized area like the DRC is asking for African WWII. In the exact same place. DRC still hasn't regained normalcy, although one could argue destabilized=normalcy when talking Eastern DRC. No easy solutions."

IC is a really great marketing company, basically. What do they actually do in country? I've lived and worked in the East African region before, and they are generally nowhere to be found. Don't trust NGOs telling you about problems on the ground when they are nowhere to be found. Destabilizing an already volatile region is a bad idea. Seriously.

[–]sawananedi 6 points7 points ago

A marketing firm with over paid people trying to exploit reddit? Surely you jest.

[–]why_not_agnosticism 6 points7 points ago

I thought this comment from earlier was particularly good.

[–]Burngun 43 points44 points ago

Luckily I managed to save the original post, here it is:

I've done a fair bit of looking into it, and everything doesn't add up. Heres my findings and I have included sources. Will probably get down voted to hell but I hope to give at least one of you a better understanding of whats going on.

Theres ALWAYS two sides to every story. This viral film has caught the attention of heaps of young folk but you are all far too late. Watching that Kony video is essentially watching old news. They started filming in 2003, and northern Uganda has been free of LRA violence and war for over five years. In fact, the LRA have signed a peace accord! They are rebuilding and are restoring the peace.

Yes the leader is still out there however the recruitment of children has decreased 80%. This isn't due to the Invisible Children organisation, its because Ugandan military and the ICC have intercepted.

The Invisible Children group are trying to pass a bill that allows America to militarise the region... They are providing misinformation to woo idealistic followers. The group have combined multiple regional conflicts to make it appear that this is one rapidly increasing issue. When confronted about their dodgy tactics, the head spokesperson stated;

“I agree with you that leading people to believe that the war is still happening in Uganda is not ethically right. It's something we've been addressing internally, focusing on getting all staff and supporters on the same page (of communication)."

If you read the news, or even had an ounce of interest in the on-going unrest in Africa you would already know this and not be fooled. Yes, awful things happen to people in 3rd world countries but this has been occurring for centuries, it isn't a recent occurrence.

I think its only fair if I am to make such comments I provide sources (unlike the people over at Invisible Children...)

SOURCES:

Michael Kirkpatrick, a long-time Independent Global Citizen, he has resided in Uganda and other regions of Africa. He has no political, religious or financial agenda. He wrote this article and gave an in-depth insight to whats really going on. He also questioned important members of Invisible Children about their motives. http://www.blackstarnews.com/news/122/ARTICLE/6586/2010-06-02.html

Charity Navigator is a website that breaks down the proceeds and donations given to Invisible Children and subsequently shows what percentile of that is REALLY going towards these impoverished kids. A measly slither of what is going into the founders pockets. http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429

I've read an interesting passage from Northern Ugandan man however it is not 100% verified - he has advised the Northern Ugandan parliament have listed IC as their main priority on their "fraudulent activity" list. (See 2nd comment, username Livingstone). http://www.topix.com/forum/city/stuart-fl/TQJSGHMES035Q6OI0

THIS article asking Invisible Children why they were pressuring poor AND illegal piece of legislation has since been removed and deleted. http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/2010/03/oklaholdout-update-letter-from-lisa-dougan/

ADDITIONALLY - There were members of Invisible Children were saying what their "allowance" could purchase them, it was on a forum on the official website, and this has also been REMOVED. http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/?p=5901

Also: http://www.thegauntlet.com/article/1320/18249/Barry-from-Look-What-I-Did-responds-to-Invisible-Children-Organization.html

I have a few more sources if anybody is looking for a specific answer, or where I got a certain fact, please just feel free to ask.

[–]jomojomo 15 points16 points ago

I swear I just read the exact same comments on a news article about this...

edit: found it! http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/culture/blogs/all-men-are-liars/make-kony-famous-20120307-1ujd5.html

[–]pussyhands[S] 17 points18 points ago

WOW that really grinds my gears. I wrote this this morning and shared it with a friend on Facebook however the majority of folk seem to be so blind and convinced by the video. (Proof: https://www.facebook.com/michellerhcarr/posts/10151364519030697, and yes I am female haha)

[–]AmazingSalad 13 points14 points ago

Link to your profile page on reddit? Balls. I'd remove it before the creepy redditors get to you!

edit: Near Adelaide? Why hello there...

[–]pussyhands[S] 11 points12 points ago

I've had a few friend requests but HEY! SACRIFICES!

[–]Walko83 9 points10 points ago

love that this guy warned you about creepy redditors and then in the same breathe edits his comments, "near adelaide, why hello there." Laughing ensued and coffee poured out my nose

[–]mattc286 8 points9 points ago

and yes I am female haha

Well, I guess that explains the hands...

[–]Avohaj 3 points4 points ago

Don't know I usually wouldn't require explaination of pussy hands from any gender when on reddit.

[–]imperialxcereal 3 points4 points ago

Great research and information! I hope you don't mind if I share this on my Facebook as well.

[–]fishoilpills2 2 points3 points ago

i'd like to share that but i can't due to your settings.

[–]SpazeLacer 78 points79 points ago

Even if the LRA has signed a peace accord it doesn't change the fact that Kony and the LRA committed crimes against humanity and deserve to stand trial for those crimes. In the US, there is no statute of limitations on murder, and for good reason. I don't think it is 'too late' to go after Kony. though, I do feel that more people should read up on the situation before blindly sharing and posting the video.

[–]pussyhands[S] 69 points70 points ago

Absolutely. In no way am I saying Kony should get away with his crimes; the International Criminal Court have put out an indictment for him a few years ago. An aid worker who was in Uganda before the Invisible Children arrived worded it perfectly... "I am not anti-Invisible Children, I am not pro-Kony however I am pro-truth".

[–]mr_mcgilicudy 10 points11 points ago

i agree, and i just really like your username

[–]vtslim 7 points8 points ago

If he's retreated into the Congo, then perhaps this exercise will bring some needed attention to that region as well

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]decadentist 60 points61 points ago

Which is not necessarily bad - it is an important mechanism of the human psyché. The important thing is to be aware of this effect, and to ask the right questions.

[–]NoStraightFace 16 points17 points ago

Adding the accent only makes it French, "psyche" is fine in English.

[–]emkat 2 points3 points ago

Not only is it pretentious, but it is wrong. Etymologically it is more directly derived from Latin, so psyche is the only correct way to say it in English.

[–]blackbelt352 6 points7 points ago

it is important but when it's the only factor, it can be really bad. Like in Germany during WWII, Hitler (all horribleness aside) was an amazing speaker and could sway entire masses to do what he wanted simply with emotionally stirring speeches.

[–]henryiscol 16 points17 points ago

Godwinned.

[–]klapaucius 4 points5 points ago

That's right, folks. We can never mention that part of history on the Internet because people will complain about it.

[–]crave_you 8 points9 points ago

That and if you throw in some kind of t shirt or bracelet like Invisible Children do, then it becomes the cool thing to donate to them to get one. Its a marketing thing just like the Pink for Breast Cancer awareness is and just like those live strong bands were.

[–]Genghis_Bangus 14 points15 points ago

Redditor posts highly sentimental video calling for action. Huge wave of immediate and unwavering support follows. It's a sign of the immaturity of the majority of redditors when incidents like these occur. Too many people follow their heart without considering what other agendas could be at play.

[–]ScumEater 21 points22 points ago

if you're considering a simple upvote as unwavering support...

[–]johnpisme 2 points3 points ago

He's talking about that dude who asked for money got it and built a wall around a school in Africa.

[–]wakeup-undress 2 points3 points ago

I support the premise of using social media to encourage activism (something this does) but my money goes elsewhere :/ yes, it's heartfelt, but it also gets people, especially the younger generation, involved/interested in making a worldly difference.

[–]Jorgwalther 2 points3 points ago

I prefer swaying people through fear. That way my influence spreads faster.

[–]Squidems 13 points14 points ago

That last link...sounds like ridiculous theory. The Invisible Children organization is actually a secret lobbying effort to invade Uganda and steal their Uranium?

[–]Antonskarp 21 points22 points ago

No you're not. The top comment in every thread about this has been suspicious.

[–]cats_are_people_too 7 points8 points ago

that cake looks suspicious.

[–]Frenemies 39 points40 points ago

FYI, you didn't read Charity Navigator correctly.

  1. Three stars on Charity Navigator is a really really good rating. It marks it as a top tier charity.
  2. "A measly slither of what is going into the founders pockets." I don't get how you concluded this. Programming expenses (i.e. money spent on helping people): 7,163,384 ; CEO salary: $88,241.

I'm not saying you're wrong overall, but this section doesn't help your point.

[–]polydorr 3 points4 points ago

Came here to post this, thank you for pointing it out. It turns OP's statement about the money issue into an outright lie.

Unless you think charity leaders should do their work pro bono, this is about as good as you can expect from a multi-million dollar charity.

[–]dumpfood 2 points3 points ago

I don't understand how 4 stars (out of 4) can be misinterpreted. OP Please explain, I want to understand.

[–]lebowskisweater 85 points86 points ago

YES. What a total scam. They keep telling of these invisible children, but then go and show us videos of visible children. Rubbish.

[–]AmberHeartsDisney 10 points11 points ago

They were getting there invisible cloaks cleaned that day.

[–]XTC-FTW 9 points10 points ago

REMOVED?

[–]Sirriley 8 points9 points ago

Original Text:

I've done a fair bit of looking into it, and everything doesn't add up. Heres my findings and I have included sources. Will probably get down voted to hell but I hope to give at least one of you a better understanding of whats going on.

Theres ALWAYS two sides to every story. This viral film has caught the attention of heaps of young folk but you are all far too late. Watching that Kony video is essentially watching old news. They started filming in 2003, and northern Uganda has been free of LRA violence and war for over five years. In fact, the LRA have signed a peace accord! They are rebuilding and are restoring the peace.

Yes the leader is still out there however the recruitment of children has decreased 80%. This isn't due to the Invisible Children organisation, its because Ugandan military and the ICC have intercepted.

The Invisible Children group are trying to pass a bill that allows America to militarise the region... They are providing misinformation to woo idealistic followers. The group have combined multiple regional conflicts to make it appear that this is one rapidly increasing issue. When confronted about their dodgy tactics, the head spokesperson stated;

“I agree with you that leading people to believe that the war is still happening in Uganda is not ethically right. It's something we've been addressing internally, focusing on getting all staff and supporters on the same page (of communication)."

If you read the news, or even had an ounce of interest in the on-going unrest in Africa you would already know this and not be fooled. Yes, awful things happen to people in 3rd world countries but this has been occurring for centuries, it isn't a recent occurrence.

I think its only fair if I am to make such comments I provide sources (unlike the people over at Invisible Children...)

SOURCES:

Michael Kirkpatrick, a long-time Independent Global Citizen, he has resided in Uganda and other regions of Africa. He has no political, religious or financial agenda. He wrote this article and gave an in-depth insight to whats really going on. He also questioned important members of Invisible Children about their motives. http://www.blackstarnews.com/news/122/ARTICLE/6586/2010-06-02.html

Charity Navigator is a website that breaks down the proceeds and donations given to Invisible Children and subsequently shows what percentile of that is REALLY going towards these impoverished kids. A measly slither of what is going into the founders pockets. http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429

I've read an interesting passage from Northern Ugandan man however it is not 100% verified - he has advised the Northern Ugandan parliament have listed IC as their main priority on their "fraudulent activity" list. (See 2nd comment, username Livingstone). http://www.topix.com/forum/city/stuart-fl/TQJSGHMES035Q6OI0

THIS article asking Invisible Children why they were pressuring poor AND illegal piece of legislation has since been removed and deleted. http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/2010/03/oklaholdout-update-letter-from-lisa-dougan/

ADDITIONALLY - There were members of Invisible Children were saying what their "allowance" could purchase them, it was on a forum on the official website, and this has also been REMOVED. http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/?p=5901

Also: http://www.thegauntlet.com/article/1320/18249/Barry-from-Look-What-I-Did-responds-to-Invisible-Children-Organization.html

I have a few more sources if anybody is looking for a specific answer, or where I got a certain fact, please just feel free to ask.

[–]rossome 8 points9 points ago

Why did this disappear?

I've done a fair bit of looking into it, and everything doesn't add up. Heres my findings and I have included sources. Will probably get down voted to hell but I hope to give at least one of you a better understanding of whats going on.

Theres ALWAYS two sides to every story. This viral film has caught the attention of heaps of young folk but you are all far too late. Watching that Kony video is essentially watching old news. They started filming in 2003, and northern Uganda has been free of LRA violence and war for over five years. In fact, the LRA have signed a peace accord! They are rebuilding and are restoring the peace.

Yes the leader is still out there however the recruitment of children has decreased 80%. This isn't due to the Invisible Children organisation, its because Ugandan military and the ICC have intercepted.

The Invisible Children group are trying to pass a bill that allows America to militarise the region... They are providing misinformation to woo idealistic followers. The group have combined multiple regional conflicts to make it appear that this is one rapidly increasing issue. When confronted about their dodgy tactics, the head spokesperson stated;

“I agree with you that leading people to believe that the war is still happening in Uganda is not ethically right. It's something we've been addressing internally, focusing on getting all staff and supporters on the same page (of communication)."

If you read the news, or even had an ounce of interest in the on-going unrest in Africa you would already know this and not be fooled. Yes, awful things happen to people in 3rd world countries but this has been occurring for centuries, it isn't a recent occurrence.

I think its only fair if I am to make such comments I provide sources (unlike the people over at Invisible Children...)

SOURCES:

Michael Kirkpatrick, a long-time Independent Global Citizen, he has resided in Uganda and other regions of Africa. He has no political, religious or financial agenda. He wrote this article and gave an in-depth insight to whats really going on. He also questioned important members of Invisible Children about their motives. [1] http://www.blackstarnews.com/news/122/ARTICLE/6586/2010-06-02.html

Charity Navigator is a website that breaks down the proceeds and donations given to Invisible Children and subsequently shows what percentile of that is REALLY going towards these impoverished kids. A measly slither of what is going into the founders pockets. [2] http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429

I've read an interesting passage from Northern Ugandan man however it is not 100% verified - he has advised the Northern Ugandan parliament have listed IC as their main priority on their "fraudulent activity" list. (See 2nd comment, username Livingstone). [3] http://www.topix.com/forum/city/stuart-fl/TQJSGHMES035Q6OI0

THIS article asking Invisible Children why they were pressuring poor AND illegal piece of legislation has since been removed and deleted. [4] http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/2010/03/oklaholdout-update-letter-from-lisa-dougan/

ADDITIONALLY - There were members of Invisible Children were saying what their "allowance" could purchase them, it was on a forum on the official website, and this has also been REMOVED. [5] http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/?p=5901

Also: [6] http://www.thegauntlet.com/article/1320/18249/Barry-from-Look-What-I-Did-responds-to-Invisible-Children-Organization.html

I have a few more sources if anybody is looking for a specific answer, or where I got a certain fact, please just feel free to ask.

[–]Slivilth 4 points5 points ago

Before this is deleted:

http://i.imgur.com/68qxF.png

[–]augustusgus 37 points38 points ago

interesting. I'm not saying that this is the case here, but I've known more than a few "campaigners" who would happily exaggerate or even invent a cause if it meant they could chase their dream of "saving the world". there are a lot of self-serving do-gooders out there who let their personal goals get in the way of actually doing good things.

[–]altjunkie21 9 points10 points ago

It said in the video that the LRA was out of Uganda.

[–]helpmeobiwon 2 points3 points ago

Hint: Neither OP nor 90% of redditors watched the entire video.

[–]IamTimTebow 8 points9 points ago

I've done a fair bit of looking into it, and everything doesn't add up. Heres my findings and I have included sources. Will probably get down voted to hell but I hope to give at least one of you a better understanding of whats going on. Theres ALWAYS two sides to every story. This viral film has caught the attention of heaps of young folk but you are all far too late. Watching that Kony video is essentially watching old news. They started filming in 2003, and northern Uganda has been free of LRA violence and war for over five years. In fact, the LRA have signed a peace accord! They are rebuilding and are restoring the peace. Yes the leader is still out there however the recruitment of children has decreased 80%. This isn't due to the Invisible Children organisation, its because Ugandan military and the ICC have intercepted. The Invisible Children group are trying to pass a bill that allows America to militarise the region... They are providing misinformation to woo idealistic followers. The group have combined multiple regional conflicts to make it appear that this is one rapidly increasing issue. When confronted about their dodgy tactics, the head spokesperson stated; “I agree with you that leading people to believe that the war is still happening in Uganda is not ethically right. It's something we've been addressing internally, focusing on getting all staff and supporters on the same page (of communication)." If you read the news, or even had an ounce of interest in the on-going unrest in Africa you would already know this and not be fooled. Yes, awful things happen to people in 3rd world countries but this has been occurring for centuries, it isn't a recent occurrence. I think its only fair if I am to make such comments I provide sources (unlike the people over at Invisible Children...) SOURCES: Michael Kirkpatrick, a long-time Independent Global Citizen, he has resided in Uganda and other regions of Africa. He has no political, religious or financial agenda. He wrote this article and gave an in-depth insight to whats really going on. He also questioned important members of Invisible Children about their motives. [1] http://www.blackstarnews.com/news/122/ARTICLE/6586/2010-06-02.html Charity Navigator is a website that breaks down the proceeds and donations given to Invisible Children and subsequently shows what percentile of that is REALLY going towards these impoverished kids. A measly slither of what is going into the founders pockets. [2] http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429 I've read an interesting passage from Northern Ugandan man however it is not 100% verified - he has advised the Northern Ugandan parliament have listed IC as their main priority on their "fraudulent activity" list. (See 2nd comment, username Livingstone). [3] http://www.topix.com/forum/city/stuart-fl/TQJSGHMES035Q6OI0 THIS article asking Invisible Children why they were pressuring poor AND illegal piece of legislation has since been removed and deleted. [4] http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/2010/03/oklaholdout-update-letter-from-lisa-dougan/ ADDITIONALLY - There were members of Invisible Children were saying what their "allowance" could purchase them, it was on a forum on the official website, and this has also been REMOVED. [5] http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/?p=5901 Also: [6] http://www.thegauntlet.com/article/1320/18249/Barry-from-Look-What-I-Did-responds-to-Invisible-Children-Organization.html I have a few more sources if anybody is looking for a specific answer, or where I got a certain fact, please just feel free to ask.

[–]mintmarshall 17 points18 points ago

I'd love this to make the front page so genuine discussion could enter the forum of reddit...up-voted in hope; they're are some great points here to be debated.

[–]Burngun 14 points15 points ago

Did the OP just remove his original post, or was it deleted by the reddit admins?

[–]pussyhands[S] 17 points18 points ago

ADMINS :(

[–]thelovepirate 6 points7 points ago

Why did the admins delete it? This only reaffirms everyone's suspicions about the Invisible Children organization!

[–]soilheart 7 points8 points ago

Probably because it doesn't fit into AskReddit (see: No yes/no answer questions.)

Also, I fail to see what suspicions the deletion would re-affirm?

[–]ramp_tram 1 point2 points ago

There's a difference between Admins and Mods. Mods run their subreddits, admins run the site. If an Admin really took it down it's more than that.

[–]Lurkertron9000 4 points5 points ago

Any idea why? I hadn't had a chance to read it all, was there personal information included?

[–]rossome 27 points28 points ago

BOOM! I had it still open in another window!

Check it!

I've done a fair bit of looking into it, and everything doesn't add up. Heres my findings and I have included sources. Will probably get down voted to hell but I hope to give at least one of you a better understanding of whats going on.

Theres ALWAYS two sides to every story. This viral film has caught the attention of heaps of young folk but you are all far too late. Watching that Kony video is essentially watching old news. They started filming in 2003, and northern Uganda has been free of LRA violence and war for over five years. In fact, the LRA have signed a peace accord! They are rebuilding and are restoring the peace.

Yes the leader is still out there however the recruitment of children has decreased 80%. This isn't due to the Invisible Children organisation, its because Ugandan military and the ICC have intercepted.

The Invisible Children group are trying to pass a bill that allows America to militarise the region... They are providing misinformation to woo idealistic followers. The group have combined multiple regional conflicts to make it appear that this is one rapidly increasing issue. When confronted about their dodgy tactics, the head spokesperson stated;

“I agree with you that leading people to believe that the war is still happening in Uganda is not ethically right. It's something we've been addressing internally, focusing on getting all staff and supporters on the same page (of communication)."

If you read the news, or even had an ounce of interest in the on-going unrest in Africa you would already know this and not be fooled. Yes, awful things happen to people in 3rd world countries but this has been occurring for centuries, it isn't a recent occurrence.

I think its only fair if I am to make such comments I provide sources (unlike the people over at Invisible Children...)

SOURCES:

Michael Kirkpatrick, a long-time Independent Global Citizen, he has resided in Uganda and other regions of Africa. He has no political, religious or financial agenda. He wrote this article and gave an in-depth insight to whats really going on. He also questioned important members of Invisible Children about their motives. [1] http://www.blackstarnews.com/news/122/ARTICLE/6586/2010-06-02.html

Charity Navigator is a website that breaks down the proceeds and donations given to Invisible Children and subsequently shows what percentile of that is REALLY going towards these impoverished kids. A measly slither of what is going into the founders pockets. [2] http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=12429

I've read an interesting passage from Northern Ugandan man however it is not 100% verified - he has advised the Northern Ugandan parliament have listed IC as their main priority on their "fraudulent activity" list. (See 2nd comment, username Livingstone). [3] http://www.topix.com/forum/city/stuart-fl/TQJSGHMES035Q6OI0

THIS article asking Invisible Children why they were pressuring poor AND illegal piece of legislation has since been removed and deleted. [4] http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/2010/03/oklaholdout-update-letter-from-lisa-dougan/

ADDITIONALLY - There were members of Invisible Children were saying what their "allowance" could purchase them, it was on a forum on the official website, and this has also been REMOVED. [5] http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/?p=5901

Also: [6] http://www.thegauntlet.com/article/1320/18249/Barry-from-Look-What-I-Did-responds-to-Invisible-Children-Organization.html

I have a few more sources if anybody is looking for a specific answer, or where I got a certain fact, please just feel free to ask.

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]rossome 2 points3 points ago

[–]Lurkertron9000 5 points6 points ago

We have another thread about it's removal here, could try posting it there too, thanks very much.

I don't see what is removal worthy here, anyone else any idea?

[–]0sr0 2 points3 points ago

Saviour. Well played

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]andrewsmith1986[M] 4 points5 points ago

Moderators actually.

It was a DAE post and they don't belong here.

Sorry, nothing against you.

[–]Witness 34 points35 points ago

Regardless of the state of war in Uganda, Joseph Kony is a war criminal and should be brought to justice. Period.

[–]PhiladelphiaIrish 1 point2 points ago

The problem is, due to the fact that no one has much of idea who Kony is, it is highly possible that Kony himself is already dead.

[–]C1Era 6 points7 points ago

Yes, it was already addressed that the LRA has moved out of northern Uganda to neighboring countries. Other groups continue to fight the LRA, not just invisible children. Aslo, it was specifically addressed in the movie that Kony will act for peace only to rebuild and attack again. Lastly, he's a war criminal. It will always be relevant to capture Kony.

[–]pabs123 8 points9 points ago

Wow, removed just as I link this to someone...

[–]pussyhands[S] 8 points9 points ago

Removed by admins :(

[–]singhforthewin 2 points3 points ago

Why have they removed it? From what i can see this post follows the subreddit guidelines.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points ago

Except it's a yes/no question.

[–]Lurkertron9000 2 points3 points ago

Try reposting it to /r/self or something like that. It may have been removed because it was more a rhetorical question and the mods may have seen it as you using AskReddit as an announcement platform rather than looking for discussion, which is understandable.

[–]boredanonb 13 points14 points ago

Thank god I'm not the only one who was questioning this after seeing it go viral. I thought I was going tin foil hat for a moment.

[–]timdiggerm 10 points11 points ago

Where do you see that only "a measly slither" of money donated is going to the kids? Charity Navigator gives them a 62.39/75 on "Financial" and shows that 80.5% of their money goes to Program Expenses, which are "what percent of its total budget a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver." That's a pretty big amount.

[–]brenballer12 6 points7 points ago

Not for nothing, but the guy is still a bastard and the world would be better off if his building was the first one hit during the reaper invasion

[–]ajdotkom 7 points8 points ago

What happened? Why was this deleted?

[–]xxjoefx 12 points13 points ago

I didn't see the call to action as a donation... Did I miss something? The call to action was simply to help raise awareness so that the "higher ups" knew that we knew, and would be compelled to keep helping. Your problem seems to be with giving them money... fine, don't give them money. But there is nothing wrong with supporting the capture of one of the worlds most wanted criminals.

[–]immabluedevil 12 points13 points ago

I know that this may not count for much, but the leaders of Invisible Children came and spoke at my school a few years ago. I spoke personally with them afterwards for about an hour, and I am generally extremely good at reading people. These people seemed like they truly wanted to do all they could to help the children who have become victims of the wars in Africa. They seemed like genuine, good people who intended to do everything they could to do their part, but also seemed realistic enough to use their money and influence properly. Like I said, it doesn't speak to the credibility of this video, but from my personal experience with them I would tend towards believing them.

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points ago

Here is the deleted article mentioned: OklaHoldout update: letter from Lisa Dougan

Here are a few updates from Resolve Uganda on the holdout they are leading outside of Coburn’s office in Oklahoma. It is so moving to see how many of you have supported this, called your representatives, and called Coburn’s office. He is single handedly highjacking this bill and all we want is a fair compromise.

Here is a great news piece done on the holdout (video and print):

Read the below, from Coburnsayyes.com, written by one of our favorite living humans: Lisa Dougan.

Those that have the privilege of knowing Lisa Dougan, Resolve Uganda’s Director of Communications – and the force of pure soul that she is – will particularly appreciate her reflection from downtown Oklahoma City, addressed to all who have been a piece of making this epic effort possible and (fingers crossed) successful.

Dear friends,27106_548770053973_72202697_32201558_4889154_n.jpg

It is a privilege to write to you this evening from downtown Oklahoma City, on the sidewalk outside Senator Tom Coburn’s office. This concrete patch has been my home for the past 127 hours.

I am joined by forty remarkable individuals. We come from different states and stages of life, but share one thing: An unrelenting desire for an end to Joseph Kony’s horrific violence

And that is why we are committed to “hold out” right here — all day, every day — until Senator Coburn removes his “hold” and allows the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act to pass. Our plea: for the Senator to personally engage in finding a viable compromise that gets the bill passed, while upholding his principles. Failure is not an option for us because the price would be too high.

Practically speaking, that has meant sleeping on the concrete in 30 degree weather the past four nights, standing along streets for hours each day, forgoing showers and heat and shelter, missing classes, and even – for some – losing jobs. Being here has meant tears and sickness and discomfort.

But it has also caused us to come alive, and unite behind a purpose we believe in. We are not here to be pitied or praised. We are hopeful. This campaign has grown into something far bigger than one bill, one Senator, or any one of us. People here can see it.

And soon, I am confident that it will serve as proof that justice can prevail when we are resolved to make sacrifices for peace and pursue it together.

I wish you could personally meet the crazy activist-squatters out here with me. I desperately want you to know people like Jordan Perl, a 19-year-old who drove out to Oklahoma from Southern California, knowing that it would cost him his job. I wish I could introduce you to James, the security guard who was so moved by our efforts that he offered to let us sleep inside his building’s lobby so we wouldn’t freeze at night. or to the police officer who held up traffic to ask if we were taking donations and proceeded to hand me money.

Most importantly, I wish you could join me in watching the hearts of Oklahomans won over as we respectfully, intelligently, and powerfully share our hearts and minds with any who will listen. And they are listening! I am watching an entire city fall in love with this small group of strangers who have made a home out of a concrete plaza downtown.

There is something great and beautiful growing here—a new breed of politicians who values human connection, sacrifice, and integrity. They don’t vilify, over-simplify, or compromise truth and integrity for easy results or self-aggrandizement.

Most likely, this will not end any time soon. But your support is a continued source of inspiration for the people out here, and we ask for you to keep standing in this fight with us.

The best way to do that is to:

1) Call on your two Senators to join Senators Feingold (D-WI) and Inhofe (R-OK) in issuing statements calling for Senator Coburn to lift his hold.

2) Support Resolve Uganda’s commitment to the passage of the bill and lasting peace in central Africa. In doing so, you are truly investing in a new and powerful way of advocating for global justice. I am seeing it first hand in Oklahoma City.

Thank you for standing with us. My eyelids are heavy and my body is fatigued, but I am confident that we will eventually succeed. I believe this bill will pass, and in the process, we will each have the privilege of taking part in something truly transformative. It is already happening.

Sincerely,

Lisa

Source: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:vCWNWgvWt1sJ:blog.invisiblechildren.com/2010/03/oklaholdout-update-letter-from-lisa-dougan/+http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/2010/03/oklaholdout-update-letter-from-lisa-dougan/&hl=en&gl=ca&strip=1

[–]brown_paper_bag 4 points5 points ago

There's a difference between supporting a cause and donating to a charity. At the end of the day, there is a person who has kidnapped, raped, murdered, and forced children to do the same and he needs to be stopped. You don't need to financially support the organization to support the fact the Kony needs to be arrested.

Also, simply by writing to your government leaders to share that you feel they should do what they can to aid in Kony's arrest, you are taking action without necessarily supporting an organization whose practices you don't agree with.

While I was aware of "leaders" kidnapping children to turn them into child soldiers in parts of Africa, I didn't necessary have a name or a face to associate some of the atrocities with. Now I do. In that sense, the organization is achieving their goal of making a disgusting human being famous but I haven't given them a dime because, like some, I can't reconcile some of what they say with some of the things they allegedly do.

[–]noodleshoe 3 points4 points ago

I'm just so terrified that it only takes a well made documentary to get young people to band together against an enemy they didn't know existed

[–]Instatoast 5 points6 points ago

The three founders of the organization came to my campus in 2008, http://www.cusa.uci.edu/news/invisible_children.html I went to the ceremony with friends to get extra credit for a class. I don't know how to explain it, but they were so mtv'ish that we left. Every picture of the affected children had them as well looking deep and pensive slightly to the left of the camera.

[–]thelovepirate 4 points5 points ago

Why was this removed?

[–]NeckTop 4 points5 points ago

Why was this [removed]??

[–]Platypus_plushie 3 points4 points ago

I personally lost it when I saw this photo:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-PnDZmngAhM/Sa_KBGNySiI/AAAAAAAAAJY/uBOfiAysghs/s1600-h/IMG_2941.JPG

from the visible children blog grant0 writes.

I mean come on...

[–]c001st0rybr0 2 points3 points ago

wow... just wow..

[–]leviathanbound 2 points3 points ago

Anyone else wanna bitch slap these cats?

[–]BritishHobo 4 points5 points ago

I'm confused, so two of your sources are just links to things that had already been removed before you linked them? That makes neither of those things sources, they're just dead links to things you're claiming happened.

[–]pussyhands[S] 4 points5 points ago

I was able to access them this morning however since then they have been removed. Apologies. What can ya do, eh?

[–]EpicTRC 5 points6 points ago* 

This article's first objection is to Kony 2012's spending. 32% of $8,676,614 went to direct services, while the rest went to employee salary and organizational costs. Perhaps this is alarming to you, but I refer you to The Salvation Army expense report for 2011(http://annualreport.salvationarmyusa.org/_pdf/2011_Expenses.pdf). Only 14% of its total expenses went to direct aid in 2011. While I admittedly poorly versed in not for profit financials, this leads me to believe that Invisible Children is well in line with its operating financials. Perhaps others could find more examples to support or refute this claim.

The second point is that KONY 2012 directly supports the Ugandan army, which itself is accused of rape and looting. In this case, it is important to realize that we are not dealing with black and white, good vs. evil as the KONY 2012 video would suggest. Instead we are choosing between the lesser of two evils. Ask yourself: Do we want Joseph Kony brought to justice? If the answer is yes, we have to support those that are trying to accomplish exactly that. Consider that the United States Military has itself been accused of rape, looting, and torture. If the United States military was more actively involved, your tax dollars would already be supporting this movement, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. You wouldn't have a choice. Instead, you can choose to donate to an organization that, as far as I can tell, is the most active in trying to rid the world of Joseph Kony. That means taking sides with the groups opposed to Kony, and bringing those groups to justice for their crimes, whatever they may be, in the future. Obviously this causes problems (case in point, Osama Bin Laden), but unless western powers are directly involved, I don't see another way.

The third point is that the United States HAS actually actively attempted to get this guy, and after each failure, Kony has responded by slaughtering more people. This is indeed terrible, but fear of reprisal is no excuse for inaction. His retaliations by themselves are reason enough to arrest him. Are we suggesting that because he will kill more innocent people if we fail that he should be given a pass? He will kill more regardless, and he must be stopped.

The author of this article admits Kony has to go, but that he does not have a better solution. Neither do I, so I'm signing up with this one. Instead, you have the choice of joining a movement that is trying to bring Kony down, starting your own organization to do it a better way, or doing nothing. You are in a brilliant part of the world where you get this choice, so feel proud to use it.

EDIT: Couple of typos...

[–]Dray11 1 point2 points ago

The people editing/filming/producing the video knew exactly what they were doing playing on the emotions and conscience of people. I sat there the whole time thinking "yeah this is sad but this isn't new to anyone - they're just putting ONE face to all the abolitions in Africa" I question their motives too - like the OP of this. I was contantly asking myself is this some sort of propaganda with a hidden agenda.

[–]Emaykurrz 2 points3 points ago

Wow, this was removed already? o.o

[–]pussyhands[S] 1 point2 points ago

Is it back for everybody yet? Censorship?!?! Haha

[–]singhforthewin 2 points3 points ago

Censorship is great. I messaged the moderators (who are obviously online because they just removed this post) but they haven't replied. Of course they haven't.

[–]Slack_Irritant 11 points12 points ago

pussyhands is right, this needs to be more thoroughly investigated.

[–]nj12 10 points11 points ago

" the LRA have signed a peace accord!" So a gang of thugs who abducted little boys and girls from their homes. Who forced the girls to be sex slaves, to be repeatedly raped. The gang that brainwashed little boys to kill with no remorse. But, as long as they signed a peace accord then everything is cool

[–]StickFigureNinja 15 points16 points ago

You're not seeing the point. Nobody is saying that we should NOT stop Kony , but the video obviously is biased, and the truth is what people REALLY should know. For example, the guy that is helping catch Kony was a "Lord of War" himself in the Ugandan Bush War that used child soldiers. He won the War, retreated and now the "Oposition" so to speak is helping getting rid of Kony. Stuff like that we don't hear in the Documentary but its stuff that people also need to hear, this isn't a black and white situation.

CaptainPoopsALOT has explained this in a better way:

The guy we’re helping catch Kony for has used child soldiers himself. Except he won that war (Ugandan Bush War) and the Acholi (Kony’s people) lost. He’s now the president of Uganda, helped kill 6 million people in the DRC during the Second Congo War and is not exactly someone we should be propping up by sending military advisors (albeit for the purposes of catching Kony). The history of the wars that happened these past three decades in Central Africa is incredibly complicated and this film ignores all of that. Kony isn’t just an evil man who came out of nowhere; he’s one of many who came out of the political/ethnic turmoil that saw the Rwandan Genocide and the Congo Wars. Yes let’s bring Kony to justice, but let’s not accidentally prop up a dictator and his army while doing so.

[–]pussyhands[S] 9 points10 points ago

I never said that was a bandaid for the issues however it does point out they are working to restore peace. There are a plethora of reports stating the violence has rapidly decreased and is still on the decline - this is solely due to peace talks, not to due giving your money to the Invisible Children for a shitty bracelet.

Edit: formatting

[–]DntWannaTelltheTruth 7 points8 points ago

Wait...you get a bracelet?? Let's take that mofo down RIGHT NOW!

Edit:RIGHT NOW DAMMIT!

[–]fishoilpills2 4 points5 points ago

This stuff reminds me of the JENA 6 when they took pics of themselves with all the donation money in their mouths and posted it on myspace. Empathy is such a great marketing tool, wonder why they never taught us that in entrepreneurship.

[–]Gillybilly 3 points4 points ago

I was a bit put off by the fact that an "action pack" costs 25 dollars and nowhere on the site does it have a free downloadable PDF of the poster. If there was, I would download it, and I would print it.

It's a bandwagon sure, but is it one worth jumping on? I think so. The number of child soldiers is down 80%? 30thousand less 80% is still 6000 kids.

[–]tinycookie 4 points5 points ago

Why was this post removed?

[–]PlatosVendetta 0 points1 point ago

Thanks Pussyhands.

[–]JoshSN 2 points3 points ago

OK, I have no comment on the charity, but your geopolitical history of the LRA needs amending:

Yes the leader is still out there however the recruitment of children has decreased 80%. This isn't due to the Invisible Children organisation, its because Ugandan military and the ICC have intercepted.

No, it's because the LRA was always a proxy army for the Sudanese, like the SPLA was a proxy army for the Ugandans. It was awful. However, since South Sudan is now its own country, the government in Khartoum, Sudan, no longer can directly help the LRA. They've been cut off from their resupply bases in and around Juba. The LRA can't dash easily across Uganda's northern border to hide, anymore, since South Sudan (closely linked with the SPLA) are Ugandan allies, not Sudanese.

I hope that clears it up.

[–]thelovepirate 0 points1 point ago

Yes. Their video was nothing more than emotional porn.

"Hey guys! Look at this kid crying! Listen to the Mumford & Sons song!"

I think there are a lot of real problems in Africa right now. I think it would be a better allocation of our resources to try and feed these kids, rather than trying to catch Kony.

[–]duce2231 1 point2 points ago

What happened to the content? Was this done by OP or Mods?

[–]thelovepirate 3 points4 points ago

The admins deleted it apparently.

[–]canaznguitar 2 points3 points ago

I don't know what's worse, the slacktivists that mindlessly repost the video anywhere that will accept it and don't actually donate, or the scumbag producer that's lining his pockets off the charity of others.

[–]mackwanna 2 points3 points ago

why is this removed?

[–]LiquidPee 2 points3 points ago

Why is this removed?

[–]LightningblitzR7 2 points3 points ago

Why is it removed?

[–]just_to_comm_sometim 2 points3 points ago

damn that was taken off the frontpage fast...

[–]MyNameCouldntBeAsLon 2 points3 points ago

Fucking censorship man. This got removed???

[–]uncle_frosty84 4 points5 points ago

I'm all for the Kony video if it is well intentioned but it is amazing how many people will blindly accept things from a single clip. I really doubt even 5% of the people who re-post those videos know anything about Uganda or have any intention of finding out. Who know though, maybe I'm being cynical.

[–]gaff26 4 points5 points ago

Where's the source that says 80% decrease in child recruitment? I think that sounds a pretty major factor that these annoying people posting it on Facebook would like to know.

[–]pussyhands[S] 16 points17 points ago

The UN posted this at the height of the affair. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19856&Cr=uganda&Cr1

[–]insomnia2325 9 points10 points ago

I'm sorry but just because it has been going on for centuries doesn't mean we shouldn't try to stop it. Its a new era with the tools the internet provides. I understand your hesitance to donate but really i gave 15$ im not going to miss 15 dollars. Also the video was centered around catching KONY regardless of his whereabouts and numbers. I also have a hard time donating to large charity's that im not sure how my money will be used. But the plan behind this video i truly believe will make a difference. It will show the world what PEOPLE can accomplish as a united world.

In my opnion of course

[–]ocdscale 25 points26 points ago* 

I also have a hard time donating to large charity's that im not sure how my money will be used. But the plan behind this video i truly believe will make a difference.

Can you explain how the $15 will help catch Kony? I mean, I understand many types of charity, don'tdonate $15, some goes into administration, some goes into food, some goes into shipping. Eventually food gets shipped to people who need it.

I don't understand how this money will help catch an internationally wanted criminal. Is it to hire a mercenary group?

[–]boredanonb 9 points10 points ago

If they were serious just get a quote from blackwater and have a clear goal for everyone to raise money to....

[–]A-NI-MAL 6 points7 points ago

I believe the point about it being going on for decades was to draw attention to fact that it is foolish how all these young'uns are jumping into the scene, screaming for a change, and naïvely hoping to stop Kony and all the terrible things he can do - when in reality, he's already done so much and been operating for so long, that it's silly to hope we can stop him before the damage has been done. Because it's been done.

[–]Kirmz 3 points4 points ago

I'm concerned that it's all over the place. Who's pushing it?