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Comment by Mountain_Skies | Hacker News Reader

That about half of the world's production comes from the Congo(DRC) also makes it undesirable. Both because the Congo is unstable but also because it destabilizes the country. It's like a spiral of chaos for them, which is too bad because in theory it should be good for them to have an export that brings in money. The resource curse is unfortunately real.

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I'm surprised a few HNW individuals with the help of the UN haven't just mediated and purchased the land that represents the DRC? It's clear these people have no clue how to control the land, feed their people or prevent war-lords from exploiting their own people for slave labor. Why not setup a situation where the people of the DRC are housed, fed and provided healthcare from the proceeds of their rare-earths while allowing the western beneficiaries to use their military to oust violent barbaric war-lords?

Unfortunately there’s a long history of colonized people being mistreated, so it’s not an easy sell.

I think whether it's "an easy sell" is more related to the question of whether it's profitable enough to anyone.

I acknowledge the horrific history of colonizing / private exploitation of the African continent. Europeans as a whole are 100% on the hook for this. This is also HN, so any mention of this region / situation is just going to result in the poster being downvoted, flagged and labeled every kind of horrible term other users can come up with.

However, it's painfully evident that the UN is incapable of keeping the peace or trying to stabilize the region. In short, I'm trying to start a discussion here as to how nations with some sense of diplomacy and interest in these minerals could mediate in a meaningful way. There simply must be a better way. Not to be blunt, but we need a similarly over-regulated private offering equivalent to the "public" option of german healthcare. Curious if an impact fund of some kind could cooperate with NGO's and the UN? The formation of some kind of demilitarized zone? There has to be a way to improve this situation and prevent more of their own people being killed?

Mostly in order to prevent China from coming in and clearing house like they have in other regions of Africa.

Tú no puedes comprar al viento Tú no puedes comprar al sol Tú no puedes comprar la lluvia Tú no puedes comprar el calor

Tú no puedes comprar las nubes Tú no puedes comprar los colores Tú no puedes comprar mi alegría Tú no puedes comprar mis dolores

Is this a famous quote?

BTW it reads "you can't buy the wind, sun, rain, ..."

Famous for some. With no further comment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkFJE8ZdeG8

Calle 13, Latino America! One of my favourite songs!

> Why not setup a situation where the people of the DRC are housed, fed and provided healthcare from the proceeds of their rare-earths while allowing the western beneficiaries to use their military to oust violent barbaric war-lords?

Nice try King Leopold II, fool me once...

This is an incredibly racist and supremely ignorant comment, displaying the same justifications that fuelled the colonialism in Africa hundreds of years ago that is still at the root of deeply systemic problems in that continent.

It could be that it was intended to be ironic. The point could be to equate paternalistic concerns about human rights with colonialism.

As you can see by the reply, and the downvotes, it was a genuine statement.

What is your proposed solution? The reason war lords control the region is to exploit rare earths. Why not create some kind of mediatory influence to reinforce the UN? I'm not pretending to have all the answers here.

Your comment is abhorrently condescending and shallow. Yes, you have highlighted a historic atrocity and grievance of the region - why is this a reason why the west shouldn't try to help these people? In your mind, are the people of the DRC "beyond" help? That's an awfully charged and deconstructive opinion my friend.

You are suggesting a form of corporate neo-colonialism, which is an abhorrent position for anyone to have in good faith in the year 2020.

That other people agree with you with downvoting my comment makes me extremely disappointed in the level of discourse here on HN.

Welp, guess we should just let China steam-roll what's left of Africa and dissolve the UN...

It was nice "discoursing" with you :)

The racist comment and corporate neo-colonialism is juvenile labelling not even scratching the surface of the complex relationship between entities.

To have a conversation you have to get past those labels.

In fairness your discourse made conversation impossible. Reflect and rebound.

If only we gave genocide a fair shake, and stopped labeling it so harshly...

Here is a list of real genocides by death toll.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_genocides_by_death_t...

The problem is that your 'solution' is worse than the problem. It'll begin with a bloody war, which will create plenty of grievance against the invading forces, followed by an occupation which will be all able what is good for the invading forces, usually at the expense of the locals. The 'good' way it ends is the invaders draw down and leave in defeat, nothing good having been accomplished. The bad way it ends is the invaders deciding they want to get something for all the money they spent, and them going into full colonisation mode.

How likely is it that the people who "purchased the land" would have an interest in anything other than strip mining the resources as fast as possible getting the hell out?

Selling the country or its mineral rights is not how to feed the people.

> feed their people or prevent war-lords from exploiting their own people for slave labor.

Uh, what warlords? The huge majority of cobalt goes to china and the slightly smaller majority is directly influenced or controlled by china. This has nothing to do with the DRC, it's because of foreign interference.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2013/06/chinese-minin...

Not to mention that one of the first effects of the liberalization required by the IMF and UN was to cause the state to sell off all its mining equipment and effectively destroy all local non-artisanal mining.

> from the proceeds of their rare-earths

Yeah can you give me any answers to any of these questions:

1. Which rare earth is in batteries?

2. Which rare earth is mined in Congo?

3. Is cobalt a rare earth element?

> oust violent barbaric war-lords?

Maybe update your priors to more recent than a decade ago

What you said is like cheating on a test by looking up the answers. That doesn't work. The DRC has to find a solution on its own or it will become entirely dependent on western influence.

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