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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think that nearly 200 people being killed in Nigeria should be more newsworthy

292 replies

ElaineBenes · 23/01/2012 20:24

What happened in Kano over the weekend is not even on the front pages of the so called international news websites like the BBC. I've had to search for any reporting on it.

Can you imagine if such a thing had happened to people in a rich country?

I think it's really sad that Africans dying isn't considered newsworthy. Are we really that racist?

OP posts:
OhDoAdmitMrsDeVere · 24/01/2012 00:06

Bless.

She is such a sweetheart.

Night night lamby.

mojitomania · 24/01/2012 00:07
Grin
mojitomania · 24/01/2012 00:08
MayaAngelCool · 24/01/2012 00:28

Mojito. You are complaining about immigrants coming to the UK. They are only doing what white Brits did around the world for centuries. Except that those white, British immigrants actually did take over the countries, brutalised and enslaved the peoples, stole their land and wealth, and tore those countries and their cultures to shreds so badly that most of them, to this day have never recovered. You, and I, and every person alive in the UK today, are reaping the benefits of that vicious form of immigration.

So, what exactly are you getting upset about? Hmm

MayaAngelCool · 24/01/2012 00:44

And, mojo, wrt your lazy-minded comments about Nigerians being corrupt, have you forgotten about the phone hacking scandal? That's Brits, and in government too! Not to mention the many, many other everyday instances of corruption in this country - and every country around the planet - which either go unnoticed, unreported or are reported and then conveniently forgotten by people like you who want to rattle off dumb posts when it suits their narrow-minded purposes.

There is always a context. If you pretend there isn't one, you are only making yourself into a fool.

MayaAngelCool · 24/01/2012 00:49

Following on from roundtable's post about the massive generalising of Africa and Africans...I can't recall who wrote that idiotic post about violence being basically the norm in Africa. Jeez. Have you not heard of the British Crime Survey? Or read a British newspaper? Violence also characterises much of life in the UK. And across Europe. And the USA. Etc. Etc.

Wrt the OP I would say that I agree with whoever said that most people just don't care enough about news stories which they don't have a connection with.

mojitomania · 24/01/2012 08:49

Wind that neck in maya or it may snap off.

TheRealTillyMinto · 24/01/2012 10:00

our MPs were so honest with their expenses. no corruption there.
if you donate to a political party, then get a kighthood, no corruption there.
if you donate to a political party, then govt policy changes to benefit your industry, no corruption there.

moj - you are correct no corruption here at all.....

Kewcumber · 24/01/2012 10:25

or you could respond to the points maya made mojito, if you want to sound more credible.

Its ok to disagree with people but better to have a reasoned argument if you want anyone to listen to you.

MrsMicawber · 24/01/2012 10:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ElaineBenes · 24/01/2012 10:55

Well, there's no doubt that there are plenty of places in Africa where this is civil conflict and high levels of violence as well as corruption. I just wouldn't characterise a huge heterogeneous continent as one big violent and corrupt mess. Anyone looking at Europe 70 years ago might well have said the same thing though. We're lucky to be living in rich, stable and democratic countries right now but European governments were killing their own people willy nilly not so long ago so hardly think we're in a position to just dismiss Africa (bearing in mind that quite a substantial part of the today's conflicts are due to their colonial pasts and were flamed by cold war politics)

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ElaineBenes · 24/01/2012 10:57

I didn't say most Israelis are rich but Israel is a rich and developed country. That's my point. I'm married to an Israeli (a Mizrahi one at that) and have lived in Israel for many years. And I'm Jewish so I'm hardly anti-semitic (unless I hate myself)

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ElaineBenes · 24/01/2012 11:01

Actually,mrsmicawber just looked at my post and I did say most Israelis are rich Blush - but I meant it in a general way, in the same way that we're rich here in the UK even though there's poverty, not that all individuals are stinking rich!

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Pendeen · 24/01/2012 11:02

The media owners decide what is newsworthy or not and the principal factor in their decision will be commercial.

Anything to do with racism or any other "..ism" will be much further down the list.

MrsMicawber · 24/01/2012 11:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DerbysKangaskhan · 24/01/2012 12:10

In terms of news about Nigeria, I've found it interesting that when the BBC reports on it, it frames it as being the fault of Islamists, but when watching from an African source (eAfrica News specifically) the issues in Nigeria are all centred around the issues of oil -- corporations (Shell particularly) not maintaining oil pumps in the delta so oil spilling into the area causing obvious horrid effects for wildlife and people, the lack of development along the oil rich delta that was previously promised, oil subsidies being removed causing massive protests mostly because of the failed promises.

ElaineBenes · 24/01/2012 12:13

That's exactly what I've heard from my colleagues Derbys. Clearly there's a lot more to this story than just Christians vs Muslims

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mojitomania · 24/01/2012 12:43

The original question was whether it was thought that the non reporting was racist. I said I didn't believe it was. The thread evolved -digressed to a personal level- in the way these emotive threads unfortunately always do and yes, I'm as guilty as the next person in this happening.

I made light of things in the end to try to put a stop to this, Maya then started it all up again. By this time I had enough. Two hours on one thread is enough for me.

I don't profess to be an armchair politician and know -diddly squat- nothing of the in depth why's and wherefores.

As for corruption - again I don't know the politics regarding this but my view is where there's money there's always an element of this whatever nation. Some powers/leaders are just more corrupt than others.

During the entire thread I have never called anyone a single derrogatory name unlike a lot op people and never do. I have only stated facts as I know/see them from where I live etc.

wannaBe · 24/01/2012 13:48

Of course there is violence all over the world. But in some parts of the world it is more prevalent than others, and large parts of Africa is a part of that. How much evidence do you need:

DRC, where people have been and are still being murdered every day, where there millions of refugees are trying to escape - even now?

Ruanda where millions of people were shamelessly murdered, women and children were raped, where there is disease and famine and millions of refugees fled during the conflict?

Zimbabwe, where first there was the gurilla war in the 70's, and more recently the uprising of mugabi, the murder of white farmers and anyone else who opposed him. Where 25% of the population is HIV positive - many of those children who have been raped by men who believe the myth that having sex with a virgin cures you of aids...

South Africa, where Johannesburg is considered the murder capital of the world, not because of every day crime but because of tribal violence. Where again, large numbers of the population are HIV positive...

Siera Leone, where children were used as soldiers to kill their own people...

This morning there was news of people having been killed in Ethiopia, and Ethiopia itself is known for having suffered severe famine.

Somalia - ditto,

Kenya, where there has been uprisings over the years, and where more recently it is considered unsafe due to infiltration of pirates from Somalia.

The fact that "well we did this and that a hundred years ago, and well there's violence elsewhere, and well our government is corrupt how dare you accuse other governments of being corrupt," is irrelevant. Just because British people have done similar doesn't mean that it's acceptable elsewhere. And surely no-one would argue that a majority of governments in Africa are corrupt - that doesn't make the people so, but if there wasn't quite so much corruption in African governments there wouldn't be quite so much need for foreign aid, because a good part of it would have made it to the actual heart of the cause for which it was intended.

If you've ever lived in Africa then you know that you don't walk around alone during the day let alone at night. You sleep with bars on your windows and probably a gun and a big dog. If you drive then you lock all the car doors because when you stop at traffic lights your car is likely to be car-jacked.

If you live on a farm you have a plan of escape should your farm be raded (and that's not just in Zimbabwe).

You know that if you are burgled you are likely to also be murdered.

And if you live in Africa, or know someone who does, then you likely know someone who has been a victim of violent crime - even someone who has been murdered.

I imagine that a lot of the people getting quite so outraged on this thread haven't actually ever been to Africa, apart from perhaps on a safari where they were well protected.

It has nothing to do with racism. It has to do with the fact that people have compassion fatigue - we have been hearing bbout conflict and the results thereof in many African countries for years. That's what comic relief is all about after all - often the causes we are talked into raising money for are the results of violent conflict. But hey let's all just sit back and pretend it doesn't happen and stick another to quid in the red nose box and blame our own governments for not giving enough aid rather than the corrupt governments of these countries.. And accuse anyone who dares say different of being a racist.

boobiebrain · 24/01/2012 13:54

Mojitomania, if you believe you and your son can't get a job because of immigrants, you are correct. Its not because immigrants are doing jobs English don't want to do, its because they are doing the jobs English aren't qualified to do. My DP is Nigerian and works 5 days a week and studies the other two to qualify as a pharmacist in the summer. I doubt many people in this country would have the inclination to follow this lifestyle as it would require far too much hardwork and to be honest I doubt many like yourself have the intelligence.

And Fabby, I wouldn't worry yourself with 419ers, they wouldn't bother themselves with an idiot like you with probably nothing to offer.

Whatmeworry · 24/01/2012 13:59

In terms of news about Nigeria, I've found it interesting that when the BBC reports on it, it frames it as being the fault of Islamists, but when watching from an African source (eAfrica News specifically) the issues in Nigeria are all centred around the issues of oil -- corporations (Shell particularly) not maintaining oil pumps in the delta so oil spilling into the area causing obvious horrid effects for wildlife and people, the lack of development along the oil rich delta that was previously promised, oil subsidies being removed causing massive protests mostly because of the failed promises.

That is another part of the story that is being missed IMO, and all this racist/not racist stuff is just another layer of noise confusing the real issue.

boobiebrain · 24/01/2012 14:06

wannaBe, check your spelling darling, is it not Rwanda and Sierra Leone and Robert Mugabe...

not ruanda, siera leone and mugabi...

I don't think my DP, or his family, have ever been a victim of violent crime... must ask if he knows of anyone thats been murdered!

boobiebrain · 24/01/2012 14:08

He did protest against the government in his uni years though and stole a mini-fridge...

roundtable · 24/01/2012 14:08

There are 56 countries in Africa I think, you have named 8.

It's not people thinking that the coverage of the news wasn't racist that people are taking offense to. That part could be a very interesting discussion from both sides and people who have disagreed and looked at other factors has tried to discuss sensibly.

It the people that came on to make delibrately offensive posts; nigerian scammers no great loss; these countries are always at it, who cares; immigrants are taking all the white people's jobs in England; telling people they find them replusive (not the comments the actual posters) to name but a few.

Why should people be allowed to make horribly offensive statements and sweeping generalisations and not be challenged?

It's a shame that when some of these people, when challenged, couldn't engage in a proper debate and just got nasty.

wannaBe · 24/01/2012 14:09

but there are certainly a lot of jobs being done by immigrants that English people don't want to do. Go into any office building or hospital and most of the cleaning staff are immigrants, and good luck to them I say. ~There are certainly plenty of English who consider themselves beneath doing a cleaning job yet seem perfectly happy to complain about the influx of immigrants into the country. Hmm

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