The dog of war.....

DM · 01 May 2008, 17:48

If anyone sees this vessel about, can you let us know.

Greenwood seems to have mislaid it.

Louise · 01 May 2008, 18:19

Blimey! Glad that Ian is home safe, albeit with some horrible nightmare images to try and get out of his head. I've just been reading about the Congo and I'm at a loss to know how nations such as these can get themselves out of this pit of greed, corruption and violence. Thank goodness I was lucky enough to be born elsewhere.

Jono · 01 May 2008, 18:22

Ian is a numpty ! He'd only gotta ask....no-one "in the trade" will touch that place with a shitty stick... no matter what they offer as an incentive

Glad to see he made it out in one piece.

Rich L · 01 May 2008, 18:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono

Ian is a numpty ! He'd only gotta ask....no-one "in the trade" will touch that place with a shitty stick... no matter what they offer as an incentive

Glad to see he made it out in one piece.

and he plans to go back soon.....

If he's ever out of work, a 2nd career beckons as an author I reckon

codprawn · 01 May 2008, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louise

Blimey! Glad that Ian is home safe, albeit with some horrible nightmare images to try and get out of his head. I've just been reading about the Congo and I'm at a loss to know how nations such as these can get themselves out of this pit of greed, corruption and violence. Thank goodness I was lucky enough to be born elsewhere.

What a coincidence this story is as I mentioned the state the Congo was in a few days ago in the fuel thread!!!

A brilliant story but NOTHING suprising at all - that's what Africa is like. Apart from a brief period of relative peace when the colonial powers were in charge Africa has always been and always will be a very violent place.

It's such a shame as some Africans are such lovely people and they have some stunning countryside. One exception to the rule is The Gambia - I have several friends there and it's a very peacefull country. Guinea is quite the opposite - it's a shame as they have a chain of islands that could be the next Caribbean.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bissagos_Islands

Have a look at them on Google Earth - awesome but now a haven for drug runners.

Louise · 01 May 2008, 22:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

What a coincidence this story is as I mentioned the state the Congo was in a few days ago in the fuel thread!!!

It is a coincidence. The book I have just finished is called 'Blood River' and was written by a journalist (Tim Butcher) who used to be The Telegraph's Africa correspondent. He decided to retrace Stanley's footsteps along the River Congo, journeying from Kalemie to Boma. I would highly recommend it - a hugely interesting account which provides a potted history of the country as well as telling of the writer's own experiences there in the 21st century.

captnjack · 02 May 2008, 00:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

A brilliant story but NOTHING suprising at all - that's what Africa is like. Apart from a brief period of relative peace when the colonial powers were in charge Africa has always been and always will be a very violent place.

Ah yes the good ol' days of proper colonialism. None of this pansy arse democracy to the middle east business. Subjugate those savages. Making them productive working their own lands for almost nothing. Export all the riches to proper white countries. Those were heady days.

codprawn · 02 May 2008, 00:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Louise

It is a coincidence. The book I have just finished is called 'Blood River' and was written by a journalist (Tim Butcher) who used to be The Telegraph's Africa correspondent. He decided to retrace Stanley's footsteps along the River Congo, journeying from Kalemie to Boma. I would highly recommend it - a hugely interesting account which provides a potted history of the country as well as telling of the writer's own experiences there in the 21st century.

Yes I read that as well - a great book. All the more interesting to me because I have been to quite a few of the places mentioned.

codprawn · 02 May 2008, 00:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by captnjack

Ah yes the good ol' days of proper colonialism. None of this pansy arse democracy to the middle east business. Subjugate those savages. Making them productive working their own lands for almost nothing. Export all the riches to proper white countries. Those were heady days.

It wasn't all like that. Some colonial powers were a lot worse than others. Also land was usually bought rather than snatched.

As to making them work and all the riches going abroad you obviously haven't seen the infrastructure they were left with. I am quite sure people in Zimbabwe for example would have much preffered the old regime to Robert Mugabwe..............

Imagine the fuss if we in the West started taking houses off Africans who had settled here and bought their own homes!!!

Simon B · 06 May 2008, 12:20

Google-ise the Belgian Congo in the 20's, you wouldnt of thought good ol peaceful Belgium would do that. Bit difficult to be productive when you now have just one hand. Dont also think that we're not corrupt here.

Just a shame for Zimbabwe it's got no oil, we'd have seen much more international interest.

JK will be along soon to direct me to WTF before I reach a true Brain Blessed state of incandescence - excellent performance on "Have I got News for You"

codprawn · 06 May 2008, 13:18

Brian Blessed is awesome - I have always been a fan of his. Remarkable man - when he was almost 60 he climbed Everest wearing the same clothing as mallory and Irvine did in the 1920s. He got to very close to the summit as well.

He totally dominated "Have I got news" - I was weak with laughing!!!

Simon B · 06 May 2008, 13:24

Couldnt edit post, it was around the 1900s not the 1920s when it went really bad there. Sorry about the inaccurate facts. (of my post not H.I.G.N.F.Y)