So over te last few weeks my thought has lacked focus and the relentless purposefulness of this blog's early days is, as you are undoubtedly aware, missing. Be forewarned, this is my usual mental state. So I have had lots of ideas about what to write, but I keep forgetting them. So anyway, I'm going to indulge my fancy. and write about something trivial.
So I've been hearing a lot about this new movie, Blood Diamonds, and about how great it is, and about how evil I am for having diamonds put in my wife's engagement ring ( though perhaps I can be forgiven for thinking that the empty settings looked a bit plain),
But I'm confused; the logic escapes me. So most most of the wars that diamonds ar accused of starting--or funding, since nobodies actually fighting over the diamonds--are in Africa. These wars are fought with machetes and the occasional AK-47. Machetes cost less than 10 cents apiece, AK-47s with hundreds of rounds of ammunition cost less than fifty dollars(I actually looked this up). Forgive me for thinking that even in resource poor Africa, these wars could be funded without diamonds (of course I could be wrong, you'll remember how peaceful Africa was before the we started buying all its diamonds).
This is a classic case of Western manufactured guilt. I wrote about it a couple of posts ago. The thinking goes that I am well off, and they are not, so I must be somehow guilty of exploiting them. At least I think that's how it goes. Many people have told me this in much more circuitous fasion.
Anyway, if we're going to use this logic, why not boycott somethink that actually contributes in a major way to war. How about oil? Think of how many ruthless dictators are propped up by oil. Think how much money has been made by selling oil and given to terrorist orginizations tha are out to kill me (you can see
the added benefit here of personal salvation). Plus, oil is essential to the conduct of war--try running an F-16 on diamonds and keep your hand on the emergency eject button.
So if you really want to help the world put your car up on blocks, buy a bike, and ride it to the mall to buy a diamond necklass with all the money you saved by not buying gas.
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10 comments:
1. it's necklace.
2. the wars are fought over diamonds, not necessarily funded by diamonds, so the cost of the war is irrelevant (although I give you props for looking that up). Sort of the same idea as the violence in Colombia--everyone wants control of the drug trade. I remember my comparative politics teacher saying that the countries richest in high-demand natural resources like diamonds and oil are often the poorest because of the continual violence over control of them.
3. Blood Diamonds looks rather dumb, and Leonardo DiCaprio's accent doesn't even convince me in the preview.
check this out--I would have e-mailed but I don't know your e-mail address and I doubt you check it...
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/27/business/27richer.html?ex=1165381200&en=2264f44fc03ad16c&ei=5070
Jane--
why the heck you gotta correct everyone's grammar all the time?
1. Good idea Jane--I will henceforth leave off cocaine in an effort to reduce violence in Colombia.
2. Whether as a source of funding, or the cause of fighting, my main points satand--a. it's not my responsibility to boycott a product because someone else is willing to kill for it and b. wars over diamonds are pocket change compared to another natural resource that nobody is insisting I boycott (although I'm sure you've noticed that gas stations now offer certified conflict-free gas).
3. I originally typed neckless but it just didn't look right.
glad you're leaving off the cocaine.
some christians ARE boycotting oil--a econ professor of mine at Wheaton was a huge proponent of using less oil. In fact, he had a rather sizeable stake in a windmill farm. He used to say that if American Christians were serious about peace in the Middle East, they would start investing in alternative fuel methods.
But I find your logic self-defeating. If diamonds and oil have the same effect, but diamonds are just on a smaller scale, and you're willing to boycott oil, then you should boycott diamonds as well. Just because it's evil on a smaller scale doesn't mean it's any less evil.
I'm not willing to boycott oil (though I do feel it is my responsibility to use less--just not for political reasons) hence my insistence on riding a bike. But what about the other--is it my resonsibility to not use something because someone else is willing to kill for it?
I find it funny that the so-called "trivial" subject is the most popular yet as far as comments are concerned. Thanks Jane
your professor is only boycotting oil if he also doesn't heat his house, or for that matter use any electricity. And also not us any products made from plastic.
Lame. If Christians put half as much energy into prayer as they did into trendy causes, perhaps the Spirit would move.
not to beat a dead horse, but my professor didn't suggest boycotting oil--he suggested using less of it, just like david. and he had very unique ways of doing that. his house was almost completely passive solar-heated. almost all of the furnishings and construction materials in his house were harvested from things that were going to be thrown away anyways. he was a mennonite, very simple in his living style--i respect him a lot. also he had a tilapia pond in his basement from which he grew hydroponic tomatoes, which is just incredible. :)
The idea that God moves in response to an outcry of his people is Biblical. Daniel 9 is a dramatic example. Also, the historic experience of the church invisible testifies to this.
And Jane, hydroponics non-withstanding, I question the priorities of your professor.
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