The Lurchworld Blog

The Internet never ceases to amaze me how quickly it can spread information and change the hearts and minds of its users. A new piece of social media has been making the rounds detailing the plight of African peoples who are dealing with the tyranny of warlord Joseph Kony. If you want to watch the video produced by non-profit organization (NPO) Invisible Children, all you have to do is Google “Kony 2012” and it will be the second or third hit. The video has been released for just one week and it already has tens of millions of views. A campaign-style documentary clocking in at slightly less than thirty minutes delivers a powerful message that takes cues from the likes of filmmakers Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock where the host, in this case Jason Russell, inserts himself directly into the story in order to make an emotional impact on the audience.

The film opens with the story of Jason Russell’s son’s birth. He affectionately names him Gavin, followed by a montage of Gavin’s short life so far. Russell describes how much he loves his son and wants to leave a better world for him to live in. His desire for a better future is juxtaposed with the past heinous crimes of Joseph Kony, a megalomaniacal serial killer that kidnaps children while their families sleep to unwillingly fight his guerilla wars in Uganda and the surrounding areas of central Africa. Kony’s crimes are particularly brutal, even by Africa standards, which earned him his spot as the number one wanted criminal by the ICC (International Criminal Court). His activities in Uganda have been dormant since 2006, but he is still hiding in the jungle with his child army.

The production values of the Kony 2012 documentary are impressive, sparing no expense at tugging the audience’s heartstrings. Jason Russell has been collecting footage for the movie since 2003, capturing the plight of the Ugandan people living in refugee camps, fearful of the next raid on their homes. He focuses on the story of one child who goes by the name of Jacob. Jacob’s brother became a victim of Kony’s army, murdered at a young age. As Jacob breaks down telling the story of his brother’s demise and what he would say to him if he were still alive, Russell makes a solemn vow to him. He swears he will put an end to Kony’s reign. Russell tries to explain all of this to his son, and Gavin is dumbfounded that one man can impose his will over so many innocent people.

The film goes on to describe Kony’s crimes, like mutilation of his victims and mass rapes used as psychological warfare. Kony’s army, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), claim to be crusaders for Jesus Christ, but like so many religious militant institutions it is merely a front to consolidate his own power. He indoctrinates his “family” of abducted children with violence. The boys are taught how to use firearms while the girls go into the sex trafficking industry, no doubt fueling Kony’s military escapades. The LRA wreck havoc in Uganda, Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It seems their cruelty knows no limits, displacing thousands of children with no families and no place to call home.

The resolution of the film talks about Jason Russell’s efforts with his NPO Invisible Children raising awareness of Joseph Kony all around the globe. He details his building of an emergency alert system via radio frequencies warning villages when the LRA comes for another raid. He plans for a massive poster and sticker placement campaign on April 20th, 2012 where pictures of Kony’s face will be placed in public spaces in as many cities as possible. The ultimate goal of the film is making Joseph Kony infamous, so much so that governments of the world will have to respond to the demands of the people to bring Kony to justice. This is where the Kony 2012 documentary shows it’s true colors. It’s not just a depiction on the warlord himself. It’s a propaganda piece designed with the far-reaching power of the Internet in mind. The viewer is urged to spread the message of Kony’s atrocities via social networks. Judging by the many millions of hits the video has had already, it’s an incredibly successful piece of propaganda, possibly the defining propaganda piece of the decade.

However the message behind Kony 2012 should be taken with a grain of salt. It’s unanimously agreed that Kony is an evil person who should be put before trial as soon as possible. But it begs the question: why Kony? Why not the many warlords operating within Africa that contribute to human suffering and misery? The government and military of Uganda, under the rule of president Yoweri Museveni, is guilty of committing the same war crimes Kony is accused of. To call the situation in Africa a “clusterfuck” is an understatement. There is no black-and-white clear-cut morality in the complicated political quagmire of the African nations. What motivation is there to single out one human being in a continent filled with sociopathic murderers? Social networks are already abuzz with conspiracy theories regarding the true nature behind Kony 2012. One plausible theory is that Invisible Children is a front for special interest groups looking for an excuse to occupy Uganda for its natural resources, chiefly crude oil. I hope this is not the case. The last thing the United States needs is another war. It would be futile anyways since Kony is hiding somewhere in the Congo jungle, not Uganda. President Obama has already committed 100 military advisors to Uganda in an effort to track down Kony. Any more military commitment would be a mistake. Another theory that came about as a result of this video showing Jason talking about Invisible Children in the context of doing work for God. The LRA also claims to be doing work for God. This boils down the conflict into a fight between soft fundamentalism (Invisible Children and mainstream religion) and hard extremist fundamentalism (the LRA, Al-Qaida, and all militant religious organizations).

2012 is going to be a year of transformative change. Citizens of the world have access to information at a rate never before possible that bypasses the establishment media. I admit I never heard of Joseph Kony before I saw Kony 2012. He’s been getting away with horrible crimes for decades because it doesn’t affect the powers that be. Then again, so have many militant leaders all around the globe. Bringing one person to justice isn’t going to solve the world’s problems. There will still be war, famine, disease and civil unrest even if Kony is captured or killed. Kony 2012 is a narrow-minded effort that turns a Facebook “Like” button into a form of activism. It’s a step in the right direction at least. Kony 2012 proves that the individual can bring great change if an issue sways the masses into believing that something needs to be done. Indeed something needs to be done, but this documentary comes up short on ways how to do it. Buying a “Kony 2012 Action Kit”, as the film implies you should do, won’t solve anything. There are no easy answers. I don’t want to tell you how to think. I ask only that you use your brain, and apply critical thinking to the messages and influences you receive. Question everything and believe nothing you hear or read until you can be sure beyond a shadow of a doubt it is true. If you want to help the people of Africa, find a NPO doing good work there, do your research and come to a conclusion which course of action you should take. Something extraordinary is going to happen as a result of this documentary, but what exactly will happen is anybody’s guess.