Comments on: Endgame for the Bushmen http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/ se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenki Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:10:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Ending the Stone Age (The Anthropik Network) http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-33147 Ending the Stone Age (The Anthropik Network) Fri, 08 Dec 2006 22:06:14 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-33147 [...] That's why I'm so excited about this new movie hitting theaters today, Blood Diamond. Yes, the Bushmen of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana have been begging Blood Diamond star Leonardo diCaprio to use his money and influence to help them get their land back from Debswana (as previously discussed here, here, and here), and he hasn't done a damn thing. But we've known for a long time that Leo's an asshole, and on the whole, this film will do far more good than Leo's silence will do harm. How do I know that? Because DeBeers is freaking out. And any time a giant, evil, previously-assumed-to-be-all-powerful corporation is freaking out over a movie, you know that's a movie you've got to see. [...] […] That’s why I’m so excited about this new movie hitting theaters today, Blood Diamond. Yes, the Bushmen of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana have been begging Blood Diamond star Leonardo diCaprio to use his money and influence to help them get their land back from Debswana (as previously discussed here, here, and here), and he hasn’t done a damn thing. But we’ve known for a long time that Leo’s an asshole, and on the whole, this film will do far more good than Leo’s silence will do harm. How do I know that? Because DeBeers is freaking out. And any time a giant, evil, previously-assumed-to-be-all-powerful corporation is freaking out over a movie, you know that’s a movie you’ve got to see. […]

]]> By: The Anthropik Network » Watch your body change with Hoodia! http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-12126 The Anthropik Network » Watch your body change with Hoodia! Fri, 02 Jun 2006 14:40:43 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-12126 [...] That was in 2003. Three years later, thanks to the genocidal greed of "Debswana" (an alliance between DeBeers and the Botswana government), the San are closer to total annihilation now more than ever (see "Ancient History" and "Endgame for the Bushmen.") Obviously, Xhoba failed to make all the Bushmen "millionnaires" as Chennells--and many others--had hoped. The victory Chennells won for the Bushmen ultimately proved to be a mixed one, in itself. After the appetite-suppressing ingredient of Hoodia had already been patented,they managed to conclude an agreement assuring them of a share in any future profits generated by the slimming aid.Unfortunately, full recognition oftheir rights to land and cultural self-determination was not part ofthe deal. Today the active ingredient of Hoodia belongs to the owners of patents and licenses, and is no longer owned by the San. They are very dependent on those who hold the patent, and hence the exclusive rights to the use of Hoodia.8 [...] […] That was in 2003. Three years later, thanks to the genocidal greed of “Debswana” (an alliance between DeBeers and the Botswana government), the San are closer to total annihilation now more than ever (see “Ancient History” and “Endgame for the Bushmen.”) Obviously, Xhoba failed to make all the Bushmen “millionnaires” as Chennells–and many others–had hoped. The victory Chennells won for the Bushmen ultimately proved to be a mixed one, in itself. After the appetite-suppressing ingredient of Hoodia had already been patented,they managed to conclude an agreement assuring them of a share in any future profits generated by the slimming aid.Unfortunately, full recognition oftheir rights to land and cultural self-determination was not part ofthe deal. Today the active ingredient of Hoodia belongs to the owners of patents and licenses, and is no longer owned by the San. They are very dependent on those who hold the patent, and hence the exclusive rights to the use of Hoodia.8 […]

]]> By: Ancient History » The Anthropik Network http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-8226 Ancient History » The Anthropik Network Mon, 27 Mar 2006 15:49:32 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-8226 [...] Vintage Victorian racism always makes a comeback when we find ourselves unpleasantly reminded of those few scraps of indigenous people that we still haven't completely wiped off the map. The last time Anthropik covered this story, in Steve Thomas's post, Endgame for the Bushmen, an anonymous guest who came on to chastise us for not caring enough about the Bushmen to have been alive during the 1970s had this to say: BTW, as I understand it, the Kalahari 'bushmen' (3 'tribes' actually) are most-closely genetically related to the Australian Aborigines and to the Inuit of the arctic. Some 'experts' assert that these are isolatied surviving populations of proto-humans (not "identical" species as us) but, if true, I prefer to believe 'we' are actually the proto-humans and that they (might have been) the truely sapient apes. [...] […] Vintage Victorian racism always makes a comeback when we find ourselves unpleasantly reminded of those few scraps of indigenous people that we still haven’t completely wiped off the map. The last time Anthropik covered this story, in Steve Thomas’s post, Endgame for the Bushmen, an anonymous guest who came on to chastise us for not caring enough about the Bushmen to have been alive during the 1970s had this to say: BTW, as I understand it, the Kalahari ‘bushmen’ (3 ‘tribes’ actually) are most-closely genetically related to the Australian Aborigines and to the Inuit of the arctic. Some ‘experts’ assert that these are isolatied surviving populations of proto-humans (not “identical” species as us) but, if true, I prefer to believe ‘we’ are actually the proto-humans and that they (might have been) the truely sapient apes. […]

]]> By: Steve Thomas http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2922 Steve Thomas Mon, 07 Nov 2005 16:40:22 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2922 Anonymous Guest-- Anything relevant or insightful you might have to say is lost under your pomposity. Also, this: <blockquote> BTW, as I understand it, the Kalahari 'bushmen' (3 'tribes' actually) are most-closely genetically related to the Australian Aborigines and to the Inuit of the arctic. Some 'experts' assert that these are isolatied surviving populations of proto-humans (not "identical" species as us) but, if true, I prefer to believe 'we' are actually the proto-humans and that they (might have been) the truely sapient apes. </blockquote> is completely incorrect. Anonymous Guest– Anything relevant or insightful you might have to say is lost under your pomposity.

Also, this:

BTW, as I understand it, the Kalahari ‘bushmen’ (3 ‘tribes’ actually) are most-closely genetically related to the Australian Aborigines and to the Inuit of the arctic. Some ‘experts’ assert that these are isolatied surviving populations of proto-humans (not “identical” species as us) but, if true, I prefer to believe ‘we’ are actually the proto-humans and that they (might have been) the truely sapient apes.

is completely incorrect.

]]> By: guest http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2904 guest Sat, 05 Nov 2005 23:19:42 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2904 "How pompous, ignorant, and arrogant of you to judge ... anyone else..." TRUE - except perhaps the ignorant part, which is relative. “How pompous, ignorant, and arrogant of you to judge … anyone else…”

TRUE - except perhaps the ignorant part, which is relative.

]]> By: Devin http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2903 Devin Sat, 05 Nov 2005 23:01:30 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2903 From your rant you linked to:<blockquote>I truly 'amazes' me - No, make that "enrages me" - to hear(read) pompous ignorant arrogant Americans speak about things they know absolutely nothing of - such as common Third World realities - as if they actually knew something real - or even cared. Those who have comforted communities of lepers can speak from the authority of personal knowledge. Those who have picked flies from the eyes of a child to weak to move their own arms, they can speak of (about) compassion. Those who have suffered the parasites and diseases of the tropics can speak of the pain of understanding.</blockquote> How pompous, ignorant, and arrogant of you to judge whether anyone else has felt compassion for those people. No, I have not ever been hungry. No, I have not experienced oppression to this extent. But this is no reason to direct your own anger at how fucked up this system is at the people who are trapped in it. I'm not getting angry at you for being on a computer, am I? I'm not getting mad at you for paying taxes, am I? I'm not getting mad at you for using American dollars and running a business am I? Quite pointedly, get over yourself. Your holier-than-thou self-righteous attitude does nothing to help anyone. Honestly, how can you speak of compassion while being so judgmental? Am I less real of a person than people in 3rd world countries are? I've not been to Africa, but I've been to Honduras. I never looked at high school the same way again. It was one of the many reasons I dropped out. And you have no fucking clue what that was like. I readily acknowledge my own hypocrisy and difficulties. I hate it when people are judgmental, including me, because it helps nothing. Everyone is a hypocrite. Everyone can be judged for something. The point is to help people overcome their difficulties, not get mad at them and alienate them for what they already know to be problems. From your rant you linked to:
I truly ‘amazes’ me - No, make that “enrages me” - to hear(read) pompous ignorant arrogant Americans speak about things they know absolutely nothing of - such as common Third World realities - as if they actually knew something real - or even cared. Those who have comforted communities of lepers can speak from the authority of personal knowledge. Those who have picked flies from the eyes of a child to weak to move their own arms, they can speak of (about) compassion. Those who have suffered the parasites and diseases of the tropics can speak of the pain of understanding.

How pompous, ignorant, and arrogant of you to judge whether anyone else has felt compassion for those people. No, I have not ever been hungry. No, I have not experienced oppression to this extent. But this is no reason to direct your own anger at how fucked up this system is at the people who are trapped in it. I’m not getting angry at you for being on a computer, am I? I’m not getting mad at you for paying taxes, am I? I’m not getting mad at you for using American dollars and running a business am I? Quite pointedly, get over yourself. Your holier-than-thou self-righteous attitude does nothing to help anyone. Honestly, how can you speak of compassion while being so judgmental? Am I less real of a person than people in 3rd world countries are?

I’ve not been to Africa, but I’ve been to Honduras. I never looked at high school the same way again. It was one of the many reasons I dropped out. And you have no fucking clue what that was like.

I readily acknowledge my own hypocrisy and difficulties. I hate it when people are judgmental, including me, because it helps nothing. Everyone is a hypocrite. Everyone can be judged for something. The point is to help people overcome their difficulties, not get mad at them and alienate them for what they already know to be problems.

]]> By: guest http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2902 guest Sat, 05 Nov 2005 21:40:07 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2902 I see my 'crafted' words have been as salt upon wounds. This is good. [quote] But, this is a different thing than apartheid. Apartheid was about controlling the Bantu cultures. This is something else: this is destroying the San cultures. Apartheid ended; this hasn't. Apartheid was official government policy; this has always been driven by the fact that we really don't care what happens to the San.[/quote] VERY TRUE, Jason (except Apartheid was about FAR more than the Bantu, IMIO it was about the Western concept of wealth and who controlled access to all of Southern Africa's mineral/resource abundance). I didn't intend to suggest these were the same 'thing' (and I've witnessed both) - merely that they are relative equivalents with each illustrative of willfully destructive 'pink ape' prejudice (greed). And Devin? - I have no answers to your rhetorical questions - only you can find them for youself (which obviously you believe you have). However, I can say that when (if) you actually 'go there' (in this case, lived in the Kalahari) you don't ever really come back. Try it sometime. You'll not look at a 'McDonalds' (this culture) - or yourself - the same way again. See other comments I've posted on this, if interested, at http://survivalacres.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=674 (participation also encouraged there) I see my ‘crafted’ words have been as salt upon wounds. This is good.

[quote] But, this is a different thing than apartheid. Apartheid was about controlling the Bantu cultures. This is something else: this is destroying the San cultures. Apartheid ended; this hasn’t. Apartheid was official government policy; this has always been driven by the fact that we really don’t care what happens to the San.[/quote]

VERY TRUE, Jason (except Apartheid was about FAR more than the Bantu, IMIO it was about the Western concept of wealth and who controlled access to all of Southern Africa’s mineral/resource abundance). I didn’t intend to suggest these were the same ‘thing’ (and I’ve witnessed both) - merely that they are relative equivalents with each illustrative of willfully destructive ‘pink ape’ prejudice (greed).

And Devin? - I have no answers to your rhetorical questions - only you can find them for youself (which obviously you believe you have). However, I can say that when (if) you actually ‘go there’ (in this case, lived in the Kalahari) you don’t ever really come back. Try it sometime. You’ll not look at a ‘McDonalds’ (this culture) - or yourself - the same way again.

See other comments I’ve posted on this, if interested, at http://survivalacres.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=674
(participation also encouraged there)

]]> By: Devin http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2901 Devin Sat, 05 Nov 2005 20:36:57 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2901 Decades, Jason? How old are you again?! lol. Decades, Jason? How old are you again?! lol.

]]> By: Jason Godesky http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2898 Jason Godesky Sat, 05 Nov 2005 19:27:46 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2898 Who said it was news? I've been aware of this for decades. The "news" is that they're finishing the job--that the Ju/'Hoansi are being moved from the "being wiped out" column, over to the "wiped out" column, along with, say, the Hazda and what we did to them in the 1970s. But, this is a different thing than apartheid. Apartheid was about controlling the Bantu cultures. This is something else: this is destroying the San cultures. Apartheid ended; this hasn't. Apartheid was official government policy; this has always been driven by the fact that we really don't care what happens to the San. Who said it was news? I’ve been aware of this for decades. The “news” is that they’re finishing the job–that the Ju/’Hoansi are being moved from the “being wiped out” column, over to the “wiped out” column, along with, say, the Hazda and what we did to them in the 1970s.

But, this is a different thing than apartheid. Apartheid was about controlling the Bantu cultures. This is something else: this is destroying the San cultures. Apartheid ended; this hasn’t. Apartheid was official government policy; this has always been driven by the fact that we really don’t care what happens to the San.

]]> By: Devin http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2897 Devin Sat, 05 Nov 2005 18:41:15 +0000 http://anthropik.com/2005/10/endgame-for-the-bushmen/#comment-2897 Everyone has to learn sometime, Guest. I wasn't even alive back then. Is it my fault for not catching that headline in the 70s and 80s? Where does my shame come into this, exactly? Yes, it's horrible. Yes, I'm contributing to it. But I've been trained my entire life to contribute to it, and untraining myself is taking a bit of time. Most people are trained to be ignorant while they contribute to it, but I missed the ignorant part. Does this mean other people should be ashamed for what they were taught by their parents/friends/teachers/media/government, their entire culture? No. Of course not. No one should be ashamed of anything, because it isn't their fault the world is this way. We've all been born into this system at one point or another. Judgment doesn't help, shame doesn't help, scorn doesn't help. We all need support, and room to grow, and to have patience with ourselves and others. Peace. Everyone has to learn sometime, Guest. I wasn’t even alive back then. Is it my fault for not catching that headline in the 70s and 80s? Where does my shame come into this, exactly?

Yes, it’s horrible. Yes, I’m contributing to it. But I’ve been trained my entire life to contribute to it, and untraining myself is taking a bit of time. Most people are trained to be ignorant while they contribute to it, but I missed the ignorant part. Does this mean other people should be ashamed for what they were taught by their parents/friends/teachers/media/government, their entire culture? No. Of course not. No one should be ashamed of anything, because it isn’t their fault the world is this way. We’ve all been born into this system at one point or another. Judgment doesn’t help, shame doesn’t help, scorn doesn’t help. We all need support, and room to grow, and to have patience with ourselves and others.

Peace.

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