You’re being flippant and know better, but I think it’s important to state the obvious and add some nuance. Not to defend the Belgians, but to emphasize the central role capitalism played in the death of up to 15 million people, and how corporate-colonialism never really ended.
Arguably, the worst atrocities in Congo occured when it was the private property of king Leopold, who granted vast concessions to private companies with international investors. For example: the Anglo-Belgian India Rubber Company. They declared bankrupcy in Belgium, and refounded themselves as Abir Company in the Congo Free State, so they could avoid paying tax and avoid Belgian regulation. A corporation moving production/extraction/exploitation abroad, relocating their headquarters to a third country, so they can avoid tax and regulation…
The DRC officially became independent of Belgium in 1960, but colonial corporate rule and influence never truly ended. King Leopold founded Compagnie du Katanga, Compagnie du Katanga became Union Minière du Haut-Katanga, Union Minière du Haut-Katanga became Umicore. Umicore is very active in Congo to this day. A few years ago Elon Musk signed a deal with them to help supply Congolese cobalt for Tesla cars.
The soon to be trillionaire fascist son of a man who owned an emerald mine in a former British colony, runs a company that produces cars that include cobalt mined by a company that helped kill 15 million people in the Congo Free State.
People prefer to look the other way, then act surprised when the chickens come home to roost.
Belgium took care of that one preemptively.
You’re being flippant and know better, but I think it’s important to state the obvious and add some nuance. Not to defend the Belgians, but to emphasize the central role capitalism played in the death of up to 15 million people, and how corporate-colonialism never really ended.
Arguably, the worst atrocities in Congo occured when it was the private property of king Leopold, who granted vast concessions to private companies with international investors. For example: the Anglo-Belgian India Rubber Company. They declared bankrupcy in Belgium, and refounded themselves as Abir Company in the Congo Free State, so they could avoid paying tax and avoid Belgian regulation. A corporation moving production/extraction/exploitation abroad, relocating their headquarters to a third country, so they can avoid tax and regulation…
The DRC officially became independent of Belgium in 1960, but colonial corporate rule and influence never truly ended. King Leopold founded Compagnie du Katanga, Compagnie du Katanga became Union Minière du Haut-Katanga, Union Minière du Haut-Katanga became Umicore. Umicore is very active in Congo to this day. A few years ago Elon Musk signed a deal with them to help supply Congolese cobalt for Tesla cars.
The soon to be trillionaire fascist son of a man who owned an emerald mine in a former British colony, runs a company that produces cars that include cobalt mined by a company that helped kill 15 million people in the Congo Free State.
People prefer to look the other way, then act surprised when the chickens come home to roost.
That was good and dark 👏