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Tanzanian albino body parts. They are supposed to bring good luck. Unfortunately they are killing and mutilating the albinos to get them.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on June 8, 2008 at 10:35 AM in Economics | Permalink
Comments
This is ridiculous; everyone knows handling the body part of an albino will transform you into an imp.
Posted by: Jonathan Hohensee at Jun 8, 2008 11:15:01 AM
Is that why the albino in the Da Vinci Code was so religious?
Posted by: Stuart at Jun 8, 2008 11:37:31 AM
This is evil.
Posted by: Yan Li at Jun 8, 2008 2:06:44 PM
why does the nyt care about tanzanians only when bad things happen to white people there?
Posted by: camello at Jun 8, 2008 4:16:20 PM
Part of me, a small, cynical part that I try to hide, really thinks that we should build a giant wall/dome around the entire continent of Africa, allow no one to enter or exit for 100 years, and then when the Africans have murdered/genocided each other and emptied the place out, turn the continent into a beautiful wildlife preserve. Because, let's face it, they do NOT seem to be able to manage their affairs well (to put it mildly).
Honestly, what the heck is wrong with some places that appear unable to modernize?
Posted by: Johnni at Jun 8, 2008 5:49:00 PM
Wow, that is truly heinous.
Posted by: Speedmaster at Jun 8, 2008 6:02:11 PM
Johnni , we are all africans
Posted by: k at Jun 8, 2008 6:55:20 PM
johnni, spare us your racist wet dreams. africa would have been much better off if it wasn't for decades of - continued i might add - interference by the "civilized west." the world would have fared much better with a wall around europe, russia, and the us. learn some history and stop blaming the victim!
Posted by: camello at Jun 8, 2008 7:24:11 PM
So how do you verify that you have a genuine albino body part and not just a piece of some white guy?
Is there an insurance market here somewhere?
Posted by: Roland Martinez at Jun 8, 2008 8:16:57 PM
"africa would have been much better off if it wasn't for decades of - continued i might add - interference by the 'civilized west.'"
How so? Africa was a lot more wealthier, literate, populous and in general with an infinitely better infrastructure after colonization than before it.
Posted by: TH at Jun 9, 2008 7:21:29 AM
Camello,
I hope you are being sarcastic with this comment: "why does the nyt care about tanzanians only when bad things happen to white people there?"
Otherwise, it is rare to read something so ignorant. These are not "white" people standing out in a crowd--they are native to their countries, with the same genetic code as their country-men and women, save the genetic mutation that leaves their skin without pigmentation. Get a clue.
Posted by: anon at Jun 9, 2008 11:59:59 AM
Africa was a lot more wealthier, literate, populous and in general with an infinitely better infrastructure after colonization than before it.
*******************************888
Not sure if I agree with that one, TH. How can you prove that the continent was better off after having been relieved of your economic freedoms and the means to enact change in your own country? The colonizers may have brought roads and infrastructure to Africa, but they forgot to cultivate a sense of ownership in one's community, ethnicity and race. Believe it or not, much of the violence in the world is spawned by self-hate and hopelessness. Colonialization was good for the colonizers. If they wanted to bestow infrastructure they didn't have to move in and take over.
Posted by: Sunstar at Jun 9, 2008 4:36:56 PM
And you guys want to have a market for kidneys?
Posted by: Dan T. at Jun 10, 2008 8:54:22 AM
anon, actually i was not sarcastic at all. the point was that the nyt doesn't care. the purpose of that article was basically emperialistic mastrubation. tanzania, and africa in general, is aflicted with many more problems than albinos' rights, but does the nyt care for the real problems? no, africa is only interesting when some species of gorillas are about to go extnict or when violence threatens to close down a tourist resort...its also interesting when they, the africans, do particular horrible things because it allows racists like johnni to point and say, "look at those uncivilized africans" while patting themselves on the back for being superior and civilized.
Posted by: camello at Jun 10, 2008 3:08:21 PM
