Amerika Needs to Mind Its Business
By DAM
America—and all western powers—have always caused more harm than good whenever they get involved in the policy creation or “aid” of other countries, particularly those in the Global South.
The Congo has been a country of interest to the western world for many years, dating as far back as 1885 when King Leopold II treated the country as his personal playground. Under his rule, 10 million Congolese died as the land and its people were brutally exploited. Naturally, the world has forgotten these crimes and their lasting impacts. As Congo gained independence, it struggled to achieve political stability. How could it not? Foreign powers unashamedly continued to manipulate a nation still reeling from its colonial past.
This reign of terror never really ended; it simply evolved into a more covert but equally harmful form of neo-colonialism.
America has never been on the right side of history.
In its involvement with Congo, the U.S. supported the dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko, a man who brutally repressed his people and allowed foreign corporations to exploit the land with no benefit to the Congolese people. Why? In the name of Cold War politics. After Mobutu’s fall, Congo and its neighbors descended into what is now known as “the Great War of Africa,” as bordering countries struggled to lay claim to Congo’s resources. What did the U.S. do? Nothing. Despite propping up Mobutu for decades, the United states turned a blind eye to the devastation that followed his demise.
When Congo plunged into chaos, as nine African countries and countless militias fought over its mineral wealth, the U.S. remained largely disengaged. There was no meaningful effort to stabilize the region, no push to help Congo build sustainable governance, and absolutely no U.S. accountability for the mess they had helped create. Instead, they watched as millions of Congolese died. Again.
Since the mid-1990s, about 5.4 million Congolese lives have been lost to violence, disease, and famine.
The past informs the present, and history always repeats itself. As a result of the conflicts Congo has faced in the recent past, it is now enduring a silent genocide. International powers continue to exploit the country’s resources. Children are forced into mines, women are raped, and the nation remains destabilized, leading to an ever-growing death toll. But as the world watches—once again—it does nothing.
My biggest question is: When does it stop? When will western powers release their grip on independent nations? When will they stop crippling countries and leaving them to fend for themselves?
The American government is praised for sending generous amounts of money overseas, masquerading as a saving grace for struggling nations.
The U.S. frames its interventions in countries in the Global South as “humanitarian aid” or “democracy building.” If these were truly good faith efforts, they would address the root cause of the instability, exploitation, and poverty—their greed.
America needs to take accountability. Blood is on their hands. Their “peacemaking” efforts should be exposed for what they truly are: exploitative economic endeavors The unabashed pursuit of American wealth at the expense of foreign lives, is sickening. No, we don’t need peace deals or environmentally friendly legislation. We need foreign corporations out of the country. We need local wealth to flow back into their communities. We need Congolese children in schools, we need the Congolese people in homes—not mines.
Congo’s incredible natural wealth has long been the target of imperial extraction, off the backs of the people its resources sent overseas—its beauty now tainted by the hands of the colonizer.
I take back what I said earlier. America does mind its business. It intervenes only when it has something to gain. When real crises arise, its efforts are only aimed at protecting their own interests. They cherry-pick their interventions. How can anyone claim the U.S. has ever truly cared for democracy or human rights? If you believe that, you’re deluded—wake up.
