11/26/13 The White-Savior Industrial Complex - Global - The Atlantic

www.theatlantic.com/international/print/2012/03/the-white-savior-industrial-complex/254843/ 1/6
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GVE A GFT
DGTAL EDTON
The White-Suvior Indostriul
Complex
Teju Cole
Ij ue cre oin to interjere in the lites oj others, c little due dilience is c minimum requirement.
Left, Invisible Children's Jason Russell. Right, a protest leader in Lagos, Nigeria / Facebook, AP
A week und u IuII ugo, wuLcIed LIe Konyzo1z vIdeo. AILerwurd, wroLe u brIeI seven-purL response,
wIIcI posLed In sequence on my TwILLer uccounL:
1- rom SucIs Lo KrIsLoI Lo nvIsIbIe CIIIdren Lo TED, LIe IusLesL growLI IndusLry In LIe US Is
LIe WIILe SuvIor ndusLrIuI CompIex.
-- Teju CoIe (LejucoIe) MurcI 8, zo1z
z- TIe wIILe suvIor supporLs bruLuI poIIcIes In LIe mornIng, Iounds cIurILIes In LIe uILernoon,
und receIves uwurds In LIe evenIng.
-- Teju CoIe (LejucoIe) MurcI 8, zo1z
- TIe bunuIILy oI evII LrunsmuLes InLo LIe bunuIILy oI senLImenLuIILy. TIe worId Is noLIIng buL
u probIem Lo be soIved by enLIusIusm.
-- Teju CoIe (LejucoIe) MurcI 8, zo1z
q- TIIs worId exIsLs sImpIy Lo suLIsIy LIe needs--IncIudIng, ImporLunLIy, LIe senLImenLuI needs-
-oI wIILe peopIe und OpruI.
11/26/13 The White-Savior Industrial Complex - Global - The Atlantic
www.theatlantic.com/international/print/2012/03/the-white-savior-industrial-complex/254843/ 2/6
MORE ON THE ORD'S
RESSTANCE ARMY
The ecline oI
Americun
Nutionulism:
Why We Love to
Hute Kony o1
-- Teju CoIe (LejucoIe) MurcI 8, zo1z
- TIe WIILe SuvIor ndusLrIuI CompIex Is noL ubouL jusLIce. L Is ubouL IuvIng u bIg emoLIonuI
experIence LIuL vuIIduLes prIvIIege.
-- Teju CoIe (LejucoIe) MurcI 8, zo1z
6- everIsI worry over LIuL uwIuI AIrIcun wurIord. BuL cIose Lo 1. mIIIIon ruqIs dIed Irom un
AmerIcun wur oI cIoIce. Worry ubouL LIuL.
-- Teju CoIe (LejucoIe) MurcI 8, zo1z
;- deepIy respecL AmerIcun senLImenLuIILy, LIe wuy one respecLs u wounded IIppo. You musL
keep un eye on IL, Ior you know IL Is deudIy.
-- Teju CoIe (LejucoIe) MurcI 8, zo1z
TIese LweeLs were reLweeLed, Iorwurded, und wIdeIy sIured by reuders. TIey mIgruLed beyond
TwILLer Lo bIogs, TumbIr, ucebook, und oLIer sILes; 'm LoId LIey generuLed IIerce urgumenLs. As LIe
duys wenL by, LIe LweeLs were reproduced In LIeIr enLIreLy on LIe websILes oI LIe Atlcntic und LIe
Neu Yorl Times, und LIey sIowed up on Germun, SpunIsI, und PorLuguese sILes. A IrIend emuIIed Lo
LeII me LIuL LIe IourLI LweeL, wIIcI cIeekIIy nume-cIecks OpruI, wus menLIoned on ox LeIevIsIon.
TIese senLences oI mIne, wrILLen wILIouL mucI premedILuLIon, Iud LoucIed u nerve. Ieurd buck
Irom muny peopIe wIo were gruLeIuI Lo Iuve reud LIem. Ieurd buck Irom muny oLIers wIo were
dIsuppoInLed or IurIous. Muny peopIe, Loo muny Lo counL, cuIIed me u rucIsL. One person IIkened me
Lo LIe Muu Muu. TIe ALIunLIc wrILer wIo'd reproduced LIem, wIIIe ugreeIng wILI my brouder poInLs,
descrIbed LIe Iunguuge In wIIcI LIey were expressed us "resenLmenL."
TIIs weekend, IIsLened Lo u rudIo InLervIew gIven by LIe PuIILzer PrIze-wInnIng journuIIsL NIcIoIus
KrIsLoI. KrIsLoI Is besL known Ior IIs reguIur coIumn In LIe Neu Yorl Times In wIIcI Ie oILen gIves
uccounLs oI IIs ucLIvIsm or LIuL oI oLIer WesLerners. WIen suw LIe Kony zo1z vIdeo, Iound IL
LonuIIy sImIIur Lo KrIsLoI's upproucI, und LIuL wus wIy menLIoned IIm In LIe IIrsL oI my seven
LweeLs.
TIose LweeLs, LIougI unpremedILuLed, were InLenLIonuI In
LIeIr Irony und serIousness. dId noL wrILe LIem Lo score
cIeup poInLs, mucI Iess Lo IurL unyone's IeeIIngs.
beIIeved LIuL u cerLuIn kInd oI Iunguuge Is Loo
InIrequenLIy seen In our pubIIc dIscourse. um u noveIIsL.
LruIIIc In subLIeLIes, und my gouI In wrILIng u noveI Is Lo
Ieuve LIe reuder noL knowIng wIuL Lo LIInk. A good noveI
sIouIdn'L Iuve u poInL.
BuL LIere's u pIuce In LIe poIILIcuI spIere Ior dIrecL speecI
und, In LIe pusL Iew yeurs In LIe U.S., LIere Ius been u
cIIIIIng eIIecL on u cerLuIn kInd oI dIrecL speecI perLuInIng
Lo rIgILs. TIe presIdenL Is wury oI beIng seen us LIe
"ungry bIuck mun." PeopIe oI coIor, women, und guys --