Comments on: Look of Oppressed: About the Same, Except a Lot Less Blurrier

By: Stan B.

Stan B. — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:20:34 +0000

My apologies for having lost the accompanying caption and/or link for the black and white photo. I do however supply eight (8) supporting links on a variety of directly related topics that the reader is welcomed to examine, explore and expand upon, as you yourself have seemed fit to do- as would any responsible, interested reader. I applaud your initiative and hope others will follow suit- it is, afterall, how we are best informed and educated.

By: Mountainviewer

Mountainviewer — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:58:37 +0000

Captions and identifying info help, no?
I found the relevant blurb on the second photo through one of the links: “Mr. Wood was born in Shanghai in 1948 and arrived in Nigeria at the end of the 70’s were he started an industrial empire that includes today about 15 factories with more then 1600 workers, construction companies, hotels and restaurants. He is an official adviser to the president and has obtained the title of African chief and the authorization to use police cars as his own which helps in the monstrous Lagos traffic jams. He uses as well the police as private bodyguards, like here on the construction site of 544 villas built at record speed on the Lekki peninsula near the headquarters of the Chevron oil company.”
What’s the context for the first image?
I realize it’s tempting to insist that contexts don’t particularly matter here, that you can tell all you need to know from the surface. But it’s useful to me to know that the armed, uniformed man in #2 is a member of the police as opposed to a private body guard or member of the armed forces. And that it’s Lagos not Port Harcourt (or Johannesburg or Accra or…).
Note that the homes in the background of #1 might have been lived in by the porters or someone they knew. The homes in #2 are certainly not for the police. Note too the relative cleanliness of the ground in #1 and the trash on the beach in #2. Also the inversion in the clothing ratio. And wonder what difference the gun in #2 makes.

By: KingElvis

KingElvis — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:30:57 +0000

“A lot less blurry.” ierierieir.

By: John Edwin Mason

John Edwin Mason — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:15:58 +0000

Stan, thanks for reminding us that it’s primarily about power and greed and secondarily about race, now and 100 years ago.
BTW, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao was in Egypt over the weekend, promising African nations $10 billion in loans:
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL8250431

By: cay

cay — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:02:33 +0000

Reminds me of John McCain at the MLK remembrance rally with a person of color holding an umbrella over him. Sigh.