We are helping to fund war!

[Guest Coucou]

You and I are helping fund the war in Congo. Most people on this forum, like myself, like getting the latest mobile phones on a fairly regular basis. The capacitors in mobiles use a rare earth element called Tantalum. Until recently most Tantalum came from Australia but demand has soared recently meaning less developed mines can charge more. 80% of the worlds tantalum is in Africa, 80% of that is in Congo. Guess why there's a massive war there?

I feel quite guilty now, having just changed my phone.

Posted from my Treo!

[Guest chucky.egg]

If I buy an American product I'm supporting their economy, making them stronger, making their armies stronger, and thereby contributing to their world domination

You could make that sort of argument about anything.

People make wars, not capacitors

[that's "capacitors dont make wars", not "people dont make capacitors" :) ]

[Guest superkingdave]

Also the war in Congo ended last year, transitional governors have just been named and general elections are scheduled for 2005

[Guest Coucou]

I've been back to the article I read last night - after a bottle of rice wine - and it is from a couple of years ago. So apologies there.

Still interesting that we did help to fund the war, even if it's in the past tense. I don't think it's all settled yet in Congo, the UN Peacekeepers are still getting involved in clashes every now and then.

And Chris, you're quite right, except that America doesn't dominate the world, only the US does :)

Sorry to be pedantic but I have Brazilian family, they're just as American as US citizens! It's like saying English when you mean British :roll:

[Guest Brody]

Surely its like saying British when you mean English!? :) Going from a broad term to a specific term - America to USA, Britain to England! :lol:

[Guest Coucou]

Not really, you have a point but the point I'm making is that people confuse identities by saying American when they mean US and they also say English when they mean British. That's the way round the errors go in real life. I'm not trying to produce a mathematical equation. The errors are similar enough for the point I was making. :)

Posted from my Treo!

[Guest Brody]

LOL! I say English when i mean English but people tell me i should be saying British! I am English and proud, roll on Euro 2004 (I bought my big St George's flag today :lol:). I'm heading out to Spain on the 10th June (barmy army!) but thats a whole other Off Topic topic (if that makes sense :))

[Guest superkingdave]

Spain meaning portugal?

Posted from my SmartPhone!

[Guest Brody]

Unfortunately not but nice comment :) Was considering the trip to Portugal via train but its a real nightmare so i doubt we'll make it over, still i'll be cheering on the 3 Lions in a Spanish bar :lol:

[Guest chucky.egg]

And Chris, you're quite right, except that America doesn't dominate the world, only the US does :)

Fair cop! Sorry!

TBH quite often I'm not sure how to name where I'm from.

I'm very proud to be English, despite our cricket team, but I've never understood what distinguishes Great Britain from the United Kingdom, or why the Scots and Welsh get to vote in our parliament, but we dont get to vote in theirs.

No offence meant to anyone, and please don't bother trying to explain GB vs. UK to me as I tend to fall asleep easily.

[Guest Coucou]

The difference between GB and UK is simple, UK includes Northern Ireland.

Wake up!

[Guest chucky.egg]

[wipes drool off chin and holds eyes open]

Oh yeah, that makes sense. Guess I should have stayed at school after all.

[snore]

[Guest Matt Kirby]

I think that Britain is the landmass, which includes Wales and Scotland.

England is just the bit of Britain that isn't Wales or Scotland.

The United Kingdom (even though we have a Queen!) is England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as Coucou said.

I vaguely remember hearing a story about "Great" being added to "Britain" to change the country's standing in a conference or summit - can't remember why though!