@Klon
Yes but in doing so you are contradicting the very philosophy of what prisonermonkeys was trying to convey. Basically falling into the trap of making a forcibly cynical remark on the subject without assessing what’s actually there, and this is what many people have been doing. It’s part of human nature to question, but some comments I have seen are by people rushing to conclusions, . Generally going out of their way so to not feel like one of the ‘flock of sheep’ but in doing so avoid making a rounded and well guided response. essentially making themselves feel superior or as if they have one up on everyone else by suggesting we should doubt the motives of Invisiblechildren. and yes in some ways I agree you should take everything you hear with a pinch of salt, but do so by using an unbiased, logical thought process to make a balanced assumption. after all what more can you do on a subject that you know little about? ..Even in the video above the speaker seems to divert from logic to suggest that we should have doubts. Now I’m in no way an expert on the financial models of charities, but in order for a charity to expand it’s reaches and as a result increase its income. It’s going to need to spend the majority of what it takes on awareness programs and all that intales (especially given the number of sales they are likely to make on their promotional goods). Kind of like an investment being made into the potential of increasing what can then be distributed to their cause. And you can’t doubt that investment has paid off given the amount of people willingly giving support all over the internet.
To the arguement ‘why now, why 2012, why not ten years ago’. I ask you this; was the prospective range and influence of social media on first world societies great enough to create such a storm ten years ago? was there a means in place to exploit that? I can answer that for you, in short no.. Maybe not even four or five years ago.. Beside this there is a simple explanation to why this is happening in 2012 as quoted from a Q&A article from the creator of Invisiblechildren:
“Why this year?
In the last 9 years of trying to end the war, the puzzle pieces have not been aligned like they are now. When Obama deployed the advisory troops in October, it was a shock. My psyche was stunned; I never thought that the government could or would actually do it. The fact that they did do it and that advisors are there now, makes the end of this war totally possible but it’s very time-sensitive. Everyone that’s been working on the conflict from Senator Inhofe to Resolve to John Prendergast know that it has to be 2012 because by the time it turns 2013, the advisors would have been there [some might say] too long.”
Elsewhere I’ve found him state that it’s supposed to be set up like a mock presidential candidates campaign, which explains the nature of the graphics and imagery behind the campaign and the tagline ‘KONY2012’. As well as why it’s specifically this year.
In answer to @MagnificentGeoffrey , Yes it is marketing, it’s a very well thought out and well planned marketing stunt and you can’t deny that they have succeeded in raising awareness for their cause.. I won’t try to go into detail but every aspect of this campaign from the video to the wristband you get in their ‘action kit’ has been produced in a way so to exploit the feeling of unity and righteousness human beings have from rising against an opposing party who are at wrong. And the desire to feel involved. But if all of the well thought out marketing schemes are in the end leading to a good cause, then where’s the problem with that?
and as a general conclusion not aimed at any one in particular rather aimed at the conspiracy theorists in general.. who are you to accuse this charity of wrong doing? When you (as I) know little about it. I’ll eat my hat if it turns out there is anything suspicious about this charity, and at the present moment from our end of the internet there isn’t enough evidence to suggest there is anything suspicious about it. There can only be speculation.
