Pat Robertson in the Congo
October 16, 2013 3:23 AM   Subscribe

Mission Congo is a documentary that opened in the Toronto Film Festival discusses how so many of the resources from the minister’s Operation Blessing charity that was intended to aid Rwandan refugees during the humanitarian crisis of the 90’s , apparently ended up serving another purpose. Diamond mining in the Congo.
posted by Lung the Younger (30 comments total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
That Pat Robertson. It reads like some kind of sick joke - like some dastardly guy from bad fiction. Gold mine in Liberia, Diamond mine in the Congo. Lying his ass off about all of it. There's just no good to that guy - one kind of gets the impression he's really smart (Yale Law) and yet utterly without morals.

I don't want to read about him anymore, unless it's about how he's losing everything in a lawsuit...
posted by From Bklyn at 3:50 AM on October 16, 2013 [3 favorites]


Scumbag.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:29 AM on October 16, 2013


In a thread from yesterday, Rustic Etruscan made a comment that is absolutely appropriate here:

Well, now I can see A) how anticlericalism comes about and B) a red mist.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:38 AM on October 16, 2013 [9 favorites]


I just posted a link to the Guardian article on Operation Blessing's facebook page, with the following scripture quote:
Psalm 101:7 ESV
No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.
Let's see how long it stays there.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:38 AM on October 16, 2013 [11 favorites]


From the Guardian article:

But the Virginian authorities declined to prosecute Robertson, describing his misrepresentations as a "blemish". Mission Congo notes that leading state politicians were recipients of large donations from Robertson.

MY HATRED WAS ONCE A ROARING FLAME
AND THEN IT WAS A PEAL OF STONE-BREAKING THUNDER
BUT NOW
IT IS A SMALL, SMOOTH WHITE EGG
FLOATING FOUR FEET OFF THE FLOOR
OF AN ALL-WHITE ROOM
IT HUMS WITH ELECTRIC STILLNESS
IT IS A PRAYER FOR PAT ROBERTSON
TO NEED TO USE THE BATHROOM
FOREVER
posted by Sticherbeast at 4:44 AM on October 16, 2013 [13 favorites]


So for the record, I think Pat Robertson is a douche, but in the interest of objectivity I tried to read the Operation Blessing response here . They make statements that are true, but still problematic.

-Jessie Potts, who was oddly referenced in the film as being the “operations manager for Robertson in Goma in 1994,” was not an employee of Operation Blessing. Our records indicate he was a volunteer, and only for a short time.


Technically, it seems like Jessie Potts could have been volunteering as operations manager for a year, which might qualify as a short time to OB. They also don't explicitly say that he wasn't operations manager, just that the reference is odd.

-While Operation Blessing partners with other aid groups on humanitarian efforts all around the world on a daily basis, we are not aware of any instance in which we made use of another organization’s photos or videos without accompanying explanation. In fact, due to its affiliation with CBN, Operation Blessing always travels with its own cameras and would have no reason to use someone else’s videos.


From the article, it seems like the implication was that OB used their own cameras to take photos of MSF staff, so it seems like the OB response here is technically true but misses the point.


-Roughly twenty years ago, Operation Blessing purchased three World War II used airplanes for aid relief in Africa. A short time later, a personal business entity of Dr. Robertson’s called the African Development Corporation (ADC), bought one of the planes from OB for full market value and the price paid by OB. All three planes were shipped across the Atlantic to the Congo. In addition to paying for all the operating expenses for the ADC flights, Dr. Robertson made substantial contributions from personal funds to help OB cover the costs of its flight operations in Zaire.


If ADC is a personal business entity of Pat Robertson, then isn't he just selling something to himself?


-Mr. Potts’ quote about the medications that OB provided as not being useful (“too much Tylenol”) is completely unfounded. OB records confirm that hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of emergency medicines (including many different varieties of antibiotics, anti-malarial drugs, anti-diarrheal medications, oral rehydration salts) along with other medical equipment (intravenous equipment, x-ray machines, lab equipment, bandages, forceps, syringes, etc) were flown into the country by Operation Blessing on multiple occasions. Interestingly, OB records do not show any Tylenol being sent by the organization.

I am skeptical that their records are accurate. However, I presume they bought the medicines and equipment from another party, who should also have records of the transaction. If they were able to produce such records, I would consider changing my mind about them.
posted by ILuvMath at 4:50 AM on October 16, 2013 [5 favorites]


I am always glad to see this stuff spread further. I wish I believed it will lead to accountability and consequences.
posted by Pope Guilty at 4:53 AM on October 16, 2013 [3 favorites]


I wish so too.

At least you can always throw it in the face of the next email forward you get. Fuck you and your false idols, grandma!
posted by clarknova at 4:56 AM on October 16, 2013 [5 favorites]


Couple of days ago... I watched a recent BBC documentary I found [cough, cough] on the interwebs: History of Congo.

The Europeans showed up in 1482. Ever since, things have gone from bad to worse. You think it couldn't get any worse... and then it does.

What an eye-opener. There were times I wanted to weep

Robertson? Alas, not the first nor last to try and take advantage of the sorry state of the country.

Interesting fact from the Beeb documentary: the uranium used for the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was mined in Congo.
posted by Mister Bijou at 5:03 AM on October 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


I wish I believed there was a hell for people like Robertson.
posted by birdherder at 5:58 AM on October 16, 2013 [3 favorites]


Mod note: Maybe not so much with the wishing painful deaths on people, thanks.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 6:12 AM on October 16, 2013 [2 favorites]


I wish I believed there was a hell for people like Robertson.
posted by birdherder at 8:58 AM on October 16

I wish Robertson had believed there was a hell for people behaving like him.
posted by Nanukthedog at 6:13 AM on October 16, 2013 [6 favorites]


Holy moly, I always knew the guy was a bastard, but I didn't think he was a full-on monster.
posted by aramaic at 6:23 AM on October 16, 2013 [3 favorites]


Mister Bijou: "Couple of days ago... I watched a recent BBC documentary I found [cough, cough] on the interwebs: History of Congo.

The Europeans showed up in 1482. Ever since, things have gone from bad to worse. You think it couldn't get any worse... and then it does.

What an eye-opener. There were times I wanted to weep

Robertson? Alas, not the first nor last to try and take advantage of the sorry state of the country.
"

Damnit, I'm gonna be late, but want to reply.

The other night while talking with my mom on the phone the topic of the wars in the Congo (specifically the DRC) and the massive death toll of millions killed came up, and it was instantly "Muslims... always killing..." I'm like Mom, this has nothing to do with Muslims. "Oh You just don't understand, you're not looking, you're not seeing..."

"NO MOM, I KNOW IT ISN'T"

I had to drop it, and realized I should have pointed out the deleterious effects of colonialism as being the chief source of the problems here in this regard. I was trying to get to the point that Islam has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Congo. Other parts of Africa, it plays as a role as one of the factions in some of the disputes, but not in the Congo.

Also: My mom is a huge supporter of Pat Robertson.

I hate it, because she is so loving and is trying to hard to do the right thing, the compassionate thing, but she is "blinded by the right" (to steal David Brock's term)...
posted by symbioid at 6:59 AM on October 16, 2013 [2 favorites]


And my comment is gone from their facebook page. Aw, shoot.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:23 AM on October 16, 2013 [2 favorites]


[Maybe not so much with the wishing painful deaths on people, thanks.]

Yeah, what is this, the 700 Club?
posted by deanklear at 7:41 AM on October 16, 2013 [19 favorites]


The social media squad for Operation Blessing must be working overtime today. They deleted my Facebook post in about 15 minutes. I was just congratulating them on being featured in the news...
posted by Nelson at 8:45 AM on October 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


[Maybe not so much with the wishing painful deaths on people, thanks.]
But wishing they burn eternally in Hell is just fine, because it's an empty threat. Pat Robertson, deep down, knows there is no God and is a devout YOLO-ist.

I just wonder how much Robertson is paying for his good press in Facebook. Because I no longer believe that Facebook does anything that does not maximize immediate income.
posted by oneswellfoop at 8:48 AM on October 16, 2013 [2 favorites]


Pat Robertson is STILL a vocal ally of Charles Taylor, even as he rightfully languishes in prison.

Good to know that some of those 700 Club donations went to help chop the arms and legs off of babies in Sierra Leone. How very Christian of them.
posted by Fnarf at 9:46 AM on October 16, 2013 [2 favorites]


I just posted a link to the Guardian article on Operation Blessing's facebook page, with the following scripture quote:
Psalm 101:7 ESV
No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.
Let's see how long it stays there.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:38 AM on October 16
[10 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]

Whoever feels like it, we should go and post it on their page by turns. We should keep doing it. So it becomes a HUGE pain in the dupa to fix it.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 11:06 AM on October 16, 2013 [2 favorites]


Just did it. War of the mosquito my friends!
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 11:16 AM on October 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


Just read this article on him recently, from a link to longform.org.

He's always been a selfish ass.
posted by MoxieProxy at 12:23 PM on October 16, 2013 [1 favorite]


Following up from Fnarf's comment
The little-known tale of the evangelist and the dictator. (2003); and recently Raw Story.
posted by adamvasco at 1:24 PM on October 16, 2013


And on preview anyone interested in getting a fuller picture of the snake oil saleman should read the Virginia Quarterly Review link posted by MoxieProxy
posted by adamvasco at 1:27 PM on October 16, 2013


I always thought Pat "The Hypocrite" Robertson was the one of the biggest lying suckholes around.

I'm sure if some journalist were willing to dig deep enough, and managed to survive to publish, there would be something nasty and highly illegal in this creep's history to put him away for a long, long time.
posted by BlueHorse at 3:48 PM on October 16, 2013


It reads like some kind of sick joke - like some dastardly guy from bad fiction.

"And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling kids documentary-makers!"
posted by dhartung at 12:00 AM on October 17, 2013


Painful death is what Robertson wishes on others. We should be bigger, but fuck that noise. A painful death doesn't begin to revenge the harm he has done to the world, but at least it's something.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:10 AM on October 17, 2013


Nevertheless, Mefi is not really the space for describing fantasies of death, torture, etc. for people we don't like, which is what gnfti was referring to in regard to a deleted comment. Go ahead and make a Metatalk about that policy if need be.
posted by taz at 2:56 AM on October 17, 2013 [2 favorites]


Guardian link says "this page has been removed"? A British libel laws thing? Anyone have a cached copy?
posted by OnceUponATime at 1:10 PM on October 20, 2013


Here's a couple of copies (I did not verify these as complete) One, Two.
posted by Nelson at 2:08 PM on October 20, 2013 [1 favorite]


« Older Not the girl you think you are   |   Mama, I've been asked to the prom Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments