I was not previously aware of this work by Mark Twain. Written in the first person from Leopold’s standpoint, ostensibly in defence of his Congo atrocities, it is brutally satirical.

https://archive.org/details/kingleopoldssoli00twaiuoft/page/n5/mode/1up

Of particular note was Leopold’s complaint (ie Twain’s praise) regarding “the kodak”. Affordable, portable photography uncovered a lot of secrets.

The kodak has been a sore calamity to us. The most powerful enemy that has confronted us, indeed. In the early years we had no trouble in getting the press to “expose” the tales of the mutilations as slanders, lies, Inventions of busy-body American missionaries and exasperated foreigners who had found the “open door” of the Berlin-Congo charter closed against them when they Innocently went out there to trade ; and by the press’s help we got the Christian nations everywhere to turn an irritated and unbelieving ear to those tales and say hard things about the tellers of them. Yes, all things went harmoniously and pleasantly in those good days, and I was looked up to as the benefactor of a down-trodden and friendless people. Then all of a sudden came the crash! That is to say, the incorruptible kodak — and all the harmony went to hell! The only witness I have encountered in my long experience that I couldn’t bribe. Every Yankee missionary and every interrupted trader sent home and got one; and now — oh, well, the pictures get sneaked around everywhere, in spite of all we can do to ferret them out and suppress them. Ten thousand pulpits and ten thousand presses are saying the good word for me all the time and placidly and convincingly denying the mutilations. Then that trivial little kodak, that a child can carry in its pocket, gets up, uttering never a word, and knocks them dumb.

dv said:

I was not previously aware of this work by Mark Twain. Written in the first person from Leopold’s standpoint, ostensibly in defence of his Congo atrocities, it is brutally satirical.

https://archive.org/details/kingleopoldssoli00twaiuoft/page/n5/mode/1up

Of particular note was Leopold’s complaint (ie Twain’s praise) regarding “the kodak”. Affordable, portable photography uncovered a lot of secrets.

The kodak has been a sore calamity to us. The most powerful enemy that has confronted us, indeed. In the early years we had no trouble in getting the press to “expose” the tales of the mutilations as slanders, lies, Inventions of busy-body American missionaries and exasperated foreigners who had found the “open door” of the Berlin-Congo charter closed against them when they Innocently went out there to trade ; and by the press’s help we got the Christian nations everywhere to turn an irritated and unbelieving ear to those tales and say hard things about the tellers of them. Yes, all things went harmoniously and pleasantly in those good days, and I was looked up to as the benefactor of a down-trodden and friendless people. Then all of a sudden came the crash! That is to say, the incorruptible kodak — and all the harmony went to hell! The only witness I have encountered in my long experience that I couldn’t bribe. Every Yankee missionary and every interrupted trader sent home and got one; and now — oh, well, the pictures get sneaked around everywhere, in spite of all we can do to ferret them out and suppress them. Ten thousand pulpits and ten thousand presses are saying the good word for me all the time and placidly and convincingly denying the mutilations. Then that trivial little kodak, that a child can carry in its pocket, gets up, uttering never a word, and knocks them dumb.

:)
Penned long before Photoshop.

We need a new incorruptible witness

Some government agents these days are getting away with worse than murder.

mollwollfumble said:

We need a new incorruptible witness

Some government agents these days are getting away with worse than murder.

Especially the Russian and Chinese ones.

party_pants said:

mollwollfumble said:

We need a new incorruptible witness

Some government agents these days are getting away with worse than murder.

Especially the Russian and Chinese ones.

It almost seems that free thinkers become targets for polomium.

roughbarked said:

party_pants said:

mollwollfumble said:

We need a new incorruptible witness

Some government agents these days are getting away with worse than murder.

Especially the Russian and Chinese ones.

It almost seems that free thinkers become targets for polonium.

Fixing typo.