The video which has been discussed intensely now is viewed more than 79,277,982 times on YouTube. The video is about the military use of children in Africa. The warlord, Joseph Knoy, kidnaps a large number of children, and forces boys to fight against his enemies and girls to be sex slaves. The main goal of the video is to make Knoy famous in 2012 so that the government(s), especially the U.S., will do something to arrest Kony, like a military operation… Yet, the donation is the other goal.

Meanwhile, many people assert that the video is a scam or unpractical propaganda. In Mark Memmott points out in “While Controversial, ‘Kony 2012′ Has Put Focus On Atrocities”, that there are several misleading facts in Kony 2012 video. Firstly, the LRA is no longer to operate in northern Uganda, and perhaps there are only 250 to 300 fighters at most. Secondly, the local, Ugandan blogger Rosebell Kagumire says that the video misled many people when it simplifies the nation’s case… According to PBS news, there was only 30% of the donation really went to Africa. Yet, the organization declared that is because they need to pay off the budgets of film making.

The video is considered an extremely successful propaganda, since a YouTube video can be viewed many more times and spread out faster than a book or a movie nowadays.

The 2011 Hollywood movie, “Machine Gun Preacher”, is basically the similar story with “Kony 2012”. Sam Childers, was a junky, but became a pastor who set many African children (including Ugandan) free from warlords, meantime he has to be a soldier and work with local armed force.

In my opinion, no matter the video “Kony 2012” is a scam or not, at least it catches the attentions from the world. Nobody would care these Ugandan child “labors” if the video doesn’t show up. 30% of the donation is always better than 0 donation. Okay, if you don’t support “Kony 2012”, you can still support the machine gun preacher.

I’m glad to see the different perspectives on the video. I believe it is a good sign that people can share their ideas borderless, and have the freedom of speech. Meanwhile, people are not totally brain washed by these propagandas while we also have the freedom of criticism.