# 200 girls kidnapped from physics class in Nigeria **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 26, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076 "2014-04-26T21:39:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/161 "2014-05-12T12:44:43Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Yes the Nigerian government is stupid and corrupt and the present President is a nothing who fell into the office by accident when the actual elected President died in office. He has allowed Nigeria to regress and even now is blocking an investigation of the national oil company that was unleashed by the very competent governor of the central bank. Nigeria has made progress and does not always merit its bad reputation, but the only way the Nigeria gets better is for the Nigerian action to happen. Not by the outside charity. This may shock you, but even the great and powerful nations have been known to accept outside help during a crisis. Foreign governments have provided assistance to the US after hurricane Andrew and Katrina, as an example. And look at the multinational efforts in regard to flight MH-370, If the US and Malaysia are capable of accepting outside help to rescue people why isn’t Nigeria? No one, absolutely no one, is talking about an invasion force. Nations like the US have _offered_ assistance, leaving it up to the Nigerian government to accept or not. Which is as it should be. If some US satellite imaging and some UK expertise in hostage negotiation can help get these girls home it is stupid to refuse such help out of some misguide pride or disgust at “charity”. I don’t think race has anything to do with this particular problem. It’s about class. Those girls weren’t considered important enough for the ruling elite of Nigeria to care about. If it hadn’t been for the outside world taking notice the Nigerian government would have done jackshit for them. Moving right along - it seems Boko Haram has released another video. It shows a lot of girls in Muslim dress and seated in a group, which might be reassuring to parents who can recognize their daughters and see they’re still alive. I think the leader’s name is Abubakar Shekau, and he is offering to trade the girls for those of his group that are in prison. He also claims he has converted all the girls to Islam. Will someone tell that jackass that forcing people to change their clothing and making them recite a prayer at gunpoint does not constitute conversion? Of course, now that they’re “converted” any deviation from who Shekau considers proper would be an excuse for punishment. What a piece of shit. Actually, some of the girls likely were Muslim before being kidnapped, but Boko Haram doesn’t consider other Muslims to be Muslim enough or some such. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/162 "2014-05-12T12:52:03Z")
double post ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/163 "2014-05-12T14:52:04Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > This may shock you, but even the great and powerful nations have been known to accept outside help during a crisis. It may shock that your evasions and lies do not escape the readers. This is a non-sequitor. > [@](#): > > No one, absolutely no one, is talking about an invasion force. In fact it was part of the stupid suggestions in this very thread and it was to those stupid things I reacted, and to your lies and your ignorant comments about the supposed slave markets. Your speculations in ignorance about ruling elites and class or claims about what the Nigerian government is or is not doing continue to reflect you know nothing about the Nigeria. In fact the political elites of the Northeast are in a open conflict the the government of Goodluck Jonathan and since many months before this incident over his incompetence in the responses to the Boko Haram having new power. The class of families that send their girls to such schools is not low class and your ignorant speculations add nothing but to your self-indulgence as a pretender. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/164 "2014-05-12T15:19:27Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > What would you do if a loved one was kidnapped? Would you pay? Or would you leave them in the hands of the kidnappers? Neither. I would use drones to find them and then missile bomb strike them. Which we should also be doing to the slave markets. Then there would be no more kidnappings of the girls and killing of the boys. Africa would finally be free from its’ oppresions. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/165 "2014-05-12T16:49:40Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > In fact it was part of the stupid suggestions in this very thread and it was to those stupid things I reacted Oh, alright, some dumbass hotheads on the internet were talking invasion. Not anyone who could actually launch an invasion, just ignorant assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/166 "2014-05-12T20:10:26Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > The Nigerian govt has the reputation of being one of the most corrupt and greedy govts in the world. > > If you want to help those kidnap victims, sending that govt. some money will accomplish more than all the words and threats and arguments based on righteous indignation ever would. > > Question is, do you think it’s reasonable to give those people any money? Or would it be better to try a different strategy? But they said if I send them the money, I’d get back millions in return! MILLIONS!!! ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/167 "2014-05-12T21:37:34Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Neither. I would use drones to find them and then missile bomb strike them. Which we should also be doing to the slave markets. Then there would be no more kidnappings of the girls and killing of the boys. Africa would finally be free from its’ oppresions. You’d kill the slaves too. And why would they stop kidnapping girls rather than just sell them on the down low and not in open markets? Has indiscriminate bombing stopped all terrorism in Afghanistan? ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/168 "2014-05-20T22:09:07Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Then perhaps you should take your own English parable to your heart and not write things like: > Then your false estimations of yourself would not be questioned. Then perhaps YOU should stop acting all high and mighty and provide examples of why people like me should NOT feel that every country in Africa is effed up in one way or another instead of proclaiming all the rest of us a bunch of ignorant fools. Your pompous words don’t do a whole lot to convince anybody that what I posted there ISN’T true. ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/169 "2014-05-20T22:15:23Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > I wish you would apologise for spreading prejudiced lies about slave markets that do not exist, which you invent as facts based on the reading of a few articles online without any knowledge and what is clear is an abiliity to tell stories, and making prejudiced statements about a country you know nothing about. > > It is a magical thinking about America or any Great Power that things can be solved easily by their interventions. Why would bandits who live in the forest and the bush care about a designation, for people who are barely using money since they steal and extort and live very simply… > > This is like the brash statements that it is time for the Nigerian government to have American help. Which will make such a Big Difference, since the Americans have not been able with billions to make progress in Afghanistan (I say that I am not against the Americans going to Afghanistan, they had good reason, but it was a false resolution) and blow up weddings trying to use their hammers to solve a problem that is more delicate. > > The Boko Haram is not very different from the [Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord%27s_Resistance_Army#United_States), which the USA has been supporting a war against for many years, for little result. Since 2001 they are on your terrorist lists. And do people living in the forest and back country care for this designation? No, it is laughable. And since 2008 the Americans have been providing the direct support to Uganda by miltiary advisors and trainings. Like in the Mali these have very little sense. The American system is a good one in the military, but it is too much for a place of like Uganda to absorb. And it would be too much for an America some years ago. > > Too many Americans think life is like their action movies and these interventions, they will solve the problem as like those movies. It is not so simple. So they make false statements and cry for intervention to make an easy feeling of solving a problem and then they can comfortably forget. > \*\* > What Africa needs is for African countries to get investment - and we need reforms to get more - and to build own competences.\*\* These pity interventions only do harm and pity aid only does harm. > > There is now real business developing in Africa across many countries, but Americans more than europeans of the same knowledge and class are stuck in a vision of Africa that is archaic. You keep stating all these things that you claim African countries need to do without pointing out that these are things that they COULD HAVE BEEN doing all along if they’d had the will to do so. On the one hand you’re coming off as VERY pompous and on the other you’re coming off as somebody who is VERY SERIOUSLY in denial about the state of affairs in Africa as a whole. Frankly, you’re no more aid to this discussion than are the people who are advocating for “White Knighting,” as you put it. Matter of fact your position might very well be worse. ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/170 "2014-05-20T22:22:56Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > **The Nigerian govt has the reputation of being one of the most corrupt and greedy govts in the world.** > > If you want to help those kidnap victims, sending that govt. some money will accomplish more than all the words and threats and arguments based on righteous indignation ever would. > > Question is, do you think it’s reasonable to give those people any money? Or would it be better to try a different strategy? Yes. I remember reading several years ago (and, **Ramira** , I couldn’t care less if it came from a source you “approve” of, or not) that Nigerians, themselves, feel that theirs is the most corrupt government in the world. All these things that the “high-minded” and “evolutionary” **Ramira** believes that African countries can do for themselves without Western intervention - how does one reconcile that with the fact that African governments are so corrupt and ineffectual? Oh, that’s right - ostensibly being from that continent **Ramira** is like anybody else on the planet…willing to defend those people even in the face of circumstances and facts that suggest that she should do otherwise. But I guess the rest of us are simply not reading the correct news sources and are relatively uninformed, is that right? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/171 "2014-05-21T02:40:46Z")
> [@racepug](#): > > Yes. I remember reading several years ago (and, **Ramira** , I couldn’t care less if it came from a source you “approve” of, or not) that Nigerians, themselves, feel that theirs is the most corrupt government in the world. All these things that the “high-minded” and “evolutionary” **Ramira** believes that African countries can do for themselves without Western intervention - how does one reconcile that with the fact that African governments are so corrupt and ineffectual? Oh, that’s right - ostensibly being from that continent **Ramira** is like anybody else on the planet…willing to defend those people even in the face of circumstances and facts that suggest that she should do otherwise. But I guess the rest of us are simply not reading the correct news sources and are relatively uninformed, is that right? :mad: For the love of God would you stop lumping together a continent of a billion people and 53 different countries that covers 11 million square miles? Please? Corruption isn’t caused by people just being bad. Corruption will always occur where there is an opportunity and incentive. It’s a structural phenomena, not a moral deficiency. A government can’t just willpower their way out of it, they need to be able to change the structures that are making it happen. And unfortuantely, that change isn’t always a simple one. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/172 "2014-05-21T15:18:25Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Has indiscriminate bombing stopped all terrorism in Afghanistan? Yes. That’s why we are pulling out of there. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/173 "2014-05-21T15:37:43Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > For the love of God would you stop lumping together a continent of a billion people and 53 different countries that covers 11 million square miles? Please? > > Corruption isn’t caused by people just being bad. Corruption will always occur where there is an opportunity and incentive. It’s a structural phenomena, not a moral deficiency. A government can’t just willpower their way out of it, they need to be able to change the structures that are making it happen. And unfortuantely, that change isn’t always a simple one. Exactly. Heads of state that keep all the wealth and foreign aid for themselves and their golden toilets and let their people starve and war and kidnap each others children for sex slaves are good people and it’s not their fault for not doing anything to help. It’s just that they set their government up wrong. If only these heads of state had gone to Camaroon like you then they would realize this and fix themselves but since they didn’t I guess their people are just screwed. Oh well. Maybe after these kids live out their lives as sex slaves and die they’ll be lucky enough to be reincarnated in the US. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/174 "2014-05-21T20:50:02Z")
[U.S. deploys 80 military personnel to Chad to help search for the missing girls.](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/obama-80-us-troops-chad-seeking-abducted-girls) > [@](#): > > Obama said the service members will help with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the nearby region. He says the force will stay in Chad until its support is no longer necessary. > > Chad shares a portion of its western border with northeastern Nigeria. > > According to Lt. Col. Myles Caggins, the 80 U.S. military personnel will help expand drone searches of the region. About 40 of the troops make up the launch and recovering teams for the drone being deployed there and the other 40 make up the security force for the team. Caggins said this latest deployment will not involve ground searches by the troops. Success might help redeem the reputation of drones in some small measure, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/175 "2014-06-10T16:15:15Z")
[And now **some** group of gunmen, probably BH, has abducted 20 women from a Nigerian village.](http://www.salon.com/2014/06/10/report_boko_haram_abducts_20_women_in_northeastern_nigeria/) I guess they needed help looking after the girls. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/176 "2014-06-10T16:44:51Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Exactly. Heads of state that keep all the wealth and foreign aid for themselves and their golden toilets and let their people starve and war and kidnap each others children for sex slaves are good people and it’s not their fault for not doing anything to help. It’s just that they set their government up wrong. > > If only these heads of state had gone to Camaroon like you then they would realize this and fix themselves but since they didn’t I guess their people are just screwed. Oh well. Maybe after these kids live out their lives as sex slaves and die they’ll be lucky enough to be reincarnated in the US. Well, either that or foreign powers can stop propping up corrupt regimes, undermining democracy and assassinating potentially good leaders for political expediency, as happened from the dawn of independence to 1991. Now that the Cold War is over and that stuff has largely died down, the structures that encourage corruption are withering and democracy is making massive head ways. But it will take some time for the corruption-based systems in place to dismantle, and it will be messy as weak states (which were previously able to survive thanks to Cold War sponsorship) reorganize into strong ones that are capable of maintaining control within their borders without restoring to buying off local warlords and power brokers and manipulating ethnic politics. ---
**Author:** ![OurLordPeace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e8c25b/32.png) [@OurLordPeace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OurLordPeace)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/177 "2014-06-10T19:14:37Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Yes. That’s why we are pulling out of there. We? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/178 "2014-06-10T21:02:07Z")
> [@OurLordPeace](#): > > We? This shtick doesn’t get any less stupid with repetition. Nor do you. ---
**Author:** ![OurLordPeace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e8c25b/32.png) [@OurLordPeace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OurLordPeace)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/179 "2014-06-10T23:12:51Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > This shtick doesn’t get any less stupid with repetition. Nor do you. That’s funny, inasmuch as I feel the same way about referring to one’s government as “we.” Leave me out of it. Identifying in such a personal way with those who intend to rule you is a characteristic of authoritarian societies. In such a mindset, anyone who criticizes or opposes the actions of your government is opposing you. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076/180 "2014-06-10T23:26:16Z")
> [@OurLordPeace](#): > > That’s funny, inasmuch as I feel the same way about referring to one’s government as “we.” It’s not “we” the government, it’s “we” the nation, in whose name the government gets to act whether you like it or not, which means **we,** the Americans, invaded Afghanistan and now **we** are leaving. And don’t try to dissociate yourself from all responsibility. If you vote, you bear some, and if you don’t vote you have no business bitching about what government does. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-girls-kidnapped-from-physics-class-in-nigeria/687076.md?page=10)