The Congo has been a hell-hole for centuries. But don't ever blame the poor bloody Congolese.

Instead, blame the European slavers of 500 years ago who ripped millions of people out of that part of the African continent and shipped them off as slaves to the new world.

Then blame the Belgians whose king, Leopold ll, personally owned the Congo and murdered millions of Congolese in his ravenous quest for rubber, diamonds and gold.

Then blame Pope Nicholas V for a papal bull that, in effect, granted European monarchs the right to reduce "Saracens, pagans and any other unbelievers" to hereditary slavery and whose church destroyed much of the tribal culture that sustained the Congolese people.

Then blame the hordes of savage capitalists from North America and Europe who reduced Congo to a basket case while they plundered -- and still plunder -- its riches.

Finally, blame us. We did and do almost nothing to try to save the wretched people of the Congo.

But don't ever blame the victims, the poor bloody Congolese.


(Samantha Jones is a Canadian journalist publishing her erotic memoir at www.lulu.com)