Protesting the Nigerian Government Will Get You Nowhere

     Boko Haram, a radical terrorist organization, kidnapped more than 250 teenage school girls in Nigeria several weeks ago. The corrupt, tyrannical, and incompetent Nigerian government has absolutely no idea where the girls are, (at least they say they don't. Who can trust anything they say? They're corrupt fascists. But I digress). Many Nigerians are in open protest against the government, demanding they do more to find the school girls.
     All I can think is...wow, they're all fucking idiots.
     That's right, I'm, who usually is all for any action against corrupt oligarchical governments, condemning these protests as a complete and utter waste of time, and an action that makes every protester look like a liberal brainwashed whiner.
     Why is it a waste of time? Because anyone who knows anything about non-violent protests know that they only work when there is a chance that the government will acquiesce to the protesters' demands and/or understand their point of view. Let's see what human rights organizations say about the Nigerian government:

• Human Rights Watch, (HRW): "Nigerian authorities also arrested hundreds of people during raids across the north. Many of those detained were held incommunicado without charge or trial, in some cases in inhuman conditions. Some were physically abused; others disappeared or died in detention." 
• HRW: "The failure of Nigeria’s government to address the widespread poverty, corruption, police abuse, and longstanding impunity for a range of crimes has created a fertile ground for violent militancy."
• HRW: "Abuses by government security forces and the ruling elite’s mismanagement and embezzlement of the country’s vast oil wealth also continued largely unabated. Free speech and the independent media remained robust. Nigeria’s judiciary continued to exercise a degree of independence, but many of the corruption cases against senior political figures remained stalled in the courts." http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/nigeria 
• United Nations, (UN): "the Nigerian military carries out extra-judicial killings, torture and illegally detains suspects." http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/14/human-rights-nigeriasecuritybokoharam.html
•  Amnesty International: "The police regularly commit human rights violations, including unlawful killings, torture and other ill-treatment, and enforced disappearances. The justice system is under-resourced and riddled with delays. Prisons are overcrowded; the majority of inmates are pre-trial detainees, some held for many years. Hundreds of people remain on death row, many sentenced after unfair trials. Conflict in the Niger Delta threatens the safety and lives of residents. Human rights defenders and journalists face intimidation and harassment. Violence against women is widespread and the government fails to protect the rights of children. Forced evictions take place across the country." http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/countries/africa/nigeria 

     I found all that in about 2 seconds. 
     Now does it seem like the Nigerian government does not give a FLYING FUCK about what ANY of its citizens think or say?! Yes, protesting may make you look all cute and sophisticated and having the moral high ground and all that other stupid liberal bullshit, but when the police can just raid your house and kill you in cold blood and get away with it, what does it do? It's just a complete and utter waste of time.
     Protesting against the Nigerian government will not do a single thing in finding the kidnapped girls, because it is not the Nigerian government that is holding them. Boko Haram is holding them, which, by the way, is at war with the Nigerian government. It's like if the Taliban killed some civilians, so then some Afghan civilians protest against the Afghani government. What the fuck is that going to do?!
     If Nigerian citizens actually wanted to do something to help find the girls, they could any one of the following:

• First off, fucking get rid of the liberal brainwashing that the government is supposed to protect you. Man up, take responsibility of your own life and safety, and learn the skills necessary to defend yourself. Stop being an adult baby and crying out for protection like a helpless infant. Buy guns, buy ammo, train, form neighbor watches/defense groups, actually TALK with your family and neighbors about what they're going to do in an emergency, etc. 
• Get rid of the people covering for Boko Haram. A terrorist group that is vastly outgunned by it's enemy relies on a network of spies, lookouts, people who are willing to cover for them when they need to, etc, those type of people. This advantage offsets the disadvantage Boko Haram has against the Nigerian military in relation to firepower, air power, etc. People allow these terrorist supporters to live and operate among them, because they don't want their relatives and friends getting into trouble. The Nigerian people must stand on principle, and even if they must turn against friends and family in denunciation of terrorism, then that is what they must do if they want to purge their communities of terrorist influence. 
• Fight against the Nigerian government. This will be a two front war for the Nigerian people. Fighting Boko Haram on one side and the Nigerian government on the other is not an easy task. But it is obvious that the Nigerian government is neither a legitimate government nor a one that respects their citizens' human rights. Logic tells us what the Nigerian people must do if they want a government that is legitimate and will respect their human rights: Perform armed struggle against the Nigerian government until it falls, and then elect a new government in a short amount of time. The warfare should contrast greatly with Boko Haram's tactics, to show that this is the right way to wage a revolution. Instead of attacking civilians and kidnapping teenage girls, the Nigerian people should only attack against Nigerian military and government personnel. 

 

     In conclusion, in regards to what us, the American people can do to help, there is not much. This is the Nigerian peoples' fight, not ours. We cannot swoop down like saviors and save the savage Africans from each other, (sarcasm). No, the world doesn't work that way. But what we can do is this:

• Denounce U.S. military aid to Nigeria. The U.S. has given more than $600 million to the Nigerian military every year since 2010. That's right, your hard earned tax money goes to state sponsored terrorists. That is not a lot compared to the U.S.'s budget, but to the Nigerian military, that is a jackpot of money that can buy all sorts of vehicles and weapons they can use to repress their own citizens. Plus, when we strengthen the Nigerian military, we also strengthen Boko Haram. Why is that? Because when a Nigerian soldiers kills and rapes a woman, holding a U.S. rifle, her brother gets infuriated, (as he has the right to), and runs to join the biggest threat to the Nigerian military which is guess what: Boko Haram. 
• Explain that one can revolt against the Nigerian government and still not be a terrorist. There is a legitimate, (morally and legally speaking), way to fight against an authority that breaks human rights. All people have the right to use force against an authority that repeatedly breaks their human rights. This is confirmed in human psychology as well as the American Founding Fathers. Show the Nigerian people that we recognize and support their right to fight for a real democracy.          
• Do not support American intervention in this conflict. Boko Haram, horrible as they may be, is no threat to us. This is the Nigerian peoples' fight, not ours. Even thought we could militarily beat Boko Haram no problem, an American intervention would only make things worse.