Evil scum war criminal pats himself on the back

In his sentencing hearing yesterday, evil scum and war criminal Charles Taylor pleaded for mercy from the UN Special Court for Sierra Leone... without acknowledging any guilt. The former Liberian dictator was convicted by the court of knowingly aiding and abetting war crimes in that country’s civil war (he’s never been charged for his role in the barbarity in his own country).

Taylor had the gall to praise himself as bringing healing and reconciliation to Liberia. He is correct.... sort of. Healing and reconciliation arrived in his country, but only after he fled the country in disgrace.

Prosecutors called for an 80 year sentence for the convictions, a term which defense attorneys called ‘disproportionate.’ They are correct, it is disproportionate. Taylor’s reign of terror which destabilized an entire region merits a much harsher sentence.

Record foreign investment in Africa

It’s been widely reported that 2011 marked the year in which Africa received its largest ever share of global foreign direct investment (FDI). The continent received some 5.5%, up a full percent from the previous year. Africa still ranked as “the least attractive investment destination in the world,” in a survey of investors. But those who already had a presence in the continent viewed it overwhelmingly positively, while those who didn’t viewed its prospects dimly.