On this day in 1983, socialist revolutionary Thomas Sankara became president of Burkina Faso at the age of 33. He only lasted 4 years because he was killed in a military coup suspected to be backed by the US and France.
Sankara won the love of his people because of his socialist programs and economic prosperity, his confrontation with the national elite, Western imperialism and neo-colonialism.
In those 4 short years he:
• Vaccinated 2.5 million children against meningitis, yellow fever, and measles in weeks.
• Initiated a nationwide literacy campaign, increasing the literacy rate from 13% in 1983 to 73% in 1987.
• Redistributed land from the feudal landlords and gave it directly to the peasants.
• Appointed women to senior positions, encouraged them to work, and granted pregnancy leave during education.
• Called for a united front of African nations to repudiate their foreign debt, arguing the poor and exploited did not have an obligation to repay money to the rich and exploiting.
@ChaosSkeleton You know, I hate to be That Guy [TM] and I love me some Sankara, but isn't this post lifted word-for-word - without attribution - from a Redfish media post?
@ChaosSkeleton The Redfish post, for reference.
@adz @ChaosSkeleton and? what's your point here
@req @ChaosSkeleton I thought the "without attribution" part covered it, but I guess not. I get that certain platforms can be annoying/inconvenient and reposting in other places can be good, but if one doesn't, at least, drop a link then isn't one just ripping off other peoples' work? Maybe OP works for Redfish and was the original author, but then wouldn't they wish to link for other reasons?
@ChaosSkeleton @req how dare you share information selenos
@ChaosSkeleton @shade love fighting the good fight against, huh, copying and pasting a text. good thing the post wasn't about anything as important
@ChaosSkeleton @shade copyright brain really did a number on these guys
@req @ChaosSkeleton the funny thing is i’ve literally never seen anyone come for actual art or original works like that (other than artists)
@shade @ChaosSkeleton lmao yeah, or followers of said artists, at times. as if that wasn't anything but concern trolling
@shade @ChaosSkeleton (that as in, the comments of this specific guy)
@ChaosSkeleton @req Had you dropped a link, this conversation would have never occurred. I would've even liked and boosted.
@adz@mastodon.technology @ChaosSkeleton@necropolis.online if you hate being That Guy then next time, simply don't be That Guy
•Organized a massive ecological protection campaign (planting 10+ million trees in 4 years to slow desertification)
For anyone to wish to learn more about Thomas Sankara work i highly recommend the documentary Thomas Sankara, the Upright Man (52min) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Vlt41HPUE
@ChaosSkeleton there’s a great documentary about him called The Upright Man! i watched it on youtube.
@ChaosSkeleton rest in power, Thomas Sankara. an absolute legend