A Day in Graz - Part 2

King Leopold's Personal Property Congo becomes a Belgian Congo becomes Zaire becomes the DRC the Democratic Republic of Congo. But who can read the newspapers? Not many apparently. The man with the patched trousers in the centre of the first painting below serves as newspaper-reader.

He reads the pages of the paper pasted on the wall. Those well dressed others standing about cannot here and require his services.

This raises questions. Can the driver of the Mercedes read a newspaper? Where does the Mercedes man's  money come from? Why is he driving through the poor neighbourhood handing out money? Who is the woman with the gold earrings who seems to be doing likewise? Could it be they are buying the votes of the poor? It's obviously not charity work.

European industry having greased the relevant African palms rolls into the Congo. A German flag is shown alongside an EU flag. And in the picture there are other other German and French symbols too. Perhaps the Germans are supplying weapons to those in power. Perhaps to the man in the Mercedes. It looks that way to the artist, don't you think?

Here are two Europeans with bags of €uros.  I wonder who they could be? A politician and a 'businessman' or perhaps a banker and an arms dealer? Or maybe a couple of FIFA executives? Whoever they are, they appear to be up to no good.

A recommended book is the novel Tram 83 by Fiston Mwanza Mujila. A best-seller, it has been translated into many languages. German versions were on sale in the museum shop.

Here's an impression of the second floor of the exhibition. The first floor is similar.

Outside and across the Mur on the way to the great clock of Graz I saw a newspaper pasted on a wall. Perhaps there are some people here, like those in the painting who can't read I thought to myself.

Maybe a picture is worth a thousand words . . .

Today's news from the DNC:
UN Peacekeepers killed by Islamist Militias (Guardian) or DNC Rebels (Al-Jazeera) or just killed (Daily Nation). Which headline do you trust?  I'll leave that to you the reader.

But wait there's more!

Turns out it's a Catholic Mission (I'd guess Caritas but I stand to be corrected).  And the number killed is not 7 or 8 it's at least 40.  Now back to the original headline. Who did it? Headlines: 1 - Islamist Militia (2) DNC Rebels  (3)  normal killers.  

As I said before. Decide for yourself.