Conflict Diamonds

[MorphlingSouth]

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Conflict diamonds, also popularly called a "blood diamonds", are in essence, diamonds that are sold by [African] countries, where the profits would be used to directly fund armed conflict, in particular bloody revolutions or civil wars. Because diamonds are small in nature and almost impossible to track, they're ideal for backhand, black market transactions, resulting in millions of dollars pouring in to these [African] groups, for whatever reasons they have.

However, many may argue that conflict diamonds have actually been completely over-hyped and over-exaggerated by the world media, in ways such as Hollywood exploiting a situation to generate revenue. The monetary sums ascertained from these diamonds are only partially used to directly purchase arms or anything of that sort, but generally find their way into paying soldiers, many of whom join these rebel factions for protection.

In the past, the U.N. has almost always simply sanctioned diamonds from being purchased from a country they deem unacceptable in this sense, and, although the method is crude, the results have been satisfactory and adequate.

With the world eagerly revolving around the booming fiscal issues, conflict diamonds almost have been skipped altogether in the media's eye.

If anyone has any opinions on the matter, any ideas that they feel could better the situation, or feedback in general about this concept, you're more than welcome to reply.

[Dan.Linehan]

My opinion is, why does anyone need diamonds?

Unless you manufacture saw blades, or you need them for some other industrial use, there is no point, just hype..

[MorphlingSouth]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

My opinion is, why does anyone need diamonds?

Unless you manufacture saw blades, or you need them for some other industrial use, there is no point, just hype..

That's an incredibily ignorant reply.

Who needs diamonds? Enough people so that the blood diamond section of the worldwide diamond market, only about 1-4%, is capable of generatating tens of billions yearly, solely through black market sales.

Why don't you just ask who needs oil? Or booze?

And diamonds used for scientific purposes, of course, will obviously fall short in terms of usage to those adorned by the public, i.e. jewelery.

[Dan.Linehan]

Buffet once said of gold: "It gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or someplace. Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their head."

Originally Posted by MorphlingSouth

That's an incredibily ignorant reply.

Who needs diamonds? Enough people so that the blood diamond section of the worldwide diamond market, only about 1-4%, is capable of generatating tens of billions yearly, solely through black market sales.

Why do people need diamonds? For jewelry?

Why do people need jewelry?

[Dan.Linehan]

Even if one admits that jewelry has some inherent utility, which is pretty questionable, there is nothing saying jewelry has to be made of diamonds.

[MorphlingSouth]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

Buffet once said of gold: "It gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or someplace. Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their head."




Why do people need diamonds? For jewelry?

Why do people need jewelry?

You can question any form of market with that logic and it'll all make sense to you, really.

Why do we need cars? Walking is better.

Who needs medicine, right? The natural human immune system should be able to take care of someone alone.

It's just, the thing is, in a perfect world maybe you'd be right. Humans as a society would evolve beyond a shiny object or some social creedos, and understand that it's just a pretty rock. But the thing is, we aren't living in a logical society, considering that little spot of stardust on your ring finger could have costed a human life to create.

[Still Growing]

Morphling,

DeBeers has a 80% market share in the ENTIRE world Diamond market. The diamonds they sell are not conflict diamonds however the vast majority of diamonds sold without going through their monopoly are often labeled blood diamonds.

You can draw your own conclusions from there.

[Doku]

Originally Posted by Still Growing

Morphling,

DeBeers has a 80% market share in the ENTIRE world Diamond market. The diamonds they sell are not conflict diamonds however the vast majority of diamonds sold without going through their monopoly are often labeled blood diamonds.

You can draw your own conclusions from there.

I would agree with this one. The whole "blood diamond" thing is most likely one or two isolated incidents, and DeBeers is using that to quash what little competition there is.

[Call me Boges]

because diamonds are "scarce"

If you look into the history of the diamond industry its a scam like most things we look at today.

if you think about it logically who the hell wants a little rock that comes out of the ground and does nothing but look nice.

People will always want things to show value and status. de beers and these jwelery companys have stockpiles and stockpiles of diamonds. they dont flood the market though because value would go down obviously.

its a scum industry. I dont need no stinkin diamonds. my future wife better be happy with a onion ring on her finger.

[Lauxa]

I decided to boycott diamonds when I was in high school because of the DeBeers monopoly. I've never missed them.

[Still Growing]

There have been some companies able to harvest diamonds in a factory with almost no indication that they are fakes. They sell for near diamond prices because they're lives were threatened if they did otherwise.

In big business people often go missing.

If you think people will kill you on the street for a $100 pair of Nikes. What do you think corporate America would do for $1billion?

People have gone missing in the diamond business. Its not a joke.

[Call me Boges]

I remember hearing about a company in chicago I believe it was that can make a diamond out of your dead loved ones by using a super compressor.

[Still Growing]

Are you kidding?

[Jamie]

Originally Posted by Call me Boges

I remember hearing about a company in chicago I believe it was that can make a diamond out of your dead loved ones by using a super compressor.

I can just see it ... funurals across the world ... oh our beloved Johnny was a little diamond ... oh no wait ... he *IS* a little diamond!



I agree, what intrinsic value do diamonds have? Very little. They only have value because so many people ascribe value to them.

In contrast, oil, I would say has much more practical value than diamonds.

[ar81]

War in Sierra Leona lasted for 10 years.
Diamond money helped to fund violations of all existing human rights and they invented one more: mutilation of civilians.

I have seen pictures of babies with arms chopped. Victims haven't even received post traumatic stress treatment, nor any money for their disability. Instead, those who commited violations got a subsidized fund paid by Sierra Leona taxpayers.

I showed History Channel documentary to my wife before we married.
We did not use diamonds at all.

I do not want to promote a business that is built on the suffering of people.

Sierra Leona is a place where poor school kids must pay gifts to teachers every day, in order to get their lessons. It is a land of lawlessness, land of diamonds.

I will not support that. Don't count me among customers of diamond industry.

[wachusettgirl]

I also don't own a diamond, and don't want one. Awhile ago Frontline did a show called The Diamond Express, which told about DeBeers being a cartel that sowed the seeds of aparteid. Diamonds aren't all that rare, they can be found in many places and there are stockpiles of them controlled by very few companies. We are just led to believe that they are because of one of the most successful marketing campaigns in history, "diamonds are forever", convincing us that they are tremendously valuable. Yes it's all hype, but people spend alot of money on diamonds because they have become a cultural symbol of love and sacrifice.

[ar81]

Things are valuable as long as they are scarse and needed or if you have a monopoly.

Diamonds are not scarse, and they can be created.
And I do not need them.

[Barcs]

Yep, diamonds are far from necessary in society, yet many people won't get married without them. This whole money buys love thing is absolutely absurd. I've never owned a diamond or any kind of expensive jewelry, and I doubt I ever will. I could care less if it makes people think higher of me. Anybody who thinks like that isn't worthy of judging me in the first place. Probably the same type that fear rain.

[Dannyboy1]

Originally Posted by Still Growing

Morphling,

DeBeers has a 80% market share in the ENTIRE world Diamond market. The diamonds they sell are not conflict diamonds however the vast majority of diamonds sold without going through their monopoly are often labeled blood diamonds.

You can draw your own conclusions from there.

They've killed many people. Don't doubt that.