Mining for bling


Vanguard journalist and Current TV producer Christof Putzel traces gold to its origins in one of Africa’s biggest gold mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Originally posted Aug. 6, 2006, this report remains current and so chilling we hope it’ll make you swear off bling this holiday season and forevermore.

One viewer commented, “Watchdog groups are now calling for ‘no dirty gold,’ similar to campaigns for conflict-free [blood] diamonds.” San Francisco writer Ann Garrison added, “The one thing missing was the role of foreign imperial powers in these wars that seem to be between Africans only. That’s not where the gold goes. … I recommend Breaking the Silence: Congo Week organized by Friends of the Congo.”