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Blood-diamonds Quote by Bill Maher

“A diamond may be forever, but terrorism, promiscuously funded, will be too. Let's make the connection clearly by tracing the path of the diamond. Diamonds start out in the earth, and eventually that earth is part of a country, like Sierra Leone, Angola, or the Democratic Republic of Congo. In…” quote by Bill Maher
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““A diamond may be forever, but terrorism, promiscuously funded, will be too. Let's make the connection clearly by tracing the path of the diamond. Diamonds start out in the earth, and eventually that earth is part of a country, like Sierra Leone, Angola, or the Democratic Republic of Congo. In those countries, desperate battles for control have been going on for decades, and the armies that fight the battles finance their ambitions with diamonds. Villagers are forced to mine the diamonds by ruthless rebels who maintain order through terror: by raping women and hacking off the limbs of the children, something, by the way, you never see in the De Beers ads. The rebels then smuggle the diamonds into neighboring dictatorships in exchange for guns and cash. There the diamonds are sold to the highest bidder--whether they be terrorists or "legitimate" dealers--and finally they're laundered in Europe, shipped to America, and end up in jewelry stores where they're purchased by men and given to women in exchange for oral sex. In the feminized world we live in, it's practically national policy that women are more evolved that men--but if that's so, how come they're still so impressed by shiny objects?””

Bill Maher

About This Quote

Source Speech: The Tonight Show with Bill Maher, 2005

The quote links the diamond trade to funding terrorism and gender dynamics, exposing how luxury goods can mask violent exploitation and societal contradictions.

In simple terms: Diamonds fund conflict and reveal gender biases.

Key Takeaway

Recognize hidden costs of luxury.

Themes

conflict gender economics ethics consumerism

Mood

critical concerned

Type

analytical expository

When to use this quote

  • journalism
  • policy analysis
  • consumer education

Key Concepts

resource exploitation terrorism financing gender inequality supply chain transparency

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do we trace ethical sourcing?
  • What role does gender perception play in consumption?
A Different Perspective

Awareness campaigns can be limited by entrenched interests.

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