Blood diamonds: ethical and economic implications

¶ … Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World's Most Precious Stones" by Greg Campbell. Specifically it will contain a book review of the book. "Blood Diamonds" inspired the film of the same name and a short documentary that chronicle the diamond trade, primarily in Sierra Leone in West Africa. The violence, bloodshed, and pure greed that populate the diamond mines in Sierra Leone is unbelievable, but this brings it graphically to life.

At the heart of the civil war that cripples Sierra Leone are the diamond mines it contains. The government is ineffectual, and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels from Libya who entered the country as political rebels but proved they simply wanted to control the diamond mines, are ruthless in their pursuit of wealth. The author notes, "Between these three countries, it's estimated that rebel groups have sold enough diamonds to amount to 4 or 5% of the global output" (Campbell xxiii). The stones extract a heavy toll on the residents of the countries where this violence takes place, which is why they are referred to as "blood diamonds." The book talks about the diamond trade from its beginnings in the diamond mine, through traders, and finally to buying and production in jewelry businesses around the world. He also shows how the diamond's worth has been inflated almost entirely by the De Beers Company, and how diamonds helped fund terrorism, including Al Qaeda.

Campbell's book is an expose of the diamond industry, and it shows that the diamonds that we wear could have extremely violent and bloody origins. He maintains this has been overlooked for decades, and that it is only in the past few years, since his book came out, that people have become aware of it. The book does not hold back on details, and many of them are extremely gory, such as the man who lost his hands for no reason other than the RUF wanted to take over the area where he lived, and he happened to be in the way. The RUF are brutal, and the author does not hold back on just how brutal they are, which may be shocking and repulsive for some readers.

The author's writing style is journalistic but enjoyable to read. He packs his chapters with details, such as what the jungles look like in Sierra Leone, that helps the reader feel like they are there, watching the details. For example, he writes, "The city claws its way up the mountains, creeping into the jungle like a disease" (Campbell 31). He uses images like that throughout the book to paint pictures of the surroundings, and it helps the reader feel as if they are a part of the action, whether they would like to be or not.

It is quite clear the author did his research for this book. He and a photographer spent much time in Sierra Leone to see the diamond business for themselves, and he interviewed countless people, from RUF victims to diamond traders, smugglers, and everyone else involved in the diamond business. In addition, he uses books, documents, official reports, journal articles, and personal research in learning everything he could about the diamond trade. In the end, he probably understood the business better than just about anyone else did, and he has a way of passing on this research in a way that is interesting to the reader, which makes the book quite readable.

The author's thesis is clear, that much of the world's diamond supply is quite legitimate, but because diamonds are so easy to smuggle, there is a part of it that is not, and that people should really question the registration process that "guarantees" their diamond is not a "conflict diamond" like those mined in Sierra Leone. However, since it is so difficult to trace diamonds because of the smuggling, it is quite difficult to ensure that a diamond is truly legitimate. He builds up this thesis by portraying the violence and murder in Sierra Leone, showing how important diamonds are to the rebels, and how they fund their fighting and activities. The book is often difficult to read, but if the author had not included these details, the "conflict diamonds" would not have seemed so terrible, and that was his point in the first place.

One of the most interesting and disturbing aspects of the book is the stranglehold the De Beers Company has on the diamond business. At one point, they controlled at least 80% of the world's diamond trade. If there is a "villain" in this work, it is the RUF and their atrocities, but De Beers does not fall far behind them in their business practices. The author writes, "Over the course of the twentieth century, De Beers pursued a plan that was as simple as it was ruthless: Buy as much of the world production as possible and tightly control global distribution through its London offices" (Campbell 108). The author definitely portrays De Beers as a villain, especially after he explains how easy it is to smuggle "conflict diamonds" from Sierra Leone into other countries, bribe an official, and get a certificate certifying the diamonds come from another country. De Beers however, does have a strong stance on "conflict diamonds," they want to end the practice entirely, because they know it is bad for business.

The book's strengths are how the author researched the book so thoroughly, and attempted to see as much of the business as first-hand as possible. The writing is also good and compelling, which makes the reader want to learn more about the issue. For the most part, his reporting is not biased, but he does seem to target the De Beers Company, and that seems like it might show he is prejudiced against them in some way. He also portrays the RUF very negatively, but it would be hard not to portray them as butchers, because that is just what they are. However, he manages to keep his bias out of much of his writing, and it seems to paint a very clear picture of the diamond trade, while urging people to fully understand where the diamonds they purchase may have originated. In that, the book serves its purpose well. It educates and informs readers, and that was Campbell's mission from the moment he began writing this book.

The author shows how the diamond industry has destroyed Sierra Leone, but he also offers solutions for the future, and how to manage the problem. A good expose not only exposes the problem, but also offers a solution, and Campbell's book does just that. First, the RUF is officially out of business, and that is an important element of this problem. However, the government has to manage the diamond business, and use it to build up the country. Campbell writes, "Diamond mining must be strictly controlled so that, for a change, the vast majority of the revenue will go to the people of the country, not to spoiled dictators and ruthless killers and their henchmen in Liberia and elsewhere" (Campbell 207). He actually believes that De Beers' involvement in the Sierra Leone industry would be a good thing and that it would help the country stabilize and cut down on diamond smuggling from the area.