, Leopold had acquired an enormous private colony in Africa and gotten the rest of the worked to accept his claim as legally binding.In 1884 Leopold gained recognition for the Congo by making a web of bilateral agreements at the Berlin conference in February 1885. The aim of the conference was proclaimed to be "abolishing the [Arab] slave trade, establishing peace among the chiefs and procuring them just and impartial arbitration." And of course because this was Leopold's excellent idea he was granted custody of the Congo, to bring civilization to the ignorant savages of Africa. Amount its aims, he convinced the US, Germany and Britain, that not only would he combat the Arabian slave trade but he would also establish Christian outpost on a heathen continent. Soon after Leopold gained possession of the Congo the horror began Leopold's main crime consisted of impressing as many Congolese as possible into forced labor and requiring them to turn in quotas of rubber and ivory, with hideous consequences, including mutilation if they failed. One might ask, what would drive a man of such great respect and admiration to inflict that degree of pain on others? The answer in my opinion remains simple, it was all about all about the Benjamin's baby. I won't even ask this next question, but to answer it, getting away with this type of scheme was very well thought out. The text plainly states that, "Unlike other great predators of history Leopold never saw a drop of blood spilt in anger. He never set foot in the Congo. There is something very modern about that too, as there is about the bomber pilot in the stratosphere, above the clouds, who never hears screams or sees shattered homes or torn flesh." (p.4) Personally I can't help but analyze the parallel that Hochschild makes between Leopold and the bomber pilot. I do agree on one hand, but the only difference was that Leopold unlike the pilot did see the broken bones and torn flesh, hence...
