Tuesday, March 20, 2007

What About Darfur?

I've seen this commercial several times. It hurts. It's that level right above watching Sally Struthers show emaciated children too weakened (or tolerant) to swat away the flies in their eyes. As much as I would love to see the United Nations go into Sudan to investigate and halt the genocidal horrors going on there since 2003, I know that it isn't going to happen. The government (if you call it one) there will not give them the permission to enter the region.

I think what hurts me most isn't just the rape, murders and savage disfigurement of the indigenous people by the Janjaweed militia. It's the fervent calls to action inside our nation for George Bush to go in there and fix it. Over half of the United States is upset that our country went around the U.N. to form a loose coalition going into Iraq. Yet, many of those same people that are against that action are screaming for us to act somewhere else again without the consent or backing of the U.N.? Are our troops supposed to be the ones to go where the U.N. fears to tread? Personally, I'd like to see the United Nations grow some testes, investigate and secure the region. But, calling Bush into action gives more ammunition to other nations (especially Venezuela) who already believe we are imperialists that go impose our will at will.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent post, Martin. I agree with you. My heart breaks for the people that are truly suffering in this world.

LoraLoo said...

Since when did the UN need permission for anything? It's too bad they won't pull out those brass ones and take action.

Ken said...

I agree. Something needs to be done about the atrocities in Darfur, and people can't keep looking to the US to keep acting as the world's police force. While this is absolutely horrible, I don't think our troops need to be spread into a third theater of engagement.

The UN exactly needs to grow some balls and get in there and fix it. Maybe the French could help out.

RT said...

You know what, as much as I would like to preach about the American attitude towards 'helping'. I always come back to the realization that it all boils down to,

Damned if you do, Damned if you don't.

David Amulet said...

The U.N. does not have its own troops--as the organization discovered in the Rwanda genocide in 1994, the U.N. can't do much if member states don't offer up the troops to do it.

-- david