What to do about Darfur, anybody?

[theczar1776]

What to do about Darfur, anybody?

 

[TSOL]

There's no money in it.

 

[Perry]

What to do about Darfur, anybody?

If you think it is a problem then donate to chartable organizations that are contributing to the solution. This is the way to the solution. Using the government as a middleman is a waste of time, monies and energies and has failed repeatedly at solving the worlds problems. organizations such as the red cross have proven that private enterprise is superior to governments mismanagement of funds. So we can do something about it but we must dissolve this idea that the government is an effective solution.

 

[WilliamC]

As much as you care to or can persuade others to volunteer to do.

 

[truelies]

Absolutely nothing.

 

[klamath]

As much as I hate what is going on there it is not our governments place to intervene. One of my reasons for supporting the war in Iraq was to stop the killing of thousands of people by Saddamn and look where that got us. The same with Somolia.

 

[kgiese]

Darfur? What about America?

Remove the plank from your eye before your operate on someone else's ass it is in the Bible. Who said, "When you find yourself in a hole stop digging".

 

[Mini-Me]

The shitty thing about Darfur is that it's another Korea, another Vietnam, another Somalia, another Kosovo, another Iraq...etc. The list goes on and on. There are some pretty awful things going on over there, but the fact is, our government is pretty helpless to stop it (no matter what anyone says to the contrary). Here's why:
It's yet another civil war that we have no business dirtying our hands with. Atrocities are being committed on both sides, although my perception (from the popular media...and we know how reliable they are) is that the government's side is much more brutal with their janjaweed and such. If we get involved militarily, what do you suggest we do? Who should we be shooting at? We're really damn good at annihilating other countries in conventional warfare, but we're just plain terrible at peacekeeping. It's just not our specialty, and when it comes down to it, why should it be? Our armed services are trained to defend America, not to police the world.

Whenever something bad happens in any part of the world, people in the US always think, "Oh, we need to get involved and do something about it!" However, there are two huge problems with this:

1. We are not omnipotent. We've played the role of "world police" for too long already (without the rest of the world even desiring it), and we're spread quite thin from it. In fact, we're flat-out going bankrupt. We simply cannot afford to solve the rest of the world's problems for them. Well-to-do people in America derive some self-righteous "sense of responsibility" to help around the world from our "superpower status," but it is NOT these people fighting and dying for their humanitarian causes - it is our young soldiers, and they deserve better than to be sent to do anything other than what they signed up for: Defend America from enemies foreign and domestic. Furthermore, our status as a "world superpower" is fading. Economically, we're not anything near a superpower anymore, and we're soon going to be bordering on irrelevant...big government has hollowed our economy out, and our foreign policy has been no small part of that. Our dollar is crashing, and even if we do all of the right things starting today (which we won't...), we're still going to be hitting some hard times. Yet another war would be far too costly in both lives and money (which, in our impending economic crisis, may also end up equating to lives). Folks, we have some extremely dire problems of our own, and we cannot in any way afford to solve problems for others. Besides, we don't even know how to.
2. As I mentioned before, the rest of the world does not even typically ask us to help! When we do get involved, we usually end up pissing off both sides, which earns us years of blowback for all of our efforts...and judging by our past adventures, we tend to screw up more than we fix when we step into other people's conflicts.

It's time that we let the rest of the world sort out their own problems - and in fact, our bank accounts are telling us that we don't even have a choice in the matter anyway. The problem is first and foremost a problem that Darfur needs to solve. Secondarily, it is a problem that their neighbors and the rest of Africa need to solve. If it comes to it, then surrounding regions can step in and lend a hand. Let someone else who can afford it play "world police" for a while, guys! We're not all-powerful, so why does it always have to be the US? If Africa can't handle it, why can't Europe or the UN pick up the slack? They're geographically closer anyway...

Finally, if you REALLY feel a personal obligation to help out in Darfur, donate to the Red Cross yourself or volunteer for the Peace Corps!
In other words, I'm going to put this very bluntly (and it goes to all of the "let's save Darfur!" people): If you really care about Darfur, and you don't just want to use taxpayer dollars and the blood of our soldiers to get some smug personal satisfaction for "doing something" while you sit on your couch and watch American Idol, then volunteer your own time and money!

Just as a quick afterthought, I should mention that there are a LOT of places in the world where really terrible atrocities occur...Darfur is just one of them, and it's probably not even the worst. I haven't looked into it all that much, but from what I remember (based on snippets from other people), affairs in the Congo have been much worse, and for a much longer time. Generally speaking, whenever the media gets everyone all riled up and ready to go into one particular country, there's almost always some kind of political agenda at play, and it's not just downright goodhearted benevolence.

 

[Mini-Me]

Edit reason...

 

[Signzit]

Ron Paul answered the Darfur issuse on MTV talkoff, Dr. Paul; I love the man. I too, like glenn beck, would french him, if I was a chick.

God bless him
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUs1FAaMNDA

 

[QCB79]

The shitty thing about Darfur is that it's another Korea, another Vietnam, another Somalia, another Kosovo, another Iraq...etc. The list goes on and on. There are some pretty awful things going on over there, but the fact is, our government is pretty helpless to stop it (no matter what anyone says to the contrary). Here's why:
It's yet another civil war that we have no business dirtying our hands with. Atrocities are being committed on both sides, although my perception (from the popular media...and we know how reliable they are) is that the government's side is much more brutal with their janjaweed and such. If we get involved militarily, what do you suggest we do? Who should we be shooting at? We're really damn good at annihilating other countries in conventional warfare, but we're just plain terrible at peacekeeping. It's just not our specialty, and when it comes down to it, why should it be? Our armed services are trained to defend America, not to police the world.

Whenever something bad happens in any part of the world, people in the US always think, "Oh, we need to get involved and do something about it!" However, there are two huge problems with this:

1. We are not omnipotent. We've played the role of "world police" for too long already (without the rest of the world even desiring it), and we're spread quite thin from it. In fact, we're flat-out going bankrupt. We simply cannot afford to solve the rest of the world's problems for them. Well-to-do people in America derive some self-righteous "sense of responsibility" to help around the world from our "superpower status," but it is NOT these people fighting and dying for their humanitarian causes - it is our young soldiers, and they deserve better than to be sent to do anything other than what they signed up for: Defend America from enemies foreign and domestic. Furthermore, our status as a "world superpower" is fading. Economically, we're not anything near a superpower anymore, and we're soon going to be bordering on irrelevant...big government has hollowed our economy out, and our foreign policy has been no small part of that. Our dollar is crashing, and even if we do all of the right things starting today (which we won't...), we're still going to be hitting some hard times. Yet another war would be far too costly in both lives and money (which, in our impending economic crisis, may also end up equating to lives). Folks, we have some extremely dire problems of our own, and we cannot in any way afford to solve problems for others. Besides, we don't even know how to.
2. As I mentioned before, the rest of the world does not even typically ask us to help! When we do get involved, we usually end up pissing off both sides, which earns us years of blowback for all of our efforts...and judging by our past adventures, we tend to screw up more than we fix when we step into other people's conflicts.

It's time that we let the rest of the world sort out their own problems - and in fact, our bank accounts are telling us that we don't even have a choice in the matter anyway. The problem is first and foremost a problem that Darfur needs to solve. Secondarily, it is a problem that their neighbors and the rest of Africa need to solve. If it comes to it, then surrounding regions can step in and lend a hand. Let someone else who can afford it play "world police" for a while, guys! We're not all-powerful, so why does it always have to be the US? If Africa can't handle it, why can't Europe or the UN pick up the slack? They're geographically closer anyway...

Finally, if you REALLY feel a personal obligation to help out in Darfur, donate to the Red Cross yourself or volunteer for the Peace Corps!
In other words, I'm going to put this very bluntly (and it goes to all of the "let's save Darfur!" people): If you really care about Darfur, and you don't just want to use taxpayer dollars and the blood of our soldiers to get some smug personal satisfaction for "doing something" while you sit on your couch and watch American Idol, then volunteer your own time and money!

Just as a quick afterthought, I should mention that there are a LOT of places in the world where really terrible atrocities occur...Darfur is just one of them, and it's probably not even the worst. I haven't looked into it all that much, but from what I remember (based on snippets from other people), affairs in the Congo have been much worse, and for a much longer time. Generally speaking, whenever the media gets everyone all riled up and ready to go into one particular country, there's almost always some kind of political agenda at play, and it's not just downright goodhearted benevolence.

+10 Somalia Jr.

 

[billyjoeallen]

Darfur is in which state again? Did Darfur ratify the U.S. Constituion? How is this possibly in any U.S. government jurisdiction?

Donate or volunteer if you want to. You would have more money and opportunities to do so without an income tax and a war in Iraq to pay for.

 

[klamath]

Blackhawk down.

 

[kimo]

Appearantly Darfur problem shows how ineffect UN became. African peacekeeping forces could solve it themselves, if they got suppot and the "ticket" to do so. Many others rwanda´s and darfur`s to come because ineffectivnes is so obvious both in bureaucracy costs and actions.

 

[tropicangela]

The Native Americans on our land could use your help as well... so might want to stop by and give a hand before flying out to Darfur.

 

[kimo]

The Native Americans on our land could use your help as well... so might want to stop by and give a hand before flying out to Darfur.

..it seems that "corporations" and lobbyists has other ideas both to the Native Americans..and Darfur, or whatever else you might look closer at it...and UN seems became one of them.

 

[kimo]

Another thing. Listening Obama became to many his supporters like listening to a new profet. So many empty promises and "changes" as like "keep peace by building schools around the world" and whatsoever else. At first look, sounds offcourse better then McInsane, who wants to start new wars, to keep "peace going on". Ppl seems to forget economic basics, whom he really represents, his issues and how FAST he stod by defending THEM in past. Just because he`s African-American and this could unite nation or even nations could soon verify a new big mistake.

 

[constituent]

the problem... well, we caused it.

maybe we should start following the advice of our founders?

 

[theczar1776]

thanks everybody, in my opinion darfur is the last thing we need to worry about, in todays America, worrying about a worthless patch of desert in some god forsaken country that nobody has heard of (Sudan, Sudan? WHO CARES??), is like the Weimar Republic worrying about gay marriage when Hitler is up and coming. (this really happened, look it up.)

 

[kimo]

thanks everybody, in my opinion darfur is the last thing we need to worry about, in todays America, worrying about a worthless patch of desert in some god forsaken country that nobody has heard of (Sudan, Sudan? WHO CARES??), is like the Weimar Republic worrying about gay marriage when Hitler is up and coming. (this really happened, look it up.)

I care. And I blame UN for this. Same goes to Rwanda, Chad and etc.etc.
..and not the troops on the ground, but this big fat snake called bureaucracy.