Africa, Iraq, and Giving A Damn
Hang with me through this rant. I promise it’s about African aid... sort of. First off, I’ve gotta defend my left-leaning brothers... and sisters.
From Andy: “With regard to Live Aid and other events like this, it's just an act by these entertainers to make them feel good about themselves. ... If you want to truly help these people, then the G8 should get together and overthrow these totalitarian governments... For some reason, liberals want to get accolades for their "good intentions", and yet, we should just ignore the bad results that usually happen from these "good intentions."
With that way of thinking, I guess I could accuse those from the Samaritan’s Purse of similar self-serving motivations? Like, “Yeah, they don’t really care about feeding the poor, they’re just over there to indoctrinate and evangelize.” Sorry, but that’s a cheap shot. As many said during aid efforts for both 9/11 and the Tsunami, it’s best not to question people’s motivations in charitable works. Simply be happy that they’re wanting to help, which is usually a lot more than naysayers sitting on the sidelines do.
All this talk about Africa, its nations’ corrupt leaders, and the article I refer to below triggered thoughts of our current ‘mission of freedom’ in Iraq. And herein lies the great contradiction of the Bush Administration and our chosen war: At this particular moment in time, we’re fighting ‘Operation: Iraqi Freedom,’ freeing all Iraqis from the rule of Saddam Hussein and bringing democracy to a nation that so desperately wants it. Okay, maybe... But wait! We clearly don’t give a damn about freedom and happiness for everyone; I mean, simply look at our nation’s lack of interest in what’s happening in Africa, Haiti, et al. And I’m not saying that we should all care, but if ‘freedom’ is our story, then we’re some contradictory fools.
The world is full of Saddams — or potential Saddams — such as many of the dictators that rule nations in Africa. Now that we’ve proclaimed ourselves the deliverers of democracy to the world, shouldn’t we be invading these other nations, bringing the American Way to everyone? Of course, that will never happen, but it just goes to show the blatant hypocrisy of the White House. Or maybe it just reveals the truth, as many conservative opinions so clearly illustrate again and again: we really don’t care about helping others, only helping ourselves — and I’m not knocking it, just calling a spade a spade. Self-absorption is natural, after all. Of course, if we have to make up noble (B.S.) reasons to gain citizen and worldwide support for all of our self-serving ‘operations’, then so be it, right?
So if we truly want the whole world to be free, fed, and happy, but we don’t want to — or can’t — conquer every shady regime in existence, then it just gets us back to the core of what we should — and I emphasize ‘should’ — do: to quote Leonard Pitts in pleas to his readers on the subject of poverty and injustice in Africa, ‘Give a damn’. And say what you will about bleeding-heart liberals, but at least many of them are actively giving a damn, instead of giving nothing.
Anyway, I’m done. Just read this... It’s interesting.
An African Success Story Gone Sour
By Blake Lambert for Salon.com
From Andy: “With regard to Live Aid and other events like this, it's just an act by these entertainers to make them feel good about themselves. ... If you want to truly help these people, then the G8 should get together and overthrow these totalitarian governments... For some reason, liberals want to get accolades for their "good intentions", and yet, we should just ignore the bad results that usually happen from these "good intentions."
With that way of thinking, I guess I could accuse those from the Samaritan’s Purse of similar self-serving motivations? Like, “Yeah, they don’t really care about feeding the poor, they’re just over there to indoctrinate and evangelize.” Sorry, but that’s a cheap shot. As many said during aid efforts for both 9/11 and the Tsunami, it’s best not to question people’s motivations in charitable works. Simply be happy that they’re wanting to help, which is usually a lot more than naysayers sitting on the sidelines do.
All this talk about Africa, its nations’ corrupt leaders, and the article I refer to below triggered thoughts of our current ‘mission of freedom’ in Iraq. And herein lies the great contradiction of the Bush Administration and our chosen war: At this particular moment in time, we’re fighting ‘Operation: Iraqi Freedom,’ freeing all Iraqis from the rule of Saddam Hussein and bringing democracy to a nation that so desperately wants it. Okay, maybe... But wait! We clearly don’t give a damn about freedom and happiness for everyone; I mean, simply look at our nation’s lack of interest in what’s happening in Africa, Haiti, et al. And I’m not saying that we should all care, but if ‘freedom’ is our story, then we’re some contradictory fools.
The world is full of Saddams — or potential Saddams — such as many of the dictators that rule nations in Africa. Now that we’ve proclaimed ourselves the deliverers of democracy to the world, shouldn’t we be invading these other nations, bringing the American Way to everyone? Of course, that will never happen, but it just goes to show the blatant hypocrisy of the White House. Or maybe it just reveals the truth, as many conservative opinions so clearly illustrate again and again: we really don’t care about helping others, only helping ourselves — and I’m not knocking it, just calling a spade a spade. Self-absorption is natural, after all. Of course, if we have to make up noble (B.S.) reasons to gain citizen and worldwide support for all of our self-serving ‘operations’, then so be it, right?
So if we truly want the whole world to be free, fed, and happy, but we don’t want to — or can’t — conquer every shady regime in existence, then it just gets us back to the core of what we should — and I emphasize ‘should’ — do: to quote Leonard Pitts in pleas to his readers on the subject of poverty and injustice in Africa, ‘Give a damn’. And say what you will about bleeding-heart liberals, but at least many of them are actively giving a damn, instead of giving nothing.
Anyway, I’m done. Just read this... It’s interesting.
An African Success Story Gone Sour
By Blake Lambert for Salon.com
Donors who poured billions into Uganda have hyped its progress, but President Museveni has proven to be just another corrupt despot. Will Bush support democracy - or stand by an ally?
...Uganda presents the United States with the first African test of the Bush doctrine of promoting freedom and democracy, according to Barkan. "If the administration cannot pass the test here, where is the policy credible?" he said. "Uganda is not a 'hard case' like Egypt or Pakistan, where the United States might tread lightly on an authoritarian regime that is an ally in the war on terror or key player in the Middle East."
posted by Strother | 1:20 PM
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