Interesting article, on several levels. Would be interested to hear people’s thoughts on this.
http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0510/articles/hertzke.html
I agree, but the WOT is not really an issue I don’t think. Look at Rwanda, there was no WOT and we didn’t do much to help them either. I think you hit it when you said it all comes down to self interest. We don’t do anything unless someone can show us the payoff. No matter how many stories like this I read I still am amazed at the brutality humans posses
Excuse me. How is this the fault of Christians?
How is this the fault of Bush? He invaded Iraq where Saddam has killed upwards of 1,000,000, and you bash him for it. He doesn’t invade Sudan, and you bash him for it.
It is just amazing how powerful Bush is. He caused Katrina and the flooding of New Orleans. He caused AQ to spring up in Iraq and the WTC attacks. He caused the genocide in Sudan. He caused global warming. He caused excessive American energy consumption.
Oh, yeah, and he is a stupid, lazy frat boy.
Do you guys ever listen to yourselves?
I dont think Bush needed to invade to help secure a peace treaty between the south and Khartoum - he just needed to care.
Don’t forget obesity, Art, that’s WAY up over the last 5 years.
Yes, no doubt the murderers and rapists would stop dead in their tracks if Bush were to only send off a two word fax stating: I Care.
Do you actually believe what you wrote?
The article is a shame on Christians and on the Bush administration. The administration is so intent on their war on terror, they are ignoring the plight of the people in Darfur.
While it’s a shame, I don’t think it can be attributed to any preoccupation on terrorism. That didn’t stop anybody from helping Khartoum, right?
Of course, one could also say that it’s a shame on non-Christians as well, right?
These kind of articles are good reminders that governments only act in their interest and don’t really care too much about people.
I didn’t get that from the article, to be honest. Helping Khartoum isn’t any more in our own government’s interest than helping Darfur is.
You can bet he will be blamed for the Avian bird flu too if it spreads any further.
Come to think of it, isn’t it Bush’s fault that pop culture is where it is at with the proliferation of bad reality TV (The Biggest Loser) and all of the lypsyncing talent-less Ashlee Simpsons of the world.
If it wasn’t for Bush we wouldn’t be inundated with internet spam that guarantees everything from impressing your wife, to christian mortgage lenders, to solving the ringing in our ears, to massive ejaculations…
Man, he really sucks!
Yes, no doubt the murderers and rapists would stop dead in their tracks if Bush were to only send off a two word fax stating: I Care.
Do you actually believe what you wrote?
Do you blame Clinton for not acting in Rwanda?
It is not the “fault” of the Christians or Bush, but, nevertheless, shame on them? Not following you. I thought in order to be shamed you actually had to do something wrong. Times have changed I guess.
I agree that you didn’t state most of the things I listed here, but plenty of others on this board have.
Maybe Bush should have gotten some of those UN Peacekeepers from the Congo up there. The project might even be self financing if we can sell the rights to sex slave videos.
It is not the “fault” of the Christians or Bush, but, nevertheless, shame on them?
See, this is one of those interesting levels I was talking about. 
I don’t think anyone would assert that Evangelicals or Bush are directly responsible for what’s going on in Darfur. They did not cause it.
On the other hand, they do have some capacity to stop it, and so far they haven’t. Isn’t there a moral responsibility to act under such circumstances? (Yes, jhc, like there was a moral responsibility for Clinton to act in Rwanda.)
On the other hand, where’s everyone else on this? I’m sure that there are some other twittering interest groups yapping about Darfur, but where are the big hitters? What’s the UN doing? Why isn’t the mainstream media talking much about it? Why isn’t middle America outraged?
On the other hand, the Evangelicals were all hot and bothered by Christians getting killed. Why don’t they care about Muslims in the same situation?
On the other hand, does one obligate oneself to help everyone by helping someone else? Isn’t it enough that they stopped a genocidal campaign in Khartoum? Isn’t it sort of natural to look out for those who share some common bond?
Isn’t it sort of natural to look out for those who share some common bond?
It’s natural, but don’t even the publicans and heathen do that?
It’s natural, but don’t even the publicans and heathen do that?
Nice. 
Yeah, of course they do. I’m not saying it’s a real defense, but still . . . It’s something, and it’s more than anyone else has done, right?
(For the record, I ultimately agree with Casey and the article.)
Nice.
I took the extra effort to use the Douay Rheims terminology too, just for you.
Yeah, of course they do. I’m not saying it’s a real defense, but still . . . It’s something, and it’s more than anyone else has done, right?
(For the record, I ultimately agree with Casey and the article.)
I agree with Casey too.
I took the extra effort to use the Douay Rheims terminology too, just for you.
And don’t think I don’t appreciate it.
Anyways, as I’m thinking about it, it occurs to me that in this instance, the publicans and heathens are not, in fact, doing as much. I don’t see any aid flowing into Darfur from the Islamic world.
I don’t see any aid flowing into Darfur from the Islamic world.
Wrong heathens - the folks in Darfur are Sufi … not too many friends in the mainstream Islamic world (plus, isn’t the government in Khartoum mainly Sunni?)
Wrong heathens
Well, you’re right, I was mistaken. (That’s a “6” on the mental anguish scale, by the way.)
My point is, that although I agree with Casey and you and the article, I am also a little sensitive to accusations of hypocrisy from outsiders who haven’t done anything to help anyone over there.
My point is, that although I agree with Casey and you and the article, I am also a little sensitive to accusations of hypocrisy from outsiders who haven’t done anything to help anyone over there.
I dont think anyone really has the high moral ground here. I think America should have done more because I hold our country to a higher standard than, say, the average Muslim nation.
I dont think anyone really has the high moral ground here. I think America should have done more because I hold our country to a higher standard than, say, the average Muslim nation.
Agreed.
Clinton was arguably asleep at the switch in Rwanda, but, from a practical point of view, I don’t see what he could have or should have done. So the answer is no, I never blamed him for Rwanda.