Big Lizards:Blog:Entry “Genocide in Darfur? Blame Bush!”

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October 28, 2006

Genocide in Darfur? Blame Bush!

Hatched by Lee

This post was hatched by Lee; Dafydd is not to blame for this one.

In recent weeks, left-wing money has been buying a lot of airtime urging President Bush to “stop the genocide in Darfur.” Maybe you’ve seen this spot. If only Bush would show “strong leadership” at the UN, the ad asserts, we could get a peacekeeping force into Sudan. The accusation is clear -- if Bush could save thousands of lives with some well-chosen words (and a bit of arm twisting), then isn’t he a monster to sit idly by?

Well, never let the facts get in the way of a good attack ad. The President, beginning in his first term, has spoken strongly about the plight of refugees in Darfur, and the atrocities being committed by the government-sponsored Janjaweed militia.

The Bush Administration has worked persistently on the diplomatic front, but Colin Powell ran into UN inertia, the intractability and complicity of the Sudanese government, and obstruction from other Islamic countries. The available African peacekeeping forces were too weak to make a difference.

Condi Rice is facing all the same obstacles now. The UN Security Council, standing firm (when it suits them) for the principle of the inviolability of the borders of a sovereign nation, concluded that a peacekeeping force could only be sent in at Sudan’s invitation; and what is the chance of that? Khartoum wants peacekeepers to stop the militia about as much as they’d like an extra helping of Moo Shu Pork.

Sudan’s government is up to no good, that’s for sure. But what about the folks behind those TV ads -- what is their motive? Given the UN’s paralysis, will the sponsors of these ads support non-UN intervention in Darfur (hoping perhaps that the US would redeploy troops from Iraq in the effort)?

Their primary goal, in my estimation, is to convince swing voters -- especially those who are wavering on Iraq -- that Republicans are to blame for every death in Darfur, thus using suffering in Darfur as one more reason to put the Democrats in charge of Congress.

Is it working? Does the ad have any traction? Consider: at Bush’s press conference on October 25, 2006, the press corps asked no Darfur-related questions. Zero. It was all about Iraq, except for the Fox reporter, whose question was about North Korea.

Darfur is a major humanitarian crisis, deserving of the world’s attention; but it affects us even more directly. Darfur is yet another example of Muslims acting inexcusably and not being held accountable for it. Given Sudan's long history supporting jihadism, the mass murder, displacement, and dispossession in Darfur risks turning it into a haven for al-Qaeda and similar groups, as it was once before.

Many sincere groups and individuals are concerned about refugees in Darfur, but I think this “stop the genocide” ad -- directed at President Bush -- is not being aired for the right reasons. If this ad continues to run after the election is over, then perhaps I will have been too cynical.

Hatched by Lee on this day, October 28, 2006, at the time of 9:44 PM

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Comments

The following hissed in response by: InklingStar

Of course, if President Bush built a coalition to invade Sudan and forcibly stop this genocide, the same folks would be condemning "another unjust war" and air commercials demanding his impeachment...

The above hissed in response by: InklingStar at October 28, 2006 10:57 PM

The following hissed in response by: Terrye

Why don't these folks aks the world to stop the genocide, why Bush? After all this problem will not just go away when he leaves office.

The above hissed in response by: Terrye at October 29, 2006 6:17 AM

The following hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman

If we go into Sudan people will die and the same poslyenee idioti who are shrieking now about us NOT intervening to stop the carnage will take to the streets to demonstate against us being there.

Does anyone really believe they care one bit about the Suffis being exterminated?

My BIG question is while the death of a half million Black African Sunnis is an abomination, where were these voices when almost 3 million Black African Animist Pagan and Christian peasants were being exterminated previously?????

The above hissed in response by: Dan Kauffman at October 29, 2006 6:23 AM

The following hissed in response by: Big D

This reminds me so much of the stem cell tempest in a petri dish.

But I suppose that those that believe that Bush is part of a vast, omnipotent conspiracy must, for mere consistency, believe that Bush could solve the problems in Sudan with a wave of his hand.

I've come to an important conclusion. Democrats desire, above all things, to go back to a time of the "benevolent king" bestowing his gifts on the populace. They secretly wish to invest the presidency with such power. Many believe that the presidency already has such power.

Democrats are closet monarchists. They don't understand that the very structure of our government is designed specifically to thwart what they so fervently desire.

The above hissed in response by: Big D at October 30, 2006 10:29 AM

The following hissed in response by: Lee

On Sunday I saw a retooled version of this ad. Instead of pointing the finger at Bush alone, the new version says Bush and other world leaders have a moral responsibility to act. It still calls for UN peacekeepers and adds a plea for a no-fly zone.

Maybe someone realized how unfair and counterproductive the earlier version was; or maybe they took some flak for it. Thank you to all who offered comments on my post.

The above hissed in response by: Lee at October 30, 2006 4:55 PM