Comments | dreamcatc: Sudan and America Parallels

dreamcatc

Sudan and America Parallels

Jul 14, 2008 09:27

Let me preface this posting by saying that I, in no way, endorse the atrocity that is being committed against the tribal people of the Darfur region of Sudan. Quite the opposite. I feel it should be condemned and brought to a halt ( Read more... )

Comments 5

4abudabit July 14 2008, 16:11:43 UTC

When you invent a time machine let us know and we can bring our condemnation of the natives back to the US government in the past. Meanwhile people are dying right now in the Sudan. Condemnations of Sudan aren't some academic pursuit or even an attempt at justice, they are an attempt to stop the killing that is happening at this very moment. You know, to save lives theoretically.

4abudabit July 14 2008, 16:12:02 UTC

Condemnation of the killing of the natives, that is.

cai July 14 2008, 19:54:41 UTC

I think his point, if I'm reading it correctly, is that we, as a country, can make more of an impact if we say, "Hey, we did this. We tried to commit genocide, and trust us, this is not the way to go about this," then if we were to say "we never did this, but we think it's wrong." (Of course, that point is arguable too, which is what I think he's going for here) I don't think he's saying we shouldn't do anything or that we /have/ to condemn ourselves /before/ we help in that situation. Just that it might be more effective and make more of an impact to acknowledge it. Like saying, "look, I was a drug addict, so I know why you do it, so let me help you stop doing drugs yourself." Of course, if I'm wrong, Rob, just let me know.

4abudabit July 14 2008, 21:25:17 UTC

Unfortunately the government of Sudan has an agenda that to them is a lot more important than the repurcusions of the UN or the value of human life. Also I'd point out that America's genocide of the natives was sucessful, and granted lots of free land, and so maybe wouldn't be the best example to use.

dreamcatc July 15 2008, 15:21:43 UTC

Actually, the Genocide of Native American's was unsuccessful. There are thousands of pure blooded Native American's still living on reservations to this day and instead of exterminating them, we now offer them as much financial compensation as possible without sending the government into bankruptcy. We even acknolodge individuals with as little as 1/16th Indian heritage as being representative of those native tribes that we attempted to erradicate. We recognized that their destruction was not the right way to go. It may have happened only once we took all their land and forced them into camps to rot, but eventually we realized it and we took steps to make ammends. Some can argue that those steps, even today, haven't been enough, but at least the goverment is trying to set things right ( ... )