The slaughter of civilians in Sudan goes on with too little attention.
But when George Clooney gets involved, the world takes notice. And that's at least a step in the right direction.
Clooney brought the media spotlight with him Friday, as he protested outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington and was arrested alongside his father, longtime newsman Nick Clooney.
Clooney's been doing this awhile, so awareness-wise it hasn't been anywhere near the media spotlight level of a movie premiere, to pick a random example. At this rate, George Clooney will be able to get arrested with his adult son one day at another step in the right direction.
I will give the man credit that he is still doing this even with Barack Obama in the White House and not George W. Bush. So he's no fair-weather interventionist. That does count for something in this day and age when our left looks away from things Obama does that they once said were evil.
Nonetheless, I'll raise the issues I raised six years ago when Clooney was raising awareness:
Much like sporting a "Free Tibet" bumper sticker on your Volvo, it is awfully satisfying in some circles to proclaim to the world your concern for the downtrodden and oppressed. But let's hear even a little bit about just exactly how George Clooney and his ilk anticipate we will "do something" about Darfur. Andit ifif it doesn't involve heavily armed American or Western soldiers fighting, killing, and dying for a good cause, just how much hope can the people of Darfur expect from Clooney's speeches?
So get back to me in 2012 when you've finished that perfect plan (in English and French) you all say we have to have before we intervene. If anybody in Darfur is still alive, we'll talk. I mean, I'd never say it would be immoral to intervene, but Sudan does have oil so that has to raise suspicions does it not? Bad luck for the victims of the first genocide of the 21st century to live in a country with oil. Perhaps the Kurds can reach out and explain the situation to the Darfurians.
Fancy that, it seems to be 2012. I assume that by now the plan to save Sudan must be freaking awesome.
