Posted by
G-Man on Thursday, July 13, 2006 12:34:48 AM
The latest Cause Celeb for the Hollywood set is to save Darfur. It once was to free Tibet. Before that it was to end genocide in Kosovo. And, before that it was to end genocide in Rwanda.
They are such a well intentioned, thoughtful bunch. The Hollywood set, that is. They want peace and freedom for so many all over the world – except in Iraq.
Darfur is a region of Sudan where apparent genocide has claimed anywhere from 70,000 to 300,000 lives. Estimates vary greatly. The Sudanese government has been accused of being complicit in this genocide.
Kosovo has a population of 2 million. Its former leader, Slobodan Milosevic, stood accused of being complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Kosovar Albanians by Serbian forces. Estimates range from 10,000 to 20,000 deaths. In 1999, President Clinton launched a war to free Kosovo. Clinton cited 100,000 military aged men that were missing and "may have been killed" as a reason for his military action. In addition to ethnic cleansing, Serbian forces forced hundreds of thousands of Albanians from their homes.
Iraq has a population of 25 million. Its former regime is believed to have executed nearly a quarter of a million of its own civilians. Genocide continues in Iraq as terrorists routinely target non-Sunni residents. Torture of Iraq civilians was rampant under Saddam and is the weapon of choice by current terrorists.
President Clinton has been praised for launching war to free 2 million in Kosovo. Yet, President Bush is chastised for using war to free 25 million in Iraq. Further, President Bush is chastised for keeping troops in Iraq to help defend Iraqi civilians from terrorists who seek to overthrow the newly formed government.
President Clinton's attack on Kosovo was unprovoked for Kosovo offered no threat against the United States – imminent or otherwise. President Bush's attack on Iraq was provoked for Saddam was building and harboring weapons, allied himself with international terrorists, attacked U.S. troops, and had declared war on the United States. This attack was considered "preemptive" because the intent was, in part, to eliminate the threat before it became imminent.
Still, President Clinton is praised for his unprovoked military action, while President Bush is chastised for his preemptive action.
Logic and reason are missing in Hollywood.
This brings us back to the current Cause Celeb of Darfur. Exactly how do the experts in Hollywood sound stages expect to end the genocide in Darfur?
Surely they would not allow President Bush to use military force. They oppose the current use of the United States military to protect Iraqi civilians from genocide by terrorists. Further, these experts in the fine art of pretending have declared that "war is not the answer" -- Clinton's attack on Kosovo notwithstanding.
Is it enough to simply demonstrate compassion for the plight of those in Darfur? Will this end the genocide?
If so, could Hollywood end the conflict in Iraq by demonstrating compassion for plight of Iraqi civilians against the terrorist "insurgents" who seek to torture and murder their way to power?