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Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Sad but true
''There is a discounting of African lives that is complex, but what it comes down to is that the people of Darfur are poor, black, Muslim and don't sit over any valuable natural resources,'' said Eric Reeves, a Smith College expert on Sudan. "You can't get any poorer than that geopolitically.''
Susan Taylor Martin in the St. Petersburg Times this morning (in the same column):
Why should Americans care what happens in a far-off country, on a continent that seems perpetually mired in poverty, turmoil and corruption? Because, experts say, what began as a localized conflict could easily spread to a good chunk of Africa, turning it into a new breeding ground for terrorists and creating thousands of refugees who could end up in the United States.
...
If for no other reason, Americans should be concerned about Darfur "because peace is cheaper than war,'' as Reeves puts it. In three years, the U.S. government has spent about $800-million and that "is a lot of money that is essentially to preserve lives,'' he said. "It's not investing in infrastructure or anything else'' that could have long-term benefits.
Oh yeah, and the tens of thousands of people dying is repulsive in and of itself. What the hell is wrong with this country? When are we going to stop being American citizens before world citizens?
Posted by Will at May 10, 2006 09:59 AM in In the News