The Red Farmer Report

The New Quagmire

2006-09-19T12:35:00.000-04:00

One of the most talked about issues right now seems to be whether we should help the people of the country of Sudan through "humanitarian troops." There seems to be a bipartisan consenses (except for the President, of course, who never seems to agree about anything but would rather go after his own agenda) that we need to send troops to Sudan to help with "peacekeeping" efforts.

Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, however is quite clear that he does not want U.N. troops in Sudan for these peacekeeping efforts. And who, quite frankly, can blame him, especially after the fiascos the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have turned into.

But wait, we're supposedly not going into another war, right? It's going to be a "peacekeeping action," just like our presensce in the Somali Civil War was suppoed to be for peacekeeping. Hell, the Vietnam War is officially just a "conflict" or a "police action." Tell that to the 58,000 Americans who gave their lives in this "conflict."

I have several questions for those who support a troop presensce in Sudan:

How long are we to stay in Sudan? This is a country located in a region where conflicts are not uncommon and where it would not be unthinkable for a war to last for many years to come. When do we know our job is over? We stayed for longer than we presumably should have in Somalia and it is evident that their country is still not stable and safe for its citizens.

Where will we get the troops to accomplish this task? With American troops still dedicated to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our armed forces are definitely short on the supply of troops right now. Unless we institute a draft or pull some of the troops from the conflicts currently in effect, we really don't have enough resources to send troops to a third part of the world.

Why now? We ignored ethnic cleansing when it was being perpetrated in Rwanda. Some estimates say that the genocide in Rwanda is the worst the world has seen since Hitler's extermination of the Jews. Bill Clinton's former Secretary of State, Madeline Albright, has been one of the most outspoken supporters of sending troops to Sudan. Yet, the Clinton administration virtually ignored Rwanda in support of sending troops to Bosnia and Somalia. Why the hypocrisy?

And finally, what is our strategy, really? It's easy to support sending troops to another country and it's even easier to pull at the heart strings of the American people in order to elicit a positive response from them for your cause. However, I have yet to hear anyone lay down a plan as to what American troops would actually be doing in Sudan. If we are going to ask American troops to go over to a country and interfere in a soverign nation's civil war, I want to know exactly what we are going to be doing over there. Are we going to be there simply to see to the distribution of supplies whil war continues to kill the people involved in it anyways? Or are we going to take a more active role in the war, essentially forcing ourselves in the middle of a war we did not create for an undefinaly psuedo-ethic reason?

I don't seriously expect these questions to be answered. They rarely are when our leaders decide to take this kind of action. It's like our leaders believe we are some kind of automotrons who will support any effort they put before us in the name of "humanity" and "peace." Maybe they believe most Americans don't care about these issues enough to take the time to understand them and make a choice for themselves.

The sad part is, they may be right.

The Philosophy of Tolerance

2006-09-17T16:49:00.000-04:00

An Associated Press article today praised the effectiveness of a new Gay and Lesbian Liason Unit in Washington, D.C.'s police force. My first reaction was a simple, "Oh, cool!" My second reaction was to think seriously about why such a unit may be necessary.

Like most minorities, the treatment of gays and lesbians in the past has not exactly been ideal. In fact, it has traditionally been downright detestable. Until very recently, gays and lesbians were often the target of public harrassment by many, including the police. The Stonewall Riots, were sparked from such treatment. It has only been by the outrage of gay citizens that such treatment has changed.

Times have changed and gays are living in a time when we are accepted more than any other time in modern history. Many have long memories, however, and the past is not easily forgotten. Trust is earned by genuine acts of goodwill and respect, not from blind tolerance which may or may not be genuine.

This is the mistake many make. The true war of acceptance isn't won through forced tolerance but a fundamental change in the philosophy a person lives and exhibits each day. Tolerance can never be legislated; it can only be won.

The fact that a police force would see the necessity of creating a special unit to reach out to a long ignored segment of its community is encouraging to me. It shows the police recognize the importance of trustbuilding by displaying its philosophy on its sleeve instead of empty talk. There will come a day when such units are not necessary due to the overwhelming majority acceptance that gays and lesbians will one day see. For now, the DC Gay and Lesbian Liason Unit is making strides to creating such a world where they will not be necessary. Other cities would do well to imitate their example.

Why Another Blog?

2006-09-17T16:25:00.000-04:00

So, if you've stumbled across my blog, you may be asking yourself, "Why should I care about this random guy's opinion?" It's a very good question, one which does not have an easy answer. You see, the Internet creates the side affect of information overload. There is so much information available that users often do not know where to turn for sound advice.

The good thing about the Internet, though, is that it allows everyone who was previously silent to publish their opinions for all the world to see. For me, this is the most compelling reason to blog. It is a new form of grassroots activism which seems to have a bright and healthy future ahead of it.

I've been keeping personal blogs for the past five years but I've never attempted a serious blog in which I take up the serious issues which are important to me. This is that blog. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to contact me should you ever have questions.