[mook]

just read this article. be warned--it contains one of the most truly disturbing stories of human suffering I've ever read:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...060503430.html

I don't know how we can sit on the sidelines and allow Joseph Kony to live. if Bush really wants to redeem the final days of his presidency, eliminating this guy is a great way for him to redefine the legacy of his "Global War on Terror."

of course, as Iraq has proven, the devil is in the details. obviously, we'd need to find as many allies as we can, which isn't Bush's strong suit. but after all of our investing in Africa, doesn't it seem possible that some form of real coalition could be built?

[maxiep]

Perhaps you'll see who the real villan in our government is after reading this quote:

The executive decision to define Kony as a terrorist has been made, but it has been held up by State Department bureaucracy.

People fail to realize that a President has limited powers. I've seen President Bush blamed for everything bad that happens in the world, with Congress and the Federal Bureaucracy escaping any blame.

Having lived in DC, I can tell you we have an institutional government. The elected officials are just visitors. The Executive can make decisions, but the mid-level staffers in every division (be it CI, HUD, State, Agriculture, DOE, DOT, etc.) are the ones that implement policy. When they find a policy they don't like, they just run out the clock on the elected official.

[mook]

I think you've got a good point there, and maybe it's unfair to just single out Bush. he's been pretty effective in circumventing that bureaucracy in the past, but his "bully pulpit" is minimal and his lame duck status makes it impossible to lead anything with much credibility.

I'd like to see Obama and McCain confronted with this issue during the debates. with Obama's close link to Africa and McCain's foreign policy gravitas, how each candidate answers could tell us a lot about how much they really know about Africa and their foreign policy vision. and it could do a lot to raise awareness and maybe even get something done.

just read them that opening paragraph in the debate and ask each of them to respond.

[Cinco de Mayo]

I am never, ever going to Africa.

[Ruff Draft]

The movie Blood Diamond was serious.

[mook]

Originally Posted by Rawse

I am never, ever going to Africa.

lol. my 65 year old dad's been twice on safari and had a great time. it's a massive continent, and difficult to generalize. it's like saying you'd never go to Denmark because of the bombing in Spain.

anyway, I've often wondered what will happen when the Chinese and Indian economies develop to the point that cheap labor evaporates. (I doubt it's for another 50 years, but then with exponential growth who knows.)

there are probably a lot of Africans who'd be thrilled to make tennis shoes for $3 a day....

[B_&_B]

That was disturbing, and an eye opener.

This guy and the LRA obviously need to be dealt with and eliminated.

It's beyond me how some people can be so demented.

[maxiep]

It's nice to see so many people in this thread realizing there are people with whom you cannot negotiate. Now, if only Sen. Obama would agree.

[MARIS61]

Horrifying, certainly, but sadly the distinctions that can be drawn between Kony's actions, his army's actions, Bush's actions, and Bush's army's actions, are minute.

The US is in no position to be judging others right now.

Amazing that such a great country can fall so far, so quickly.

[e_blazer1]

Originally Posted by MARIS61

Horrifying, certainly, but sadly the distinctions that can be drawn between Kony's actions, his army's actions, Bush's actions, and Bush's army's actions, are minute.

The US is in no position to be judging others right now.

Amazing that such a great country can fall so far, so quickly.

What a stupid post. An insult to the thousands of men and women who serve in our military.

[maxiep]

Originally Posted by MARIS61

Horrifying, certainly, but sadly the distinctions that can be drawn between Kony's actions, his army's actions, Bush's actions, and Bush's army's actions, are minute.

The US is in no position to be judging others right now.

Amazing that such a great country can fall so far, so quickly.

Do you really believe the differences between the behavior of the armies to be "minute"? Do you really believe the difference between the actions of Mr. Kony and President Bush to be "minute"? Really? Are you certain you're familiar with the definition of the term "minute"?

Moral equivalence is one of the most harmful concepts in today's society.

[Talkhard]

Originally Posted by MARIS61

Amazing that such a great country can fall so far, so quickly.

Amazing that people can say such ridiculous things on message boards . . .

[mook]

Originally Posted by MARIS61

Horrifying, certainly, but sadly the distinctions that can be drawn between Kony's actions, his army's actions, Bush's actions, and Bush's army's actions, are minute.

The US is in no position to be judging others right now.

Amazing that such a great country can fall so far, so quickly.

wow. that was a really dumb post.

don't get me wrong--Bush has screwed up a lot of things, but has he forced mothers to kill their husbands and then have armies rape the moms in front of the kids?

I must've missed that news item.

[e_blazer1]

I guess one minor difference between Bush and Kony is that if MARIS61 says something bad about Bush, he can kick back and go fishing. If he said something insulting about Kony, he'd get fed to the fish.

Only a minor difference in language, perhaps, but significant none the less.