Has The International Criminal Court Made Matters Worse In Darfur with the Arrest Warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir?

Hear story from NPR.

I say... they probably compounded an already dreadful situation by issuing a warrant against a sitting head of State. These warrants typically aren't pursued.... at least not immediately. In the meantime, the suffering will be a Hell of a lot worse for the people who the ICC wants to protect.

The U.S. is not a signatory to the ICC, so I don't know how this will impact official Obama Administration policy. But Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, has made it clear that she wants a more aggressive approach when it comes to dealing with Sudan.

My point is.... this seems to be bad timing. Sometimes timing is everything. Although I do believe that this situation was neglected by the Bush Cabal (no surprise there... they couldn't care less about starving, terrorized & brutalized Africans... I don't believe that certain elements in this Country even view Blacks as human) and that something should have been done long ago. But at this point... with the economic crisis and other madness keeping Obama's plate full... the Administration should have called for a delay in the ICC decision...or a shelving of the decision for the time being. The consequences were predictable.

Did Sarah Palin Lie About Darfur?

It looks that way to me...

This was just one of many lies spewed by Palin at the VP debate... so many that I didn't bother counting. Whenever she opened her mouth, she was probably telling a lie.

America - I Understand That You Love Your Animals, But...

Americans love their animals so much that they have dedicated an entire network to them, largely focused on the welfare of their favorite Pets. An entire network, where Americans get to show their undying love and affection for Animals. Yet, there is an active genocide taking place, and it barely gets a few seconds of coverage in an entire week. Something is wrong here.

Can we get a Darfur channel? "All Darfur, All The Time" would be a good slogan. Since Americans want to ignore the genocide in Africa, perhaps we could bring the genocide into the homes of Americans. Maybe then Americans would care as much about humans as they do about animals. Just maybe. I don't put a lot of stock in that, because I don't have much faith in Americans. But it just might work.

Political Cartoon Roundup

New Darfur Documentary From PBS

A New Documentary on Darfur is now available from PBS. The 1 hour film, entitled "On Our Watch", can be viewed online. Watch Film.

Also watch the documentary on the 1994 Rwandan genocide, entitled "The Ghosts of Rwanda". I have seen this documentary several times and I have posted it here before. "The Ghosts of Rwanda" is one of the best documentaries that I have ever seen...and I watch a lot of documentaries.

After the Rwandan genocide, the world reiterated its pledge of "Never Again".

Watch the madness that Canadian General Romeo Dallaire had to deal with, both in Rwanda and with the UN.

It is clear that there is a disparity in terms of how the world reacts to genocide in Africa and how the world reacts to genocide everywhere else. In 1999, the Clinton Administration was willing to spark WWIII to stop a relatively modest (although brutal) genocide in Kosovo. I believe the response would be similar for any such event in Europe. Yet the World seems to have a clear double standard when it comes to genocide involving dark and poor people around the Globe, especially Africans.

It is clear that Africans are at the bottom of the World's list when it comes to how they are viewed. It is clear that Africans are considered by much of the World to be of lesser value as human beings. This has been clear for decades, but these recent events have highlighted and cemented these sentiments in such a way that they leave no doubt as to where Africans stand in the World.

And one striking irony in the Darfur documentary was China's efforts to ignore the crisis. Yet when it comes to China's own genocide in the 1930's and 40's at the hands of the Japanese, then all of a sudden China wants the World's sympathy and understanding.

Why Have Democrats Been Obsessed with the Armenian Genocide?

The Democratic leadership in Congress has now decided to put their Armenian Genocide vote on hold. But why have they been so obsessed with this in the first place?

This took place almost a Century ago, yet the Democrats have decided to bring this issue up out of the blue. Meanwhile there are genocides taking place right under their noses... Live and in their face, right on the African Continent. And it gets almost no attention from the Congress (and that has been under both Republican and Democratic leadership). It is yet another example of how Black lives are perceived to be of less value by the Western powers.

I can still vividly recall how the Western world rallied to take action on behalf of the Albanians in Kosovo, after only a few thousand parished & people had their villages set on fire in what was essentially a civil war. But when tens of thousands die in Africa... there is not nearly the same sense of urgency. Although Jimmy Carter says Darfur doesn't meet the criteria of a Genocide. Yet there is violence along ethnic lines. Tens of thousands have been murdered. Villages have been systematically burned to the ground and people have been driven from their homes in massive numbers. Women and girls have been gang raped. Men have been shot and beheaded in front of their families... and this doesn't qualify as genocide? Just how many Black Africans have to die before it is considered genocide Mr. Carter?

This effort to label the Armenian slaughter a genocide (after all these years...) seems to be some symbolic political move, aimed at improving relations with Armenia so that the U.S. can move even further into Eastern Europe...and it also could be part of an effort to gain another possible launching point for any future military conflict with Iran.

Let's Not Forget About Darfur

As a poster reminded me, let's not forget about Darfur.

Act to End Genocide in Darfur Sudan

View Current Signatures - Sign the Petition
To: United Nations, White House


In the Darfur region of Sudan, government-supported militias are attacking and burning undefended villages, raping and murdering civilians, and abducting women and children. Over 700,000 victims of this ethnic cleansing have fled to other parts of Sudan, and another 110,000 refugees have crossed the border to Chad, where they are suffering from malnutrition and disease, and are exposed to daily cross border raids by militias, who murder them and steal the blankets and food given to them by international aid agencies.

The United Nations and member countries have done nothing to stop the militias, who continue to attack villages, burn homes, and rape and kidnap people.

Mukesh Kapila, U.N. co-ordinator for Sudan said, "I was present in Rwanda at the time of the genocide, and I've seen many other situations around the world and I am totally shocked at what is going on in Darfur. This is the world's greatest humanitarian crisis, and I don't know why the world isn't doing more about it."

Sign the Petition Here

Rush Limbaugh and his Idiotic Comments About Darfur

How does an idiot like this maintain a radio show? What's worse is that there are thousands of White Americans who eat this stuff up everyday.... they hang on this mans every word. And I guess this answers that question... people want to hear this stuff. I won't even try to attempt to get into why he is wrong... that would be a waste of my time, but I will post the nonsense that spewed from his mouth.

Courtesy of Media Matters

Limbaugh claims Dems' interest in Darfur is securing black "voting bloc"

Summary: On his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh claimed that Democrats "want to get us out of Iraq, but they can't wait to get us into Darfur." He continued: "There are two reasons. What color is the skin of the people in Darfur? It's black. And who do the Democrats really need to keep voting for them? If they lose a significant percentage of this voting bloc, they're in trouble." A caller responded, "The black population," to which Limbaugh said, "Right."

On the August 21 broadcast of the nationally syndicated Rush Limbaugh Show, a caller said to host Rush Limbaugh: "I know I'm no expert in foreign affairs, but what really confuses me about the liberals is the hypocrisy when they talk about how we have no reason to be in Iraq and helping those people, but yet everybody wants us to go to Darfur." Limbaugh responded by claiming Democrats "want to get us out of Iraq, but they can't wait to get us into Darfur." He continued: "There are two reasons. What color is the skin of the people in Darfur? It's black. And who do the Democrats really need to keep voting for them? If they lose a significant percentage of this voting bloc, they're in trouble." The caller responded, "The black population," to which Limbaugh said, "Right."

Limbaugh also stated: "So you go into Darfur and you go into South Africa, you get rid of the white government there. You put sanctions on them. You stand behind Nelson Mandela -- who was bankrolled by communists for a time, had the support of certain communist leaders. You go to Ethiopia. You do the same thing."

Limbaugh added: "Clinton sent the U.S. military off to Bosnia. No U.S. national interest at stake. The liberals will use the military as a 'meals on wheels' program. They'll send them out to help with tsunami victims. But you put the military -- you put the military in a position of defending U.S. national interest, and that's when Democrats and the liberals oppose it."

However, interest in ending the killing in the Darfur region of Sudan is bipartisan. In 2006, Congress passed the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, sponsored by then-Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-IL). The law contained several sanctions on Sudan, including a ban on ships involved in Sudan's oil trade docking at U.S. ports of entry. An initial version of the bill passed the House by a vote of 416-3, and the final version passed the House by voice vote and the Senate by unanimous consent and was signed by the president on October 13, 2006.

From the August 22 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: Here's [caller] in Lake Orion, Michigan. Thank you for calling. Great to have you on the EIB Network.

CALLER: Hey, Rush. It's great to talk to you. I talked to you once before. I've been listening to you for a couple of years now, and I think I'm getting brighter, but there's a lot to be learned. I know I'm no expert in foreign affairs, but what really confuses me about the liberals is the hypocrisy when they talk about how we have no reason to be in Iraq and helping those people, but yet everybody wants us to go to Darfur. I mean, aren't we going to end up in a quagmire there? I mean, isn't it -- I don't understand. Can you enlighten me on this?

LIMBAUGH: Yeah. This is -- you're not going to believe this, but it's very simple. And the sooner you believe it, and the sooner you let this truth permeate the boundaries you have that tell you this is just simply not possible, the better you will understand Democrats in everything. You are right. They want to get us out of Iraq, but they can't wait to get us into Darfur.
CALLER: Right.

LIMBAUGH: There are two reasons. What color is the skin of the people in Darfur?

CALLER: Uh, yeah.

LIMBAUGH: It's black. And who do the Democrats really need to keep voting for them? If they lose a significant percentage of this voting bloc, they're in trouble.

CALLER: Yes. Yes. The black population.

LIMBAUGH: Right. So you go into Darfur and you go into South Africa, you get rid of the white government there. You put sanctions on them. You stand behind Nelson Mandela -- who was bankrolled by communists for a time, had the support of certain communist leaders. You go to Ethiopia. You do the same thing.

CALLER: It's just -- I can't believe it's really that simple.

LIMBAUGH: Well, see, I knew you couldn't believe it. But here's the -- here's one that's even going to be harder to believe and it is even more truthful. Could you tell me what vital national interest, [caller], is at stake in Darfur?
CALLER: Um, I don't know.

LIMBAUGH: Nothing. Zilch, zero, nada. Darfur is not attacking us. Darfur has not said they want to attack us. So they will -- same thing -- Clinton sent the U.S. military off to Bosnia. No U.S. national interest at stake. The liberals will use the military as a "meals on wheels" program. They'll send them out to help with tsunami victims. But you put the military -- you put the military in a position of defending U.S. national interest, and that's when Democrats and the liberals oppose it. And --

CALLER: Right. Terrorists have attacked us and our oil supply comes from, you know, Iraq and Iran and the Middle East, and yet that's not worth defending.

LIMBAUGH: Right. That's exactly right. You've got it. You've got it. Now you just have to believe your own instincts from here on out.

Israel To Reject Darfur Refugees

WELL, Well, well.... How ironic. It looks like the Western World's double standard towards genocide (in this case in Africa), has truly come full circle.

A nation founded on the premise of being a sanctuary for those who suffered genocide in Europe has now decided to make itself off limits to those who suffered through genocide and persecution in Africa. If anyone still has any doubts about where Blacks stand on the food chain.... and how the White world really sees Africa.... then they are blind. The underlying stream of thought that drives this double standard is that Blacks are less than human....that their lives should not be considered as important as non-Blacks. Therefore genocide against Black Africans is just not considered as important as genocide against Jews or even Albanian Muslims. Why can't we get a news reporter to come out and say what is really going on? Why doesn't anyone in the media have the courage to say what this really is?

If this genocide were taking place in Europe, there would have been a UN Resolution REQUIRING nations to accept refugees. In fact, current international law has provisions for dealing with refugees.... provisions that Israel seems to have ignored with the deportation of refugees back to Egypt.

I also find Israels excuse interesting... officials there are saying that they are being overrun by a flood of African refugees.... however, the numbers don't indicate a stampede or flood of refugees, even for a small country like Israel. This would not even be a huge number for an average major American city. The real issue here is classism and yes... I hate to say it.... racism.

I wonder if Barack Obama, with his Kenyan roots, is man enough to give back any money he has received from AIPAC, and pledge to never accept any future contributions from the group.

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Additional Sources for Story

Turkish Weekly

Chicago Tribune

Time.com

Seattle Times

Houston Chronicle

Links From Around the Sphere, August 1, 2007

Stories that have been on the 'Mirror On America' Radar

1. USA: The Beacon of Freedom? See a report on the experience of protesters in Illinois.

2. Special U.S. Inspector for Iraq, Stuart Bowen, reports problems with Reconstruction. Iraqis are not taking care of their responsibilities.

3. Finally there has been some movement on Darfur.

4. Errington Thompson has more on the investigation of Republican Sen. Ted Stevens. Also covered here on Mirror On America thanks to Rikyrah.

5. Juan Cole offers his expert analysis on the latest in Iraq. More information from the Daily Kos.

6. Our friend Pelican1 from Independents Unbound tries to make sense of the Bush Mafias idiotic policy towards the Middle East. Lord Have Mercy!

7. This is why The Democrats will need more than just the Iraq War to get into the White House. This has been the prevailing trend for the last couple of years. Even in bad times, Republicans still lead in a General election matchup with Democrats. See Post from Central Sanity.

8. The ladies over at WhatAboutOurDaughters.org are still busy. D.L. Hughley is planning to do a show in the wrong city later this month. I have a feeling that he won't be coming back to Texas after this next trip.

9. While our soldiers die and get maimed in order to buy time for some nonexistent political reconciliation to take place in Iraq, the Iraqi Parliament will be on a month-long vacation. Bush should be the one to personally notify the families of each soldier who dies in Iraq in August...and he should explain why they had to die.