What it Costs to...

In response to my posting of May 21, 2006..."Darfur's Fleeting Moment," an anonymous contributor writes:

"Hate to sound like a total pessimist, but we have to realize that no country is willing to take the weight of Darfur. A tragic end to an already tragic story is inevitable at this point, unfortunately."

The resources are available. The tragedy is not inevitable. The weight of saving the people of Sudan is not too onerous and the justification is far stronger than the untenable invasion of Iraq in search of weapons of mass destruction. Never again? Remember Rwanda?

Consider this: The cost of one Nimitz class aircraft carrier is $4.5 billion. The U.S. has 10 of these towns on the oceans.

Consider also: The cost of occupying Iraq is currently at $284,000,000.00. The number is based on Congressional appropriations.

If there is money for these things than why not for the people of Sudan? Would we want the U.S. to act any differently if a part of Canada was suddenly underwater? Would we not expect the world to help Canadian citizens?

You may ask, 'why pick on the U.S.?' The answer is: Being the world's pre-eminent power carries responsibilities. The privilege of acting preemptively, the privelege of acting unilaterally, the privilege of being the richest nation in the world, and the loudest exponent of democracy and human rights carries with it certain moral obligations. One of these is the ability and responsibility to save innocent human beings from slaughter and certain slow death from starvation.