Our foreign policy is a mess was my actual point - your chIna example highlights that.

We have no consistency, and are very short sighted in our goals.

Yes, I understand about the corrupt leaders and warlords. African nations are no easier than the Middle East.

It really just ultimately bugs me that we use impending slaughter as a justification for military action in some countries, claiming it to be humanitarian, yet sit back and watch it happen elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:If my kid played a recorder I would move to Sudan.

SO funny! Thank you!

Not really the point, but the recorder is a beautiful instrument when played by someone who knows what they're doing -- that is, not a kid. The alto recorder sounds like a flute. Lots of wonderful baroque music written for the alto recorder. Check it out on Youtube some time.

Anonymous wrote:somalia isn't sudan.

it just seems like we only care about millions of people being slaughtered if it is a country with some sort of resources or political influence.

if africans die, we just write it off - oh, well, too bad for them.

damn shame.

Oh give it a rest. What is your point? Nobody cares about the rights of Africans? Please, we have sent tons of aid to Africa. It's the corrupt African leaders that have kept the African people in such horrible conditions.

And, there are tons of other countries where human rights abuses run rampant, that the US doesn't get involved in. Just look at China. We let them get away with tons of crazy sh(t.

Anonymous wrote:somalia isn't sudan.

it just seems like we only care about millions of people being slaughtered if it is a country with some sort of resources or political influence.

if africans die, we just write it off - oh, well, too bad for them.

damn shame.

Just FYI PP, Somalia had zero political influence or valuable resources, whereas Sudan has oil (which is why the Chinese have been investing there). We intervened in Somalia but have limited ourselves to aid and diplomacy in Sudan, for the most part. So there goes your theory, as PC lefty as it was. Maybe if your kids played the recorder you would know these basic facts.

Anonymous wrote:Well, but what do they know about Sudan? Are they saving South Sudan? Darfur? People in the refugee camps? The non-Arab muslims in the north? Just wondering what they learned about Sudan.

Do you think some adult told the kids, hey, why don't you go out and play your recorders for bunch-of-nonsense-syllables? I think it's safe to assume they learned something, even if they aren't ready to join the foreign service.

^^^unless it is egypt or libya, but of course there are political implications there

somalia isn't sudan.

it just seems like we only care about millions of people being slaughtered if it is a country with some sort of resources or political influence.

if africans die, we just write it off - oh, well, too bad for them.

damn shame.

Well, but what do they know about Sudan? Are they saving South Sudan? Darfur? People in the refugee camps? The non-Arab muslims in the north? Just wondering what they learned about Sudan.

Anonymous wrote:It's not about saving Sudan. It's about raising citizens who will know about the world not only about IPhones 5, Wii, and all of that shit that occupies kids' minds these days.

Good for you, kids who went outside and played recorders "to help Sudan or something. "

I'm thinking that must be the reasoning behind these kinds of activities for sure. Obviously nothing we will do can make a difference. But, at least the kids will hopefully be able to find Sudan on a map and are now somewhat aware of what is going on in another part of the world.

Really? I would do anything to make my kids stop playing the recorder! We could probably solve all world political problems by locking rulers into a room with grade schoolers armed only with recorders and telling them they will stop playing when you agree on peace. Not sure though if this qualifies as torture. Hmm, let me call Cheney and ask.

We did get involved in Africa. Anyone remember Somalia? Where they dragged the bodies of our deceased soldiers through the streets? They made a movie about it. Blackhawk Down. We got involved in Somalia so that the administration could get in the middle of the Yugoslavian crisis and try to stop the disaster that was going on in the Balkans. But the OP is right. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing that a bunch of recorder playing kids are going to do is going to make an iota of difference in what happens in Sudan.