November 11, 2004

Crisis in Sudan

What if every self-proclaimed Christian with a belief in "family values" offered to take in one of the orphaned children rendered homeless and starving from the genocide in Darfur? How many hundreds of thousands might be saved from an otherwise slow and painful death? What might that do for the image of America around the world?

What if we pulled some troops out of Iraq to go into Africa and rescue those same children so that they could be brought safely to this country? How about some front page photos in the world press of battle-tested Marines with little black kids in their arms. Might that take some of the shame out of the Abu Ghraib pictures? What meaning might that give to the otherwise moribund adjective in the phrase "compassionate conservatism"?

Oh, never mind, we have to "stay the course" in Iraq, and get on with the business of "liberating" the city of Fallujah.

family values - my values, or the values of my family or my friends.

compassionate conservatism - conservatism made to appear more user-friendly, warm, and fuzzy by the addition of an adjective designed to conceal the indifference of conservatives to the plight of the poorer and less fortunate members of society.

stay the course - I have spoken with God, I know what I am going to do, now don't confuse me with the facts.

liberate - to conquer, capture or destroy. As in Rome liberated Carthage, and was later itself liberated by Barbarians, or as in liberate the city of Fallujah.

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