When do we intervene?

[Lemonfix]

I'm not so much a poster on the FYM boards, but this question has been nagging at me a lot lately and I was wondering if you smart people had any thoughts on this topic...

I've been reading so much about Srebrenica lately, and hearing about what is going on in the Sudan and what did happen in Rwanda in the past and the West's refusal to do anything substancial to stop genocide in these places.

Then I see what has happened in Iraq, with American intervention. Now, I know that the two situations are very different, but they bring up a good question...When do we have a moral obligation to intervene to stop an injustice and when should we butt out? Should there be criteria, such as genocide or any other type of mass killings? There just seems to be such a fine line and such great room for error...I'd appreciate your thoughts.

 

[VertigoGal]

Well, we're supposed to intervene when it's genocide...but all that means is that we find a way to work around the G-word.

I wish we'd have done more to stop the killing in Bosnia, in Rwanda...I wish we'd at least put our weight fully behind AU peacekeepers in Darfur...It really makes me sad for the human race that these things are still happening.

But I guess to answer your question, I think there should always be some intervention in the case of genocide. That doesn't always mean sending our troops, but the most effective way to end the killing should be swiftly decided on, and acted on. Easier said than done, I know, but I know we can do better than we are now.

 

[BVS]

When we should and when we do are two entirely different things.

The 'when do we' usually occurs when it can benefit us.

 

[trevster2k]

Bonovox is correct, intervention occurs only when it is in our best interest, not their interests. WE ARE SELFISH AND APATHETIC. It is humanity's greatest flaw. Also, it dismays me to see groups which have been persecuted and targeted in the past fail to lobby for such interventions when it happens to other targeted peoples. Of course, these groups only care about themselves too. Plus we have lots of excuses to not intervene like "we could make it worse", "who sends troops", "let's have a conference which leads to a study and more discussion" blah, blah, blah.