Insite: The Genocide
September 24, 2008 · By Shane Edwards
So, let’s just get this straight:Â according to received leftist wisdom, the hundreds of thousands raped, displaced and murdered in Darfur is not a genocide.
But suggesting we shut down the Insite program, which simply slows the speed at which heroin junkies kill themselves, is a genocide.
That makes perfect sense.
Leftist wisdom that genocide is not happening in Darfur? What is this assertion based on? The opinion of the left winger on your rec. hockey team? You are trying to make a pretty dubious link here in my opinion. It would have been sufficient to simply address the genocide allegation that has been made. While following and reading on the issue it has been my experience that folks across the political continuum see what is happening in Darfur as genocide.
Referring to shutting down Insite as a form of genocide is profoundly wrong though. I understand that supporters of Insite are concerned about its possible closeure, but inflammatory and intellectually dishonest language is not helpful.
I apologize if I have read more widely about the many and varied people of the liberal persuasion who refuse to acknowledge that Darfur is a genocide.
Did you know that the UN is legally required to respond if an event is declared a genocide? Thus far all there has been is years of tapdancing around the definition, in an effort to avoid going in.
Yes, I am well aware of the UN requirement and fully agree with your assessment. It seems like all the UN is good for is tap-dancing.
On your first point, there is no way to tell who is more widely read than the other. Perhaps we are widely reading different sources. However, many left leaning politicians, political parties, and individuals have been quite willing to call the massacres in Darfur genocide. Notable exceptions would be Amnesty International and MSF.
Your snide non-apology aside, what I object to is the broad brush that you have used in the post. As a conservative, I hate it when my politcal views are generalized and I am summarized as a neo-con extremist, gun-toting, oil extractin’ at any environmental cost Albertan.
Point taken. Thanks. Polemics is a skill I am still learning to use for good, not for evil. Take that how you will.
Shane, I would advise that you revert to a more intelligent, less mind numbingly neo-conservative posting style before you replace Matthew as ThePolitic’s running joke.
As Ryan has so articulately pointed out, your assertion that “the left wing” doesn’t believe Darfur to be genocide is even more laughable than your statement that GTA causes car thefts.
And while we’re on the topic of having “read more widely about the many and varied people of the liberal persuasion”, when exactly did “a group of eminent doctors” become the spokespeople for the entire left wing?
Shane, I don’t even know how to respond to that. That’s so bloody offensive and incorrect, I don’t even know where to start.
Why don’t you just accuse the left of being pro-paedophiles and anti-Canadian while you’re at it? Seriously…
who the hell do you think you are?!! there are millions of women and chidren getting killed,raped and chased out of their homes and your telling me thats not a genocide. Wow your really smart. If you see the destruction and bodies that have been left to decay out in the open maybe you’ll think twice. I dont know nor do i care who you are but you need some serious help. DARFUR=GENOCIDE