Posted on 12/13/2006 5:57:53 AM PST by A. Pole
A good working definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over and expecting a different result.
An example of something that is actually working is Greg Mortenson's Central Asia Institute
http://www.ikat.org/
They do one thing, they build schools in remote mountain villages of northern Pakistan, Afghanistan. (note they are expanding into Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia.)
Ok Ok I know they are people of the left, but IMO they are doing the Lords Works.
There are 100's of small groups out there that are actually getting things done in a small way.
IMO there will be nothing but miniscule benefits from aid UNLESS it is accompanied by changes in the political environment.
Unless private property is respected, no one will rise above what the government thugs haven't yet taken.
Ah, but the question is what is the best way to change the political environment? Top down, or bottom up? I guess I'm a bottom up kind of guy.
Well, so am I but let's be practical.
Most of these people either don't understand capitalism or don't know anything other than socialism/communism.
Any organization coming into a country educating the masses on the problems with their totalitarian government, and the benefits of the free market and private property, will find its members have a short life span or a short time in country.
The model of Radio Free Europe would be a good start, but it hasn't helped much in Cuba, for example.
I just don't see a solution; but I know that giving foreign aid to dictators doesn't work either.
Some (MANY) problems have NO SOLUTIONS. Darfur is only one of them...
I'm not a utopian who claims to have a big government solution for every problem. That kind of hubris got us involved in that hopeless Bosnia writ large called Iraq.
The elements of the Darfur conflict, in one form of another, dates back before recorded history. It is not just a religious fight but a struggle for control between nomadic types, who want to graze their cattle for free, and villagers who want to farm. If you believe that Wolfy has the "solution," I don't think you are being realistic.
Exactly. It is strange that many conservatives who sensibly criticize social engineering plans such as wars on poverty don't see the even greater difficulties of plunging head-long in the tribal mess of Darfur.
We agree. Wish there were more logical conservatives in our country (like us).
:)
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