America is still the old America

Summary

The article criticizes America's historical inaction and reluctance to label atrocities as genocide, despite being a powerful nation, and questions the lack of leadership in preventing or responding to humanitarian crises, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine.

Abstract

The text argues that the United States, despite its global influence, has consistently avoided taking a definitive stance on humanitarian interventions, even when faced with clear evidence of crimes against humanity. This is exemplified by the country's past responses to ethnic cleansing and other atrocities, where debates over semantics and the political implications of the term "genocide" have taken precedence over action. The current situation in Ukraine, with Russia's indiscriminate attacks on civilians, is presented as another instance where America's hesitance to use strong language and take decisive action is seen as a failure of moral leadership. The article suggests that America's pattern of inaction and its focus on post-conflict justice rather than prevention will likely continue, with leaders and citizens alike complicit in the cycle of doing nothing in the face of war crimes.

Opinions

The author believes that advocating for humanitarian intervention is politically risky and that the USA has historically shied away from taking moral authority in such matters.
There is a criticism of America's tendency to debate reasons for non-action rather than intervening in situations like the Serb ethnic cleansing and other crimes against humanity.
The creation of an office for war crimes analysis is seen as a paradoxical move, given the country's reluctance to act on the findings of such analyses.
The author expresses frustration over the American reluctance to use the term "genocide" for the situation in Ukraine, despite clear evidence of systematic attacks against civilians.
The article points out that America's focus on bringing war criminals to justice post-conflict is insufficient and calls for early intervention to prevent atrocities.
There is a clear disappointment in the lack of American leadership to make a significant difference in global humanitarian crises.
The author suggests that the pattern of inaction and delayed justice is likely to repeat itself, with the Ukraine conflict being the latest example of America's failure to confront evil acts against humanity.

Do Nothing — Protest the Loudest.

If there’s one thing, we all understand, it is this: being in favor of humanitarian intervention is not a great political career move. Of all countries, the USA has never moved an inch toward taking the ‘moral’ authority when the G word is banded around.

By any standard, a humanitarian intervention was called for going back to the Serb ethnic cleansing and the later crimes against humanity. The American view at the time was simply to recognize it as a crime. In fact, one representative asked: Why do we have to put a genocide label on it?

America loves to debate a reason for non-action. Stranger still is when Madeleine Albright became secretary of state in 1996, she created an office for the analysis of war crimes at the State Department.

Having lived through several crimes against humanity, European, Asian, it is typical to hear a response, they’re at it again.

Now with war in Ukraine, a war against humanity, we in America are reticent to use the genocide word. Russia is indiscriminately using tanks, missiles, and ground troops to kill civilians. Look at the facts. The facts necessitate action. Russia is carrying out systematic attack against a civilian population. That is enough. Why do we need to debate this?

This is not the first time. Recall the name Milosevic, the man responsible for destroying the Kosovo Albanian populace. America refused to speculate on the numbers murdered. Albright said, quote: “Only when fighting has ended, and the people of Kosovo can safely return home will we know the full extent of the evil that has been unleashed in Kosovo.” End quote.

Today, evidence is everywhere on the Ukraine landscape. What we are witness is apartment buildings targeted, hospitals, schools, civilians being shelled into oblivion. When it’s all over the count will begin, mass graves found, thousands of bodies, men, woman, and children. This isn’t speculation, this is history, repetition, and we will debate, think about having laws, spend forty years bringing the guilty to justice.

Here we are, the most powerful nation in the world, except we have no will power to confront the worst wrongs committed against humanity, a giant of democracy with no arms, no legs, and no courage to bear our teeth, afraid of one man. We cannot even suggest Putin is evil or needs to go. What the fuck!

For a country so interested in advocating for others to improve the laws on human rights, we will once again, for the umpteenth time, head into a cycle of locking up war crime criminals for years without trial.

How is it we find men willing to commit the most heinous crimes against us, but we can never find a man with the courage to step in early, see the signs, and bring the country real leadership. It won’t happen. The Ukraine story will turn out the same way of all wars against humanity.

We will look back on our President, senators, bureaucrats, journalists, and ordinary citizens who preferred to do speak and do NOTHING!

We will ask ourselves how war crimes can be so true, with so much evidence, and yet not produce one individual with enough courage to lead America to be the difference in the world.

America, once again, in a new century, will yet again do nothing to prevent, suppress, or punish criminals for genocide.

America Is Still the Old America

Do Nothing — Protest the Loudest.