Need our help? Oh wait... you're different. Sorry we can't get involved.

With the Clinton crisis in Rwanda practically absent in the collective American imagination, it should be no surprise that America has three times taken a "just brush it under the rug" approach to first the events in Darfur and now the events unfolding in Chad. It is a pity and fills me with disgust that we have allowed the situation in Darfur to deteriorate and create a virus of violence that has now spread into surrounding countries. The events unfolding in Chad are difficult to understand as the information about which group is responsible for what seem to change every news cycle. But that's the way our foreign policy works in America- we go after things we see a profit in and if people are different or if we do not think we have anything to gain from our involvement, we choose to simply plug our ears and move on. Massive genocide, government instability, and international ignorance do not exactly work in America's favor at this particular juncture; however, as conflicts grow so does our ignorance and deniability. We refuse to acknowledge the facts of the matter, finding them too upsetting and confusing and in the end say that there was nothing we could do- we didn't even know what was going on.
I'm my opinion, granted I'm no national security expert, shame on us for not getting involved in efforts that actually merit our involvement and resources. There are instances in which we should leave better alone, but the incidents in Darfur and the crumbling government and rebellion happening in Chad now are situations that demand our and the international community's attention and assistance. Granted, there is always a chance when we get involved in countries with unstable governments that we could find our good will taken advantage of, and by no means should we go in brandishing our weapons in every foreign face, but America is full of smart people- people we pay to come up with plans on how to get in and our of situations just like this. And I, for one, think enough is enough; this country needs to re-prioritize and embrace the big picture. We cannot simply ignore situations that we don't see as directly involving us- because as the new Chad situation shows us, one country's issue can easily cross borders and effect others. Ignorance is not bliss- but instead body bags that pile up in foreign lands.