If an issue manages to unite Barack Obama, Sam Brownback, and George Clooney, it might be worth taking a look at.
By the way, let me take a moment to blast CNN’s coverage of the Darfur genocide in this article. Start with the word itself: “genocide.” They refuse to use it unadultered, saying that it “is being described as genocide.” No serious objective scholar denies that a genocide is happening. Even the US government says that it is a genocide (not that we’re doing anything about it, but at least we’re saying it). Second, they give the death toll as “tens of thousands.” Again, the official figures are well above 200,000, and that’s likely lowballing it. Third, the title of the piece is “Clooney, Senators Urge Action on Darfur,” emphasizing the thespian and not the politicians. As much as I respect the good actor, the important thing is not that big Hollywood star has signed his name onto the campaign. It’s that a Republican Presidential hopeful and the hottest star in the Democratic party are using their considerable political capital to push this issue to the fore of public debate.
The growing grassroots movement to intervene in Darfur is heartening, but it won’t get anywhere if the media keeps on putting out crappy coverage like this.