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Clinton apologizes for lack of action on Rwanda


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http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/200...anda050723.html

 

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton says he's sorry for his "personal failure" to stop the 1994 slaughter of 800,000 people in Rwanda.

 

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Clinton explained his lack of action to stop the massacre by saying the U.S. didn't know what was going on, but reports last year based on declassified U.S. documents said the cabinet had accurate information about the situation.

 

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Yeah, his administration didn't know about Rwanda like the current one doesn't know about Sudan. (I also think that 800,000 is low balling th death total).

 

Kiss my ass politicians. You're all more concerned about furthering your own crappy careers than the actual well being of the innocent and vulnerable people in the world.

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QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Jul 24, 2005 -> 10:51 PM)
Why should America be blamed for Rwanda... it wasnt our mess... we werent the ones who conquered it and split the people up.  Than just leave.

 

We are wealthy and powerful so all the worlds problems are our fault............didn't you get that memo?

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QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Jul 24, 2005 -> 09:51 PM)
Why should America be blamed for Rwanda... it wasnt our mess... we werent the ones who conquered it and split the people up.  Than just leave.

Have you ever felt guilty because you failed to do something and someone else was hurt?

 

Hundreds of thousands of people died. The U.S. had the power to stop it. Bill Clinton chose not to help. That is all that matters.

 

In an interview a few years ago, Clinton said his biggest regret of his presidency was that he hadn't intervened in Rwanda when we could have helped keep people alive. I have difficulty understanding any "let them die" philosophy.

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Well its retarded.... if we interfere everyone tells us that we shouldnt stick our nose in other countries businesses.... Than we dont interfere and we are the bad guys for not helping.

 

Maybe we should of sent help but we didnt and for that incident to be blamed on us for not helping is retarded. It should be blamed on the country that caused the problem and than did nothing to help the innocent people there that died.

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QUOTE(YASNY @ Jul 25, 2005 -> 04:32 AM)
I thought this type of situation was what the United Nations was for.  But, no, let's blame the United States.  It's the politically correct thing to do.

 

Is anybody here blaming the United States?

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QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Jul 25, 2005 -> 12:08 AM)

We are wealthy and powerful so all the worlds problems are our fault............didn't you get that memo?

 

:lolhitting coming from a guy who supports the war in Iraq.

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QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Jul 25, 2005 -> 01:08 AM)

We are wealthy and powerful so all the worlds problems are our fault............didn't you get that memo?

Did you read the article? It says in there that the UN is also at fault.

 

But come on, we're the richest nation on earth and the last remaining super power; if we don't show compassion then we aren't being a good role model. Many here screamed and made fun of the French and Germans (and the Spanish when they pulled out of Iraq) for not coming to our aid after 9/11 in Iraq. Why is our turning our backs on thse African genocides ANY different from (if not far worse, in terms of the numbers killed) us not helping Rwanda, Sudan, Chechnya, etc? As my grandma always said: To whom much is given, much is expected.

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QUOTE(ChiSoxyGirl @ Jul 25, 2005 -> 02:44 PM)
Did you read the article? It says in there that the UN is also at fault.

 

But come on, we're the richest nation on earth and the last remaining super power; if we don't show compassion then we aren't being a good role model. Many here screamed and made fun of the French and Germans (and the Spanish when they pulled out of Iraq) for not coming to our aid after 9/11 in Iraq. Why is our turning our backs on thse African genocides ANY different from (if not far worse, in terms of the numbers killed) us not helping Rwanda, Sudan, Chechnya, etc? As my grandma always said: To whom much is given, much is expected.

 

I agree. But we can't help everyone, can we? I'm not saying we shouldn't have helped in Rwanda, but I'm sure, at this time, there are any number of places on Earth where there is some sort of human rights infringement...from women not being able to vote up to genocide? Where do we go next? Do we have the forces and money necessary to help everyone? And if not, where do we draw the line? With countries that have nothing but sand? And if so, how do we keep enough forces at home to protect us from terrorism at home?

 

I'm sorry, but we can't help everyone around the world. At some point, other countries are going to have to help us out or the tortured countries are going to have to find a solution from within.

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QUOTE(TheDybber @ Jul 25, 2005 -> 12:09 PM)
I agree.  But we can't help everyone, can we?  I'm not saying we shouldn't have helped in Rwanda, but I'm sure, at this time, there are any number of places on Earth where there is some sort of human rights infringement...from women not being able to vote up to genocide?  Where do we go next?  Do we have the forces and money necessary to help everyone?  And if not, where do we draw the line?  With countries that have nothing but sand?  And if so, how do we keep enough forces at home to protect us from terrorism at home? 

 

I'm sorry, but we can't help everyone around the world.  At some point, other countries are going to have to help us out or the tortured countries are going to have to find a solution from within.

I didn't mean to imply that we need to help every country with a human rights violation. But in matters of genocide, yeah, I think we do need to help. And I think we should use our power to press other countries into helping. No way, should we have to go it alone in stopping genocide, but I think if we set the example other countries would follow. I honestly and truly believe that.

 

Secondly, instead of just sending soldiers to those places, there should be people like the Peace Corps there also. I have several friends from college that are all over the world (including Africa) that do agricultural education--how to properly use the land, how to rehabilitate the land, etc. I don't think it's all about war and force, but a lot of it should just be sharing our knowledge and technology in ways that can ameliorate lving conditions in places like that. Give 'em condoms, teach 'em to farm properly, raise animals, etc.

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QUOTE(ChiSoxyGirl @ Jul 25, 2005 -> 04:19 PM)
I didn't mean to imply that we need to help every country with a human rights violation. But in matters of genocide, yeah, I think we do need to help. And I think we should use our power to press other countries into helping. No way, should we have to go it alone in stopping genocide, but I think if we set the example other countries would follow. I honestly and truly believe that.

 

Secondly, instead of just sending soldiers to those places, there should be people like the Peace Corps there also. I have several friends from college that are all over the world (including Africa) that do agricultural education--how to properly use the land, how to rehabilitate the land, etc. I don't think it's all about war and force, but a lot of it should just be sharing our knowledge and technology in ways that can ameliorate lving conditions in places like that. Give 'em condoms, teach 'em to farm properly, raise animals, etc.

 

I definitely agree with your second point. As for the first point, all I'm saying is once you start helping one country, others EXPECT it. That's the situation we are in now. And I don't know how to get out of it.

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I honestly think that Clinton feels bad for this. I was in an Africian History class taught by a native Nigerian who was familiar with both ethnic groups invovled with this strife and the history that had brought the Hutu's and Tutsi's to the point they were at. It was incredible to hear the professor talking about these brutal mass murders and rapes, and to see barely a peep of it on the "news". I can't imagine the knowledge that the US military and government had to have had of this and still be able to ignore the Rwandans while sleeping well at night.

 

I do wonder if Bill will be giving the same sort of apology down the road for 9-11?

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QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jul 25, 2005 -> 11:40 AM)
I do wonder if Bill will be giving the same sort of apology down the road for 9-11?

I bet you if you asked him if he would apologize for not going after Bin Laden in 98-99, he'd do it...at least I'd hope so...that is obviously a huge mistake.

 

You think Bush will ever apologize for not ordering any sort of alert in the summer of 01 or for not going after Bin Laden when we had firm proof of who hit the Cole?

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