Futility in the face of evil.

One of the more distressing aspects of modern life is the way we're expected to sit back and watch as genocide happens, yet again, and our "leaders" do fuck all about it, yet again.

So I support these guys, who want, through the twin miracles of banners and shouting, to shame the UN into stopping the Darfur genocide. Good luck to them. I really, genuinely hope they succeed. But they won't.

They're demonstrating at the UN. Why? I could understand it if their rationale were the same as that behind demonstrating against apartheid outside the South African Embassy, but I don't think it is: these people aren't expressing their outrage at what the UN are doing; they're trying to persuade the UN to act, to save the day. You'd think, by now, that even the most naive would have noticed that the UN have acted and are acting: they are helping this genocide, in hundreds of different ways. That's what the UN do.

So, like I said, best of luck, but you're doing it all wrong, guys. Don't demonstrate outside the UN, asking them to help the world's oppressed. They won't. For the most part, they're the oppressors. Demonstrate outside the Whitehouse, asking Bush to chuck the UN out of New York and stop funding them. You'd be amazed how much less genocide there'd be with the UN gone.