Economic Interests Are Above Everything

I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday about China’s and Russia’s refusals to vote over Darfur in the UN Security Council. He liked the smart game the Sudanese government was playing. By giving oil contracts to the Chinese and weapon contracts to the Russians the Sudanese government will be backed up by them incase of any problems. Yes, it’s very smart indeed but it’s all at the expense of the people in Darfur. I didn’t like the whole idea and I was also pissed that Muslim governments never opened their mouths to strongly criticize what’s happening in Darfur. In my opinion the ones who put a lot of effort, were and still are pushing for a solution are mostly the westerners. I hate the reality and the fact that economic interests are above everything. Call me naive but I still hate it. Interestingly my friend then accused the US of doing the same thing and explained how:

America claims it wants to bring democracy and freedom to the people of the region. Yet the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of its closest allies and best friends even though the country’s regime is one of the most oppresive dictatorships and human rights abusers anywhere in the world. All America does when it comes to the crimes of the KSA is give it a slap on the hand. Therefore America is also doing the same thing it accuses China and Russia of doing. America overlooks the crimes and abuse of the KSA. America cares for its economic interests above everything else and America cares about oil.

Sorry Americans but my friend has a point! Maybe your president should stop sugar coating his speeches. Farenheit 9/11 anyone??!

10 Responses to “Economic Interests Are Above Everything”

1. Anonymous on May 31st, 2006 5:20 am

   The people of Saudi Arabia are pretty anti-American, exactly how would you like us to force them to honor human rights?
   Sorry drima. You are responsible for yourselves. If Muslim governments are abusing human rights, why is it even up to us to give them even a slap on the hand? We are not the world’s keepers. We may get involved when we think:
   1. it is a human rights catastrophe, like in the case of the Sudan.
   2. it is in the United State’s and the world’s interests.
   Other then that, you are adults. Bear responsibility for your own governments and your own behavior.
   t

2. Andrew Brehm on May 31st, 2006 5:46 am

   Three minor points:

   1. Iraq also counted on Russian support.

   2. Saudi Arabia is bad, but the Saudi government did not slaughter hundreds of thousands of people. Even if you totally blame them for the terrorism they help finance, they cannot compete with the Sudanese or (former) Iraqi governments.

   3. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a film comedy, not a documentary.

3. Drima on May 31st, 2006 7:56 am

   True, the Saudi’s and Iraqis are no where near the Sudanese regime. My friend still did have a point though. The US can pressure KSA more but would risk messing up “oil relations”.

   T, you’re right. In reality it’s not America’s job to “save the world” and leaders should be ultimately responsible.

   However the US IS more or less guilty of what it accuses China and Russia of but it is most defintely not on the same level as the conditions in KSA are waaaay better than those of Darfur. Therefore economic interests in my opinion are always the top priorities. I hate it but that’s reality.

   As for Fahrenheit 9/11… I don’t know about it being a film comedy… It’s defintely not accurate but it can’t be completely dismissed either… Yes, no?? Gosh it’s difficult swimming in the sea of American left/right media… Apparently some of my friends whose views radically differ from mine LOOOOVE www.infowars.com …. I also read it once in a while but I find it depressing and tiring… It’s all conspiracies, conspiracies, conspiracies, conspiracies and more conspiracies… Something which gives me a real headache and I can’t bear.

4. Al on May 31st, 2006 8:45 am

   Well, it sorta sucks, who else should pressure countries like China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia for human rights abuses? I would joke for the Australians, but the reality is that no country today has the right to claim a clean state.

   Does that mean the no country has the right to criticize the abuse of foriegn citizens?

   I also agree that simple economics of a fearful world are preventing help for Darfur.

   But don’t hate the USA for it. Oil isn’t just a sin issue, but we Americans really, really need gasoline to maintain our high-maintenance economy. Oil prices affect the efficiency of many obviously key industries.

   I like to think this way. The USA needs so much oil, that Canadian, South American, ect traders for energy are not enough. It might seem immoral to base the tipping point decision on whether the invaded country (I’m talking about Iraq now, sorry for the disorganization) has large oil reserves. The American war-machine requires a lot of gasoline, from transport planes, sea-cruisers, tanks, and ground transport.

   An a hopeful engineering student, I like to think that politicians are stalling for time, before alternative energy resources become more reliable. My country need to stop it’s oil addiction, but simply the technologies aren’t ready yet. It’s a race against time and resources.

5. Al on May 31st, 2006 8:50 am

   BTW, what world leader doesn’t sugar coat their speeches? And survives the coming election despite a pessimism “problem”?

   Honestly, and an American, I understand that I’m not supposed to get my bad news from the President of all people. That’s why I love reading your abuse of all stupid, mis-guided, or evil bastards.

   (^_^);;

6. Andrew Brehm on May 31st, 2006 1:15 pm

   “True, the Saudi’s and Iraqis are no where near the Sudanese regime.”

   Saudi Arabia executes some 30-40 people a year.

   Saddam caused this: http://massgraves,info (site currently down?)

   It really depends on whom you support. Supporting Saudi Arabia is, in my opinion, despicable. But what the Russians did was worse, for hundreds of thousands of people it was the worst possible fate.

   “My friend still did have a point though. The US can pressure KSA more but would risk messing up “oil relations”. ”

   Oil relations wouldn’t be so important if Russia were more reliable in her energy deals.

7. Tsedek on May 31st, 2006 2:34 pm

   Because of the Save Darfur movement, however, the rebels believe that the longer they provoke genocidal retaliation, the more the West will pressure Sudan to hand them control of the region.
   ==================================

   From “Sudan Watch” on your sidebar I got the above quotation from their article of today.

   But, I don’t understand……

   Does this mean de people that are being raped, murdered and driven out of their country now, owe it all to rebels of their own tribe?

   (Sorry if this sounds naieve or stupid, but I’m real confused)

   Tse.

8. Drima on May 31st, 2006 7:28 pm

   Tsedek,

   The Western media always made the Sudanese government look like the bad guy and the rebels as the victims… In this tragedy there is no good or bad… There is only bad and worse… As far as a decade ago tribes in the Darfur region had fighting and problems amongst themselves… After the south secured the peace deal, they were “inspired” to start their own rebellion so that they could gain powerfull positions as the southerners did… The Khartoum government then responded with brutal attacks against them… It was then that the problem blow up into its massive scale that we see today… During that time the Khartoum government was the bad guy and rebels the victims of impoverishment an oppression… However after the attacks Khartoum launched, the rebels rather than continuing to fight against them only, gradually started also fighting amongst themselves as decades of tribal conflict already existed before… Different rebels from different tribes fought the Janjaweed and also slaughtered each other while the Janjaweed participated too but to a lesser extent in the last year… The Khartoum government is ultimately responsible but the rebels are the sick ones who carried out most of the recent attacks against villages in the past year… They killed Darfurians just like them from different tribes and framed the Khartoum government to make it look like the bad guy so that they can continue gaining international support which will help them get their demands from the Khartoum government… During the Abuja talks the reason they were being so demanding was because they felt they had the negotiating advantage since they felt the international community was behind them especially after seeing movements like “Save Darfur”… If the rebels were fighting for an honorable cause ie. bring development and equality to their region, I would fully support them. However the rebels are only interested in themselves and aquiring powerfull positions… They have used sick, unethical and disgusting tactics…

   There is no genocide Tsedek,
   It is very convinient to put a label like that on this situation but it is much more complicated… The victims and perpetrators are essentially the same ethnicity… This is mainly based on MONEY, POWER & POLITICS (thanx to Sudan’s recent discovered massive oil wealth) and then to a lesser extent tribal conflict within Darfur itself and amongst the rebels and villages in that region…

   Even though I hate what the government has done, I would love to see the pressure being directed more towards the rebels themselves too. There is no good and bad… They’re all a bunch of greedy, evil and sick people… Mark my word… The day the rebels take up their positions, they’ll forget Darfur and start to only fill their own pockets… The southerers consist of various tribes. For years there has been a problem between the Neur and Dinka tribes… The southerners who were given positions in the government recently are mostly Dinka… The Neur participate to a lesser extent… If you do research, you will realize that the benefits don’t go to all the southerners… They mostly go to the Dinka…

   THE GREATEST TRAGEDY IN SUDAN IS LACK OF RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP.

9. jodetoad on June 1st, 2006 2:05 am

   Of course you’re right about the US and the Saudis. And it’s more complex than just the oil, although given our oil-based economy that’s a sufficient reason.

   But rather than get political about it, compare it to a small town. Say in your small town are 3 grocery stores. All 3 have some revolting characteristics: it stinks, or the owner is a pedophile, or prices are way too high, but since you have to eat, you pick the least disgusting one, and shop there. Doesn’t mean you love the grocer, or he loves you.

   Looking around at the countries that have oil resources, who should we buy from?

   Sometimes I wonder if oil resources will end up destroying the countries that possess them. Their elites get tremendously wealthy, but not their people. Once decent alternatives to oil are in place, the economies will turn chaotic, the elites will move on, and then what? The high oil prices really ramp up research into alternative energy. Right now, the elites give handouts to pacify their people. When they move on, and the handouts stop, what then? Only a couple oil-wealthy countries have actually developed a real economy.

10. Tsedek on June 1st, 2006 3:23 am

    Drima, thank you very much for your lengthy and very comprehensive explanation. Really, you opened up something I had no idea of. Now I understand. And, to tell the truth, it was easier before when I didn’t know and there were only bad and good guys as I thought. This is so complex and therefore so much more difficult to solve…. the problem with tribe-wars is that the slightest spark can set off the whole thing anew.

    Again: thank you for explaining so I finally know exactly what is going on. I think this should, however, be explained to more people around the globe who - with the best intentions direct their support and criticism towards a generalization that, as it looks to me now, won’t get things solved in Darfur because they just address part of the problem.

    Be well & take care,
    Tse.

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