BY KOFI ANNAN, FORMER SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
With the drums of war beating among Western powers, I feel it is time to bring attention to the lack of equality we are showing our Syrian brothers and sisters. In the true sense of global harmony and equality, the international community should come to its senses and ignore the ongoing atrocities in Syria.
The UN aims to bring order and provide the same rights and dignity to peoples of the world. With this firmly in mind, I urge the international community to act like the world did during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Rwanda in the 1990s, and Darfur in the 2000s: with complete military indifference.We need to offer the people of Syria their chance to massacre each other without intervention, allowing them the dignity and rights we showed to other nations.
In Rwanda and Darfur military intervention was ignored as an option. These conflicts remained mostly within their own borders, and foreign leaders only feigned sincerity, contempt, and outrage, when conveniently past the time of action. The current Crisis in Syria does not affect global peace and security, and common interest views twerking as more detrimental to society than sarin gas.
And let’s be honest: intervention has failed. Just look at the Balkans, Afghanistan, and other conflicts, which left us with failed states, peace and conflict studies majors, and Wolf Blitzer. Furthermore, with the loss of Ghadafi, with his colourful UN standup and female warrior guards were the only things livening up otherwise dreary conventions.
Let governments save their money and the lives of their citizens. Let us all return to our NFL fantasy pools, debating the finer points of casting Batman, and create more ungodly sandwiches made of donuts.
Desires to bomb Syria has left many people frothing at the mouth for war, but let’s leave that to Syrian children. They have a right to dignity.
