What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Tonitrus]

It'd just be another TACO anyways.

[The Minsky Moment]

What genocide?

Sure there is terrible violence in Nigeria and its possible the US could do something to help.  And also possible the US could make things worse.

Meanwhile there are far greater levels of violence going on in the Sudan, including what appears to be a rerun of the genocidal campaign in Darfur. The disconnect is extraordinary as the Nigeria statements from the administration come out at the same time as video evidence is flowing in about widespread massacres in Darfur.

[Josquius]

Again highlights a key in this stuff is how connected a place is to the world, how many cameras connected to the Internet there are.

[Razgovory]

What genocide?

Sure there is terrible violence in Nigeria and its possible the US could do something to help.  And also possible the US could make things worse.

Meanwhile there are far greater levels of violence going on in the Sudan, including what appears to be a rerun of the genocidal campaign in Darfur. The disconnect is extraordinary as the Nigeria statements from the administration come out at the same time as video evidence is flowing in about widespread massacres in Darfur.

I keep being told it we can't do something Darfur.  But presumably we can do something about Nigeria.  Fuck, I don't know.  I can't keep track of who's lives are important and who's lives aren't.  Maybe we should print up some shirts that say "Queers for Nigerian Christians", and some other ones that say "Fatties for Darfur".  See if that helps.

[The Minsky Moment]

In Nigeria the problem is ISIS and Boko Haram.  They recruit and extract resources from the region and there is not much the US can do other than put boots on the ground or act as "advisors" to Nigerian forces.

In Sudan the RSF is more substantial and relies on foreign backers like the UAE, Chad, and one of the factions in Libya.  So presumably the US could something without formal intervention by playing into what is supposed to be Trump's strong suit: leaning on other countries to stop funding conflicts.  Yet his admin has shown no interest in that conflict.

[Zoupa]

I keep being told it we can't do something Darfur.  But presumably we can do something about Nigeria. 

Who's telling you we can't do anything about Darfour? Who's telling you we can do something about Nigeria?

[Razgovory]

I keep being told it we can't do something Darfur.  But presumably we can do something about Nigeria. 

Who's telling you we can't do anything about Darfour? Who's telling you we can do something about Nigeria?

Plenty of people.  I keep getting told that people protest Israel because they can affect their government's stance on that.  They also tell me that the reason that people don't protest over places like Sudan is because their governments can't do much about it.  After all, Sudan, like China and Saudi Arabia isn't part of the ICC it don't really do a lot of trade with anyone.  Nigeria on the other hand is part of the global economy and is part of the ICC.

[Zoupa]

I keep being told it we can't do something Darfur.  But presumably we can do something about Nigeria. 

Who's telling you we can't do anything about Darfour? Who's telling you we can do something about Nigeria?

Plenty of people.  I keep getting told that people protest Israel because they can affect their government's stance on that.  They also tell me that the reason that people don't protest over places like Sudan is because their governments can't do much about it.  After all, Sudan, like China and Saudi Arabia isn't part of the ICC it don't really do a lot of trade with anyone.  Nigeria on the other hand is part of the global economy and is part of the ICC.

Sure, that can explain the lack of protests. But is that all our countries can do regarding these humanitarian crises? Have our citizens protest?

[Razgovory]

Well, maybe they can do something else, but don't because they don't care.  Is that why Canada doesn't send any troops to stop the slaughter in Darfur?  Cause they don't care?  I mean, that is why the US under Trump doesn't.

[Zoupa]

Canada sends Blue Helmets via a UN mandate or at the request of the country in crisis. We're not russia.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Let's be real: we all know why the pro-pally brigade isn't out in force to protest, demand boycotts and draw red lines.

[Zoupa]

Let's be real: we all know why the pro-pally brigade isn't out in force to protest, demand boycotts and draw red lines.

True.

[The Minsky Moment]

OK . . . I don't think I understand what is being discussed anymore.

Someone got it in Trump's head that he should rattle his saber about Christians in Nigeria.  It's true that ISIS and Boko Haram have killed Christians and burned churches. They've also killed Muslim and burned schools, government offices, pretty much everything.  They are pretty much equal opportunity killers unless you are 100% Salafi Shari'a law fanatics, which is a definite minority position in Nigeria. 

Because Trump's knowledge of Nigeria is on the same level of his knowledge of epidemiology, climate science, and carrier plane launch systems, and because his advisors don't actually care about Nigeria, his apparent policy response is to randomly threaten the hapless Nigerian government, a target of ISIS-WA. Despite its many weaknesses, the Nigerian government is virtually the only body on the planet doing anything meaningful to counter those organizations.  There is no question that the US can influence the Nigerian government, but the Nigerian government is only a problem because of its weakness, not because it lacks interest.

Trump's other "plan" is reportedly to put US troops on the ground, apparently oblivious of the logistical complications. ISIS-WA operating areas are located in the far northeastern region of the country, near the borders of Chad and Niger. Not the easiest place to base and supply meaningful numbers of US military forces.

In the Sudan, the situation is quite different; a more conventional civil war between two roughly equally matched sides. And although both sides are pretty bad, the RSF has been committing worse and more systematic atrocities.  Here the potential leverage points are obvious, because the RSF cannot maintain 100K troops in the field without outside support, and the US does have the means to shut down much of that support if it wished and made it a priority. 

The third element in the discussion is Israel-Palestine.  I'm not sure how that is involved other than every discussion that does not devolve into the ACW must devolve to Israel-Palestine.  I think a point is being made about someone's hypocrisy.  Whatever that point is, let's consider it made and move on.

[Valmy]

What genocide?

Sure there is terrible violence in Nigeria and its possible the US could do something to help.  And also possible the US could make things worse.

Meanwhile there are far greater levels of violence going on in the Sudan, including what appears to be a rerun of the genocidal campaign in Darfur. The disconnect is extraordinary as the Nigeria statements from the administration come out at the same time as video evidence is flowing in about widespread massacres in Darfur.

I keep being told it we can't do something Darfur.  But presumably we can do something about Nigeria.  Fuck, I don't know.  I can't keep track of who's lives are important and who's lives aren't.  Maybe we should print up some shirts that say "Queers for Nigerian Christians", and some other ones that say "Fatties for Darfur".  See if that helps.

Ok well if Nigeria and Sudan had dominated the national news for decades and decades and we were sending billions of dollars to back governments in Nigeria and Sudan I am sure there would be more interest. I am sure if we had a major economic crisis in the 1970s because Arab countries were angry at us for supporting factions in Nigeria and Sudan having an opinion on those conflicts would be more of a thing.

Context matters here. You can't just ignore all of that.

In any case my opinion on Israel, Sudan, and Nigeria are similar in the sense that I am against the US spending or sending billions of tax dollars there to back one side or the other. Humanitarian aid is fine.

[Razgovory]

The third element in the discussion is Israel-Palestine.  I'm not sure how that is involved other than every discussion that does not devolve into the ACW must devolve to Israel-Palestine.  I think a point is being made about someone's hypocrisy.  Whatever that point is, let's consider it made and move on.

No, I think it's important we all understand why people are hypocritical, that is because they are evil racists, and that ostracize them for it.