What Excuses in the Internet Age

We live in an age of instant media, pictures, video and journalistic accounts of events can be passed around the world in seconds.

Email systems buckle under the volume of video news footage, and yet people in Western countries seem oblivious to disasters, genocide and human tragedy in one of the world's major continent: Africa

Over the decades we have heard excuses in the West, such as “we didn't know what was going on”, “we haven't got the resources”, “it's a consequence of colonialism” or worst still “it is all tribal over there, nothing we can do helps”

Today, there are no such excuses, even if they were valid years back (which I would seriously doubt), the Internet allows millions and millions of people to see the consequences of genocide in Africa, by using a few mouse clicks.

By simply accessing YouTube and typing Darfur in the search box (upper right hand corner) horrific events from Africa are available for all to see. Ignorance is no excuse.

The “international community”, be it Western countries or oil rich Arab nations or Asian economic powerhouses, have sufficient resources (military, humanitarian, etc) to employ when necessary at home, and bearing in mind that a few resources goes a long way in Africa then the excuse of “resources” is hardly tenable.

The latter two excuses of “colonialism” and “tribalism” are fatalistic justifications for inactivity (for decades).

If we truly wish to improve human morality, human health, human ethics and the state of the world, then the least we can do is to stop the genocide in Darfur.

A first step would be for people to acknowledge that it is occurring and that it can be stopped, if there is the will.

Here are some videos which detail the appalling situation in Darfur, remember ignorance is no excuse in the Internet age.

Alternatively go to google videos and type in Darfur