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3.26.2005 ||> Somewhere inside something there is a rush of greatness
Today I forgot to write a thank-you note to an interviewer because I was so wrapped up with the Tulip Revolution that I forgot about my own issues. When I expressed this sentiment out loud, someone asked me why I was so interested. What is so important about a small Central Asian country with no real natural resources? Why should we focus on this topic rather than, say, a woman and her feeding tube? Or even better, why don't we simply watch Jackie Chan movies and forget that there's even a world out there?
I'll put aside the fact that I lived in the region for a moment.
It's important that we pay attention. One could make the argument that we're on the other side of the world, so what does it matter what we think? But while we may live in a sort of bubble here in the US, what we think and do really can affect other countries. What would have happened if, in 1994, we had been more interested in Rwanda than in Whitewater? We could play with "what ifs", but public opinion might have pressed the UN to act to save hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Though I suppose whether or not Clinton had a shady real estate deal was more important than 800,000 Rwandans.
Before I get too up on my high horse, I would like to say that my purpose isn't to lecture. I simply want to point out that we have a rare opportunity here to make sure the US government fosters democracy in this region. It's a tricky time and we could really help the Kyrgyz to live better, freer lives. We just have to pay attention first.
0 snow blossoms
