Why You Should Care About Foreign Crises
Image Courtesy: The New York Times
It is incredibly unlikely that you haven’t heard about any of the controversial world events happening within the Middle East and Africa. The hashtags #FreePalestine, #FreeCongo, and #FreeSudan can be seen across the internet, not to mention the overwhelming coverage of the events in the Middle East across all news media, especially in the United States. However, just from a glance, the United States isn’t anywhere near any of these countries and has no directinvolvement in any of these conflicts, so why do US citizens care so much about it, and should you?
It would be immoral to suggest one place where thousands die is less important than one where millions die, but it would also be disingenuous to suggest that the events in the Congo or Sudan are receiving the same amount of attention in the United States as the conflict between Israel and Palestine. On the surface, this can be explained by the fact that the United States has a much larger Middle Eastern and Jewish population than immigrants or people with family ties to Sudan or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While this is certainly a factor, I would argue that it is more complex than that.
Regardless of your stance on any of the aforementioned situations going on internationally, the Israel/Palestine conflict has the most American involvement. The United States is currently Israel’s largest arms supplier, and the outrage that many Americans have, young and old, is toward the copious number of deaths of Palestinian civilians in this conflict. Since October 7th, when the conflicts arose, almost 30,000 civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, as well as by on-the-ground soldiers.
Calls for a ceasefire are widespread, and many A-list celebrities are wearing pins in support. In his acceptance speech for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, British director Jonathan Glazer proclaimed, “Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims of October — whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?”
Image Courtesy: ABC News/Associated Press
Protestors calling for a ceasefire have confronted notable politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nancy Pelosi, and even President Joe Biden at various places they have attended for their lack of perceived effort to create peace. Pelosi, who has been in politics since the Kennedy administration, responded to protesters by suggesting on CNN that they are “connected to Russia” and told protesters outside her home to “go back to China.” Some have even suggested that the United States government’s effort to ban the social media platform TikTok is a response to the widespread sympathy for the Palestinian people.
Image Courtesy: The Intercept/Getty Images
If 30,000 civilians dying within five months does not attract your attention because it has nothing to do with you, the government disagrees with you. They clearly care about your opinion on this conflict as they are trying to influence it. While not on the same scale, that impact can be had on the conflicts in Africa. The United States has less of a stake in those conflicts, so there are fewer obstacles for you to get involved in. Your conscience, freedoms, and rights might just depend on it.
Strike Out,
Writer: Matias Civita
Editor: Lindsey Limbach
Tallahassee