It's In Our Interest

Talk about a social media experience. My Facebook page yesterday was full of posts about a 29-minute video by director Jason Russell on YouTube called Kony 12. It was a gripping story of how children in Uganda and other parts of central Africa have been abducted to serve in the army of warlord Joseph Kony. The video aims to put Kony behind bars by mobilizing international awareness. It was watched over two million times within its first 48 hours online and has gotten the attention of Hollywood celebrities and Washington policymakers alike, with many spreading the word via Twitter. Most of Africa has seldom been in the forefront of American foreign policy. In eastern Africa, our 1992 Somalia intervention under the first President Bush was a noble effort that turned out badly. President Clinton's biggest stated regret was America's lack of action in the 1990s Rwanda genocide, but there was little domestic price to pay on either side of the political spectrum. In modern history, the United States has been criticized for acting largely based on our own economic interests. That often means oil. Some of that criticism may come from allies who agree to disagree or from the world's most tyrannical dictators. Perhaps our legitimate overseas interests can play to a more receptive worldwide audience when the American people - not just U.S. politicians - step up and take the initiative. Yes, we have our own challenges at home, but most humanitarian investments come at a small cost when the world's biggest economy and military power can mobilize international goodwill. It costs us most dearly when we ignore a region or end up supporting a dictator based purely on strategic interests. Check out the Kony 12 video and get inspired at www.kony2012.com.