Kony 2012: A Call For Rationality

I’m sure several of you have seen this video at least once. I feel the need to address this due to its popularity. 

If you haven’t seen it, I suggest you do so (even if you disagree with it). It’s very well done.
It’s so well done that I, in fact, supported an actual military intervention in Africa to take out Kony. Then again, it was 2 AM and I was dealing with some teeth pain.  
And yes, that is why I haven’t been able to grace you all with my presence. 
I wasn’t the only libertarian to feel that way about this either
As a decent human being and a Christian, my heart breaks for Uganda and the children there enduring these hardships. There is absolutely no excuse for evil like that. 
As a person who tries to stay based in logic, I am a bit disturbed at the rallying behind taking out Kony simply because of a thirty minute video that displays his atrocities.
People, in general, don’t seem to be that aware of how massive of a call they’re making.  They also seem completely unaware of how corrupt the Ugandan government is too
Why should that matter?
Invisible Children is advocating that the US Armed Forces work with that corrupt government to bring down a corrupt cult-like guerrilla army which just so happens to have huge attention right now. 
I honestly do believe that we’ll be doing more harm than good by intervening. It will send an unintentional message to some countries that it’s perfectly okay to not be self-dependent since the American government will come in and save them with our armed forces. 
It’s okay for private charities to come in and help. I see nothing wrong with that. I just don’t believe that our government should be viewed as this great savior who saves the day whenever a civil war breaks out in a foreign country. 
In fact, Invisible Children have played a massive role in decreasing the violence in Uganda simply because of them exposing Kony
However, that’s not what this post is about. 
I’m asking people to stop and rationally think about this. 
This is not a simple issue with a simple solution. We need to stop and remember that there are unintended consequences with everything. 
We need to ask ourselves if this is truly worth the future suffering that can come out of this. 
Some children soldiers from the LRA will most likely die and more corrupt men could easily rise up and take Kony’s place.
Where will we stop after this? If we continue to go around the world and take out war criminals, where will we get the money? On what grounds do we justify future interventions? 
Invisible Children is an organization that is seemingly shadowy and it just doesn’t seem right to jump fully on the bandwagon with the issues people have raised about it.
I don’t care where you are on the political spectrum now. What I’m concerned about is the fact that people are calling for a huge foreign policy change based on a thirty minute documentary that relied on pulling your heartstrings. 
This is in no way, shape, or form insulting people who do call for it. It also isn’t saying that I support Kony and the hell he has put Ugandans through. 
This is a request for people to actually research the facts and history for themselves before we do a massive change in our government policy with the world. 
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go and dwell in more pain. I mention that because I’m a massive drama queen. 
Deal with it. 
-ZA 
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