A Question of our own Rights.

Some, like myself, would initially react to a story like this thinking, "We got to save them!" But within the borders of liberalism, a few things must be addressed.

First, something of this importance should be decided on by majority consent. I think that is somewhat obvious: why help people when no one really wants to. After consent is won, the amount of resources available must be gauged to make sure that by helping them, we don't dig ourselves six feet under when the country we help is driving BMW's and were enslaving citizens to whore them out. Preserving resources is not just something a liberal government should do for its citizens, but any government, for any government should be in the service of its citizens and its own self; again, it is a waste to drive yourself into the ground.

Now, if both of these things are achieved, there is no reason to prevent aid to any country with some form of unwanted suppression on their citizens. More philanthropic acts like those of Kristof would help the people of any area doing poorly. But why should we do it? Well, if we have the resources, but never used them while people who could be potentially saved by them are violated against, it would be somewhat of a waste to hold them back. That is an idea that Locke identifies: wasted resources are a crime against man. So if were just sitting on a giant pile of money, it would be ideal to use it.

Now, should America do it today? I believe not. If we ideally had the resources available, it would be something we should do. But unfortunately with the way our economy is, it would be unfair to citizens at home to expend it on other countries when we, being citizens of America, should be the primary concern of our government. It may seem harsh to turn down such hideous right violations, but it is not worth jeopardizing the rights of citizens of our own country. Whether this is a pitfall of liberalism or not, this is how I view the situation of a liberal standpoint. A government should be in the business of protecting its citizen's (note citizen's) rights. It is the citizen that comes first. which I think it a liberal view that protects the rights of us, the people of America, at home.