Darfur and Iraq

Since the Jews seem to be way out front on Darfur, let me throw a stink bomb.

If we can stop genocide, by all means let's do it, and do it now. But where were these people when we were trying to rally support for toppling Saddam Hussein, who was responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, for gassing the Kurds, and for numerous other unspeakable acts?

I remain persuaded that the key difference between Iraq and Darfur is that the United States has a national interest in Iraq and no national interest, other than our humanity, in Darfur. My longer explanation is here.

If you'd like to discuss this in the comments, please be civil.

UPDATE (4/30): Via Michelle Malkin, this photo:

UPDATE (5/2): The New York Sun's editorial discusses the Darfur Double Standard:

We'd be remiss, however, if we didn't say that we also hope that the Darfur rally yesterday helps to illuminate the hypocrisy of some of those on the left. They want military action now to oppose a genocidal regime in Sudan and to protect its victims. Yet they opposed military action in Iraq to oust a regime, in that of Saddam Hussein, that had engaged in ethnic cleansing of Iraqi Kurds and Shiites and had rained scud missiles on Israeli cities.

This Darfur double standard was underscored by the list of announced speakers for yesterday's "Save Darfur" rally. They included at least three members of Congress - Nancy Pelosi, Donald Payne, and Michael Capuano - who voted against the liberation of Iraq. Mr. Payne, a Democrat of New Jersey, has reportedly gone so far as to say of the Iraq war, "I have never seen such a misuse of our power." Ms. Pelosi, a Californian who is the Democratic leader in the House, has endorsed Rep. John Murtha's demand for an immediate American withdrawal from Iraq.

The editorial goes on from there, naming names.