I watched Hotel Rwanda a few weeks ago during a weekend hiatus doing chores.  Oh, one must be excited about spending all of one's free time doing chores.  But I digress…

While visiting David Corn's site today, I found his analysis of the movie.  Although I'd added Hotel Rwanda to my list of things to blog about, it was one of "those things" that I'd eventually get to — just not today.  David's article pushed me to finally do something.

I won't delve into the level of detail David does.  I will, however, say that watching this movie certainly gives one pause to consider, under the Clinton administration or otherwise, how much and often "the West" turns its back on the world at large unless there is something significant to deem otherwise.  In the case of Rwanda, we idly sat by and watched thousands die at the hands of genocidal murderers who wanted nothing more than to destroy all remaining vestiges of their prior occupation by European colonizers.

Would we have acted had they been large oil producers?  Would we have acted had they been Jewish?  Would we have acted had they been white?

Although relevant, none of those questions need be answer to understand the horrific travesty which took place in Rwanda and which is presented in the movie.

Rather than bore you with my own analysis of the movie and underlying story, I'll simply recommend that you see it.  I don't care what kind of movies you prefer or what interest you have in films based on real events — you simply must see Hotel Rwanda.  It's beautifully understated and eschews sentiment rather than raw emotion, essentially letting the facts of the story tell the story itself.  I assure you that's sufficient.

You don't need to know the facts of the incident.  That being said, I wouldn't want to stop your cultivation of knowledge of these events.  Regardless, whether you see this film fully understanding the context or not, you must see it.  You must see it to understand the moral compass America — and, to a lesser degree, the West in general — continues to operate under.

We see your agony.  We see your pain.  We see the horrible events which befall you.  But, unless you have something to offer, we won't do a damn thing about it.

Sad.  So very sad.

Need I remind you how much I hate people?