Europe has been whining impotently about the war in Iraq and American-caused civilian deaths there since before the war began. Being the generally left-leaning, hippy tree hugger that I am, I think this is a good thing. Our allies should be the first to tell us where we have failed and how we can do better.

So in the interest of constructive reciprocation, I will offer them some advice on how THEY can save maybe a half a million people this year.

Forcefully denounce the genocide in Darfur Sudan. Intervene with humanitarian aid, even with military force if needed. Nicholas Kristof at the New York Times has been hammering away at this topic for months now (this link will become pay-only content soon, but he’s bound to write another column on this in the next few weeks.)

The US (and Bush specifically) just doesn’t have the political capital right now to stop this crisis – imagine the fit everyone would throw if we sent troops to another Islamic nation! This is a great opportunity for Europe, the EU, the UN (anybody) to prove that they’ve not just a bunch of impotent do-nothings. You couldn’t deal with Saddam Hussein, you couldn’t stop the US from attacking Iraq, you can’t bring peace to the Congo.

But this is a softball!

A couple thousand troops to break up an unorganized militia of teenaged fighters and BAM! A hundred thousand lives saved, thanks for coming. Then you can get back to whining about how US servicewomen like to point at prisoners genitals…