South Sudan.

I live in a bubble.  My news usually comes from following links on Face book.

For the last eternity, that has been American politics, and the debacle surrounding it.

But, I finally broke out, to take a look around at things outside of the USA, and I am instantly appalled and disappointed by the situations found in several countries.  the lead on this is taken by South Sudan, but just because they are in the lead, it does not mean that they are alone.

In the abstract, I can understand what is happening.  I can accept the reality of a failed state, where the government is more of a burden to the people than anarchy would be.  But what is so hard to accept is the fact that the world as a whole is letting this happen.

Part of the reason the the UN was formed was to prevent such things from happening and act as a police force on an international scale.  This has failed many more times than it has succeeded.

I think a large part of that failure can be defined in one word.  Corruption.

From my distant perch in Canada, South Sudan failed because the two sides were unwilling to share power.  They were (and are) failing to share power because it means dividing money and influence.

Right now, in a place where there is drought and thus famine, where there is rampant inflation and very few jobs, and the only export worth mentioning is oil, the two sides have decided that fighting over the pie, blowing it up, shooting it full of poison and stepping on it is better than sharing it.

The result of this is that anyone not in uniform is suffering.  Rape, starvation and murder are the headlines.  Corruption and international indifference are the cause.

There are many NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) that are fighting this, but there are many problems with that, but two are paramount.  The first is that the NGOs are limited.  They are limited in funds, manpower and influence.  The second is that they are slapped in the face by corruption at every turn.

I have not done any direct search on the corruption in South Sudan, but by reading about past efforts in other failed states, it is not hard to deduce what is happening.  In all other places where there has been a failed state any attempts at international famine relief, the first people fed are the dictator and his family.  The next fed are the military, leaders first then the troops.  The next fed are those distributing the food.  The next fed are the refugees, and the last fed are those who did not flee into the refugee camps.  The ones too weak to make the hike, or the ones who refused to give up their land.

All because the two bullies at the top of the political pile refuse to share, and the international powers are too slow and too weak to force them into a peaceful resolution.

In an ideal place, we could take a long line from each side and send them one at a time into a small room where each is armed with a very dull knife, and they are given a choice, co-operate, make a pact or fight.  If you fight and even if you win, all that means is you stay in and another from the other side gets let in.  The only food or water is released when neither one has initiated violence for two hours and both are standing on the access point.   After three days, they can leave the room and return to the end of the line.

The lines are set up in the same order as the food distribution.  Political leaders first, then their families, etc.

 After both lines have gone through the room at least twice, they get to face each other at a negotiating table.
 

It is a nice fantasy, but there is no one to enforce it.

We are stuck with the methods we currently have which are weak and slow acting.

So, as the UN spins its wheels, slowly trying to police and entire nation with far too few troops and extremely limited and defined terms for intervention and enforcement, the rest of the world gets to watch a low speed train wreck involving over 11 million people.

And from where I sit, here in the comfort of Canada  I wonder how long it will be until Venezuela is the next train we will watch.