Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 10:35 AM Jun 2014

OK GOP Senate candidate: ‘All men are created equal’ doctrine led to Rwandan genocide

By Scott Kaufman
Thursday, June 12, 2014 10:13 EDT

One of the seven candidates vying to replace Republican Senator Tom Coburn in Oklahoma claimed at a debate last Friday in Lawton, Oklahoma that the idea that “all men are created equal” led to the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s.

Dr. Kevin Crow, an associate professor of History at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, was asked a question about foreign policy, to which he replied that “if you really want to see a sane foreign policy, go back to Washington’s farewell address. There’s nothing I can say that will be better than that.”

“Having said that,” he continued, “I’ll try my best.”

“The job of America is not to be the exporter of liberty — that’s not our job. Our job is to look after ourselves. Let me explain what happens when you become the exporter of liberty,” Crow said.

“Jimmy Carter tried that in Iran, and remember the brutal Shah? You saw where that got us. The Belgians tried that when they pulled out of Rwanda.”

“‘Well, we need to teach them that all men are created equal,’” Crow said, in a mocking voice. “Then all the Hutus started saying, ‘The Tutsis, they don’t treat us equal, so let’s get back at them.’ And what we had was a slaughter.”

“Taking the idea that ‘all men are created equal’ to a culture that doesn’t have a heritage of constitutionalism — it leads to genocide.”

“We need to stay out of this stuff,” Crow said, “because we don’t know what we’re doing.”

He later identified “the main crisis with Benghazi” by asking, “Why do we have diplomats there in the first place? Shouldn’t we have learned our lesson with Somalia in the ’90s?”

Watch video of Kevin Crow’s statements below.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/12/ok-gop-senate-candidate-all-men-are-created-equal-doctrine-led-to-rwandan-genocide/

###

Posted with permission

4 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
OK GOP Senate candidate: ‘All men are created equal’ doctrine led to Rwandan genocide (Original Post) DonViejo Jun 2014 OP
He's a professor of history? HooptieWagon Jun 2014 #1
america didn't have a "heritage of constitutionalism" before jefferson's "all men are created equal" unblock Jun 2014 #2
While his particular example is idiotic - isn't this an argument people make around here? el_bryanto Jun 2014 #3
I make that argument Bandit Jun 2014 #4

unblock

(52,196 posts)
2. america didn't have a "heritage of constitutionalism" before jefferson's "all men are created equal"
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 10:49 AM
Jun 2014

then again, we did slaughter the indians, so maybe he's on to something....

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)
3. While his particular example is idiotic - isn't this an argument people make around here?
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 10:53 AM
Jun 2014

We don't understand foreign nations so we shouldn't get involved in other nations, but let them work things out on their own?

Bryant

Bandit

(21,475 posts)
4. I make that argument
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 11:06 AM
Jun 2014

Until we can manage our own country and take care of our own citizens, we should leave taking care of other countries to those countries. If we have signed a pact with a country to come to their aid if attacked then we should honor that pact but otherwise we should just butt out. We can be friendly and even give aid packages when and where needed but we should not be telling other countries how to govern.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»OK GOP Senate candidate: ...