When Is Wrong Right?

A couple of days ago Megan McArdle asked this "honest question."

Invading Burma to disburse humanitarian aid seems (note my ironic understatement) like sort of a bad idea. But if they continue refusing to let aid workers in, what's wrong with violating their airspace to carpet bomb the place with relief air drops?

Today, Time Magazine asks "Is It Time To Invade Burma?"

It's one thing that a single blogger asks, another altogether when a major magazine's web site asks a very similar question.I don't pretend to know the answer to either, but it is time that serious consideration begin to answer both.

I do not know anything about Myanmar.  I do, however, find it mildly disgusting that a major news outlet such as Time uses Burma throughout the article rather than Myanmar.  But, that's probably not important.  It is important that aid reach people throughout the nation, by whatever name it is called.  The problem seems to be that we don't want to invade a sovereign state.  Unless, of course, that sovereign state has oil, and a dictator running the country.  Oh wait, Myanmar has a dictator too.  No oil?  Too bad.

I have to admit that I like the idea McArdle expressed.  I realize that a part of the problem with relief supplies is managing the effort, something better left for experts.  It seems to be those experts that the Myanmar generals are either afraid of or think they can do themselves, without outside management.  Perhaps my view is simplistic, but isn't it better to have relief supplies mismanaged than not to have relief supplies at all?  As Megan says, carpet drop (I like that term better than bomb) supplies everywhere.  Inform the generals that the drop was going to occur, and if they tried to harm the effort, the world would take that as valid reason to invade.  Sure there would be waste, and the generals may seize some of the drops, but they couldn't get it all.  There would also be some that reach those in need.  The most important relief that wouldn't be reaching the people would be medical care.  But even there, medicines could be a part of the drop, with instructions.  Communications devices could also be in the drops, enabling some of the people to inform outside agencies more about their needs.  Heck, I bet there would be volunteers to parachute in with specific medical knowledge.  Something is missing.  What?

Now, after getting all that out of my system, perhaps I should address the question of the post, "When is wrong right?"  When does such an invasion of sovereign rights become the right thing to do?  Our nation cravenly used non-existent WMD to justify an invasion of Iraq, only later changing to mission to establish liberty.  As a result, thousands have died, millions displaced, and billions spent.  Here is a nation with equally, perhaps worse, dictators, and a people in extreme need.  And here, we wait for the dictators to invite us.  Something is wrong with this scene.

I do not like the precedent it would make, though.  I don't like the idea that when something goes massively wrong the leaders of the affected country can be dismissed as obstructionist.  It's not "right" that someone outside sets the rules.  But which is the greater wrong, human suffering or rigid  dictator led sovereignty?

I don't enjoy seeming to advocate that violence be used to effect a good, the relief of hundreds of thousands of suffering people.  Perhaps that dilemma is most closely felt by relief workers, wanting to relieve suffering, yet not wanting the violence that could accompany it.  If so, they must be terribly saddened and frustrated tonight.

At the end, and this is the end, I can't answer the question.  Perhaps there isn't an answer.  I can say this; the US has not handled this relief effort very well either.  There must, has to, be some method of getting relief into stricken areas other than by military planes, ships, and troops.  There is no reason to confront prejudices in times of severe need.  There should have been another avenue.

That's what I think.  Obviously, from the news this evening, there is beginning to be softening of positions, and some relief is getting where it is needed.  I hope it isn't too little, too late.