Not Our Sort of People

Soldiers in Sudan's latest civil war are committing the indiscretion of posting video celebrations of torture and ethnic cleansing, thereby appropriating for themselves what the civilised world today considers a privilege exclusive to the IDF. Precedents include atrocities carried out and filmed in Bosnia and Syria by some enemies of civilised values; since the crimes in Sudan are being committed by Africans, there is already speculation that the footage may be used in war crimes trials even though no major US interests are at stake. Such images sometimes circulate among a small coterie, but can also be shared widely so as to send a propaganda message; as distinct from mainstream infotainment footage of NATO peacekeeping activities against the enemies of civilised values and their human shields, which is displayed purely for reasons of journalistic impartiality.