EDITORIAL: Not all lives are worth saving

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A new Bravo TV series, Political Animals, wrapped up its first season this past weekend.

As political dramas go, it isn’t bad, but it isn’t great — and it is doubtful it truly reflects the inner workings of White House decision-making.

What would be valuable is a Canadian TV series that shows exactly how and why our troops end up in some godforsaken country where citizens are being murdered at a rapid rate and how and why our troops are not sent to other godforsaken countries where citizens are being murdered at a rapid rate.

Last year at this time, Canadian fighter jets were leading the way in NATO’s months-long bombing campaign in Libya, which eventually resulted in the death of Muammar Gaddafi.

Canada became involved via United Nations Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973, which authorized member countries to respond to the murder of its own citizens by the Libyan regime.

Of course, there has been no similar UN Security Council resolution with respect to the carnage in Syria, due to the fact two Security Council members — Russia and China — remain allied with Syria’s Assad regime.

There is little doubt the Syrian situation long ago eclipsed the Libya violence that spurred outside attacks against the Ghaddafi government.

To watch all the innocent slain on a daily basis in Syria, to see images of children lying dead in the street, is incomprehensible, as is the fact politics played at high levels is standing in the way of saving more of these lives.

This week, U.S. President Barack Obama said he would consider mobilizing soldiers if the Assad government used chemical weapons against rebels.

While cognizant of the sensitive and convoluted political dynamic that stretches from Syria and into Lebanon, Israel and beyond, we are nonetheless baffled that the possible use of chemical weapons — and not the perpetual slaughter of innocent civilians — prompted statements like those made by Obama this week.

Regardless of the rationale and explanations, Canada’s (and the world’s) action in saving Libyans and inaction in saving Syrians simply illustrates that governments do not deem all lives equal.