In this Sunday February 23, 2014 photo released by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, actress and U.N. special envoy Angelina Jolie, center foreground, meets with young Syrian refugees at an informal tented settlement in Zahleh, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. (AP Photo)
New York City, New York (ANTIMEDIA) – Angelina Jolie blasted the UN’s inaction in Syria and lamented the dead and dying in the country. Hollywood actors and actresses often try to express their opinions on international situations and most of the time they make a fool of themselves. Why is Angelina Jolie different?
Most of America knows Jolie as the indisputably gorgeous female action star who plays roles ranging from treasure hunters to spies who have a service record that reads something like this:
Name: Angelina Jolie
Agency: UNHCR
Specialty: Super spyLocations and dates of service:
Cambodia – 2001, Pakistan – 2001, Ecuador – 2002, Kosovo – 2002, Tanzania – 2003, Sudan – 2004, Lebanon – 2004, Pakistan – 2005 (Two Assignments), Chad – 2007, Iraq – 2007, Syria – 2007, Afghanistan – 2008, Iraq – 2009, Syria – 2009, Haiti -2010, Bosnia – 2010 (Two Assignments), Ecuador – 2010, Afghanistan – 2011, Tunisia – 2011, Jordan (Two Assignments) – 2012, Iraq – 2012, Lebanon – 2012, Jordan – 2013, Lebanon – 2014, Thailand – 2014, Iraq – 2015* *Lesser assignments omitted due to space.
If you switch out “Super spy” for “UN Ambassador or Special Envoy” the above fact sheet is entirely accurate. In fact, it really does leave out scores of humanitarian projects Jolie participated in (click here for a full listing). That’s right, Jolie has made more trips to Afghanistan and Iraq than the US Secretary of Defense. She’s part of a very select group of Hollywood starlets that will actually get their hands dirty for causes they believe in. Her estimation of the situation in Syria is probably more accurate than that of the US Secretary of State’s. She certainly has more experience.
Jolie does miss the mark because she makes the assumption that many idealistic activists make. She assumes that the controlling members of United Nations have some semblance of humanity and care about the death and destruction their policies cause. She assumes the governments are moral.
Jolie is wrong in the belief that the situation in Syria is caused by inaction. The very nations she is begging for assistance are flooding the country with weapons and combatants while relief agencies struggle for funds, equipment, and safe passage. The only country that has made any meaningful attempt at forcing a ceasefire in the country is Russia. The President of the United States has openly admitted that the plan is to oust President Assad. The number of dead civilians don’t compare to the profits that defense contractors and oil companies will reap during the war and once Assad is out of power. More importantly, the Islamic State that is waiting behind the “moderate” rebels in Syria to launch an offensive was established by the actions of the United States.
Jolie is correct that the world’s leaders have ignored the refugee crisis in Syria. It’s a situation that could be solved rather easily. There are dozens of military contracting companies that specialize in getting refugees out of war zones, the problem is that no country will allow the refugees to relocate there. Why? Because the refugees are a strain on the Syrian government, which the West is trying to topple, and the images of refugee camps are good propaganda to convince the citizens of the West that further covert military action is a solution. After all, most Americans can’t find Syria on a map. As long as something is done to help the people in the images, Americans can rest easy at night in complete ignorance of the fact that the covert military action is what created the refugees to begin with.
Many have mocked Jolie’s efforts because they feel an actress can’t possibly know what she is talking about. I would stack Jolie’s foreign service record against any current representative. Here’s a video the UN made in 2011 to honor her efforts. There’s been another 4 years of work since this video was made.
John Vibes is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war. In addition to his writing and activist work he organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference, which features top caliber speakers and whistle-blowers from all over the world. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can find his 65 chapter Book entitled “Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance” at bookpatch.com.