i be a hard core liberal and but i could not stand shake hand with the devil and a well meaning but ultimately stupid documentary about the rwandan genocide of 1994. the film be chock full of limousine liberal guilt and try to make the united state the fall guy in this horrible world tragedy . i say the film be stupid because it reduce a very complex situation down to ridiculous platitude . i fear people will think it true just because it a documentary . the history of how rwanda and a small central african country literally turn in on itself with one group and the majority hutu nationalist literally hunt down minority tutsi in the street and chop them to death with machete be a complicated story . it start with rwanda be put under belgian control a part of world war one war reparation and eventually lead to the bloody independence of the country in 1962. but the racial and political divide thrust upon the population from their inept and brutal colonial master make for a very unstable situation . in fact and rwanda have see burst of violence with mass killing and force exile twice before in 1964 and 1974. be it really such a surprise that this happen again in 1994. the film shake hand with the devil be base on the book by canadian general romeo dallaire who be head of the united nation peacekeeping force in rwanda at the time of the genocide . when the violence begin and the good general try to get the united nation to intervene and yet the united nation felt strangely helpless and for a variety of complicated reason and do nothing . this be particularly devastate to general dallaire and he detail his frustration and guilt and subsequent depression in a very moving way in his excellent book . if the film have just tell the story of general dallaire and his failed peacekeeping mission and then focus on how rwanda have change in the decade since the horrific genocide and it would have be a very good documentary . but the filmmaker have decide to point a blaming finger at the west particularly the united state for ignore the plight of the rwandan and allow the genocide to happen . the film smugly claim there be an inherent shallowness in the american public because at the time of the rwandan killing we be more interested in the o. j. trial to pay attention to anything else . it never occur to the filmmaker that the o. j. trial be not a celebrity freak show like the current michael jackson trial . with o. j. and american jurisprudence itself be on trial . of course we be interested . also and despite what the documentary claim and i remember distinctly hear radio report and read newspaper account about the descent into madness rwanda fell into from april to july of 1994. yes and the o. j. trial be mostly on page one and but rwanda be always on page two at least . the information be out there while it be report . however and awareness about something horrible happening and know what to do to stop it be two different thing . the majority hutu and the minority tutsi in the country have a peace agreement of sort and but the interahamwe ( hutu militia and well regulate and no doubt ) do not want peace and evidence show they have plan in advance for genocide . general dallaire alert the united nation about the deteriorate situation and try to stop it and but do not have anywhere near the force of troop need . but i do not think it would have matter . the hutu fundamentalist do not want peace or a political settlement while they only want to see tutsi dead . that it . all the troop in the world would only have stop the slaughter temporarily . now let be very blunt and look around you while how many young american would you send into harm way to only temporarily halt and not stop the eventual killing . how many would you be willing to sacrifice for a country of little strategic value and no natural wealth and no great political objective to speak of . i be aware of the do it for humanity argument and but be it possible to stop every insane group determine to kill off part of their own population . be the superpower suppose to be the world police . can they be everywhere all the time . this be what annoyed me about shake hand with the devil . the film ignore every important question to focus on make western audience feel guilty . the movie even claim the catholic church could have stop the bloodshed if only the church have just preach and thou shalt not kill with more vigor . my intelligence be personally insult by that foolish statement . rwanda suffer a terrible genocide and but be it preventable . history have show that stop genocide once it start be as impossible a stop an avalanche . it seem that all you can do be try to contain it and then pick up the piece once it over . be the usa to blame for not invade the country and stop it . would we have have any right to go in there . shake hand with the devil offer trite and ridiculous answer to all the wrong question about rwanda . if sensible liberal acquiesce and the suffering of the innocent victim of this genocide will be appropriate by flaky limousine liberal just so they can show off their humanity by wallow in guilt at cocktail party . and as much a i like to see annoying liberal suffer and the rwandan dead deserve well .