What can we do? Not nearly enough, I acknowledge that. But adding your voice to the condemnations is a good start -- writing/faxing/calling your various representatives in Washington, including the White House (whether you like its current occupants or not), and letting them all know that you are aware of the situation, that you are at the least concerned, at the most outraged, and that if the U.S. wants to salvage any shred of credibility as a moral force in the world (something our current Commander in Chief likes to maintain), our government must have an official response. This goes for those outside of the U.S. as well, clearly, with appropriate substitutions of political officials as required.

By the same token, supporting organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, adding your voice to theirs does make a difference.

More long-term? Support an energy policy that moves us away from foreign oil, so we can stop calling people our allies and our friends despite the fact that the way they do business is problematic at best. It's an old chestnut at this point, but I think it's valid, and I think it's crucial, not just for the environment, but for bringing about real change. jonlaw points out that this administration isn't the first to be in bed with the Saudis (though I would argue that this administration is the first to be in bed, in crotchless panties, holding its ankles by its ears), and he's right, and we've been propping the House of Saud up for over half a century, now. And we're doing it so we can keep gasoline nice and affordable.

I'm not sure I want to bring Iraq into this, as I'm not really sure I want to open that enormous can of worms, and I truly don't have the time to give it the attention it would deserve. What I will say is that there are appropriate interventions and inappropriate ones, and yes, I do believe that sometimes force must be brought to bear. The U.S. led NATO involvement in Bosnia is a good example of this to me, and may be the only incident in recent history (or indeed, ever) where genocide-in-progress was halted (albeit a day late and a dollar short), by U.S. led intervention.

No, it's not enough, but it's something, and everything counts. Voices matter. Raising them loud enough may be all we can do, but I truly believe it can make a difference.