Helping the needy or cooperating with evil?

Instapundit posted this tweet, and alas it is true:

An important read from Prof. Netta Barak-Corren in the WSJ.

It isn't just Gaza.

"In every conflict I have studied—Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopia and Gaza—the same aid trucks double as cash machines for warlords, militias and authoritarian regimes." pic.twitter.com/vhvXDk7ZHR

— Elliot Kaufman (@ElliotKaufman6) August 10, 2025

,,,,,

see previous post about the dilemma of do gooders in a time of civil war.

When I worked in Africa, when the insurgents controlled the roads, we would send a message that we would be fetching supplies on a certain day, and we would get a list of supplies (mainly food and medicine) and where to drop it off during the trip.

But in Gaza, Somalia, and many other areas, the rich war lords rely on naive do gooders not just for supplies but for money. And thanks to Al J and Qatar and European and other leftists, they get away with propaganda to tug at your heart so you don't recognize they are diabolical narcissists manipulating you so  you can forget that they started the war and they are prolonging the war and they are endangering the locals with hiding weapons in civilian areas and stealing food aid for their soldiers, not to mention the hostages they keep illegally.

Giving them help will prolong the war and more people will die in the long run of course, but if you need antibiotics and bandages for your clinic, what is your alternative? And if you want to help the starving, do you cooperate with evil to help them?

By the way: This is the dilemma of the Jesuit in the movie and book Silence, where a Jesuit denies Christ and tries to persuade others to deny Christ so they won't be killed in horrible ways.

And this is the dilemma of aid to many war torn areas of the world: Gaza is in the headlines because those in charge are cynically skilled at manipulating the press, but we see this in several African countries, Burma (northern tribes and Rohingye refugees), etc. Even here in the Philippines, we had many do gooders (both foreign and locals) kidnapped by Islamic terrorists for ransom: refusing to pay slowed down this lucrative business, but not all countries and families cooperate with the no ransom rule.

However, that said, when these do gooders deny one of the side effect of their actions is that they are aiding those who are making war on civlians, we have a problem.

And when these do gooders and NGOs even cooperate with the propaganda of thugs who openly admit that mass murder is part of their plan, then we have cooperation with evil.