I admit it. I’ve never paid that much attention to the crisis in Darfur. I vaguely recall a commercial or two where some celebrity encourages Americans to act. And maybe there was a concert raising funds for refugees from the region. But the cause has been promoted so enthusiastically by Hollywood that you’ll understand when I tell you that my cynicism about all things Hollywood kicked in long before I could learn anything about this far-away country.

Well, I am willing to admit a mistake on this one. More of us should be paying attention to what is happening in that part of the world, as I discovered last week when I heard a presentation by Brian Steidle, a founder of Helping Other People Everywhere (HOPE).

First, a few basics: Sudan is the largest country in Africa. Darfur is one of its regions, heavily populated with black Muslims. The Sudanese government, by contrast, is largely controlled by Arab Muslims. For years, a war has waged between the Sudanese government and the residents of Darfur. The conflict is a complicated one, but it is impacted by ethnic overtones and—what else?—the quest for oil in Darfur. Sudanese oil is not high quality oil, but the Chinese people have been willing to purchase it in large quantities because their need is so great.

The problem, of course, is that the United States can’t cure every evil that occurs in this world. We can’t afford to be the world’s policemen, nor should we try. If we can take military action in one country simply because we don’t like the government’s actions, then we can enter any country because we don’t like the government. And that is wrong. Each country is entitled to its own sovereignty, just as we Americans defend our own. And it is worth noting that the Sudanese government denies involvement in the inhumane acts that I have described. The American military simply should not be involved in a conflict unless there is some American interest, which we do not have here.

Some, including Steidle, support aggressive international intervention. Indeed, the International Criminal Court may soon issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al Bashir. He would be tried for war crimes and genocide. I have sympathy for the urge to punish such horrendous evil, but the idea is a bad one. Bad facts, as they say, sometimes make bad law. The United States has not participated in the ICC for an important reason: No international body should be able to usurp American sovereignty. If President al Bashir can be arrested and tried, then what is to stop ICC representatives from coming to Dallas and arresting George W. Bush for the same reason? It is up to each country to elect its own representatives and make its own laws. Americans can intervene only when its own interests are directly impacted. (Yes, there are reasonable arguments that Americans had sufficient interests to justify the Iraq invasion, even if you disagree with those arguments. Let’s not lose focus here.)

On the other hand, there are other, non-military steps that can be taken, some of which Steidle supports. Indeed, these steps do nothing more than utilize the free market, capitalistic principles that Americans advocate (the misguided, socialistic actions of the Obama administration notwithstanding).

For instance, Steidle suggests that Americans can impact the ability of the Sudanese to sell their oil and obtain supplies from outside the country. Congress could very simply pass a law forbidding a ship to enter an American port if it has previously docked in a Sudanese one. Americans are a larger source of revenue than the Sudanese. Most ship captains would choose not to close themselves off to American customers.

Similarly, some non-profit organizations are investigating which American companies may be (even inadvertently) supporting the genocide through their investments and holdings in Chinese companies. Other companies may be unknowingly using natural resources that originate in Sudan. Most of these companies probably do not realize the connection between their businesses and genocide. Education is thus an obvious and important first step. Indeed, some companies have already divested their holdings upon discovering the connection to Sudan, but boycotts could be a useful second step if other companies continue to knowingly support such atrocities.

As Steidle aptly observes, Americans are an amazing and creative people. There are many more solutions where these came from. If we put our minds to it, we can come up with all sorts of creative ways to impact the situation in Darfur, even without military action. To date, we have aided and abetted the atrocities by our indifference, inattention, and patronage of companies that profit from the carnage. Basic human decency requires that we shake off our apathy and take action.