----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Land" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 8:53 PM Subject: Re: Rhetorical Questions RE: Removing Dictators Re: Peaceful change L3
> In the final analysis, we're not that far apart. At the risk of being > considered an America-hater, Bush is a kind of ur-American: we tend to > be pigheaded and plow ahead without regard to other views when we are > certain. Weaker countries have to consider other countries' viewpoints. I'm trying to think of times in history when the most powerful country in the world sought considerable more consensus than the US has in the last 20-30 years. Do you have examples? > The other question -- to what extent "a decent respect to the opinions > of mankind" requires that the US should give a measure of veto power to > those opinions -- is the business of diplomacy, so I will continue to > "just hope" that our diplomats will make that call wisely. Veto power quite a bit to give up. Countries reactions to the actions of the US must be considered of course, but I don't think that means we give up the right to stop us from doing things that we are convinced are both in our own interest and does not significantly harm others. The founding fathers thought such a decent respect required us to explain our motives, not check for approval. Are you saying that there are circumstances under which the opinions of the governments of Germany, France, Russia, and China would be enough to stop us acting in a manner we have determined to be in our best interests as well as morally acceptable? Dan M. Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
