Once more into the breach, I suppose . . .

[morsefan]

So, my (actually mistakenly!) open post on human rights just got linked to two journals. That's OK, but it does come with a history and an "ending" that isn't in the post and probably should be provided for any readers who end up wandering around here confused because we seem to be lacking the posts about nice young pianists the userpage

Comments

[ex_the_epic80]

You lawyer types make my head spin!

[morsefan]

We make our own heads spin, and I often wonder just how much of what we say isn't nonsense!

Europe

[seeker101]

You might find these readings of interest:

http://www.policyreview.org/jun02/kagan.html

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/102gwtnf.asp?pg=1/

You know....I think Reagan had it right: America really is that city on the hill.

Re: Europe

[morsefan]

Excellent, both. In fact, I feel like I just wrote the first one in a different form (chuckles!). Unfortunately, I cannot claim original thoughts, now! I was amazed, however, that as I "checked my work" in the Kagan piece, I was getting a lot of the points.

There's another Kagan article in another issue of Policy Review from about the same time, but it forms a lot of my thoughts on these things as well. The basic argument is that democracy cannot succeed in a multi-national institution; what people cling to and have democratic loyalty to is the nation-state and in its absence, they don't care. The democracy deficit in Europe is a possible example of this. I suspect he's right, but even at the time, I wasn't sure he'd proved his case. Yet the mass of material in this area is increasingly interesting.

[supedujour]

::waiting for the book::

[morsefan]

LOOK AT THE USERPAGE!!!

(winks!)

Do you see how I'm using all opportunities for promotional activities now?

[dessieoctavia]

I think they are well aware, and most international institutions, including those purporting to be about human rights, are really about tyranny, and I want none of them.

What, are you angling for my position as Official Pessimist?

You're quite right, though. They do know exactly what they're doing.

[morsefan]

The only thing that makes it OK is that I do think, despite the post of yours today that we discussed elsewhere, is that I do think people are starting to get it.

[morsefan]

That's very interesting what you say about South Korea. Come to think of it, here's my ignorance showing: I couldn't even tell you the comparative populations of the two, but the German experience, while optimistic, is not without its warning signals. Plus, the north really could have nukes.

I really need to go back and read 1984. In fact there are a lot of things I've thought of recently (well, I read much of Dr. Zhivago) that came out of my youth and that I read in the context of the Cold War that matter now as well, but the lessons may be transferable and maybe even different in a slightly different context. The issues don't just go away.