The best time to plant an apple tree is twenty years ago.
The second best time is today.
- old saying, don't know from where ... yes i agree that multilateralism as currently constituted and practised UN-style is a sick joke, that's pretty clear to everyone, as are the heinous crimes of unilateralism of which Saddam among others stand clearly guilty
So the question then becomes, Is the UN repairable? ... if repairable, we must set to improving it ... if not, we must replace it .... must, there is no other option besides the law of the jungle, and while the few men who control the eight thousands pounds gorilla may like very much the law of the jungle, there are roughly six billions of us who don't
Once the emotion of the moment fades away, the populace under direct rule of the gorilla are going to find that handing absolute free rein to those who control it was not in their best interests after all .... and for more reasons than just worldwide reaction - for the loss of civil liberties and some very valuable constitutional principles
'Why do we want to give every two bit country an equal say? Why is your vote more important than mine?'
Do you believe then that Gore won the 2000 US election, because more people voted for him than for Bush II? ... leaving aside the questions of dodgey ballots and whose daddy's judges etc, do you find unfair or unreasonable the principle of the electoral college under which low-population areas get somewhat better representation? ... what is the alternative then, how would you propose the votes be weighted - with the most people, with the most land area, with the most money, with the most weapons, or what?
Personally i wonder whether the concept of veto in the security council might be outdated ... the whole structure of UNSC, would you set it up that way now? ... probably not eh ... but it's pretty bloody stupid to be pouring fine wines down the drain in futile petulance at some dim perception of what is frenchness, and be at the same time avoiding thought on these vital questions [not meaning you personally here, don't know your body of work]
Kids we don't have yet, working on that now [fingers crossed at the moment, after three miscarriages] ... eighteen years after we succeed there will be strife in this world, guaranteed, there always is, and yes my kid[s] may very well be in the thick of it, as either mexicano or canadian forces .... i advocate removing the prohibicion in the constitucion against las fuerzas armadas passing the borders, for what it's worth, i also would like to see closer alliance between my two countries, also with Denmark and New Zealand and Ireland et al, as posted above ... a parliament of independent democracies, and yes with sharp fangs to smile with, the better to further the path of true working positive multilateralism |
