Suppose the dog was a pit bull and had its teeth in the man's child's leg? One has to know ALL the circumstances.
In this case:
a) the people we are bombing are for the most part not the people who have been committing atrocities. In your example, you would have me blow up the man's house and workplace to stop him from beating his dog.
b) the situation in the Balkans is far more complex and has far more history than either of us, or anybody on this thread, can possibly conceive.
c) in fact, the bombing appears to have made things worse for Kosovo, not better.
d) you posited a policeman. But a policeman has legal authority to act to prevent violence. The U.S., whatever rights we may want to think our military power gives us, is NOT the policeman of the world. NATO is a DEFENSE alliance, and violates its principles in attacking a soverign country which has not attacked and is not legitimately threatening any NATO treaty member. Arguably the U.N. has the right to act as world policeman, but we have not sought U.N. approval of our actions. A majority vote in the Security Council, even if Russia and China vetoed it, would give us at least some argument of legitimacy. As it is, our action is no more justified than Iraq bombing Mexico because they have carried out atrocities against rebel areas in Mexico.
e) I would love to see Yugoslavia ask the World Court to try Clinton for violation of international law and crimes against humanity. From what little I know of international law, they would have a pretty strong case.
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