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To: thames_sider who wrote (3334)	3/18/2002 9:56:46 AM
From: Lane3	Respond to of 21057

I suppose neo-colonialism might work, if the imperial power really knew better than the natives what was good for them, if they worked with the natives rather than forcing an alien culture on them, and if the colonial rule was clearly in the natives' best interest - if it were truly enlightened. I'm not advocating a colonial approach. If anything I said gave that impression, it was unintentional. I'm simply not prepared to write it off out of hand because it's "wrong." I think the tool has a place in the toolbox, although hopefully buried very deep and hard to get at. When I threw out the African colonization for discussion, I had in mind that the population of Africa could soon become extinct from AIDS, that leadership was in denial about how AIDS was spread, for heaven's sake, and perhaps colonization might just be better than annihilation. There are places on earth that are utterly miserable--where the leadership can't walk and chew gum at the same time. We had a discussion on Beanies a long time ago about whether slavery was ever moral and I argued that it could be in extraordinary circumstances. And even that an individual might make an enlightened decision to become a slave, in theory. I argue the same for colonization. I have also that countries frame conflicts in terms of good and evil--it's inappropriate and sanctimonious--but based on enlightened, long-term self interest. The enlightenment and long-term parts of self interest will obviate evil indirectly. It's hard to imagine where colonization would be in the US enlightened, long-term self interest. Karen