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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bilow who wrote (111411)	8/14/2003 11:40:57 AM
From: michael97123	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

"In other words, justify the murder of millions (of Arabs) because of the murder of thousands (of Israelis)?" And millions of arabs dying-where did you get that fantasy from? If there was an old fashioned WW2 operation, palestinian casualties would be in the thousands, not millions. And in any case Nadine and I have not suggested that as a course of action, we have just commented on it. Actually it was leons comment on justifying chinese control of tibet.

To: Bilow who wrote (111411)	8/14/2003 1:06:35 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Okay, fine, Carl, you're talking about relative geopolitical strength, not morality at all. That's fine. (I still don't think you're making much sense, but that's neither here nor there). Some other posters on this thread claim to be talking about universal rules of morality, a very different ballgame. They way they play it, the condemnations always seem to point to the same small country.

To: Bilow who wrote (111411)	8/15/2003 10:08:49 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Actually, morality is a big part of international conflict, however "realists" try to analyze things in power terms. For example, the South counted on Great Britain to support it, because of GBs dependency on cotton for their textile mills, but GB remained neutral, and even tilted towards the Union, because of substantial anti- slavery sentiment. Without external support, the South was doomed to failure. Similarly, although Great Power rivalry played a part in the French support of the Revolution, there was genuine admiration for the Americans, as indicated by the receptions accorded Jefferson and Franklin when they lived in France, which probably solidified support. If the United States had not considered Britain admirable for resisting the Nazis, it is doubtful that Roosevelt could have gotten Lend- Lease through Congress, and therefore kept Britain and the Soviets going until we entered the War. Taiwan is still independent of the PRC because of an American commitment to it that was based on a moral preference for the Kuomintang over the Communists. India is independent now because of Gandhi, and the pressure put on Britain (and France) to divest themselves of their colonial possessions with all deliberate speed, especially by the United States. In general, insofar as both responsible individuals and masses of people can be swayed by their perceptions of the right and wrong of things, morality will always matter, not only "in itself", but as a practical element in international affairs.........