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pluralAmerica is the world super power, we are without question the greatest economic, political and military force ever to exist on this planet.
and we are hated around the world.
Why?
some of this I believe is jealousy
some of it I believe is resentment of how our culture pervades and distorts those of other countries
but in my mind most of it is our own damn fault
for too long we have allowed profits and self interest to reign over our proclaimed values when we interact with the rest of the world.
We claim to support Human rights and Democracy but we have a record of supporting despots
From Chile to Vietnam to Saudi Arabia and even Saddam was our boy once
we have supported some of the most vile despots on the face of the planet because it was in our interest, in our benefit
Whether to fight communism or give us cheap oil
we sold our very souls and ideals for these perceived benefits and it has cost us dearly.
We need to dramatically shift our foreign policy to realign it with our most sacred goals and values
to use all of our formidable strength to improve the world and bring them, kicking and screaming if necessary in line with the concepts of democratic rule and respecting human rights.
We need to apply significant Political, Economic and indeed military pressure if it comes to it, to force changes in foreign governments so that respecting human rights and improving the democratic process becomes the rule of the day
Am I saying that we are perfect?
no.
Am I saying we do not have work on these issues to be done ourselves?
no.
but without question we are the only ones with the ability to enact this global agenda and while our government has its own failing in this area from Guantanamo to the Iraqi Prisons, to the patriot act, our failing in the areas of respecting the democratic process and human rights are by far more the aberration than the rule.
I would categorize the world into three basic categories as to how we should approach and encourage progress to be made
the first is our allies, even though some of them have abysmal records with regards to human rights with them I would at least initially recommend being fairly gentle but only because we already have a rapport and so the carrot can be truly effective in these cases.
An example of this would be Saudi Arabia. We should be insisting at every turn that Saudi Arabia makes progress on respecting human rights, and begins a shift towards a democratic process We should allow them to set a timeline and a process by which to make they changes and then insist they follow it.
The second category would be non-allies; which we should first threaten then hammer with trade and political sanctions while simultaneously offering them rewards for earnest commitments to making progress and following up those commitments with real change the so called carrot and the stick approach.
An example of this would be Libya, where we have already seen them bend to US pressure and begin making steps to rejoin the international community. We should encourage this process and stress additional reforms in the area of democratic process and respecting human rights are necessary for rejoining the international community and in their best interest economically.
The last category would be crisis states; places where the government shows little to no respect for humane behavior, where tragedies of epic proportions are currently occurring and people being brutalized, maimed and murders en mass each day, in such cases we must use the big ass stick approach.
An example of this would be the Congo, where people are dying in droves and nobody seems to give a damn. Our response should be a forceful military one to get in there and stop the wholesale slaughter that is endemic there.
Overall we need to entirely refocus our foreign aid programs to focus on two measures; relief of human suffering and supporting democracy wherever it is threatened around the world. For the latter we must expect and demand that the governments we support, even while being democratic, strive and aspire to meet our most basic requirements for the respect of human life, dignity and rights.
We must never again give blanket support to a regime which terrorizes its people and denies them those same basic human rights. All of our economic, political and military might must be focused on the sole cause of encouraging, supporting and demanding progress in the areas of democratic process and human rights.
If we interacted with the world, and if our foreign policy truly reflected our most cherished beliefs about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, I deeply believe that we would be far more loved by the people of this world, even if we have to step on a few toes while doing it.
and we are hated around the world.
Why?
some of this I believe is jealousy
some of it I believe is resentment of how our culture pervades and distorts those of other countries
but in my mind most of it is our own damn fault
for too long we have allowed profits and self interest to reign over our proclaimed values when we interact with the rest of the world.
We claim to support Human rights and Democracy but we have a record of supporting despots
From Chile to Vietnam to Saudi Arabia and even Saddam was our boy once
we have supported some of the most vile despots on the face of the planet because it was in our interest, in our benefit
Whether to fight communism or give us cheap oil
we sold our very souls and ideals for these perceived benefits and it has cost us dearly.
We need to dramatically shift our foreign policy to realign it with our most sacred goals and values
to use all of our formidable strength to improve the world and bring them, kicking and screaming if necessary in line with the concepts of democratic rule and respecting human rights.
We need to apply significant Political, Economic and indeed military pressure if it comes to it, to force changes in foreign governments so that respecting human rights and improving the democratic process becomes the rule of the day
Am I saying that we are perfect?
no.
Am I saying we do not have work on these issues to be done ourselves?
no.
but without question we are the only ones with the ability to enact this global agenda and while our government has its own failing in this area from Guantanamo to the Iraqi Prisons, to the patriot act, our failing in the areas of respecting the democratic process and human rights are by far more the aberration than the rule.
I would categorize the world into three basic categories as to how we should approach and encourage progress to be made
the first is our allies, even though some of them have abysmal records with regards to human rights with them I would at least initially recommend being fairly gentle but only because we already have a rapport and so the carrot can be truly effective in these cases.
An example of this would be Saudi Arabia. We should be insisting at every turn that Saudi Arabia makes progress on respecting human rights, and begins a shift towards a democratic process We should allow them to set a timeline and a process by which to make they changes and then insist they follow it.
The second category would be non-allies; which we should first threaten then hammer with trade and political sanctions while simultaneously offering them rewards for earnest commitments to making progress and following up those commitments with real change the so called carrot and the stick approach.
An example of this would be Libya, where we have already seen them bend to US pressure and begin making steps to rejoin the international community. We should encourage this process and stress additional reforms in the area of democratic process and respecting human rights are necessary for rejoining the international community and in their best interest economically.
The last category would be crisis states; places where the government shows little to no respect for humane behavior, where tragedies of epic proportions are currently occurring and people being brutalized, maimed and murders en mass each day, in such cases we must use the big ass stick approach.
An example of this would be the Congo, where people are dying in droves and nobody seems to give a damn. Our response should be a forceful military one to get in there and stop the wholesale slaughter that is endemic there.
Overall we need to entirely refocus our foreign aid programs to focus on two measures; relief of human suffering and supporting democracy wherever it is threatened around the world. For the latter we must expect and demand that the governments we support, even while being democratic, strive and aspire to meet our most basic requirements for the respect of human life, dignity and rights.
We must never again give blanket support to a regime which terrorizes its people and denies them those same basic human rights. All of our economic, political and military might must be focused on the sole cause of encouraging, supporting and demanding progress in the areas of democratic process and human rights.
If we interacted with the world, and if our foreign policy truly reflected our most cherished beliefs about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, I deeply believe that we would be far more loved by the people of this world, even if we have to step on a few toes while doing it.
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wasted potential
Date: 2004-05-14 12:50 am (UTC)and it bothers me, so much.
no subject
Date: 2004-05-14 07:05 am (UTC)Anyway, I'm about halfway through, and so far the central theme is that one cannot effectively manage yourself (much less manage and lead others) without a core set of values around which to base your life and your actions.
I immediately thought about the United States and my internal monologue was very similar to this post.