[lit-ideas] Re: LAUGH OR CRY?
- From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:21:26 +0700
Mike Geary wrote:
"Is it just me or do others find it laughable that Bush should condemn
Russia for its invasion of Ossetia?"
There is an important difference between the dance Bush engaged in before
invading Iraq and the immediate response from Russia. It is legitimate to
question whether the Bush dance was a mere window-dressing for a decision
made much earlier, just as it is legitimate to ask whether Russia suckered
Georgia into this misadventure. But the fact that Bush had to acknowledge
the UN before acting is an important difference. No matter how empty, it
was a nod to the UN's role as an international body governing relations
between nations. To this point, it appears Russia has ignored the UN,
making its seat on the Security Council a farce. It seems to me that this
might be a defining moment for the UN. Either the UN will assert itself as
a rule-based international body for resolving conflict between nations or it
will show itself to be a body whose sole purpose lies in being a venue for
grand speeches and empty gestures.
Sincerely,
Phil Enns
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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