Fw: [Futurework] Pax Democratica - a proposal

[G. Stewart]

----- Original Message ----- From: G. Stewart To: Ed Weick Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 4:16 PM Subject: Re: [Futurework] Pax Democratica - a proposal Ed,   Thanks for your comment. I agree with you that the "coalition of the willing" is a new watershed. It was foreshadowed in an almost unreported speech the President Bush gave in the Rose Garden to diplomats, early in his term. I don't think I saw it discussed on this list but it clearly foreshadowed a differently structured world. The "few strong poles" that you anticipate would take us back to the old "balance of powers" approach that one might have hoped we could get beyond in the 21st Century. The problem with that, as distinct from "coalitions of the willing" is that it is geographically based, always a recipe for trouble.   I'm not familiar with the World Federalists but thought they wanted world government, whereas the Commons is designed to move beyond the quarrel between the two "world governments" we have now, the UN and the US, although I agree with you that the UN has certainly been winged.    Beyond all the "deploring" (eloquent on this list!) I've seen little in the way of thinking about what people would like to see, beyond what is (discouragingly), merely "expected!"    Thanks again,   Gail           Gail Stewart [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: Ed Weick To: G. Stewart ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 1:42 PM Subject: Re: [Futurework] Pax Democratica - a proposal It's a nice idea, Gail.  It reminds me of the kinds of things the World Federalists used to put forward.  And it may happen, though not for quite some time.  Where I think we are going is a world stalemated around a few strong poles, most probably the US, Europe, Russia and China, with the others falling in behind whichever pole best suits their purposes.  What role the UN will play remains to be seen, but following from Iraq and 1441, I don't think it will ever again play a very strong role.  I see Iraq and the "coalition of the willing" as a major watershed that has put the world on notice that things have undergone major change. Ed Weick   ----- Original Message ----- From: G. Stewart To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 1:00 PM Subject: [Futurework] Pax Democratica - a proposal Ray, Karen, Arthur, Harry, Keith, Lawry et al: what would you think of this?     Pax Democratica   (Draft - April 1, 2003)