Democracy frees the World, was Re: Occupation of Iraq IMHO
Alberto Monteiro wrote: > > David Hobby wrote: ... > > There should be some nice system of plebescites to let people > > organize into the countries they feel like organizing into, > > rather than being stuck with historical borders. > > > Yeah. What about the mexicans in occupied Mexico deciding to secede? :-P > > It's a complex situation: does the majority of people that live in some region > have the right to impose their laws and custums upon the minority? Imagine > a city where 70% of the people convert to some crazy cult, and decide that > they have the democratic right to constitute a Theocracy. > > The current system of overpowerful nation states and weak UNO and weak > cities is skewed, but I can't see a viable alternative. No, the majority does not have the right to impose its rules on minorities. That's one of the rules the "Organization of Democratic States" (ODS) will impose as it works its way around the globe overthrowing dictators... O.K., we have to back up a bit from that, or there aren't any countries in my mythical ODS at all! For instance, the USA is rare among western democracies for having separation of church and state, but even it doesn't enforce it well. We might manage to get together enough countries for the ODS if we set the bar lower, insisting that the majority could not make private, consensual behavior of the minorities illegal. : ) (But don't wear those headscarves to school!) As for the other issue, it's certainly not fair for a country to send a bunch of its people into another country, have them become the majority there, and then make that region rejoin their native country. (Yes, I'm a Texan...) Certainly not if it happens too rapidly, otherwise we would have flash mobs of Libertarians appearing in Idaho and instantly seceding! A good rule might be that only people who were born in a place could vote on which country it would join. ---David ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Occupation of Iraq IMHO
David Hobby wrote: > >> This would annoy Turkey: their worst nightmare is a Kurd state. > > Correct. So, what's wrong with Kurdistan? > Nothing. But Turkey is one of the most important satellites of the USA :-) > There should be some nice system of plebescites to let people > organize into the countries they feel like organizing into, > rather than being stuck with historical borders. > Yeah. What about the mexicans in occupied Mexico deciding to secede? :-P It's a complex situation: does the majority of people that live in some region have the right to impose their laws and custums upon the minority? Imagine a city where 70% of the people convert to some crazy cult, and decide that they have the democratic right to constitute a Theocracy. The current system of overpowerful nation states and weak UNO and weak cities is skewed, but I can't see a viable alternative. Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Occupation of Iraq IMHO
Alberto Monteiro wrote: > > David Hobby wrote: > > > > I would rather cut it into three pieces, Sunni, Shiite and > > Kurdish. I'd even throw in a high-tech way to enforce their borders. > > > This would annoy Turkey: their worst nightmare is a Kurd state. > > Alberto Monteiro Correct. So, what's wrong with Kurdistan? There should be some nice system of plebescites to let people organize into the countries they feel like organizing into, rather than being stuck with historical borders. ---David ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Occupation of Iraq IMHO
David Hobby wrote: > > I would rather cut it into three pieces, Sunni, Shiite and > Kurdish. I'd even throw in a high-tech way to enforce their borders. > This would annoy Turkey: their worst nightmare is a Kurd state. Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Occupation of Iraq IMHO
Alberto Monteiro wrote: > > My opinion: I think the USA should pull his troops and those of his > satellites [:-)] immediately from all sunite and shi'a zones, and > restrict the occupation to the Kurd zone. Then, do in Iraqian > Kurdistan what is supposed to happen elsewhere: train soldiers, > bring weapons, create an army, establish a democratic government, > [not in this order, of course] and _leave_. > > And let the rest of Iraqians kill themselves. > > Alberto Monteiro I would rather cut it into three pieces, Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish. I'd even throw in a high-tech way to enforce their borders. ---David Not another Yugoslavia! ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Occupation of Iraq IMHO
My opinion: I think the USA should pull his troops and those of his satellites [:-)] immediately from all sunite and shi'a zones, and restrict the occupation to the Kurd zone. Then, do in Iraqian Kurdistan what is supposed to happen elsewhere: train soldiers, bring weapons, create an army, establish a democratic government, [not in this order, of course] and _leave_. And let the rest of Iraqians kill themselves. Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
