Which is worse ( from a moral standpoint ) ?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Cyclotron
Individual Europeans certainly gave moral reasons for imperialism along the way. Whether European states themselves imperialized for those reasons is debatable - especially since states are only the sum of their people.

thats reductionism - id say instead that state action is determined by a political dynamic AMONG the people, so that their actions need not have anything to do with the moral intentions of the individuals in those states. And similarly international systems have their own dynamics so that they dictate results unintended by any particular state.

[Sava]

well...

I dunno how to exactly answer this...

maybe Star Trek has the best policy

don't interfere in the domestic policies, don't interfere with their culture...

offer aid (reasonable, limited...) if it is needed... try to be nice, establish diplomacy, etc...

however, if there is genocide or major crisis going on, I think the possibility of an intervention may need to be discussed... but each situation needs to be dealt with differently... you can't just go in every time there is something bad happening... you must be pragmatic... talk with allies, the UN, etc...

[VetLegion]

When was India powerful enough to go on civilizing missions?

[lord of the mark]

actually India spread its culture pretty effectively without conquest. Hinduism spread to offshore southeast asia (and managed to survive in Bali) and Buddish spread all across asia from afghanistan and central asia, to mongolia and tibet, to china and Japan, and to mainland southeast asia - and in recent years has spread to the West - certainly to the USA (and im thinking converts, not just immigrants) Ive known several white american buddists over the years.

[Aphex_Twin2]

Which is worse ( from a moral standpoint ) ?

The attitude that there can be value judgements about culture.

[Dauphin]

If we are to be overly simplistic, I say offer assistance, and let the offeree decide. Its about finding your own way and learning alternatives from others.