Europe as a counterpoint to the US - a talk by Lord Butler

[Krill]

That's better

[TCO]

Thank you, thank you. Would you like an encore?

[Krill]

Please. Though keep up the authoritarian bull**** while you're at it.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Drogue
Would you have a problem if Russia started to sell Iran nukes?

They aren't already?

[TCO]

Originally posted by Krill
Please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbbl3Gfvenk

[Dauphin]

I find the concept of discussing the legality of something based on international law pointless. Mainly because I see the enforcement being more an issue of bargaining power and politics rather than any form of innate adherence to or enforcement of a statute as seen in domestic law.

Take the recent dropping of the bribery case against BAE systems and the Saudi's involvement in it.

[Sandman]

The main reason being that due to their collonial past, European forces are not credible peacekeepers in Africa, whereas due to recent events, US peacekeepers will be unlikely to be credible in the Middle-East.

I don't agree with this analysis. European forces are perfectly credible peacekeepers in Africa, they're in some countries at the moment. The Americans are not credible peacekeepers in the ME because they're just plain bad at it.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by TCO
We should beat kids too. Even not our own. Good for them.

I approve of this line of thinking. It has merit. We could take what few children Europe has to offer and beat some sense into them to prevent even further wussification.


Community service.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Sandman
I don't agree with this analysis. European forces are perfectly credible peacekeepers in Africa, they're in some countries at the moment. The Americans are not credible peacekeepers in the ME because they're just plain bad at it.

Where have we been doing any peacekeeping in the ME?

[Imran Siddiqui]

[q=Drogue]Well if you won't stick to international laws, you expect everyone else to stick to WTO rules, or intellectual property rights law, or nuclear proliferation, or any other international law the US tends to push for?[/q]

Quite right. The law of unintended consequences will be at work when the US starts flouting parts of international law or treaties it doesn't like. A China when confronted with the rampant piracy that goes on its borders may trot out the "if you can do it, we can to" defense (and China is large enough economically to where it can say such a thing and not fear retaliation)

[Last Conformist]

I think the entire question is wrongheaded. We should cooperate with the Yanks where we agree with them and oppose them where we don't.

[Dinner]

The main reason being that due to their collonial past, European forces are not credible peacekeepers in Africa, whereas due to recent events, US peacekeepers will be unlikely to be credible in the Middle-East.

An excellent point.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


Where have we been doing any peacekeeping in the ME?

Leb in the 1980's.

[Kuciwalker]

within my lifetime

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
within my lifetime