Now here is an idea I like:
Gaining ground this political season is a proposed League of Democracies designed to strengthen support for the next president’s overseas agenda and ensure a global leadership role for the United States.
John McCain the virtually certain Republican presidential nominee, has endorsed the concept of a new global compact of more than 100 democratic countries to advance shared views and has discussed the idea with French and British leaders.
“It could act where the U.N. fails to act,” he said last month, and pressure tyrants “with or without Moscow’s and Beijing’s approval.”
McCain said the League might impose sanctions on Iran, relieve suffering in the Darfur region of Sudan and deal with environmental problems.
Barack Obama, who has a lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, has not taken a stand. But Anthony Lake, one of Obama’s policy advisers, has spoken in favor of the idea. [Associated Press]
Of course there are the detractors to this idea:
But not all foreign policy experts support the proposal.
Thomas Carothers, vice president for studies at Carnegie, said “the world has no appetite for a U.S.-led league and many countries do not want the U.S. going around the U.N.”
In fact, Carothers said, the United States cooperates often with non-democracies in its foreign policy. China’s help in trying to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is just one example, he said.
China helpful in regards to the North Korean nuclear issue? That is news to me. China could solve the nuclear issue overnight with North Korea if it wanted to due to the vast amount of investment and aid the nation gives to the North Koreans every year.
Clearly China has no intentions of ending the nuclear issue because it ties up US forces and keeps a buffer zone between South Korea and the Chinese mainland. China just this week came out against the US-ROK alliance much less doing anything helpful in regards to ending the nuclear issue.
I also like how the detractors don’t specify which countries do not want the US going around the UN. Could they be the same countries that are not democracies and are ruled by the same thugs and dictators that make the UN such a joke?
Also I think a great idea for a headquarters for this league of democracies would be in Athens, Greece. What better place to have a headquarters then in the country where democracy was first established?
Popularity: 3%
9:20 pm on May 31st, 2008 1
According to Korans, Korea is not a democracy so it should not be invited.
hxxp://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/289679.html
I agree. South Korea supports terrorist nations like North Korea, and should be left outside, in the cold. But Japan as a peaceful nation and China just because of her size and importance should participte.
10:29 pm on May 31st, 2008 2
What kind of pot are you smoking, Chinaman?
11:21 pm on May 31st, 2008 3
Can the United States even join a League of Democracies?
After watching this train wreck of a Democratic primary, which has highlighted the powers of unaccountable superdelegates, the “League of Republics” sounds more fitting.
Of course we would have to let other republics join our league… including those pesky people’s republics.
Wait. Drat. Back where we started.
11:30 pm on May 31st, 2008 4
Chickenhead you are the king of comedy on GI Korea.
“tom”, lol. Such a Korean… lol…. lol..
Funny how Kyopos worship Korea and run off to the USA.
cholla nom dirt farmer.
12:22 pm on June 2nd, 2008 5
It will come as no surprise that I do not like this idea. I also don’t like the UN. I don’t like these agreements or treaties that supersede the Constitution. For example, when the UN decided to send in troops during the Korean War, Truman sent them, for more than 90 days, without Congressional approval. It still goes on. Even if we sign a treaty or agree to an alliance, the final decision must be in the hands of the Congress.
So, in addition to NATO (another organization that I dislike), whose members are reluctant to help us in Afghanistan (not Canada, but Italy and the like), we’re supposed to go with yet another bureaucracy and add another layer of governance, paperwork, and spending that will in all likeliness steamroll the Constitution again? No thank you.
What’s wrong with the embassies and liaisons that are in place already? Why can’t we just pick up a phone and have a chat?
US: Hey, Britain, France, we’re going to sanction Iran, care to join us?
Britain: Jolly good.
France: Le No.
US: Fine.
Look, every time we’ve intervened in somebody else’s business, we’ve gotten blowback or resentment. Every time we’re generous and for whatever reason we stop being generous, we’re resented. No good deed we’ve done has ever gone unpunished. If you doubt, then check out that candlelight vigil at the Chongyechon and see what our generosity, intervention, and alliance has achieved. They’ll spit in our face and burn our flag.