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A Sad Consequence of Unilateralism

Thu, 05/31/2007 - 17:36 — TimH

Putin: U.S. has triggered new arms race

Disparaging international law and norms and opinion leaves the door wide open for folks like Putin to claim justification for their actions. Not too surprising that ignoring international norms will tend to erode them. (The Bush doctrine of preventive war also gives other nations well-founded reason to fear being attacked, which is an actual justification for their actions.)

We must demand that the next president clearly reverse the policy of unilateralism and preventative war. We need international norms and law to help keep folks like Putin (and our own government) in check.

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Comments

Wed, 06/06/2007 - 00:42 — M.Z. Forrest (not verified)

Putin

I don't think it is quite fair to say that Putin started an arms race. The missle test was a direct response to NATO's decision to develop a missle shield for Europe. The relationship is a little complex, but Russia right now feels a bit miffed. Without commenting on the rightness, Russia's complaints would be:

1) Posing for holy pictures in denouncing Russia's police action in Chechnya.
2) Orchestrating the 'orange' revolution in Ukraine.
3) Messing in the elections in Georgia.
4) Expanding NATA towards Russia's borders.
5) Showing no appreciation whatsoever for Russia not objecting to the deployment of US troops in Central Asian states bordering Russia.

Fri, 06/08/2007 - 00:45 — TimH

Agreed

I didn't mean to say that Putin started something--quite the opposite.

I mean, I may not have been clear enough, but I tried to say that we have to understand Russia has legitimate reasons for concern--that we have been wrong to threaten and ignore them in some of these ways. At the same time, Putin in particular seems to be taking things in a dangerous direction as far as consolidating power and limiting political freedom in some alarming ways--including allegations of political assassinations.

So my overall sense of the situation is (without any claim to having a full understanding--I really should read more about it) that Putin is a bad guy, and we would like to make sure his power and military capacity do not become a threat to his neighbors (or his own people). And a strong system of international norms and laws is the best way to accomplish that. But the Bush Administration's example both internationally and domestically in greatly undermining international norms and laws.

Do you think I am misunderstanding the situation?