Quote:
|
anyone would think sanctions would fix the problem
|
They fixed the problems of Saddam wanting WMDs, of course. And whether you're killing children with sanctions or with bombs is rather irrelevant, on the whole. What isn't irrelevant is that the UN was set up to stop countries taking unilateral military action in their own interests, and anyone who appears to be trying to sabotage this idea should be condemned, particularly if they're one of the co-founders.
Anyway, let's examine some human rights abusers who could use some of that ole' doctrine of pre-emption stuff:
Uzbekistan - nasty Stalinist dictatorship, disappearances, secret police, lack of press freedom, no democracy. Friend of the USA, of course, so that's out
China - proof that capitalism can function without freedom or democracy, WMDs, large military power. Bit big, and makes things cheap for us, so that's out
Zimbabwe - nasty madman in charge who rigs elections and persecutes opponents while starving the country into the stone age. No oil, so that's out.
Sudan - Government supported Arabs pursuing a war of racist genocide against the Africans in the south. No oil, but a bit close to the Middle East, so a slap on the wrist from Colin Powell.
Saudi Arabia - dodgy judicial system, not much democracy, not much in the way of rights for women, cradle of al-Qaeda. Lots of oil, though, and they're quite happy to swap it for our military hardware, so that's ok.
Russia - deeply worrying centralisation of power at the expense of democracy, run by an ex-KGB man, WMDs not totally under control, lots of crushing internal dissent by falsely linking it to international terrorism (it's national terrorism, of course, which is different. No one links ETA or the UDA to al-Qaeda, do they?). Bit big to invade
Belarus - see Uzbekistan, minus the US bases, the only country in Europe with a death penalty. Doesn't like human rights much. Several contributors to this board should absolutely love it there. High on my list for regime-change-plus, before gallivanting over the world trying to impose democracy with bombs let's sort out this blot on the landscape of Europe.
Turkmenistan - see Uzbekistan, with added oil pipelines from Afghanistan, so they're our mates
Israel - whew, where to start? WMDs, openly defiant of myriad UN resolutions, internally repressive along racial/religious lines. Apparently you can invade Iraq when this happens, but not Israel. Odd.