Current Events — HabitableZone

Current Events » in reply to This is silly, Tom

Not really.
Tom Brosz — (archived)

The exact phrase Splinx used was this:

All nations have an inherent right to self-determination, even Saddam's Iraq. He's not the first brutal tyrant the world has seen, nor will he be the last.



But the United States does not have the right, either legal or moral, to dictate to another country who will rule there and who will not.



There were a lot more than demonstrations. Most nations of the world, with the enthusiastic support of the Left, put rigid sanctions on South Africa, which arguably were a lot harder on the poor and black inhabitants than they were on the white rulers. If this isn't "dictating" to another country about who should rule, it at least is not neutral. You may argue, with some merit, that this is different than going in with an army, but it certainly is not leaving an oppressive nation to decide for itself how it is to be ruled by "inherent right."

The point is that a judgment was made by other nations that South Africa had a system that was immoral, and actions were taken against that system. The fact that the war was economic instead of military doesn't matter that much when dealing with the basic moral question of interfering with another government.

The hypocrisy of the Left in condemning South Africa while applauding totalitarian socialist nations that oppressed ALL their citizens, was noted many years ago. Apparently it was okay if you were an "equal opportunity" oppressor.

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