Thursday, June 12, 2008

Who's To Blame?

Guess who said this:
The global conscience is not asleep, but after the turbulence of recent years, it is profoundly confused. Some governments will oppose any exceptions to sovereignty because they fear criticism of their own policies. Others will defend the sanctity of sovereignty until they again have confidence in the judgment of those proposing exceptions.

At the heart of the debate is the question of what the international system is. Is it just a collection of legal nuts and bolts cobbled together by governments to protect governments? Or is it a living framework of rules intended to make the world a more humane place?
The author is Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, who says the invasion of Iraq "generated a negative reaction that has weakened support for cross-border interventions even for worthy purposes".