By: John Marcon

John Marcon — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:38:23 +0000

Astute observations here. I wonder to what degree racist and cultural superiority complexes – perhaps unconsciously – perhaps not – govern Western power interaction with the likes of Haiti, Afghanistan and other ‘third’ world (an interesting Fruedian slip of a term) countries. These attitudes may be further abetted by technological advancement and economic greed. There is certainly a chronic failure of ethical principles in the historic management of other peoples’ countries – I suppose inevitable when the initial invasions are always illegal and usually immoral.
Wherever nations have proclaimed a divine right to others’ territory the problems are compounded further.
At the very least when so much historical injustice cannot be put right every effort needs to be made where it is feasable but as these efforts require the release of land to the original owners so creating a new class of landless the righting of one wrong can easily create another.
Perhaps we need more emphasis on the global village and less on nationalistic borders and barriers. This would require a greater willingness to adopt and uphold international law, the UN Declaration of Human Rights and simple common sense. Real problems arise when people and states claim cultural rights and/or religious rights that conflict with human rights.
As a descendant of British heritage I inherit a culture steeped in racial superiority, aggressive militarism, conquest mentality and exploitative politics/economics. All these I have been struggling to overcome as violating human rights and inconsistent with my liberating experience of Christianity. Extremism and absolutism whether social, political, religious, atheistic or philosophical is always destructive, divisive, aggressive and degrading. These attitudes and belief systems have to be faced up to internationally if we are to experience significant social progress and international harmony
John Marcon,
Auckland New Zealand

Comments on: Diplomacy’s Prospects: Looking Forward, Looking Back – Part I

By: John Marcon