I expect simple behaviours here. Friendship, and love. Any advice should be from the perspective of the person asking, not the person giving! We have had to make new membership moderated to combat the huge number of spammers who register
Location: England
Registered: November 2003
Messages: 1756
JFR's post:
>Nigel wrote:
I do not understand JFR's question.
I thought it was clear. Let me try again.
Your point, Nigel, was regarding OUR relationship with other countries such as Iraq. My question was how do we expect those other countries to relate to US - according to THEIR customs and mores? according to our customs and mores? according to some internationally agreed set of customs and mores?
J F R<
Sorry, no, JFR. My point was that it is wrong and more important futile for the Western democracies to impose their standards on countries whose history and society have no appreciation of the western way of life.
If I understand your question now, I don't expect these (in this case) Asian countries to appreciate what the West is trying to do for them. Hoping not to trivalise it, it's like the Boy Scout showing the old lady across the road and then finding out that she didn't want to cross in the first place. And so to answer your question I expect them to view and judge the West by their customs and mores.
Russia might be an interesting, but contrasting example. Until 1989 she had no conception or history of democracy in the Western sense, but the desire for democracy came from within, came from the people. It was not imposed. However, even after nearly 20 years their democracy is fragile and under threat particularly from Putin who being of the old Soviet guard cannot really cope with democracy.
Hugs
N
[Updated on: Mon, 04 February 2008 23:07]
I dream of boys with big bulges in their trousers,
Never of girls with big bulges in their blouses.