From: simonl@daimi.aau.dk (Simon Laub)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.europe,soc.culture.usa
Subject: The logic of Madness and World Politics
Summary: Taking logic as your guide in world affairs you might find yourself in unwanted positions
Keywords: The new order in the world, EC, NAFTA, EC vs. NAFTA , EC in Yugoslavia and beyond
Date: 13 Aug 92 23:37:56 GMT
Organization: DAIMI: Computer Science Department, Aarhus University, Denmark

The Logic of Madness and World Politics.


On a common EC-foreign policy I wrote:
> ... and is this really the signal we europeans
> want to send ... a greediness for world power ?

Luciano Lavagno wrote:
>... But again, we are not the only ones, and the
> US needs a balancing power , now that the Soviet
> Union is no more.

  
  Actually I was objecting to exactly this 'duality'
in thinking. Instead of finding a way of settling the
trade disagreements (EC-US) in GATT the US starts its
own NAFTA as a 'logical' competition to the EC.

  In order to survive in this ever tougher economic war ,
we then have to enlarge the EC to places like
Turkey and Morocco (to ensure cheap labour and growing
markets ). The US will then enlarge NAFTA to include
middle - and south America ( Panama and Pablo Escobars
Columbia for heavens sake ! ).
  This is the strategy of continent building , 
- the name of the game now - , that nobody apparently
disagrees with.

  On the good side : you might find countrys developed,
that otherwise would not have been developed.
  On the bad side : you shift your attention away
from your own people ( you said you wanted
to protect and secure ) to a much larger number
of people in foreign countries.

  You might be that much of a humanitarian ----
I am not sure , that I am.

-----------------

  On the question of sending 100.000 eurosoldiers
to Yugoslavia , you seems to be positive --- anyway,
we as europeans ought to handle our own backyard and
end the humanitarian nightmare -- you seems to be saying ?

  If I stretch your argumentation we also have to send
troops to Somalia and a dozen other places.
  Again I dont really disagree -- I was just taking
a quick look at the costs and then I was getting worried.
Otherwise :
  Lets have this 'war to end all wars' ( sounds familiar )
in Yugoslavia and then let us stop all wars all
over the world with some good old 'peace making'
( Pax Romanum ).
  We could also assassinate the chinese leaders ( to install
democracy in China ) and then we could make a 
'clean up' Africa mission to end starvation, corrupt 
regimes , dictators and other evils ---
  It would take nomore than 2 million eurosoldiers 
(or so ) , I guess --- and with unemployment figures
running around 10 per cent in Europe , we all know , where
to find the volunteers to this our noble project
- dont we.
  ( and besides we have to keep the military occupied
anyway , or how ? ).


  Why then is it , that I am sceptical ? Perhaps its
becourse : I come from a small Scandinavian country in
northern Europe , where we have lost the last 3 wars
we participated in. 
  Where thoughts of greatness have more often that not 
ended in disaster --- making us a nation of sissyes - perhaps.
  And furthermore the last european to think in world terms
was Hitler --- and we all agree , that he was in fact mad ,
or how ?


  But as Hamlet said ( our favorite play/prince here in DK)
speaking to the ghost :
  'So horrible to shake our disposition ,
with thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls ?
   Say , why is this ? wherefore ? what should we do ? '

   Act I , Scene IV .

   And after this introduction to the souls of danes,
you might tell me more on what you really meant to say :-)
 
   


   Simon Laub

- And Alexander wept as there were
  no more lands to conquer.