Excerpt, editing, compilation, notes by Carolyn Bennett
“[English philosopher Michael] Oakeshott warned of the folly of attempting to impose our institutions and values on other people. ‘Only they can truly understand themselves, their traditions and institutions and find appropriate answers to their political problems.” Canadian Ed Broadbent was writing in 2008.
“‘No nation has all the answers.
“‘Nations can and do learn from another’s mistakes and successes but in the end each nation must make its own decisions and innovations in the context of its own traditions, institutions, and particular circumstances.’
“This emphasis on respect for the traditions and values of each particular society raises hard questions about where and how to draw the line between respect for cultural differences and a belief in certain universal human rights.
“Most of the world now believes young girls should have the same opportunities as young boys. Unfortunately, many remain who do not share this belief in equality. There is no easy answer to this but we can certainly adopt a basic rule of thumb in practice.
“The International Bill of Human Rights must be the global standard. However, when it comes to the details of implementation in any given country, it is up to the human rights activists within that country to take the lead …. They know best their own culture and circumstances.
“… We should not be passive. We should promote the global development of democracy and rights …but also we must show modesty and tolerance: Tolerance to accept that there is more than one legitimate road to democracy; Modesty in understanding that our particular institutions may not be best for others. Modesty in understanding that, in the real world, the best plans can have disastrous consequences.
“We must never in the name of democracy, violate fundamental rights in order to achieve our goal of democracy.”
Sources and notes
“Global Democratic Development: What should and should not be done — how can we best encourage the growth of genuinely democratic governments in countries where it is now absent… ‘No Nation Has All the Answers’” (Ed Broadbent), Peace Magazine, April-June 2008, http://www.peacemagazine.org/archive/v24n2p12.htm
John Edward ‘Ed’ Broadbent (PC, CC, Ph D, LL.D; born March 21, 1936, Oshawa, Ontario), is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist; 1975-1989 leader of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP). In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre. Briefly, in the 1980s, he was “the most popular politician in Canada, scoring higher in public opinion polls than then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Broadbent stepped down as leader of the federal New Democratic Party in 1989 after what he called a disappointing election result. The party had just won the most seats in its history, but Broadbent wanted more.” NDP leader Jack Layton “coaxed Broadbent back into politics and [he] ran for and won a seat in Ottawa Centre in 2004. He quit politics in 2005 because of his wife's illness.” CBC News, INDEPTH: ED BROADBENT, Timeline
CBC News Online May 4, 2005, http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/broadbent/
Also at Wikipedia and Rights and Democracy
English philosopher Michael Joseph Oakeshott (December 11, 1901 – December 19, 1990) wrote about political thought and the philosophy of history, religion, aesthetics and law. He is widely regarded as one of the most important conservative intellectuals of the twentieth century as well a liberal thinker [Wikipedia].
Nevertheless Occupation continues
How many (est.) in two-theater
U.S.-led
WAR DEAD?
Casualty sites reporting
August 9, 2010 (accurate totals unknown)
• Anti-war dot com Casualties in Iraq since March 19, 2003
[U.S. war dead since the Obama inauguration January 20, 2009: 186]
Wounded 31,902-100,000
U.S. veterans with brain injuries 320,000
Suicides [estimated] 18 a day
Latest update on this site July 23
• Iraq Body Count figures
97,196 – 106,071
• ICasualties IRAQ: 4,414 U.S., 4,732 Coalition
AFGHANISTAN: 1,226 U.S., 2,002 Coalition
August 14, 2010
Pakistan
Today is Independence Day in Pakistan:
63 years of independence from British colonial rule
Six people died and three suffered injuries today in Quetta when armed men opened fire. The victims were reportedly “painting a home that was stormed by the assailants.” Last night ten people died when armed men attacked a bus in Aab-e-Gum in the southwest of the Pakistan, 75 kilometers from the border city of Quetta. Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province, close to the border with Afghanistan.
Pakistan “is currently suffering its worst ever flooding since becoming a state.”
Pakistan’s slow-motion disaster: millions suffering, thirty-seven bridges out, water contaminated
Sixteen hundred (1,600) people have died since July 29 in the flooding in Pakistan and “the UN fears the final death toll could be far higher.” Millions of acres of crops are under water. Fourteen to 20 million people are suffering ─ “7 million cases of diarrhea of which 300,000 can be cholera.”
The United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross are warning of at least six million people already without clean drinking water.
August 12, 2010
Afghanistan
“‘Death to the United States’” hundreds of villagers shouted, as they blocked a main road in eastern Afghanistan after a NATO raid Wednesday night killed three people. Zarin Khil village Elders (Wardak province) said U.S. troops stormed into a family house and shot dead three brothers before taking their father into custody; [and] for several hours, an estimated 300 protesters blocked the highway linking Kabul and southern Afghanistan.
The United Nations reported this week that the number of civilian casualties was up one-third in the first half of 2010, with fighters killing seven times more civilians than NATO-led troops; however, 386 civilians died at the hand of NATO or Afghan government forces, including 41 during search-and-seizure operations such as night raids.
Civilian casualties have been a sensitive issue in Afghanistan where 150,000 (est.) foreign troops’ military campaign approaches nine years.
August 10, 2010
Iraq
Four people died and 21 people suffered wounds Tuesday in Baghdad when a series of improvised explosive devices detonated. Two other explosions in the Iraqi capital involved bombs attached to vehicles.
August 11, 2010
Ramadan
Across the world, more than one billion Muslims begin observance of Ramadan. For 30 days, adherents to Islam practice abstinences in observance of their holiest month of days.
Invasion, occupation sources and notes
“Deadly attack on Pakistan bus,” http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/08/20108148414139876.html
“Pakistan floods stoke cholera fears,” http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/08/201081442342515262.htm
“Civilian deaths spark Afghan unrest,” http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/08/201081214759771683.html
“Deadly blast hits Baghdad,” news/middleeast/2010/08/2010810123223488123.html
“Muslims begin Ramadan observance,” http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/08/2010811122934556812.html
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