There is no doubt that the misery of others, which then comes back to us in the form of their fundamentalism, is a problem. The question is how to best allow others to have cultural "home rule" while taking care to watch our backs.
I would not care for tyranny myself, but it is the moral duty of a people to throw off that yoke themselves, I think, as I have said before.
I think in seeking not to "impose specific dogmas" we have to be sure that itself doesn't become a dogma. Doing all we can to assist is one thing...but it has to be an assist when asked and necessary. Which is the difficult line the civilized world is still trying to find...between isolation and meddling there is a helpful middle ground that has yet to be found.
To me, it goes back to "watching our backs." My personal philosophy would be a superior defense and a capable offense tamed by a sense of decorum and restraint. Propriety. In this world, you catch more flies with honey and our best protection in the long run may be the simple example of being a nation-state that acts responsibly towards its own citizens and others.
That is where we are so far off track as a country....
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Date: 2006-07-14 03:11 am (UTC)From:I would not care for tyranny myself, but it is the moral duty of a people to throw off that yoke themselves, I think, as I have said before.
I think in seeking not to "impose specific dogmas" we have to be sure that itself doesn't become a dogma. Doing all we can to assist is one thing...but it has to be an assist when asked and necessary. Which is the difficult line the civilized world is still trying to find...between isolation and meddling there is a helpful middle ground that has yet to be found.
To me, it goes back to "watching our backs." My personal philosophy would be a superior defense and a capable offense tamed by a sense of decorum and restraint. Propriety. In this world, you catch more flies with honey and our best protection in the long run may be the simple example of being a nation-state that acts responsibly towards its own citizens and others.
That is where we are so far off track as a country....