Just to debate, what is domestic and what is international? It's hard, if not impossible, to define a strict dividing line between the two.

>As an American citizen, my
>feeling is that whenever we
>attempt to force major social
>changes in a foreign country,
>we're going to face some
>serious roadblocks. The most
>obvious is HOW can we
>effectively make this kind of
>change happen? Pakistan and
>Afghanistan are sovereign nations, and
>the US government simply has
>no authority to dictate to
>them what laws they can
>or cannot pass. We
>can use economic pressure, the
>threat of force, or other
>measures to try to coerce
>these countries into changing their
>laws, but this doesn't always
>work out too well (just
>look at our ongoing debacle
>in Iraq).

When has the US intervened to force major social change? I'm not sure too many US interventions (military or otherwise) have been primarily motivated by the desire for the population to live better lives.

>If we
>were to succeed in forcing
>a country like Pakistan to
>change their laws, the US
>plays into the role of
>being imperialists who are disrespectful
>of Islamic beliefs, and would
>continue to make enemies in
>the region.

Of course, as long as the principle of sovereignty (even the hypocritical and self-serving form employed today) continues, we'll have trouble with these things, even the most flagrant ones (condemning a well-known dictator, for example).

>Besides, the
>US has made some pretty
>poor decisions in their foreign
>policy the past few years

Only in the past few years?

>and usually do so in
>the name of fighting terrorism
>or defending the rights of
>individuals.

Really?

>A lot of
>times economic interests and political
>concerns are the real underlying
>causes of our involvement.

Fighting terrorism and defending the rights of individuals are "economic interests and political
concerns". Decisions are never made on apolitical or a-economic grounds.

>It isn't necessarily credible for
>the US to claim we
>are acting out of good
>will, even if it is
>justified.

Good will? Please describe some US good will gestures. Or any country's good will gestures, for that matter.

>Now, a multinational
>effort to police Human Rights
>on a worldwide scale may
>make sense philosophically, but this
>doesn't seem viable right now
>either.

It doesn't seem viable cos no one (states and companies) cares about human rights.

>The U.N. appears
>to be controlled by a
>handful of powerful nations, and
>doesn't necessarily have a lot
>of power at that.

The UN was set up by the same powerful nations, and they made sure they would control it.

>The US in particular has
>really abused their role with
>the organization. I'd love
>if we could go in
>and make the situation for
>women in Pakistan and Afghanistan
>better, but international politics are
>never that easy. A
>sort of grassroots raising of
>awareness about issues like these
>that are going on in
>foreign countries seems valuable.
>It helps if internationally, people
>at least KNOW when serious
>human rights violations are taking
>place somewhere in the world.

Good start. And then what? is always the question.

> When it comes to
>really getting in there and
>solving these kind of pervasive
>social issues, though, I think
>people need to work from
>within the country.

I think people need to work inside and out of the country. That way, if the insiders are to weak to come together, or don't have the possibility to have their voice heard, someone can give them a leg up.

>I
>know the US has plenty
>of domestic issues where we
>as citizens of this country
>really can make an impact.
> Race is just one
>of those issues. When
>I read these posts, I
>was reminded of that Disposable
>Heroes of Hiphoprisy song -
>"water piston man, full of
>ammunition, putting out fires on
>a worldwide mission, but did
>you ever think to stop
>and squirt the flowers in
>your own backyard?"
>
>peace,
>murph


AIM: mke1978

"L'actualité régionale: c'est vous qui la vivez, c'est nous qui en vivons"
In English:
"Local news: you live it, we live off it"
- Jules-Edouard Moustic, 20H20

"There's no blood in my body/It's liquid soul in my veins"
- Roots Manuva (check the fantastic album "Brand New Second Hand")