From: Dehede011@aol.com
Date: Sat Mar 22 2003 - 09:40:01 MST
"Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" <sentience@pobox.com The first results of the
breakdown of international law
Eliezer,
Did anyone ever think that what we are seeing is good -- even for
those that would like to see a true internatioanal government and law?
It is true that the League of Nations failed and now it appears that
the United Nations will fail also. For purpose of discussion let me assume
that the UN is dead and is just in the process of final collapse -- it is
over but the shouting.
Actually there may have been other attempts that collapsed. I can
think of at least one.
But before you get totally despondant remember that the US governement
didn't work on the first trial. I may confuse the first one or two but we
had the Continental Congress, then the Confederacy and finally the
Constitution. Does that count as two or three attempts.
My understanding of the confederacy is that the states in setting up
that government attempted to do two things at once. They tried to surrender
to a central government sufficient power to solve the common problems they
perceived. Secondly, they attempted to retain their own independence. They
didn't get the balance right.
Then we tried again and formed the Constitution. That has worked well
enough to hang together for 225+ years. Maybe it hasn't worked perfectly,
and maybe any of us could suggest a couple of changes, but last it has.
I believe it is possible we are now going through the same process
internationally. The League of Nations and now the United Nations have
failed to date. IMHO their failure is proper. We have not came to the point
that we can design an international government that we trust enough to
surrender our independence. On the other hand we have gained practical
experience through two failures -- one day we may succeed.
Ron h.
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