Presidential Politics and the Equality of Nations

It is becoming increasingly likely that the major candidates in the United States general election will be Senator Obama (D) and Senator McCain (R). The two Senators appear to view the status of nations in fundamentally different ways.

Senator McCain supports the establishment of a League of Democracies (Derek analyses the proposal here). McCain's proposal envisions a League of Democracies that will not replace the United Nations, but that could act without its approval. While the idealism of the suggestion cannot be questioned, a League of Democracies hints at the creation of first-class and second-class States, with the former class assuming authority that international law does not afford it to date.

This is in contrast with Senator Obama’s much-debated suggestion that he would meet with foreign leaders whether they are friends or foes of the United States, and whether they are friends or foes of ‘freedom’.

I may be reading too much into this, but the way I see it the two candidates have a fundamentally different views of the equality of nations; the US general elections will have a significant impact on whether international law returns to its traditional notions or departs further therefrom. In Senator McCain’s view, democracies have a superior status and are entitled to act without the approval of other States – a view that is at once pragmatic and idealistic, but that challenges basic notions of international law. I read Obama’s view as one that is not only diplomatically pragmatic, but that also indicates support for the notion that all States are equal.

Comments

Andre said…
Personally, I do think democracies have superior status.

Don't you think that the UN has lost a lot of credibility and influence because it hasn't upheld a permanent set of values and because all nations are treated as equals - regardless of what their system is?

Also isn't it even worse that two out of the 5 permanent members of the security council have veto powers despite the fact that both countries are totalitarian states?

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