Peter GleickThe United Nations General Assembly this week overwhelmingly backed a resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade "the gravest crime against humanity".
Three countries voted against it.
The US, Argentina, and Israel.
Ivan DjansazovIn US defense ... Maybe they think Hiroshima and Nagasaki were gravest.
divVerent@idjansazov @petergleick In a similar vein, Germany cannot have voted yes to that as they consider the Holocaust the gravest.
Although I agree with you, Germany paid reparations and now only have just beer and wursts, but US still have Guantanamo.
@idjansazov @petergleick And as far as I know beer and wurst is no crime against humanity.
I also have a general issue with the concept of reparations that late - it is wrong to punish people who have nothing to do with it anymore.
For the US it may be different though - I'd at least want everyone who flew a confederate flag in the last decade to pay reparations. They do deserve it.
I also have a general issue with the concept of reparations that late - it is wrong to punish people who have nothing to do with it anymore.
For the US it may be different though - I'd at least want everyone who flew a confederate flag in the last decade to pay reparations. They do deserve it.
That's what i meant. Contemporary Germany has nothing to do with these crimes and condemns them. They pay their dues.
I feel you about the reparations, but in this world the only tangible justice for crime you can get is money.
The sad thing is that Germany's history is world history and Germany has learned, changed and evolved (although not sure what are they doing with AfD ), USA not.
@petergleick @idjansazov I definitely do not like that they do not seem to be able to ban the AfD. Even if the problem is that not all AfD members are provably neonazis - can't they at least remove the "passive election right" from the known neonazis?
You realize that the problem is not AfD per say. It's the mind of the Germans. I think EU has to start to push the narrative that they need a strong EU in this world. There are countries in EU that are half or less of the population of New York. How they can parley with China and India if EU is not a solid block ?
@petergleick @idjansazov And yet we have the AfD specifically because the EU has pushed that narrative. Remember, it started as an anti EU party...
Well that's where all far right is going.
Before for global crisis all far right ( Meloni, Le Pen, AfD ) were against EU, now they want to reform EU, because they know that separated countries that are with population of Chinese village, worth nothing on the global stage and if they are not on the table, they are on the menu.
EU has to federate, get its own defensive structure and respect the human rights. This will make it a global super power.
@petergleick @idjansazov The other problem is a lack of unity in the EU. Like right now Hungary is blocking most efforts of the EU to do any good. Hope Orban loses and the replacement is at least slightly better.
Which is particularly interesting, as multiple times German politicians have been "caught" at bringing up efforts that failed to get sufficient votes in Germany up to EU level, where they have neen unanimously approved, and then going back to Germany and saying "unfortunately the EU is forcing our hand there, we now need this measure that infringes on your human rights". Had happened e.g. with some iterations of Vorratsdatenspeicherung and DMCA, and a bunch of other surveillance stuff. So apparently when it is against its own citizens, the EU can unite...
So IMHO the EU does need reforming. Away from the unanimity principle, towards e.g. a 2/3 majority system. This allows it to move faster. Also it needs democratic elections for all of its bodies, not just the parliament. It needs more legitimacy, not more power. Also, as NATO has shown to provide no benefits to Europe, as its biggest member would block any defense if attacked anyway, the Treaty of Lisbon has to be built out to replace it. It is already in theory accepted and ratified - now it is time for practice.
Which is particularly interesting, as multiple times German politicians have been "caught" at bringing up efforts that failed to get sufficient votes in Germany up to EU level, where they have neen unanimously approved, and then going back to Germany and saying "unfortunately the EU is forcing our hand there, we now need this measure that infringes on your human rights". Had happened e.g. with some iterations of Vorratsdatenspeicherung and DMCA, and a bunch of other surveillance stuff. So apparently when it is against its own citizens, the EU can unite...
So IMHO the EU does need reforming. Away from the unanimity principle, towards e.g. a 2/3 majority system. This allows it to move faster. Also it needs democratic elections for all of its bodies, not just the parliament. It needs more legitimacy, not more power. Also, as NATO has shown to provide no benefits to Europe, as its biggest member would block any defense if attacked anyway, the Treaty of Lisbon has to be built out to replace it. It is already in theory accepted and ratified - now it is time for practice.
Personally I believe Trump, Putin, Orban even Farrage did good for EU.
Can you imagine back in the days someone propose that EU has to cut Russia's gas because of political influence ?
Can you imagine someone propose EU does not have to rely solely on NATO for defense ?
Can you imagine if Germany and France broke from EU before UK ?
Can you Imagine Putin got someone more powerful in EU than Orban to twist it ?
These are threats that are now debatable in EU.
@idjansazov @petergleick Yeah, indeed. All in the all the EU is already doing good - it now has to grow in influence without growing in power (i.e. without requiring changes to the constitution of individual countries to remove rights of their people).
E.g. the Treaty of Lisbon has already been ratified. IMPLEMENT IT. It will replace NATO.
Make it able to implement trade sanctions that actually work - and cannot just be made impossible by a single Kremlin-controlled member state. As said, the 2/3 majority principle will achieve that.
And add an ultima ratio - a way to "kick out" a member state that clearly no longer identifies with EU values, and turned into an impediment. Also add an intermediate measure, e.g. to temporarily suspend some of such a country's rights in the EU.
Once that is achieved, the EU becomes a trade and a military superpower, while retaining the individual nations' rights to their own democracy.
E.g. the Treaty of Lisbon has already been ratified. IMPLEMENT IT. It will replace NATO.
Make it able to implement trade sanctions that actually work - and cannot just be made impossible by a single Kremlin-controlled member state. As said, the 2/3 majority principle will achieve that.
And add an ultima ratio - a way to "kick out" a member state that clearly no longer identifies with EU values, and turned into an impediment. Also add an intermediate measure, e.g. to temporarily suspend some of such a country's rights in the EU.
Once that is achieved, the EU becomes a trade and a military superpower, while retaining the individual nations' rights to their own democracy.