by Harold S. BIDMEAD
The foreign policy of the USA includes current boycotts of exports to certain countries deemed to be following courses considered contrary to US interests. Cuba, Iraq and Iran are among them. Some of the blessings of civilization enjoyed by Americans are denied export to specific destinations.
One of the blessings enjoyed by US citizens is the federal constitution which in 1789 abolished the League of Friendship that had brought them to the brink of bankruptcy and internecine wars. This blessing is apparently too good to be exported even to America's friends and allies. For instance, Europe is being encouraged to form a League on the old "Friendship" pattern, that of Wilson's League of Nations and of the so-called "United Nations".
In fact, the diplomats and self-styled "statesmen" of the entire world seem to have persuaded themselves that federalism must not be allowed to transcend national boundaries. The notion of an interpopular government for peacekeeping purposes is not for export. (Naturally, such a system would of necessity be federal, since it would have to guarantee non-interference in matters of legitimate national concern).
The ignominious failure of all leagues is inevitable, due to their constitution, their "Charters". Unfortunately, uninformed popular opinion attributes their failure to human nature, blaming wicked dictators, corrupt politicians, selfish refusal to obey the decisions of the so-called "Security" Council.
The UN is specifically based on national sovereignty, which means that every member has the de jure right and retains the de facto ability and power to act as judge and jury in its own case. Few members, if any, have accepted UN recommendations that conflicted with their own national interests - USA, Britain, Israel, Iraq... (the list is endless). This results in well-founded accusations of double standards whenever a miscreant wishes to show defiance.
The UN consists solely of puppets of national governments, no representatives of opposition parties being admitted. So unfair is its system of voting that no self-respecting democrat in his right mind would agree to unconditional obedience to its decisions.
All of us who wish to prevent the formation of a world super-state, a global dictatorship - the most execrable form of government that human infatuation ever contrived - will agree that the founders of the UN did well to deny it the power to carry out its duties, hypocritical though such conduct may seem.
However, democrats will also agree that we need a world authority with power to enforce its peacekeeping measures by peaceful means (which the UN does not possess). Such an authority must of course be democratic. The federal principle is the only one known to political science that is an antidote to a super-state, to world despotism.
Federalism must be exported to the rest of the free world. The self-appointed framers of the new world order ought to know this.
WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN ?
***