Post on international relations 3/3/2011
Posted by Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for North East Somerset, at 14:54, Thu 3 March 2011:
Should Britain engage with dictatorships? It is easy to take the high moral ground and to say that our government ought never to deal with undemocratic regimes especially those with a poor human rights record. In some cases, such as North Korea, it is easy because the despots do not wish to deal with us anyway. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
China is a friendly power. Its exports bring the British people a higher standard of living at a lower cost. However, the Chinese government brooks no dissent. The people of Tibet are denied religious freedom and have to suffer from forced population moves. Its opponents are routinely gaoled and sometimes tortured. Perhaps we should have no dealings with them but then both the British and Chinese people would be poorer and some countries change from autocracy to democracy.
South Korea and Taiwan are examples of this. Both were ruled by dictatorial generals until the 1980s but as trade led to them getting richer the leaders of previously outlawed parties have reached the presidency. Thus, active engagement can be more than a pious hope; it can become a reality.
As Colonel Gaddafi of Libya goes the way of Caligula those who dealt with him look to be knaves and fools. Those who treated with President Mubarak of Egypt appear cynical and heartless. Yet the reality of international relations is that they have very little choice but to deal with the world as they found it and to hope to leave it a better place.
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Posted by Mrs S Worthington, 15:47, Thu 3 March 2011: (Is this post abusive?) #
I do not think Britain should interfere in the policies of other countries. If we did it should be all or nothing, eg Zimbabwe, China etc. As it is totally unrealistic for Britain to do so, especially when our navy, airforce and army are being cut to the bone, we should leave well alone.
Dictators will always thrive and it is up to the people of these countries to bring about changes themselves. We had to!
Sylvia Worthington
Posted by Stan Hampton, 12:08, Fri 4 March 2011: (Is this post abusive?) #
Should Britain engage with dictatorships? Probably. Is the real question,'how should we engage'? If we engage in a way that encourages them to move towards a greater freedom for their people, that must surely be a good thing. However, if the engagement leads to further violations of human rights, this can only be the wrong path to follow. If British firms sell armaments to a government that has no genuine scrupals about using them on neighbouring countries or on their own people, then surely our government must take a stand against such sales. If we as a nation want to represent freedom, democracy and human rights, we cannot encourage others to oppose the wider development of these fundamental needs.
Stan Hampton