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Thank you for participating in the Dialogue on Foreign Policy. The interactive web site is now closed. The Minister's report will appear on this web site once it is released.

This Forum is bilingual, and participants post messages in their language of choice.

Allies found them, Chemical weapons...

Contributor: fatmomma

Date: 2003-04-12 02:45:24


Not a very good example as drinking alcohol is not that moral. The act was repealed because illegal interests were profitting and flourishing because the people wanted to consume alcohol whether it was immoral, illegal or not.
Allowing alcohol to be sold legally was seen as the least of two evils.
The same could be applied to illegal drugs; we could legalize and sell them legally and that would effectively get rid of drug dealers; I do not suggest we go that route but it is a similar stand. Hopefully legalizing hard drugs will not be seen as the lessor of two evils.

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Allies found them, Chemical weapons...

Contributor: cfallon

Date: 2003-04-14 15:51:27


Well, your points only re-inforce what I am saying: making things lawful or unlawful is a calculus entirely different from moral/immoral.

And, I am just saying that by saying the war is "illegal" you are not calling into question the war, you are calling into question the process for legalizing warfare.

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Allies found them, Chemical weapons...

Contributor: fatmomma

Date: 2003-04-14 22:01:57


Thats right. I think it is very important; don't you. Otherwise any country could decide that it is their best interest to attack another country without justifying it. That is the reason the USA , the Soviet Union, Britain, and other countries decided to form the UN; where disputes could be settled peacefully. The UN may not be perfect, It may be slow, the countries within it misuse it and their vetoes; but it is still a relatively young organization; It needs to be updated and strengthened. Perhaps this crisis will strengthen the collective resolve to make the UN more effective.

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