Posted on 05/01/2008 3:50:27 PM PDT by BGHater
Republican presidential candidate John McCain envisions a "League of Democracies" as part of a more cooperative foreign policy with U.S. allies.
The Arizona senator will call for such an organization to be "the core of an international order of peace based on freedom" in a speech Tuesday at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.
"We Americans must be willing to listen to the views and respect the collective will of our democratic allies," McCain says, according to excerpts his campaign provided. "Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom, knowledge and resources necessary to succeed."
"To be a good leader, America must be a good ally," he adds in the speech, another in a series of policy addresses as he seeks the Republican presidential nomination.
Such comments offer a contrast to President Bush, who critics contend has employed a stubborn, go-it-alone foreign policy that has dramatically damaged the U.S. image abroad.
McCain is careful to note that his proposed multinational organization would not be like Woodrow Wilson's failed "League of Nations." Rather, McCain says the organization would be far more similar to what Theodore Roosevelt favored—a group of "like-minded nations working together in the cause of peace."
"It could act where the U.N. fails to act," McCain says.
Such a new body, he says, could help relieve suffering in Darfur, fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa, develop better environmental policies, and provide "unimpeded market access" to countries sharing "the values of economic and political freedom."
And, McCain adds, an organization of democracies could pressure tyrants "with or without Moscow's and Beijing's approval" and could "impose sanctions on Iran and thwart its nuclear ambitions" while helping struggling democracies succeed.
Recalling Harry S. Truman's actions during the Cold War, McCain also urges a similar "massive overhaul of the nation's foreign policy, defense and intelligence agencies" to meet the world's current challenges. He says details will come later.
(This version CORRECTS Corrects in graf 2 that Hoover Institution is at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.)
Like the:
Peoples’ Democratic Republic of Algeria
Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
And the ever popular: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
It’s a good thing the US was never a democracy. As a Constitutional Republic we will have nothing to do with McCain’s Folly.
Well, the basic idea has been floated by good conservatives (of which McCain is most definitely not) And I’d be all for it, if it actually got rid of the UN.... Let them meet in Moscow or Harare if they want to keep their little tinpot dictators appreciation club together.
But McCain didn’t say anything about withdrawing from the UN ... So basically he wants an ADDITIONAL world governing body which the US would have to pay for, which would further tell us where we have to give our money away, send our military to be policemen and run the soup kitchens.
He wants another bunch of outsiders telling America how to run its own internal business too.
No doubt that ‘league of democracies’ would declare that America must open its borders and give full rights of American Citizenship to anyone from any member country, sign a unilateral version of the Kyoto treaty and give up our Constitutional Rights under his “LOD Treaties”, given the willingness McCain has already shown for such ideas.
NO THANKS, Juan.
What the heck is a "democracy" by McCain's definition?
Technically, Iraq is a "democracy" and the Palestinian hellhole is a "democracy."
What is a "free democracy?"
Who are "our democratic allies?"
We are not simply a "democracy" -- the United States is a representative republic.
This is claptrap gobbledy-gook by a man who hasn't the vaguest idea what the heck he's talking about.
Well, I don't know about you, since you haven't indicated which state you are a citizen of, but I feel I never had a *chance* to vote when it counted. By the time the left leaning early primary states had voted, there was no one left to vote *for* in the Republican primary.
This is a bad idea. Look at all the grief we have to put up with when we ignore the UN. At least we can point to the ridiculous makeup of that body.
McPain is just as dangerous as the OTHER TWO. He simply adds different ways to accomplish the destruction of America.
That’s it in a nutshell.
There are not enough details in this article or in what McCain said to have any idea what he is talking about. The details would be VERY important in this discussion.
I think I get it: now we get to pour American dollars down another rat hole, in addition to the UN.
Frankly FReind, we are screwed in this election. The two-Party duopoly has presented us with it's Dream Candidate offerings.
So we continue to drag one ball and chain around while we build another one. Who is going to pay for that, I wonder? I guess McCain hasn't read Steyn's book.
Of course no one except total whackjobs accept this as democratic. It's not about what states call themselves (probably most of the worst tyrannies call themselves democratic) but based on a number of criteria (such as stability, principles like civil liberties, rule of law etc.)
And much of that is essentially NATO, no?
That's basically right I guess. NATO after all is a political alliance, although the military aspect get all the spotlight. An extended and reformed NATO to replace the UN would be favorable. It's overdue to include Asian countriesl like Japan in NATO.
Suspicions confirmed.
McCain is exactly the kind of clueless dipstick we thought he was.
And who would enforce this distinction?
Wouldn't it be a bunch of mealy mouth left-wing diplomats, afraid of offending anybody (but Americans)?
The Constitution meant for us to be a representative Republic. And I’m all for returning to that concept. However, as it now stands, we are a mob rule democracy. And we are on a collision course with bankruptcy, since our representatives buy our votes with our money, and the have-nots vote to raise the taxes on the haves. There are currently no limits to federal largesse. Pretty soon the wagon will be so heavy that the horses wont be able to pull it.
McCain Adviser Kagan Scolds Russian Bully, Shrugs Off Iraq War
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Globalists all.
Have you ever looked at the league of democracies? I posted a link about them on one of my un threads. I’ll see if I can find it.
Is that the same as Community of Democracies?
Indeed.
Short of Divine Intervention, There is not even a mediocre choice for President.
A year ago if you told me I was going to say something like this, I'd have called you insane:
I miss the 'good old days' when a Bob Dole could win the nomination.
In fact, I'd prefer Joe Lieberman to McCain; Social liberal he might be, but he, at least Joe has a 'nodding acquaintance' with reality.
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