That is all anyone can ask of his neighbors.
You are not directly and solely responsible for the plight of the Arabs. Of course I am not, other than maybe the fact that my great grandfather came from the middle east to make a living in the United States, and since then, each of his decendants have tried to continue making a good living.
I never said that.
The only type of responsibility that actually exists is personal responsibility. The idea of collective actions is nothing more than individual responsibilities acting to meet the same goal. Therefore, saying that the world is responsible for the plight of a given people auomatically implies sole and direct responsibility to each individual, though they may have no sole or direct relationship to the item under discussion.
All I meant was that the whole human race is responsible for its direction. It's a philosophical point.
I can no more determine whether another person will take on their own personal responsibilities than the secretary general of the united nations. I can be responsible for my actions, but a failure of someone else within the human race to live up to their responsibilities in no way confers a failure on my part in the direction of the human race. Philisophically, it doesn't get much more simple than that.
Even if there's nothing you can do, and you've done everything right, you are responsible. Coz if we're not, then who is?
The person affected, or affecting is always responsible. Unfortunately, in today's world, too many people think that spreading responsiblitiy around will bring about some kind of solution when in fact only acceptancce of personal responsibility will.
Take for example Saddam. When the nations political will to fight on dwindled, the war had to be over. Whose fault is that? Yours? Mine? You tell me.
If our goals were accomplished, we fulfilled our respnsibilities, whether or not that accomplished everyone elses goals is their responsibility to determine and therefore take action to implement. For the record, my support went to taking Bahgdad, ending a regime that has brutally killed civillians and dissentors, and stringing Hussein from a light pole for everyone to see.
Time for me to sleep, good night.
I sort of agree the Philosophy a society chooses will determine it's relative gains or losses.
"the absence of capitalism and free trade, and the lack of individual rights and the rule of law."
The only solution to poverty and dictatorships is freedom as defined by the above.The American revolution was the embracing of Individual freedom and if other nations did the same we would see the unleashing of great creativity and prosperity.