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> total freedom of action except perhaps what you bargain away. Sovereignty and the lack of some treaty preventing some behavior X does nothing to prevent othe
by fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
> total freedom of action except perhaps what you bargain away.
Sovereignty and the lack of some treaty preventing some behavior X does nothing to prevent other sovereigns from becoming angry and or retaliating in kind. Doing something 'because we can' does not make it wise.
- rayiner 13y agoSure, the other sovereigns are welcome to retaliate, mope, etc. But there is a huge difference between "should not" and "can not." It's also fundamental that "should" is determined by democratic process, while "can" may be subject to legal constraints that override democracy.
- dllthomas 13y agoBut we were discussing "should not". If all sovereignty means is, effectively, "you can do whatever you can get away with" then "it's our sovereign right" conveys no moral force. We can and should curtail our "sovereign rights" and everyone else's whenever it aligns sufficiently with our interests and ideals.