Shouts from the desert

The American Interest is running an article calling for the creation of a Concert of Democracies. It sets out a proposal to create a new international order as a successor to the United Nations - or at least an alternative to it. The proposed Concert of Democracies would be have a formalised structure and be able to make decisions binding on its members, and membership would only be available to genuine democracies.

Since the publication is widely regarded as a convalescence home for recovering neo-conservatives, it might seem strange that a liberal in the Jeffersonian mould like me would support it, but I do. I think this is exactly what needs to be done in international relations, and the sooner the better.

While there are aspects of the reasoning of the authors that I am not entirely in agreement with, the areas of disagreement are trifling and I agree with the broad thrust of their argument - in fact it reflects views I have held now for well over a decade.

This is a must read for anybody who cares about the future of the planet - international politics has to turn down this road sooner or later, and the sooner we do take this road the sooner we will reap the benefits of it. If Bush were to have taken this road at the end of 2001, the world today would be a much better place than when he came to office.

There are many problems in the world that simply cannot be solved with the current structure of international relations - pressing problems that demand we pursue more effective international systems as a matter of the utmost urgency.