“Wherever I go, I find myself confronted with the accusations of double standards,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell at Oxford University in May. At last year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC), French President Emmanuel Macron said: “I am struck by how much we are losing the trust of the Global South.”
Eisentraut makes this clear in her brief: The criticism of Western double standards is often justified. For example, countries from the Global South point out that the US and other Western states insist on the principle of the territorial integrity in Ukraine, but did not respect this principle during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Western states have often disregarded human rights by carrying out illegal detentions as part of their war on terror. And the Europeans have made common cause with North African autocrats in order to prevent migration to Europe.
However, Eisentraut also points out that critics from countries such as China and Russia often use their accusations to relativize their own violations. Or they use them to justify an approach to foreign policy that is no longer based on moral principles at all, but only on their own interests. The result is that the value of universal rules is being questioned around the world.
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If it is of any help, we “westerners” often don’t trust our own politicians or allies. It was clear from the start that the US had no business invading Iraq (at least the second time, I’m too young to have my own opinion on the first one).
Not only politicians, remember press was full of ‘weapons of mass destruction’. I think what most westerners don’t admit is our own propaganda.
I think the tone of the press coverage was not the same in all western countries.
Emmanuel Macron said: “I am struck by how much we are losing the trust of the Global South.”
I am struck by how dude does not understand who he is and what he represents.
Completely agree. He just needs to look within his own borders to see why. The Left Alliance scores the largest bloc of the election; then Macron spurns them and looks to the right for a Prime Minister instead. Are we really supposed to believe him when he says he’s shocked that people are losing faith in the system?
At this point, it’s hard to see how he can be this stupid. The man is a liar and always has been. He understands well that to build trust (no matter with whom - either the Left Alliance in his own country or the Global South, or anyone else), he has to back down and learn to compromise.
But for him, it’s much easier to pretend that he doesn’t know what’s going on, bury his head in the sand, and continue with the status quo - the way he’s paid to do.
I doubt as much as it is commonly feared, considering the level of hysteria (or euphoria, from some corners) about the imminent fall of Western hegemony that has been present for at least as long as I’ve been alive…
… but yes, our double standards are deeply damaging to the international order we claim to back.
The comparison between the iraq war and Russian invasion of Ukraine is disingenuous though. The western led coalition did not go in with a message that Irak had no right to exist and its people where just (Saudis or something) confused part of one of their neighboring countries. The Russians very much are intent on permanently erasing Ukranians from history.
Regardless of the ‘level’ of the offense, attacking a sovereign state under false premises remains deeply damaging to the claim of backing an international rules-based order. We should be able to hold ourselves to a higher standard than “Not genocidal like Russia”.
The false pretenses and blatant lies are the big issue imho. If the reason they gave would have been true, I would have been OK with removing a maniac like Hussein… but it was lies… making the whole ordeal indeed a horrible example of a terrible war that should have never happened. And something that should have landed the people that lied, in jail.
And something that should have landed the people that lied, in jail.
Or with a necktie courtesy of the Hague.
fyi, you wrote
comparison between the Ukraine war and Russian attack of Ukraine
where I presume you meant the comparison between Iraq and Ukraine wars. It took me a while to figure out what you were saying there.
Yes! Thanks, I corrected my ramblings.
There is a widespread perception that the existing international order of rules and institutions that the West has shaped mainly benefits the West itself, and that Western countries do not live up to their own standards.
Was there ever a time when people outside of these rich countries believed their propaganda? The self-serving hypocrisy has always been pretty clear if you’re not benefiting from it.
LoL at thinking these countries got wiser. They are just getting competing offers from china now that serve the decision makers better. Bribery is an important tool in this. If the countries and their population will fare better in the future… China needs cheap labor for their next stage of growth… to do what we did using china.
But … These countries are not led by a political ideology that believes in the destiny of their country being the greatest (and lift their population out of poverty). Instead many of these countries are led by people who will sell their mother if they can. And in the west we at least try to hold companies to ethical standards (and regularly fail) … china does not have any issues with what happens in not-china.
This is a big part of it. Dealing with China isn’t any better, but it probably won’t blow up on the leaders in their tenure so they might as well tag the bag.
When did the Global South trust in Western powers? When they were colonies?
Can’t speak for the West in general, but the US still enjoys very high approval ratings amongst the population of much of the ‘Global South’.
The idea of Macron talking about trust is just funny.
A rare case where Betteridge’s Law is wrong!
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