This OSCE hubbub is getting on my nerves. People are passing judgements without the slightest knowledge of the international relationships and the basics of the works of this particular semi-organisation. It also worries me because people are clearly ignorant of the whole situation and are imagining things. Whos fault is that? Who is responsible for the education? The Media? Schools? Individuals themselves?
And would education really help? Would it help if experts would lecture to the people, showing them the ropes? Would it make a difference?
Lippmann says NO. How `bout you?
People will see ropes.
Hang on.
I blame OSCE itself, for being a useless, irellevant organization. Knowing what the hell it’s about is a waste of time.
I blame them and especially dr. Dim for being an utter waste of money (and the air they breathe).
On the other hand, I’m not worried about you being so arrogant mister i-know-it-all-uber-educated smartpants…you’ll come around eventually.
Not worried, but it gets on my nerves…
What kind of education does one need to have its own opinion about politics?
Or did you mean we should be more “trained”?
You see, that`s exactly my point. People are generalising too much and they are not taking the “good stuff” into the account. They are just seeing the meetings as a waste of money, the talks as a waste of air and the treaties as a waste of paper.
Come around? Come around to what exactly? To generalise, to put all eggs into one basket and claim that everything that politics touches turns to shit?
I am sorry but things are a bit more complicated than that. This stuff matters. Internation relationships are not based on kaviar and champange and do not exist “just for the sake of it”.
And to have a meaningful opinion about politics, you have to be educated. Just like in every other subject. Of course, if people just want to bitch, then you are right. Bitches don`t need to be educated.
I quite agree with you, cookie. People are ignorant and, what is worse, indifferent. They aren’t really interested to inform themselves about such topics, as it is more pleasant to bitch and whine (“those politicians are all crooked bastards anyway, unlike poor honest [and oh so smug] little me”) than to hold a reasonable discussion.
I for one heartily endorse all international organizations and their meetings and conferences. The more they talk, the less time and inclination they will have to fight wars against each other! What would the world be without them? It would once again turn into the shark pool that it was before the last 50 years or so — a world in which countries, especially the large and powerful ones, did pretty much as they pleased, blithely trampling the rights and interests of weaker ones and regularly embarking upon large-scale wars against those of comparable strength. I welcome anything that curbs the arrogance and the fetishization of national sovereignty, and that encourages countries to act like decent members of the international community.
I agree with you on the first paragraph, Il-advised.
The UN was formed exactly on those principles- if people work together, they won’t fight with each other. And many other organizations were formed like that as well. Some are formed on economic basis, some on political, some on defense basis…
Still, unfortunatelly economy has its power. And big countries still have a much bigger say in the matters. Sovereignty in my opinion, is still to be kept. We shouldn’t let Slovenia dissapear, just because we joined the EU. And we shouldn’t accept every little thing that is being proposed in the EU, or has worked for a big country. Slovenia should evaluate each decision and accept only those that fit.
I agree though that countries should work together on some matters, like environment, peace, culture exchanges, science etc.
Hi,
you opened some interesting fields to think about and I would like to contribute to the discussion. I can only speak for myself, but since I do bitch about it, I’ll state my personal reasons.
I obviously don’t bitch because I would think it is not important for states to cooperate beyond bordes or to work together for greater good, on the contrary! (I think here we have to allow a possible doubt as to how succesful has OSCE really been regarding this, but it is beyond the point here.) Giving a reasonable part of ones time (since it is as complex a thing as you say) to follow foreign affairs (international politics etc.) is in my oppinion a part of ones daily hygiene, so it is not about that.
But I think we are living over our possibilities here (1) and we are puting one a charade without belivable-enough-bearing (2). In a house-holdy comparison: if I have money to afford Poli, I won’t buy smoked ham or goose pate. Yes, I also know about presenting oneself in this times as big as one can, since one is worth only as much as his/hers wrapping shows, but I would advise more caution here – and that is my point.
It is all well and good and a really great opportunity to celebrate the country in the World – but, following the whole OSCE business carefuly the whole year, for me the precipice between the show we put up (=how we want the home-situation to look / be) and the reality (=how the home-situation really is) is just 2 big and that is why I don’t buy it, thus I am sceptical. (Again: not regarding the politics itself or the co-working of the states per se.)