McCain proposes it (via email):
…We should go further and start bringing democratic peoples and nations from around the world into one common organization, a worldwide League of Democracies. This would not be like the universal-membership – and failed -- “League of Nations†of Woodrow Wilson but much more like what Theodore Roosevelt envisioned: like-minded nations working together in the cause of peace. The new League of Democracies would form the core of an international order of peace based on freedom. It could act where the UN fails to act, to relieve human suffering in places like Darfur. It could join to fight the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa and fashion better policies to confront the crisis of our environment. It could provide unimpeded market access to those who share the values of economic and political freedom, an advantage no state-based system could attain. It could bring concerted pressure to bear on tyrants in Burma or Zimbabwe, with or without Moscow’s and Beijing’s approval. It could unite to impose sanctions on Iran and thwart its nuclear ambitions. It could provide support to struggling democracies in Ukraine and Serbia and help countries like Thailand back on the path to democracy. ..
PowerLine wrote about it. Captain Ed spent the most time on it. I'm with Crittenden. Nice sounding on paper, and I'm sure I've said nice things about the concept before, but reality's a bitch. It won't boycott anything (like Iran), because even if everyone agrees (like France), they'd just be leaving the field to the ones left out -- like Russia and China. They'd never agree to intervene anywhere because those Western European countries have already decided they don't do that anymore, and those same countries in Western Europe (for instance) who've already sold their souls buying influence with the Organization of the Islamic Conference would never set aside that power for the sake of what would be seen as simply a modern day Delian League under the auspices of the USA.
Hey, I wish the idea luck, and anything that could be used to deaden the influence of the UN is a nice thing, but I think this concept combined with temporary alliances around specific points of mutual interest would be the way to go...maybe that's what McCain has in mind. Who knows.
