The dog ate my homework

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i just got the PR case study assignment from hell. It's about landmines, but presented from the airy fairy "hurting people is bad, we should all hug and sing Kumbaya instead" school of fluffy right-on-ness.

Rather than write insincere pap about the wonderful work of dead princesses, i'm considering a more interesting [and potentially subversive] angle: in late 1997, according to the Case documentation we've been given, a committee of delegates from 89 nations met to draft an anti-landmines treaty. The committee was awarded the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts. The United States refused to sign the treaty, citing specific military objectives where landmine use was "justified".

There are potential parallels between America's behaviour in this Case and with, say, the Kyoto Protocol. Now i just need a few more examples of the US throwing their toys out of the global political sandpit to get a really good rant going. Any ideas? Links? Recommended reading?

petra jane, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That list would run forever. But you could create a good precis. Hm, let's see...

Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Chomsky, my dear. Chomsky. "manufacturing Consent" would be a good start.

di, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i assume Petra has a deadline soon so i would suggest you save reading Manufacturing Consent 'til after thy essay, although you may be able to use it for referencing so take a lot at the index sometime.

Other parallels with teh Kyoto incident are the US refusing to sign any of the international treaties to abolish the death penalty, last year (pre 11/9) Bush refusing to ratify the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court, the US recently deciding to ignore the Antiballistic missile treaty they signed in the 70s, and last year they lost their seat on the UN's Human Rights Commission for various reasons. Links? Amnesty International is sometimes useful, and Pravda is sometimes misleading.

hamish, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

thanks Hamish and Di. just went and got Noam's 'Human Rights' and American Foreign Policy from ver library. fascinating.

petra jane, Tuesday, 19 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

cf UN vetos, refusal to "enforce" UN orders for Israel to get the fuck out of occupied toerritories since the 60s, I think Criminal ocurt relates to ideas of soverign territory and defence of US soldiers and their inaliable right to kill whoeevr they like when they like to protect US interests, shit it just keeps on going.

Queen G, Wednesday, 20 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)


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