t on Mon, 29 Mar 1999 13:23:49 +0200


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Syndicate: Genocide: not wrong


Genocide is not wrong. For the reasons see this paper:

http://web.inter.nl.net/users/Paul.Treanor/genocide.html


ABSTRACT. This article examines the basis for the ethics of genocide:
why there is a concept of genocide, and its origins. The concept is
identified both as propaganda and as part of the legitimation of
nationalism. Nationalism is itself a spatial form of the legitimation of
political decisions - nations limit territorial "opting out". The
article lists the claims of nations, which underlie the present world
order: claims to global territorial control, to inclusivity, to a
monopoly of state formation and thus autonomy, and to legitimacy
unlimited in time. Since these features combine to block developments
which are themselves legitimate, it is concluded that a
contra-nationalism is legitimate. It is argued that the concept of
genocide, especially cultural genocide, was in effect created to block
such measures: its validity is rejected. As illustration some examples
are given of current issues of "national identity versus Europe", and
possible changes in state formation process in a post-national Europe
are briefly indicated.


--
Paul Treanor
http://www.diagonal.demon.nl