_Noise_Conspiracy.jpg "The (International) Noise Conspiracy - 002-09-17: 9:30 Club, Washington D.C., USA")
Shatt-on-the-al-Arab
March 24th, 2007 at 20:59
The literal gunboat diplomacy that’s been going on today has interested me a bit. Okay, that’s a lie, I just wanted to use this title for a blog post.
What I find most interesting is that the whole dispute seems to hinge on the 1975 Algiers Agreement, which is when Iran and Iraq agreed their maritime borders… it was a treaty negotiated by then-Iraqi Vice President Saddam Hussein.
I think its interesting that international law outlives whoever negotiated it. I mean, it has to otherwise the whole international system would break down, but this presumably means that if Saddam had signed a treaty with The Netherlands to trade clogs for oil, then the American occupiers would be forced to honour this commitment and cope with the mountains of unnecessary wooden shoes that go with it, or risk all hell breaking loose in an anarchic international system as everyone doesn’t both honouring the treaty commitments.
The only way treaties can be enforced is essentially through peer-review, as there’s no greater authority, so in order to create order from chaos, all of the other countries would be forced to make sure that America complies with the Dutch shoe deal. I imagine America, as the hegemon and self-declared protector of freedom and the rule of law (cough, cough) would have to think long and hard about invading itself. Or at least imposing sanctions.
I do wonder though if this whole boat thing will end up with history repeating itself. I mean, it’d be new to me, as I wasn’t around in the early 1980s when Iran pulled the hostage trick the first time around, so I’d find it gripping and exciting… Almost exactly like popping bubble wrap, basically. But old people on the other hand might say things like “change the record Ahmadinejad”, whilst struggling to work a mobile phone, understand modern music, and perpetuate many other old people stereotypes.
(I think this might be the first time I’ve ever vaguely written about what I actually study academically, so, er, hooray, I guess.)
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