European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 1, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday december 1,1993 commentary the stars and stripes Page 19 intervening . For students at the army command and general staff College at fort Quot Leavenworth kan., a Quarter Century ago the received Wisdom was that the world was moving inevitably toward a Post nationalistic Era where strife would be unknown and peace and Tranquillity would reign. The Only impediment to this utopian future was the cold War Between the United states and the soviet Union. But it did no to quite happen that Way. In the face of a the continuing reality of the diversity of conflicting state goals of a quasi anarchy on the International sys Tern and the absence of binding norms and Laws governing International political relations a said the introduction to the naval War colleges 1993 professional ethics conference held at Newport r.i., the United states a might Well wish for the Days of the cold War when United nations peacekeeping missions. Were seemingly much More predictable and a the realities today Are exemplified by the Savage conditions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Somalia with conditions. In Haiti and other areas also needing attention from the world Community. A these demands for american Aid or cries for intervention. Are Many and poignant. A the american Public rightfully questions what sacrifices is the . To make on behalf of other Peoples and to what extent is the . Responsible for intervening in regional crises a planned months before the killing of american soldiers in Somalia brought the ethics of intervention to the crisis level in Congress and the White House the recent conference could not have been More timely. F three panels addressed a the complexity of decision making in our response to foreign crises and the role of ethics in those first was an academic look at ethical decision making tools and How they Harry g. Summers might be applied to military intervention As Well As a historical look at past . Interventions. Then there was it panel on foreign policy development that included a Rcpt re tentative from the United nations a former state department ambassador an academic expert and two Media commentators myself included on foreign and International affairs. Finally a panel of . And foreign officers with firsthand experience in such diverse military operations As the Congo Cyprus Gaza Haiti and Somalia discussed the practical realities of intervention. While most of the remarks were privileged As is the usual practice in such military academic settings to encourage Frank and open discussions Between students and panellists Michael Rion founder of the consulting firm of resources for ethics and management provided his remarks for the record. Opening the session Rion provided a three question framework for the analysis of the ethics of intervention the first question was a who mat ters Quot Given the fact that both . Physical and moral resources Are finite who should be considered. Are vital . Interests that threaten the Security or the Well being of the nation involve do we have treaty obligations that must be honoured what Are the costs and benefits esp Dally including risks to . Lives / is it a purely humanitarian Relief operation such As Bangladesh where there was no threat to . Lives or is it a peace enforcement Mission such As in Bosnia or Somalia where . Casualties might be High a is it our problem a was the second Issue to be addressed. Did we help to create the problem what Are the boundaries of our usual responsibilities and what Are the a Kew Garden Quot reasons to respond named after the terrible incident in new York City where neighbors watched a girl being murdered and did nothing the a Kew Garden Quot reasons include the need to intervene the of the incident the capability to intervene and whether intervention is a last resort. _ As a later speaker noted involving ourselves in areas that Are not our problem May be immoral for they distract us from americans key responsibilities botched operations such As in Somalia might Well promote a move toward isolationism Ana abandonment of our vital interests in Europe and Asia a development that would really endanger our National Security. The final question is a Marc we being True to ourselves a what will Best express our character and values what can we live with what is unacceptable. These three questions do not stand a the Young woman tentatively approached the microphone to ask a question following my lecture at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She said she disagreed with much of what i said especially my Contention that our nation needs to promote values rooted in certain fixed absolutes in order to repair a is increasingly dysfunctional and socially chaotic. / i asked her a if you done to like my value system what would you recommend to replace it a she said she Wasny to sure. A what year Are you in and what is your major asked. A a in a a senior and my major is ethics a she said. A on what do you base your own ethics a i queried. A i done to know a she replied. A a in a still trying to work la nearly 16 years of schooling at a Cost of tens of thousands of dollars have left this student and Many like her unable to Isnit entirely her fault. She is the victim of a failed Public education system that has so dumped Down a generation of Young people that they think Wisdom ref cars to their Teeth. Could there be a More compelling reason for allowing choices in How the next generation is educated California voters last month soundly rejected educational Choice in their state after the monopolistic state and National education establishment which favors Choice on abortion but not Choice on where those who Are born can be educated spent millions of dollars to maintain its intellectual and moral choke hold Over children. Meanwhile a National attempt to press for educational Choice has been launched by former education Secretary Lamar Alexander and an impressive array of current and former Public officials and business leaders. In a a vision statement Quot americans for school Choice Calls for a charter legislation to create new schools responsive to the communities they serve and free of onerous Union rules and government regulations Quot _ the group s objectives Are to promote equity by giving Middle and Low income families More of the same choices of All schools a Public private and religious a that wealthy families already enjoy to empower families with rebated tax dollars to spend at the schools of their Choice to encourage innovation by removing government from the backs olt eachers and principals and investing tax dollars at schools without strings attached and to create a by Namio marketplace of educational opportunities by offering incentives to Spur new academic services including programs for pupils with special needs and disabilities. Despite the California setback school Choice is growing More popular. A september 1992 Gallup poll found 70 percent of the Public favors a system that would allow parents to select their child a school including private and Reli atone Rion said. All must be asked and a decision must be made As to which one has priority in a particular instance. Once that decision has been made the remaining two questions should be used As constraints. The naval War College is asking the right questions. Let us Hope that when it comes to intervention the Pentagon and the White House can come up with the right answers. C Loa Angela Tvrz students pious. Fourteen states already have enacted legislation to offer limited school Choice to parents teachers communities and principals. A x private sector scholarship programs Are now operating in at least six cities to assist Low income youngsters who want to escape schools in dangerous neighbourhoods. List year Sweden which is slowly emerging from economic socialism decided to shake up its education system by offering powerful incentives to create new educational opportunities and give parents wide latitude to choose among them businesses have repeatedly lamented the poor Quality of students graduating from american Public High schools and colleges. A David Kearns chairman of Xerox corp., recently observed a Public education has put this country at a Tei Rible competitive disadvantage. American business will have to hire a million new workers a year who can t read write or count. Teaching them How. Will Cost Industry $25 billion a the evidence can no longer be denied. It is As Plain As the student who questioned me at the University Michigan. Nearing graduation this student does not know what she believes about her major ind at great expense has been defrauded of a real education. C lot Angvie to my a
