OPINION

Political responsibility

Naturally, not a single serious political party or sensible politician believes foreign policy should be exercised on the basis of the public’s perception of world events, particularly their emotional reaction to those events. But these days, unfortunately, foreign policy everywhere is devoid of any rational element. What is worse, it has divested itself of the legal and moral rules instituted in the past by the international organizations which supposedly represent the world community. When the sole remaining superpower cynically cites «American interests» in order to justify its actions in countries around the world, it would be stupid to say the least for a small country to attempt to play a leading role in international affairs. Such is the case with regard to the divide between political responsibility and common feeling over the excesses currently taking place in Lebanon. It is unacceptable for PASOK and parties of the Left to politically exploit the Greek people’s anger at and condemnation of the killing of innocent people and young children by demanding that the government call an emergency session of the UN Security Council and take a unilateral stance against Israel over the slaughter in Qana on Sunday. After all, when PASOK was in power, it exercised the same foreign policy as the current government with regard to the Middle East. The Socialists also appear to be engaging in blatant populism. PASOK’s leader could have exercised some discretion in his Middle East policy instead of »balancing» his pro-Arab stance with visits to Israel (as well as to Iran and Syria).

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