Muppidi Explanation [Yoo, Week 6, Substantive]

Was very interested with Muppidi's explanation of the situation when Madeleine Albright was asked whether its worth it for half a million children to die due to economic sanctions. I also somewhat disagree with Muppidi's assertion that if democracy, freedom, and justice are desirable political principles that should underlie global governance, the lowest members of world society should somehow have a voice in these deliberations. Muppidi claims that these people do not have a voice of their own, and only are used by the higher ups as causes or somebody's 'moment to seize'. Although I agree the voices of 'the low' are important (how ironic), I am skeptical because I think Muppidi's argument can lead to a slippery slope of justifying that democracy, freedom, and justice are simply western ideals that should not be imposed upon the third world. I am reminded of the idea of 'Asian values', which has become justification for political injustices in that continent. For example, the outlaw of homosexuality is justified in Singapore by the government as illustrating the country's conservative outlook. Democracy, Freedom, and Justice are all characteristics all states should subscribe to, and I can't help but feel the western way to do things are the right and correct way. Muppidi would obviously call me arrogant and misinformed, however.